Fragrant Vanilla Cake

Month: February 2017

  • Vegan Turtle Popcorn

    Vegan Turtle Popcorn

    There was one day last week when everyone around me seemed like they were having a tough day.  You know, like the book “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” but real life and not just one person, multiple people. I feel like usually when these days happen it is me that has multiple things go wrong, but I was lucky to not be included.  It made me wonder if there was a full moon though seriously with all of the things going wrong.  Luckily, I was in a good mood so it didn’t rub off on me.  I know it is easy to get sucked into negativity at times, but I try my best not to and I maintained a smile and stayed optimistic.  When I do have a bad day, I pray about it and try to learn from it, allowing it to make me stronger so that in the future I can deal with it better.  Eric was one of the people having a bad day, so I thought I would make him some really good popcorn, because it is his favorite snack.  I could have just made some plain popcorn or cheesy popcorn (with nutritional yeast), but I thought I would make some gourmet popcorn.  Turtle was the final consensus after narrowing it down to three types I could possibly make (the other two will be made at a later date).

    I was already getting hungry about the idea of this popcorn.  After all, turtles are delicious with their chocolate, gooey caramel and crunchy pecans.  I have loved them since I was a kid, and I knew Eric would love this popcorn because he loves chocolate and caramel.  He has been known to eat almost 3/4 of a batch of my popcorn at once.   I made my classic caramel corn, which is actually more simple to make than regular caramel corn because you just whisk together the “caramel” and then toss the popcorn with it, no cooking required for that part.  It is sweetened with maple syrup instead of the classic sugar but tastes just as good.  I tossed in some pecans, then drizzled it with dark chocolate and it was beautiful!  Once it had set, I could not wait to taste test it.

    OMG was it ever good!  I could not stop sampling it.  This is WAY better than any sugary caramel corn I had as a kid.  Don’t worry, I saved a large bag of it for Eric after having a bowl because he was the one I made it for in the first place.  I know delicious food doesn’t make everything better, but I think a loved one making you one of your favorite foods can make you smile on a bad day.  I know it works for me!  That or Eric bringing me a bottle of good wine to share after a bad day, which he has done in the past.  Try out this popcorn the next time you are craving something salty, crunchy, sweet and chocolaty!

    Vegan Turtle Popcorn 

    Makes 8 cups

    • 1/3 cup maple syrup
    • 1/3 cup coconut butter, warmed to liquid
    • 1/3 cup pecan butter (or almond butter)
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 8 cups plain organic popped corn
    • 1 cup pecans
    • 3/4 cup vegan dark chocolate chips

    Instructions:

    1. In a glass measuring cup (or bowl) whisk together the maple syrup, coconut butter, pecan butter, sea salt and vanilla until well blended. Pour over the popcorn in a large bowl, along with coconut and mix well. Spread out onto a lined sheet pan, and place in the freezer until it is hard.
    2. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler.  Once melted, drizzle over the popcorn.  Place back in the freezer until the chocolate has hardened.  Enjoy!
  • 15 Vegan Girl Scout Cookie Themed Dessert Recipes

    15 Vegan Girl Scout Cookie Themed Dessert Recipes

    Girl Scout cookies are considered an American staple.  You can’t go anywhere early in the year and not see a table set up with little girls selling their cookies. In fact, when Eric and I were out last weekend for a walk, since the weather is so nice here we saw two different Girl Scouts selling cookies in downtown Saint Paul. I am sure they were selling a lot, because the weather was so nice, and I know those cookies are hard to resist for most!  I was never a Girl Scout, I was in a group at my church called Pioneer Girls instead.  I did love Girl Scout cookies though, and my parents would always buy them from their coworkers who had girls involved in Girl Scouts. I had a few favorites.  The Samoas and Tag-Alongs were what I enjoyed the most. Probably because I like caramel, coconut, chocolate and peanut butter and like cookies with toppings or fillings.  Thin mints were ok, they were my Dad’s favorite so he always bought a bunch and I had to eat some of course as was tradition. Also, was one limited edition cookie that I loved, the strawberries and cream, which were kind of like vanilla Oreos with cream and strawberry jam.  I haven’t had a Girl Scout cookie in probably 15 years, because although they were dang delicious that is when I gave up refined foods and sugar.  So I lived without them for a long time being satisfied with my own home made cookies but in recent years I said to myself, I can make my own or even better yet, make Girl Scout cookie themed desserts!    I realized that I have a lot of Girl Scout cookie themed recipes on my blog, and I thought maybe you would enjoy making them too so I thought I would combine them into a post along with a few other blogger’s masterpieces so you can enjoy them all in one place!  Thank you to The Vegan 8, The Pretty Bee, and Where Do You Get Your Protein for allowing me to include their recipes!  PS: Not only are these treats all vegan, they are gluten free, and refined sugar free as an added bonus!

    Vegan Samoa Cookies

    Vegan Thin Mints 

     

    Tag Alongs

    Raw Tag Along Cookies 

    Thin Mints 1

    Raw Thin Mint Cookies 

    Samoa-2BMacaroons-2B1

    Vegan Samoa Macaroons

    Samoa-2BBars-2B1

    Raw Samoa Mousse Bars

    Samoa Popcorn 2

    Vegan Samoa Caramel Corn

    chocolate-mint-popcorn-4

    Vegan Thin Mint Popcorn (chocolate mint popcorn that tastes like thin mints)

    Samoa Cupcakes 4

    Mini Vegan Samoa Cupcakes

    Samoa-2B2

    Raw Samoa Cheesecake

    Raw Thin Mint Cake 3 FV

    Raw Thin Mint Cake

    Samoa Cake 2

    Vegan Samoa Layer Cake

    Tag Along Ice Cream 1

    Vegan Tag-Along Ice Cream

    Tag Along Tart 4

    Raw Tag Along Tart

    Vegan Thin Mint Freezer Fudge by The Vegan 8

     

     

  • Chocolate Chia Crunch Granola and Coconut Yogurt Parfait

    Chocolate Chia Crunch Granola and Coconut Yogurt Parfait

    There was a time in my life before I went vegan that I ate yogurt every afternoon for a snack topped off with fruit.  I was a huge yogurt eater, because I figured it was packed with protein.  I always bought Greek yogurt in a big tub, because I liked how thick it was, and I ate about 2 cups a day.  I did not realize that is was causing some tummy troubles too until I decided to give up yogurt when I became vegan.  I replaced it with chia porridge for a while, because chia seeds have protein and healthy oils.  But I did not eat plant based yogurt for a few years after becoming vegan.  I am not much of a fan of commercial faux dairy products because a lot of them have processed ingredients or added sugar (I make exceptions if they have few healthy ingredients and not any added sugar) so I went without yogurt for a while, but then I finally decided to make some.  It was less difficult than  I thought it would be and I have since made many different kinds.  The first was with young fresh coconuts and it was delicious.  I flavored it with various fruits and it was even better than dairy yogurt in my opinion.  But I know young coconuts are expensive and not always practical unless you live somewhere tropical, so I have made equally good yogurt with canned coconut milk.  Coconut milk yogurt is my favorite, over other plant based yogurts.

    So, I have been seeing a bunch of commercials lately for yogurt with toppings, and I loved the idea so I decided to make my own.  I thought a crunchy element and a fruity element would be perfect to combine with my vanilla coconut yogurt.  For the crunchy, I made a chocolate chia granola.  It tastes like dessert, but it packs fiber and protein!  It was super simple to make, and it is actually oil free because I used a little nut butter to coat it. I have to warn you though, once you start munching on it it is hard to put down.  I mashed up some organic raspberries as a sort of simple and healthier jam to include with the yogurt as well. I am not a fan of super sweet jam with loads of sugar, I would rather mash up fresh fruit instead!  Here’s a tip, if your fruit is a little too runny when you mash it up (if you are making this sort of jam) add a few tsp chia seeds to it, and it will thicken it right up.  It is perfect for raspberries, because they are already seedy and the chia seeds blend right in. I am a chunky jam sort of gal so seeds don’t bother me at all.  I didn’t need any for this though, because you don’t really need a thick jam.

    I thought about pouring the yogurt into bowls, and just topping it with the granola and berries, but I thought layering it into a parfait would be more fun.  So that is how it ended up.  It was super delicious!  Of course this could be breakfast, or a dessert or both!  The yogurt is slightly tangy and sweet and it is perfect with the tart jammy berries and crunchy chocolate cookie like granola! I am going to have to try more new yogurt and topping combos!

    Chocolate Chia Crunch Granola and Coconut Yogurt Parfait

    Serves 3

    Ingredients:

    Vanilla Coconut Yogurt:

    • 2 cups organic full fat coconut milk
    • ½ tsp probiotic powder
    • 3-4 Tbsp coconut butter (not oil), warmed to liquid*
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • ¼ cup date paste* or maple syrup

     

    Chocolate Granola:

    • 2 cups gluten free oats
    • ¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp almond butter
    • 3 Tbsp date paste or maple syrup
    • 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
    • 3 Tbsp chia seeds
    • ¼ tsp sea salt

     

    3 cups organic raspberries (fresh or thawed frozen)

     

    1. To make the yogurt, combine the coconut milk and probiotic powder in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl, cover, and let sit overnight on the counter until tangy.
    2. The next day, blend with coconut butter, vanilla extract, and date paste until smooth, then pour into a bowl and chill.
    3. To make the granola, preheat oven to 350F degrees.
    4. combine all ingredients in a bowl, and mix well with your hands until it is evenly coated with the nut butter, date paste and cocoa powder. Spread out on a parchment lined sheet pan.
    5. Place in the oven and bake for 35 minutes, stirring and rotating halfway through. Let cool completely.
    6. Mash the raspberries.
    7. To assemble, layer the yogurt, raspberries and granola into jars or glasses, and enjoy!

     

    *Date Paste: Blend 1 ¼ cups pitted soft medjool dates (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water for 30 minutes and drain) and 2/3 cup filtered water in a blender until smooth.  Store in a jar in the refrigerator up to 1 week.  This can be used in recipes instead of other liquid sweeteners such as maple syrup or coconut nectar.

    *If your coconut milk is on the thinner side use 4 Tbsp coconut butter, it thickens the yogurt.

     

  • Vegan Peanut Butter Love Cake

    Vegan Peanut Butter Love Cake

    If I could eat a whole jar of peanut butter I would.  I love the stuff, and I always have since I was a little kid.  Reese’s peanut butter cups were something I looked forward to on the holidays where chocolate was included, and peanut butter sandwiches were a staple in my school lunches since I never wanted to eat sandwiches with meat like the other kids did.  Now I like to just eat a scoop of peanut butter now and then, or stir it into my oatmeal.  Although, I am sure my serving size is always larger than what it says on the jar.  Many of my favorite desserts contain it as well.  Like these chocolate peanut butter lava cakes, or this peanut butter and jelly pie, or this PB and J layer cake.  So, when I was having a hard time thinking of what type of cake to make last weekend (because I wanted cake, and it is a tradition Eric and I always share dessert and wine on Sunday nights and that dessert is usually cake in some form) I came back to my old friend peanut butter.  Now peanut butter is simple mind you, but this cake turned out beautiful!  My inspiration came from a non-vegan cake on Pinterest.  I had seen it a while back and said to myself, I need to veganize and healthify that. So now was the time.

    For the cake layers, I included peanut butter in the batter (because hey, it is the star of the cake) and it tasted delicious.  It is an oil free date sweetened cake batter actually, my go-to recipe as of late.  The richness comes from the peanut butter, and the dates give it a sort of caramel flavor.  The cake layers baked up beautifully, soft and moist as cake should be but not heavy.  For the frosting, I made a sort of vegan peanut butter “buttercream” frosting.  It was so delicious, tasting like peanut butter mousse.  Lastly, the cake needed to have another peanut butter element (as if the first two weren’t enough), so I made a sweet peanut butter caramel.  This was date based as well, so this entire cake is fruit sweetened.

    I topped it off with crunchy roasted peanuts and it was even more beautiful than I imagined. Also, it tasted even better than I expected.  I knew it would be good, but this was yummalicious!  Perfectly moist soft cake sandwiched together and topped off with gooey sweet caramel, luscious dreamy frosting and crunchy peanuts!  I think this would make the perfect Birthday cake if you know a peanut butter lover.  Eric and I devoured our first pieces very quickly, and I had given a piece to my Mom and she loved it even though she is not normally a peanut butter person, so all big thumbs up from my taste testers!  Trust me, you need this cake in your life!

    Vegan Peanut Butter Love Cake
    Makes one 2 layer 6 inch cake

    Ingredients:

    2 6 inch cake pans

    Cake:

    • 1 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
    • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
    • 1 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 1 cup packed soft medjool dates, pitted, soaked in water for 30 minutes and 1 cup of the water reserved
    • 1/4 cup organic peanut butter
    • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 cup filtered water
    • 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

    Vegan Peanut Butter Cream Frosting:

    • 1 15 oz can full fat organic coconut milk, chilled (You want to make sure it is a brand that is very thick at least 2/3 of the can like Thai Kitchen)
    • 1/2 cup organic peanut butter
    • 1/4 cup maple syrup
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp melted coconut butter (warmed to liquid)

    Peanut Butter Caramel:

    • 1 cup soft medjool dates, pitted (if they are not soft, soak them in water and drain well first)
    • 2 heaping Tbsp peanut butter
    • 1 Tbsp coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1/8 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/4 cup filtered water (plus more as needed)

    1/2 cup chopped organic roasted peanuts for topping cake

    Directions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 375F degrees and position rack in center of oven.
    2. Oil two 6 inch round cake pans with coconut oil and line the bottom with parchment.
    3. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt in a large bowl to blend well.
    4. Place dates, reserved water, peanut butter, water, and vanilla extract into a blender, and blend until smooth, then whisk this blended mixture into the flour mixture until well blended. Whisk in the cider vinegar until bubbles form.
    5. Pour the cake batter into prepared pan, and place in the oven.
    6. Bake cake until set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out almost clean, about 25-30 minutes.  Remove from oven, let cool completely, then unmold onto plates.
    7. To make the frosting, combine all ingredients in a high speed blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth.  Pour into a bowl and place in the freezer until the consistency of stiffly whipped cream (about 30-45 minutes depending on how warm it has gotten).  Once it is ready place in the refrigerator until ready to assemble.
    8. To make the caramel, combine all ingredients in a high speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth (adding a little water if necessary, it should be the consistency of pourable but still thick caramel).
    9. To assemble, place one cake layer on a plate.  Spread 3/4 cup frosting over the cake layer, then some of the caramel (keeping it more in the center, and leaving a one inch frosting boarder at the edges).  Place the other cake layer over that, and spread the remaining frosting over the top and down the sides of the cake.  Pour caramel over that, and allow to drip down the sides.  Top with chopped peanuts.
  • Roasted Sweets and Beets Lentil Salad

    Roasted Sweets and Beets Lentil Salad

    It was so warm here yesterday we set a record.  Sixty degrees in February in Minnesota is almost unheard of.  I am sure the skiers and other Winter sport enthusiasts are sad, but I am loving this weather.  I would love it if we went straight into Spring.  Anything above 45 degrees I will take.  To me, 45 degrees is running shorts weather.  It seriously feels like March right now, and I am going to get out and make the most of this weather this weekend.  I half expect the tulips to start popping up and trees to start budding, but I know we have at least a month before that. All of the warm weather had me craving lighter food, so I decided to make a warm lentil salad for dinner last night.  I have had the idea of this salad on my mind for quite a while, but finally got around to making it.  I tend to fall into dinner ruts, making the same few dishes every week because they are easy fast, and good.  But when I have time to be creative, then I like to switch it up.  This week I felt was pretty stress free compared to the last few.

    Roasted Beet, Sweet Potato and Lentil Salad

    Lentils are a staple in my diet, and I make things like lentil stew all the time, but I make very few lentil salads unless it is Summer.  For this salad, I wanted to combine the lentils with beets and sweet potatoes.  Because those are my two favorite veggies, and I don’t make beets often enough.  Sweet potatoes however are a daily occurrence  in my kitchen and I could not resist putting them in this dish as well.  While the lentils were cooking on the stove, I decided to roast the sweet potatoes and beets to maximize the flavor.  Although I usually roast my beets whole, I decided to try a different method and cut them up and then roast them.  It worked out perfect!  The veggies turned out super delicious and I could have snacked on them just as they were, but to make a full meal I added the lentils, along with some greens, and a lemony vinaigrette.

    Roasted Beet, Sweet Potato and Lentil Salad 2

    Lastly, this dish needed to have some nut chevre.  I had imagined it topped off with crumbled chevre in my head, and I had just made some macadamia chevre, so it was perfect!  A quick sprinkle of fresh thyme and I was ready to dive in. The combination was super delicious!  I am going to have to make this again, the recipe is a complete keeper, which is why I had to share it with you all.  I would even go as far to say I would pay money for this in a restaurant, and that says a lot.  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

    Roasted Beet, Sweet Potato and Lentil Salad 1

    Roasted Sweets and Beets Lentil Salad
    Serves 2

    Macadamia chevre:

    • 2 cups macadamias, soaked for at least 4 hours and drained
    • 1/4 cup lemon juice
    • 1 tsp cider vinegar
    • 1 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
    • 2-3 Tbsp filtered water as needed

     

    Roasted Vegetables

    • 4 medium beets, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
    • 2 medium sweet potatoes cut into 1 inch cubes
    • sea salt

    Lentils:

    • 2/3 cup french lentils
    • 1 shallot, diced
    • 1 garlic clove, minced
    • sea salt to taste
    • filtered water

    Dressing:

    • 1 Tbso olive oil
    • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
    • sea salt to taste

     

    To finish salad:

    • thyme
    • a few large handfuls of fresh greens (such as spinach, baby kale, or arugula)

     

    Directions:

    1.  To make the chevre, combine all ingredients in the food processor and process until smooth, adding a Tbsp or two of water as needed to create a goat cheese like consistency (do not add too much or it will be too thin.).  Place the cheese in 2 layers of cheesecloth, fold it around the cheese and let sit in the fridge overnight.
    2. To make the roasted vegetables, preheat the oven to 375F degrees, and line a sheet pan with parchment.  Toss the sweet potatoes and beets with just enough oil to coat them, and spread them out on the pan.  Sprinkle with a little sea salt.  Place in the oven and roast for about 45 minutes to one hour, or until they are tender.  Remove from the oven.
    3. Meanwhile, when the veggies are cooking,  place the lentils, onions, garlic, sea salt, and enough filtered water to cover by a few inches in a pot, and bring to a boil.  Lower to a simmer, and cook over low heat for about 40 minutes until the lentils are tender.  Drain through a fine meshed strainer.  Set aside until the veggies are done roasting.
    4. Whisk together dressing ingredients until combined.
    5. Place the lentils, and roasted veggies in a bowl, and toss with the dressing.
    6. place a bed of greens on a plate, and top off with the lentil mixture.  Then crumble some of the chevre over it, and sprinkle with the fresh thyme.  Serve!
  • Raw Seed and Fruit Energy Bars

    Raw Seed and Fruit Energy Bars

    At the deli I work in, we make birdseed bars, and they always smell so good to me while baking, and the ingredients smell good, but they are not vegan.  They have honey in them, and that may not seem like a big deal to some, but it is to me, because once you learn about how the bees are treated in most commercial farms, it is not so appealing, even if it tastes good. You can read about it HERE. Bees are little creatures too, and even if they are insects, they still deserve to be treated with respect and kindness.  After all, they are important for the pollination of many of the crops that we eat!  Anyways, back to those bars.  They always sound good to me, so finally I decided that I needed to make a vegan version at home with my own twists on it.

    Nut and Seed Bars

    The ones at work have just nuts and seeds in them along with some coconut, but I decided to make these nut free, and add seeds, dried fruit and coconut.  Specifically sunflower seeds and hemp seeds.  Sunflower seeds are high in vitamin E and hemp seeds (which I put in a lot of my meals) are high in healthy omega 3 oils and protein.  For the fruit I added dried cherries and blueberries, because it happened   to be what I had on hand, but they both are high in antioxidants so that is a win! These bars are actually pretty healthy!  For the binder, I used a sunflower butter and coconut oil mixture.  The ones are work use peanut butter, but I wanted these to be nut free.  You can use a nut butter if you prefer though if you do not mind them not being nut free.  The coconut oil served to firm them up, because I wanted these to be no-bake unlike the other ones.

    Nut and Seed Bars 3

    They turned out perfect!  They are sweet, a little salty, crunchy and satisfying.  They are perfect for when you want an unprocessed snack. I am going to give some to Eric to bring along to work, because he likes to bring bars and such, and some of the store bought ones have too many not so good ingredients in them.  If you make these, feel free to play around and add your own favorite dried fruits (just make sure you chop them up small) and nuts, just be sure to use the same proportions.

    Nut and Seed Bars 2

    Raw Seed and Fruit Energy Bars
    Makes 16

    Ingredients:

    • 1 cup raw sunflower seeds
    • 1/2 cup raw shelled hemp seeds
    • 1/2 cup finely shredded unsweetened dried coconut
    • 1/4 cup dried blueberries
    • 1/4 cup dried cherries
    • 1/2 cup raw sunflower seed butter (if not nut free, almond butter can be used)
    • 1/2 cup raw coconut butter or coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1/4 cup maple syrup
    • 1 tsp sea salt
    1. Line an 8×8 pan with parchment.
    2. In a bowl, combine the seeds, coconut, berries, and cherries.
    3. In another bowl, mix together the sunflower seed butter, maple syrup and sea salt until smooth.
    4. Pour the mixture over the other ingredients in the first bowl, and mix until well combined.
    5. Pour into the mixture into the prepared pan, and with oiled hands press into the bottom so that the top is smooth.  Place in the freezer until set, about an hour.  Cut into bars.

     

  • Vegan Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Doughnuts

    Vegan Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Doughnuts

    Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Doughnuts 2

    Some of the best things in life are free.  Long runs on chilly mornings, smiles, watching beautiful sunsets, cuddling, kind words.  Also old bananas that the store gives you for free, because they can’t sell them.  One man’s trash is another man’s (well, in this case woman’s) treasure.  Over ripe bananas are baking gold!  Or vegan gold in general.  I mean, you can freeze them for banana nice cream, or use them in banana cake or bread which is always a favorite at least at my house.  They provide natural sweetness, as well as keeping things moist and delicious!  So, I always jump at the opportunity to use them whenever I am given over ripe bananas.

    Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Doughnuts

    Last Monday, I decided that it was a doughnut kind of a day.  I figured some sort of banana doughnuts would be fabulous!  Now, peanut butter, bananas, and chocolate chips are a match made in heaven, so I went with that flavor combination.  I haven’t had a fried doughnut probably since high school, when I used to love to go to Crispy Cream and get them fresh.  But since doughnuts weren’t a health food and I gave up refined sugar and flour, dairy and eggs, the doughnuts went out the window too with my switch to healthier eating after high school.  I started making my own vegan doughnuts though a few years back and I like them even better because they don’t leave me feeling yucky.  I invested in a doughnut pan, so I could bake them, and it has gotten a lot of use!  Surprisingly though I had never made banana doughnuts until this batch.

    Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Doughnuts 1

    It is basically my date sweetened cake batter, because it always turns out light and delicious especially when another fruit or veggie element like bananas is added.  I snuck in a little peanut butter to make it even more delicious and of course some vegan mini dark chocolate chips, and that was some good batter!  Yes, I tasted it before it was baked.  One of my favorite things about making baked goods is licking the bowl.  I don’t like wasting things after all, and it is my little treat to enjoy while I wait for things to bake.  They turned out super delicious and I glazed them with a dark chocolate peanut butter glaze. Talk about heavenly.  Trust me, you need these in your life…so next time you have over ripe bananas, you know what to do with them!

    Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Doughnuts 3

    Vegan Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Doughnuts
    Makes 6 large doughnuts

    Ingredients:

    Doughnut Pan (mine is large size)

    Cake:

    • 3/4 cups quinoa flour (or all purpose gluten free flour)
    • 3/4 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1/2 cup packed soft medjool dates, pitted, soaked in water for 30 minutes and ½ cup of the soaking water reserved
    • 2 Tbsp organic peanut butter
    • 1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/2 cup mashed banana
    • 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

    Glaze:

    • 2 Tbsp organic peanut butter
    • 2 Tbsp cacao powder
    • 1 ½ Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1 Tbsp coconut oil
    • 1/4 cup filtered water or as needed
    • Pinch sea salt

    Directions:

    1.      Preheat the oven to 375F degrees and position rack in center of oven. Oil a 6 hole doughnut pan.

    2.      Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt in a large bowl to blend well.  Set aside.

    3.      Place dates, reserved water, peanut butter, bananas, and vanilla extract into a blender, and blend until smooth, then whisk this blended mixture into the flour mixture until well blended. Whisk in the cider vinegar until bubbles form. Transfer batter to prepared pan and bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 15-20 minutes (depending on your oven). Cool completely in the pan, about 1 hour. Remove from pan.

    4.      To make the glaze, whisk together all ingredients until smooth (adding more water if too thick, you want it to be pourable but not too thin).  Spoon over the doughnuts, allowing it to drip down the sides.  Let set until dry (which happens faster if you put them in the refrigerator for 15 minutes).  Enjoy!

  • Vegan Dark Chocolate Red Wine Cake

    Vegan Dark Chocolate Red Wine Cake

    Dark Chocolate Red Wine Cake 5

    Last week was kind of a stressful one for me.  Including my computer breaking and losing most of my photos and everything because the hard drive was toast.  There were other things that happened too that I won’t go into but my point is that by the end of the week, I was sooo ready for the weekend.  Like go home and put my PJs on and bake something really good with some wine ready. I was a little crabby, but at least I could admit it, and the introvert in me just wanted to be alone.  After a stress relieving walk with Eric which helped a little, because we both had a lot to vent about, I baked a cake.  In my PJs in the kitchen while listening to some good music, with some wine and I was feeling relaxed and happier in no time.  I am a vanilla girl, but I was in a chocolate mood.  I also wanted something for Valentine’s Day weekend to share with my man on Sunday (which is when we celebrated Valentine’s Day because we both were going to be working on the actual day and opposite shifts).  So I made a dark chocolate red wine cake.  I had made one before years ago, but I wanted to make a new recipe that was even better.

    Dark Chocolate Red Wine Cake 2

    I had to use a good wine in the cake that I would drink, so I used some of the red wine that I had open.  A good smooth Italian red.  I used my usual chocolate cake batter made with dates as a sweetener, and I have to say, the batter tasted really good.  Kind of like that red wine hot chocolate that is so popular right now, but not hot.  I always taste my cake batter to make sure it is good.  Because if it is not good before baking, it probably won’t be any better after.  My kitchen smelled amazing while it baked.  I love the smell of chocolate cake, it makes me very happy.  For the cake filling, I decided on a little bit of raspberry jam.  Because dark chocolate, wine, and berries are a match made in heaven.  I frosted the cake with a delicious fudge frosting.  It was like really good rich chocolate mousse.  I used a special ingredient in it, some sweet potatoes.  It may sound weird, but honestly, they make the most luscious frosting!  Think avocado chocolate frosting, but lower fat.  I still added some but butter though, because I wanted a little bit of fat to give it that rich mouth feel.

    Dark Chocolate Red Wine Cake

    The completed cake was amazing!  I saved it to enjoy with Eric on our Valentine’s date, and it was super delicious and rich.  You would never guess it was vegan if I served it to you and didn’t tell you.  The cake was perfectly moist, the bright jammy berries a good match for the dark chocolate fudge frosting and sweet cake.  A hint of red wine all the way through.  I hope you all have a lovely Valentine’s Day!

    Dark Chocolate Red Wine Cake 3

    Vegan Dark Chocolate Red Wine Cake
    Makes one 2 layer 6 inch cake

    Ingredients:

    2 6 inch cake pans

    Cake:

    • 1 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
    • 1/4 cup cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
    • 1 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 1 cup packed soft medjool dates, pitted, soaked in water for 30 minutes and 1 cup of the water reserved
    • 1/4 cup almond butter
    • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1  cup red wine (one that you would drink, and enjoy the taste of)
    • 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

     

    Frosting:

    • 1 1/4 cups mashed Japanese sweet potatoes*
    • 1  cup soft pitted medjool dates (soaked in water for 30 minutes and drained before using if not soft)
    • 1/3 cup almond butter
    • 1/2 cup filtered water (or as needed)
    • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt

     

    Filling:

    • 1 cup organic raspberries
    • 2 tsp date paste or maple syrup or as needed
    • pinch sea salt

     

    Directions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 375F degrees and position rack in center of oven.
    2. Oil two 6 inch round cake pans with coconut oil and line the bottom with parchment.
    3. Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt in a large bowl to blend well.
    4. Place dates, reserved water, almond butter, wine, and vanilla extract into a blender, and blend until smooth, then whisk this blended mixture into the flour mixture until well blended. Whisk in the cider vinegar until bubbles form.
    5. Pour the cake batter into prepared pans, and place in the oven.
    6. Bake cakes until set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out almost clean, about 25-30 minutes.  Remove from oven, let cool completely, then unmold onto a plate.
    7. To make the frosting, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth (adding water a little at a time if you think it is too thick).  Set aside.
    8. To make the raspberry filling, put the raspberries, maple syrup, and sea salt in a food processor or blender and pulse until a jam consistency.
    9. To frost the cake, place one layer on a plate, pipe some of the frosting around the outside of the cake layer, then spread the raspberry filling inside the circle, followed by about 3/4 cup of the frosting on top of it to cover it.  Top with the next cake layer, and spread the frosting over the top and down the sides of the cake.

     

    *I like to roast my sweet potatoes in the oven. To do so, cut them in half, and place them cut side down on a parchment lined tray.  Roast at 400F degrees for about an hour or until they are tender.  Let cool before pureeing.

    Dark Chocolate Red Wine Cake A

  • Vegan Macadamia Coconut White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

    Vegan Macadamia Coconut White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

    Macadamia white chocolate cookies seemed exotic to me as a kid.  I remember getting them at bakeries or stores whenever I was allowed to pick out a cookie, and they were so good!  At that point in my life I was a white chocolate kind of a girl (I still choose vanilla over chocolate, not that I don’t love dark chocolate too).  Chocolate chip cookies were made at home often, but white chocolate macadamia were only something you could buy when out shopping so they were more special.  I had no idea that macadamia nuts cost an arm and a leg, but I knew they were good.  So buttery and rich.  Now that I make my own desserts, I know how valuable and truly special they are, and so when I buy some, I use them sparingly and in special desserts.  I made a Dark Chocolate Macadamia Coconut Cake for my blogaversary last week, and I used them in that, but I had some left over, and I thought to myself, I have never tried to create those cookies from my childhood, so why not?!

    White Chocolate Coconut Macadamia Cookies 3

    Not only that, a while back my Mom had asked if I could make some macadamia white chocolate coconut oatmeal cookies, so I could make her happy too.  I think of all of the desserts I make, she likes the cookies the best.  She eats them with her morning coffee.  She always used to tell me that oatmeal cookies were healthy because of the fiber rich oats.  I agree!  I love oatmeal anything, and have eaten a bowl of oatmeal (or overnight oats) almost every morning since I was in high school.  They do fill you up and provide energy and fiber, so why not have cookies that include them instead of ones that are nutritionally void.  The ones I make now though are all refined sugar free.

    White Chocolate Coconut Macadamia Cookies 1

    The dough for these cookies tasted amazing.  Just sayin’.  Because as far as I am concerned the dough for cookies is just as important as the baked cookies when it comes to how it tastes.  This is because I like dough slightly better than actual baked cookies.  Warm cookies are a close second though.  These smelled wonderful while baking!  Like sweet vanilla and coconut heaven!  Whenever my coworker at the deli bakes her coconut oatmeal cookies it makes me happy.  I think they are some of the best smelling.  These were even better than those!  Because the nuts were included too.  The finished cookies (which had to be taste tested warm of course) were simply heavenly!  Crunchy rich macadamias, aromatic coconut and smooth sweet white chocolate studded soft, yet crispy on the outside cookies!  Just right and as an oatmeal cookie should be.  I think this is why oatmeal cookies are one of my top picks besides being healthy.  They are not simply crispy, or simply soft.  They are soft on the inside and crispy on the outside which is pure cookie perfection in my mind!

    White Chocolate Coconut Macadamia Cookies 4

    Vegan Macadamia Coconut White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
    Makes 1 dozen large cookies

    Ingredients:

    • 3/4 cup virgin coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1 1/2 cups coconut sugar
    • 2 flax eggs*
    • 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 1/2 cups gluten free oat flour
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 3/4 tsp sea salt
    • 3 cups gluten free old fashioned rolled oats
    • 1 cups toasted large flake unsweetened dried coconut
    • 1 cup toasted macadamia nuts
    • 1 cup white chocolate chunks**

     

    Directions:

    1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the coconut oil, and sugar until well blended. Add flax eggs, vanilla, and beat until well combined (the mixture will become very thick).
    2. Mix in the flour, soda, and sea salt until well blended. Mix in the oats until well combined, then add coconut, macadamias and white chocolate and mix until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
    3. Heat the oven to 350 degrees with the rack set at the middle position. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
    4. Roll the dough into 12 large balls, and spread them out on the 2 cookie sheets with plenty of room in between. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until golden, but not over baked. Let cool on sheet a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack lined with parchment to cool.
    *Whisk together 2 Tbsp ground flax seed, 1/4 cup and 2 Tbsp water in a small bowl.  Allow to sit in the fridge for 15 minutes until the mixture has set up (or become kind of thick).
    **If your white chocolate is home made or melts easily, I recommend not stirring it into the dough, but instead pressing the chunks into the tops of the baked cookies so that it holds its shape better.

     

  • Vegan Pink Velvet Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

    Vegan Pink Velvet Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

    Red Velvet Brownies 2

    One of my all time favorite relaxing activities is baking something delicious in the kitchen.  So, last Monday I decided to bake some brownies since it was my day off.  I haven’t made any in quite a while, so it was about time!  I knew I wanted to make something really good, and something chocolate.  So brownies were perfect!  I didn’t want run-of the mill brownies though, I wanted something special.  It took me a while to decide what kind.  Maybe something with berries, since Valentines day is just around the corner?  But I didn’t have any berries on hand.  Maybe something with coffee?  But I wasn’t feeling like a caffeine buzz. So, I decided on red velvet.  I have been wanting to make red velvet cheesecake brownies since last Summer, and now seemed like the perfect time since nothing is more perfect for Valentine’s Day than red velvet and chocolate.

    Red Velvet Brownies 5

    I decided to go a little different route than my usual brownies, and make these fruit sweetened and oil free as well.  So, I used dates to keep them moist, as well as give them a rich luscious sweetness.  They worked out perfectly too!  The brownies turned out nice and fudgy, which is how I prefer mine.  For the red velvet cheesecake swirl I used a mixture of cashew butter and coconut milk.  This is what I always use for cheesecake swirls in anything and I have had many people tell me that they are shocked that it is vegan.  It tastes just like cream cheese.  I tinted it with beet powder to make these festive and give them the red color, which ended up being really pink, so I decided to call them pink velvet instead.

    Red Velvet Brownies 3

    They smelled heavenly while baking, and I couldn’t wait to try them.  I had to let them cool and set up though, and it was hard to wait but well worth it.  They were rich and fudgy as brownies should be, and that luscious vanilla cream cheese swirl made them simply heavenly!  My taste testers loved them as well, which is very important to me.  I highly recommend making these the next time you have a craving for brownies.  They are yummalicious!

    Red Velvet Brownies 1

    Vegan Pink Velvet Cheesecake Swirl Brownies
    Makes 16

    Cream Cheese Swirl:

    • 3/4 cup thick coconut milk (from the top of a chilled can)
    • 1/2 cup cashew butter (or almond butter will also work here)
    • 2 Tbsp date paste or maple syrup
    • 1/8 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 2 tsp beet powder
    • 2 Tbsp arrowroot starch or cornstarch

     

    Brownies:

    • 1 cup date paste
    • 1/4 cup filtered water
    • 1/4 cup almond butter
    • 2 flax eggs (2 Tbsp ground flax seed, whisked together with 6 Tbsp filtered water)
    • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all-purpose flour
    • 1/2 cup cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
    • ½ cup vegan chocolate chips

    Directions:

    1. To make the swirl, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl and set aside.
      To make the brownies, pre-heat the oven to 350F degrees.
    2. Whisk together the date paste, almond butter, water, flax eggs, and vanilla until well combined. Add the flour, cacao powder and sea salt and beat until smooth.
    3. Scrape the batter into a greased 8×8 inch pan, then drop the swirl over it in 2 Tbsp amounts, and swirl it with a knife.
    4. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Place in the oven, and Bake for about 25 minutes or until just set (but do not over bake or they will be dry, slightly underbaked is better, because they continue to set while cooling).
    5. Let cool before cutting into bars.

     

  • Vegan Dark Chocolate Coconut Macadamia Cake

    Vegan Dark Chocolate Coconut Macadamia Cake

    Chocolate Macadamia Coconut Cake 4

    Fragrant Vanilla Cake has just turned 6 years old!  Well, technically it turned 6 on the 5th, but I didn’t have time to make a cake then, so I am celebrating a few extra days late.  I am one of those people who waits until the weekend to celebrate my own Birthday when it falls on a week day, so I don’t mind.  It is the celebration that counts, not the day it falls on.  And I wanted a spectacular cake to celebrate!  More on that later though.  When I first started this blog, it was just meant as a way to share my recipes with friends and family.  I had previously been sharing them in notes on Facebook, but I then thought to myself, my own blog would be better and so much easier to look at!  So I started a blog on Blogger!  My first recipe was a red velvet cupcake.  It was not vegan, but it did contain veggies.  I was still a vegetarian at the time. My food photography skills were somewhat lacking despite having a college Art degree.  But hey, photography was never my strong suit in college, I was a painter, drawer and sculptor.  That is kind of how I got into making desserts actually. In college, for my senior art show, I made a series of sculptures made out of cookies. You know, like gingerbread houses but sculptures.  I sculpted things from my past like furniture and my old car.  I soon discovered I loved working with food.  So, I baked a lot.  And it continued until the start of this blog!  I like to think that my photography has much improved, I have taken tips from other bloggers, and learned a lot about how to do it using just natural lighting and not spending an arm and a leg (since my day job is a cook, so I am not rich or anything).  I am always learning though and picking up new tricks.

    Chocolate Macadamia Coconut Cake 3

    When I started this blog I had few followers, most of which I knew, but it soon grew to thousands.  Which I was shocked about.  I never thought it would reach that point.  It has become harder to reach people since Facebook now requires paid posts to gain a large audience, but I appreciate those that I have following me, who always give me reasons to keep blogging.  Sometimes I have days when I am not motivated to create things and whatnot or it makes me sad that not everyone is able to see my posts on Facebook, but it is all of my readers that keep me going.  And of course my friends and family who give me many ideas on things to create.  So, to all of you who have supported me thank you so much!  It means the world to me! I hope to continue to do so for many years in the future.  So to celebrate this special blogaversary occasion, I made a really yummy cake, Vegan Dark Chocolate Macadamia! Rich chocolate cake layers, a fluffy coconut “cream cheese” frosting and crunchy toasted macadamias and coconut.  It doesn’t get much more heavenly than that!

    Chocolate Macadamia Coconut Cake

    I made the cake layers oil free, opting instead for a little nut butter and dates to keep it moist.  The dates sweetened the cake as well, instead of sugar.  Cakes made with dates as their sweetener are my favorite, in addition to sweetness, they add a slight caramel flavor.  This cake was perfectly moist and delicious!  The key is to also bake it just the right amount, too much and it dries out, but just right and it is melt in your mouth tender. I chose a coconut cream cheese frosting because that is my favorite frosting lately and I had not tried it with chocolate cake.  Let me tell you, it was pretty amazing together!  Lastly the crunchy coconut and macadamias made the perfect addition!  I am a big texture person when it comes to dessert, and they were just what it needed!  I know macadamias are a little spendy, so I used just enough to make their presence known.  If you don’t want to buy them, you may use your favorite type of nut!  This cake was crave worthy! Definitely worthy of being a Birthday cake!  So, if you have a special occasion coming up…save the recipe with that pin button!  These 6 years have been fun, and I can’t wait to create many more delicious recipes for you all in the future!

    Chocolate Macadamia Coconut Cake 2

    Vegan Dark Chocolate Coconut Macadamia Cake
    Makes one 2 layer 6 inch cake

    Ingredients:

    2 6 inch cake pans

    Cake:

    • 1 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
    • 1/4 cup cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
    • 1 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 1 cup packed soft medjool dates, pitted, soaked in water for 30 minutes and 1 cup of the water reserved
    • 1/4 cup almond butter
    • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1  cup filtered water
    • 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

     

    Coconut “Cream Cheese” Frosting:

    • 1 15 oz can full fat organic coconut milk, chilled
    • 1/2 cup raw cashew butter
    • 1/4 cup maple syrup
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1/4 tsp cider vinegar
    • 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp melted coconut butter (warmed to liquid)

     

    Topping:

    • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1/4 cup almond butter
    • 3 Tbsp maple syrup
    • pinch sea salt
    • filtered water as needed
    • 3/4 cup toasted macadamia nuts, roughly chopped
    • 3/4 cup toasted coconut

     

    Directions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 375F degrees and position rack in center of oven.
    2. Oil two 6 inch round cake pans with coconut oil and line the bottom with parchment.
    3. Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt in a large bowl to blend well.
    4. Place dates, reserved water, almond butter, water, and vanilla extract into a blender, and blend until smooth, then whisk this blended mixture into the flour mixture until well blended. Whisk in the cider vinegar until bubbles form.
    5. Pour the cake batter into prepared pans, and place in the oven.
    6. Bake cakes until set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out almost clean, about 25-30 minutes.  Remove from oven, let cool completely, then unmold onto a plate.
    7. To make the frosting, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth (adding water a little at a time if you think it is too thick).  Pour into a bowl and set in the freezer until it thickens to the consistency of whipped cream (about 30 minutes). Once it is to this point, put it in the refrigerator until you are ready to frost.
    8. To make the topping, whisk together the cocoa powder, nut butter, syrup, sea salt, and just enough water to create a thick but pourable fudge.  Set aside.
    9. To frost the cake, place one layer on a plate, and spread with about 3/4 cup of the frosting, then sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the macadamias and coconut.  Top with the next cake layer, and spread the frosting over the top and down the sides of the cake.  Pour the fudge over that, and allow to drip down the sides of the cake.  Sprinkle the remaining macadamias and coconut over the top of the cake. Serve!

     

    Chocolate Macadamia Coconut Cake 1

  • Vegan Mini Lemon Tarts

    Vegan Mini Lemon Tarts

    Lemon Tart 2

    My Mom taught me to love lemon and all things citrus and tart.  I think it originally came from my Grandma, who loved lemon as well, and so did her Mom.  At least, my Mom told me that my Great Grandma used to always make lemon desserts that were amazing, like lemon meringue pie and cookies when she came to visit.   My Mom and I used to go to a candy counter when I was younger that sold these amazing key lime truffles.  They were really tart, and the sales lady warned us, but we thought they were just perfect!  Citrus desserts should be tart, not covered up with sweet.  We used to make lemon bars and key lime pies when I was younger, and they were always good because we didn’t overdo it on the sugar and allowed the citrus flavors to shine.  I still like my citrus desserts like that, and every Winter I like to make them when we are all lacking in sunshine here in Minnesota.  My Mom asked me a few weeks back if I could make her some sort of lemon tart, and of course I said yes!

    Lemon Tart 4

    I decided to make mini lemon tarts because she is a fan of individual desserts.  For the crust, I used just a classic gluten free pie crust so that the lemon curd could be the star.  I figured out how to make vegan lemon curd a while back, because it was one of the things I used to love before going vegan.  So, I used that recipe and tweaked it slightly for the tarts.  It is mostly lemon juice as it should be, I sweeten it with some maple syrup in place of the usual sugar, and thicken it with arrowroot starch instead of the classic eggs. It is bright, tart, sweet and delicious!  Just as lemon curd should be in my opinion, and it tastes like sunshine!  It worked out perfectly in the tart shells, and firmed up just enough while remaining silky and delicious thanks to the coconut oil I added in place of the classic butter.

    Lemon Tart 3

    Once they were chilled and ready to go I topped them off with raspberries.  They were super delicious!  I will never get tired of lemon desserts, they make me happy!  My Mom loved them as well, saying she enjoyed them even better than tarts with classic lemon curd because she is not a fan of the egg flavor they sometimes have.  I would have to agree.  If you are a lemon fan, give these a try!  Tis the season for lemon!

    Lemon Tart

    Vegan Mini Lemon Tarts

    Makes 8

    Crust:

    • 1 1/4cups all purpose gluten free flour
    • 2 Tbsp coconut sugar or maple sugar
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp coconut oil in its solid state
    • about 3-4 Tbsp cold water

     

    Curd Filling:
    • 1 cup fresh lemon juice
    • 2 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1 Tbsp organic lemon zest
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1/4 cup cornstarch
    • pinch of sea salt
    • 1/8 tsp turmeric (optional, for color)
    • 2 Tbsp full fat coconut milk
    • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 3 Tbsp coconut oil

    Fresh organic raspberries for serving

     

    1. To make the crust, in a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, and sea salt. Cut in coconut oil with a pastry blender or 2 knives until it is in pea sized pieces. Mix in  just enough water to create a smooth dough that holds together but isn’t too sticky. Add more water if needed, and knead slightly until a smooth dough is created.
    2. Roll out into a rectangle using floured parchment underneath and floured rolling pin. Cut into 8 five inch circles.  Oil 8 four inch mini tart pans well with coconut oil and fit the circles into them. Shape to fit the pans, don’t worry if they tear, just press them back together. Set aside in the refrigerator.
    3. Preheat oven to 375F degrees, then place the tart shells in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes until lightly brown.  Remove from the oven and let cool.
    4. To make filling, combine the lemon juice, water, zest, maple syrup, cornstarch, sea salt and coconut milk in a saucepan and cook over medium heat just until it thickens.  Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla and coconut oil.
    5. Pour the filling into the crusts, and place in the refrigerator to firm up for a few hours.  Once chilled, garnish with berries and serve!
  • Vegan Milk Recipes

    Vegan Milk Recipes

    Hemp Milk

    Non-dairy milks are becoming more popular than ever.  Not only because they are better for your body, but because they are preventing harm to animals as well.  Many people think that milk is cruelty free, but they couldn’t be further from the truth.  The cows are not allowed to roam free as they please all the time as the dairy industry would like us to believe, instead they are kept in small crates, and impregnated over and over again (basically raped, they even call the apparatus that holds them while it happens “rape racks”) so that they are always producing milk.  But this milk that they produce for the baby that they just gave birth to doesn’t go to the baby, it instead is sold for human consumption.  If the baby happens to be a female, the cycle starts over.  If it is a male, it is killed and sold for veal (pretty sad they don’t even get a chance to live, even though it is not much of a life).  At around 4 years old, female dairy cows are sent to slaughter.  If cows are allowed to live out their natural life and roam free they can live up to 25 years.  Pretty sad isn’t it?  Makes the idea of milk not taste so good anymore. Humans aren’t even meant to drink dairy milk, our bodies have a hard time digesting it because it was meant for cows, not us.  If you are a milk lover and don’t want to support the dairy industry, I have good news for you.  There are plenty of wonderful substitutes for it!  Now, you can buy it at the store if you wish, but if you do so I recommend reading ingredients.  The milk should preferably only have things that you can pronounce, and not a bunch of added refined sugar.  Personally though, I like to make my own non-dairy milk.  It is really easy, and I think it tastes better than the stuff at the store.

    Strawberry Almond Milk FV

    There are many different types of milk you can make, and they each have different purposes or things that they work the best for.  I like to use coconut milk for my dessert recipes because it is rich, fairly neutral, and if you buy the full fat canned variety, it whips up beautifully for whipped coconut cream.  I also feel that it works the best for using in coffee or matcha lattes (my hot drink of choice over coffee) in place of cream.  You can make your own coconut milk if you are going to be using it on cereal by blending 1 cup fresh young coconut meat with 2 cups coconut water until smooth.  Another type of milk that I enjoy is nut milks.  As a general rule, any nut can be made into milk.  As far as proportions for making it go, 1 cup nuts (soaked for 4-8 hours) and 3-4 cups filtered water (depending on how thick you like it).  If you don’t have time to soak nuts, and are in a hurry a really quick way to make nut milk is to blend 1/4 cup nut butter with 2 cups filtered water until smooth (you can play around with the proportions if you want it thicker or thinner).  I have done this with cashew butter, almond butter, and pecan butter with great results!

    Mexican Chocolate Pumpkin Seed Milk 1

    I know not everyone can tolerate nuts though, and in that case, seeds make delicious milk too!  I have two recipes below, one for sunflower seed milk, and one for a Mexican chocolate pumpkin seed milk that are delicious!  Making your own milk is so easy and so worth it!  The best part is you can flavor the milks however you like.  Sometimes I add fruit to them as well for a summery treat reminiscent of that strawberry milk I used to drink in elementary school as a child.  That milk was probably artificially flavored though.  I have actually always preferred non-dairy milk to the real thing though despite the school lunches. My Mom never kept dairy milk in the house, it was always soymilk because she couldn’t tolerate the dairy.  I am not a huge fan of soymilk now, but if I were to buy it I would make sure it was organic, non-GMO and no sugar added.  I hope this post has been helpful to you if you were on the fence about whether to eliminate dairy from your diet, here are some recipe links, and the recipes I mentioned above in case you would like to make your own vegan milk!

    Raw Chocolate Hazelnut Milk

    Brazil Nut Milk (by The Full Helping)

    Raw Pumpkin Spice Coconut Milk

    Raw Strawberry Almond Milk

    Raw Mocha Almond Milk

    Vanilla Hemp Milk

    Macadamia Nut Milk (by Plant Over Processed)

    Sunflower Seed Milk 1

    Sunflower Seed Mylk
    Makes about 4 cups

    3 1/2-4 cups filtered water
    1 cup raw sunflower seeds
    pinch sea salt
    4 pitted medjool dates
    1 tsp pure vanilla extract

    Place all ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth.  Pour into a glass container and store in the refrigerator.

    Sunflower Seed Milk 2

    Mexican Chocolate Pumpkin Seed Mylk
    Makes about 4 cups

    3 1/2-4 cups filtered water
    1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
    pinch sea salt
    1/4 cup pitted medjool dates
    1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    1 tsp cinnamon
    1/8 tsp chipotle powder

    Place all ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth.  Pour into a glass container and store in the refrigerator.

    Mexican Chocolate Pumpkin Seed Milk

     

     

  • Vegan Almond Joy Popcorn

    Vegan Almond Joy Popcorn

    Almond Joy Popcorn 2

    There is nothing like the smell of home made popcorn with coconut oil.  Just sayin’.  My Mom turned me on to it many years ago when she bought her Whirly Pop Popcorn maker, and shared some with me.  We have always been those people that sneak bags of our own popcorn into the movie Theaters not only to save money, but because it is much healthier.  You don’t want to be putting all of those chemicals in your body that are in the commercial popcorn.  Back to my simple popcorn though, it smells amazing while popping, and you need very little oil so it is pretty healthy.  Just a sprinkle of sea salt and it is simple, but so good!  I still appreciate it now, and that is how all of my batches of popcorn, even the flavored ones start out. I decided that Monday would be a popcorn day because I was craving some hard core.  Not only that, my last batch of flavored popcorn had flown because Eric decided it was really good and gobbled it up in no time.  So, I decided to make another delicious flavor, almond joy.  Almonds, coconut and chocolate are a match made in heaven!

    Almond Joy Popcorn 3

    I like to coat my flavored popcorn in something so that the flavorings and ingredients don’t fall off, so this time I used a mixture of coconut butter, almond butter, and maple syrup with a hint of vanilla and almond. Once it coated the popcorn…omg was it good.  I mixed in crunchy coconut and almonds as well, since this was almond joy after all.  I could not stop tasting it.  It was one of those things that is dangerous to leave out on the counter because you can not stop going back for more.  Once the photographs were all taken it didn’t matter though, and I have to treat myself once in a while, right?

    Almond Joy Popcorn 1

    Forget buying flavored popcorn.  Make your own, it is so much better. Especially this stuff!  If you like crunchy nuts and coconut and chocolate, then you will love this.  It is the perfect dessert for when you want something sweet and crunchy with a little fiber as well.  It wouldn’t be hard to take down the whole batch in a couple days by myself, but I am a nice person, so I decided to share it with Eric and he was a huge fan as well!

    Almond Joy Popcorn

    Vegan Almond Joy Popcorn

    Makes 8 cups

    • 1/3 cup maple syrup
    • 2/3 cup raw coconut butter
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)
    • 8 cups plain organic popped corn
    • 1 cup finely shredded, dried unsweetened coconut
    • 3/4 cup sliced or chopped almonds
    • 3/4 cup vegan dark chocolate chips

    Instructions:

    1. In a glass measuring cup (or bowl) whisk together the maple syrup, coconut butter, sea salt and vanilla until well blended. Pour over the popcorn in a large bowl, along with coconut and mix well. Spread out onto a lined sheet pan, and place in the freezer until it is hard.
    2. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler.  Once melted, drizzle over the popcorn.  Place back in the freezer until the chocolate has hardened.  Enjoy!