Fragrant Vanilla Cake

Month: May 2018

  • Vegan Strawberry Lemonade Truffles

    Vegan Strawberry Lemonade Truffles

    It was 90F+ degrees last weekend here in Minnesota. Which is pretty odd for this time of the year.  You usually don’t get a bunch of days like that until June or July.  But it feels like July!  It was character building for my Sunday morning run.  I really appreciated any trees to provide shade, or sprinklers in people’s yards near the street I could run through to cool off.  Because being in direct Sun was brutal.  If I stood in one place afterwards I would create a small puddle I was sweating so bad.  After I had taken a cooling shower, and hydrated I decided that I wanted to stay cool and not go back outside because I had sweated enough already.  It was a good day for an indoor activity and I felt like making something delicious in the kitchen.  But not something that would heat up the kitchen.  I decided on truffles.  Why not?  They are easy to make, and I had all of the ingredients.  I do a little happy dance when I have all of the ingredients for the recipe I am visualizing. These weren’t just going to be plain chocolate truffles, they were going to be strawberry lemonade truffles.  Because I am on a Strawberry kick.  I hope you all don’t mind, but I am loving anything strawberry lately.  Maybe because I was deprived all Winter long and they are plentiful finally.

    The truffles were fairly easy to make.  To make the filling creamy and rich, I used a combination that I normally use for my white chocolate base, cacao butter, cashew butter, and coconut butter.  Add a dash of vanilla and it is luscious.  But of course these were strawberry lemonade so I added plenty of lemon juice and zest, as well as freeze dried strawberries.  Why freeze dried?  Well, they add loads of flavor in things like this without a lot of moisture so you can get the correct texture.  The filling tasted kind of like strawberry lemon cheesecake!  I could not wait to combine them with the chocolate shell!  I thought about making them white chocolate, but decided on dark instead for more of a contrast.  And, because I love chocolate with both berries and lemon.

    Once the filling was all shaped and set, I dipped them in dark chocolate and could not wait to try them.  They were sooo good!  The filling was sweet, and a tad tart with the flavor of jammy berries and aromatic lemon.  It was perfect with the rich dark chocolate to accompany it!  They tasted like Summer and were actually kind of refreshing!  If you are a strawberry fan definitely give these a try.  They are the perfect thing to make when you are escaping the heat, because they won’t heat up your kitchen.

    Vegan Strawberry Lemonade Truffles 
    Makes 12

    Ingredients:

    Filling:

    • 1/4 cup cacao butter (2 oz) or coconut oil if unavailable
    • 1/4 cup raw cashew butter
    • 1/4 cup coconut butter
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1 cup freeze dried strawberries
    • 1/4 cup lemon juice
    • 1 Tbsp organic lemon zest

     

    Dark Chocolate:

    • 2 cups vegan dark chocolate chips

     

    Directions:

    1. Combine all of the white chocolate ingredients but the berries and lemon juice and zest over a double boiler, and whisk until smooth.
    2. Pulverize the berries in a blender until fine, then whisk into the white chocolate along with the lemon juice and zest. Place in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes until it is firm enough to scoop. Scoop into 12 balls, rolling them with your hands.   Place on a parchment lined tray, and place back into the freezer until firm, about 30 minutes.
    3. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler, and whisk until combined and melted.
    4. Once the filling has firmed up, dip each chocolate into the dark chocolate, being sure to let the excess drain off, and place back onto the tray (I like to set mine on a fork to allow it to drain better). Once they are all dipped, set them in the freezer until hardened.
      Store any leftover truffles in the refrigerator.
  • Vegan Strawberry Margarita Pie

    Vegan Strawberry Margarita Pie

    I am not used to the humidity here yet.  We basically went from Winter (18 inches of snow) to Spring for a few weeks right into hot Summer weather.   I really prefer moderate weather like 45 degrees in the morning and a high of 70 degrees or lower in the afternoon which is why I love early Fall so much.  I still go out and run though, and I ask myself why I am doing it half way through.  It is character building for sure, and I never quit.  Last Friday I was 6 miles into my 7 mile run and feeling way too hot and sweaty when I thought to myself, a cool strawberry margarita pie sounds amazing!  So I made up my mind that I had to finish the run, and make one later that day after work.  I ended up finishing my run a minute faster than I had been so that made up for being uncomfortable.  It ended up being kind of a butt kicking stressful day, work was really busy, and I found out my website was not working so I had to make phone calls to get help fixing it when I got home instead of relaxing.  So, I really needed to make that pie to unwind and calm myself afterwards.  I find making desserts relaxing.  And, why not a dreamy strawberry pie with lime and tequila?!

    I had envisioned a creamy strawberry lime filling laced with tequila and swirled with a strawberry puree.  Served nice and cold of course.  The perfect thing to make when it was 90 degrees and I didn’t want to heat up the oven.  I used a mixture of coconut milk, coconut butter, cashew butter to create a creamy base, and added plenty of strawberries, lime and tequila to make it a margarita pie.  The filling was luscious and sooo good even before it was ready to be spooned into the pie.

    Kind of like ice cream, only not as cold. For the crust, I made a simple no bake crust with quinoa flakes, coconut, almond meal, and dates and it was perfect!  Simple, so that the filling could shine. Once the filling was all chilled, I swirled a sweet raspberry puree into it and it was so good!   The pie turned out fabulous!  It tastes like Summer, and it is perfect for when you want to indulge but not heat up the house.   Also, it is perfect for unwinding after a stressful week.  I hope you all had a wonderful Holiday weekend!

    Vegan Strawberry Margarita Pie

    Make 1 8 inch pie

    Crust:

    • 1 cup quinoa flakes, or rolled oats if you don’t mind it not being gluten free
    • ½ cup finely shredded, dried coconut
    • ½ cup almond meal
    • ½ cup pitted medjool dates, soaked in filtered water and drained well if they are not soft
    • ¼ tsp sea salt

     

    Filling:

    • 1 15 oz can full fat coconut milk (you want the kind that has mostly cream, at least ¾ of the can)
    • ½ cup raw cashew butter
    • 1 cup fresh organic strawberries
    • 1/3 cup maple syrup
    • ¼ cup lime juice
    • 1 Tbsp organic lime zest
    • 3 Tbsp tequila (make sure it is vegan on Barnivore)
    • ¼ tsp sea salt
    • 1 cup coconut butter, warmed to liquid

     

    Swirl:

    • ¾ cup fresh organic strawberries
    • 2 tsp maple syrup
    • 1 tsp chia seeds
    • Pinch sea salt

     

    Instructions:

    1. To make the crust, combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until fine crumbs that hold together when squeezed.  Press into the bottom of an 8 inch removable bottom tart pan or oiled pie plate.  Set aside in the freezer.
    2. To make the filling, combine all ingredients but the coconut butter in a high speed blender and blend until smooth.  Add the coconut butter and blend until combined.  Pour into a bowl, and chill in the freezer until it thickens to the consistency of whipped cream (you want to whisk it occasionally so it chills evenly).
    3. Meanwhile, for the swirl, blend the ¾ cup strawberries, maple syrup, chia seeds, and sea salt in a blender until smooth and set aside.
    4. Once the filling has thickened, spread half into the pie crust (it will be mounded) then drop half of the strawberry puree over that and swirl it with a knife.  Spoon the remaining filling over that, then drop more of the swirl over it by the tsp, and swirl with a knife.
    5. Place back in the freezer to chill until firm enough to cut, a few hours.
    6. Remove from the freezer, garnish with berries and lime, and serve!

     

     

     

  • Avocado Hemp Butter

    Avocado Hemp Butter

    Have you ever gone to the store and wanted a vegan spreadable butter, and looked at the ones that were available, only to find out that they contained processed ingredients, or unhealthy oils?  Well, I have.  It has been the only thing that has stopped me from buying them.  About 10 years ago I actually tried some (because I cared less what was in my food then), but I didn’t really care for it because it had a weird flavor.  Most of them are made with canola oil, soy bean oil or palm oil, all of which I try to avoid so I have just avoided the spreadable butters all together. But I recently said to myself, I bet I can make one at home with ingredients that I have on hand that would actually be better for me.  I told my Mom I would share it with her too and get her opinion on it, because she is a fan of spreadable butters, and she gave me the idea to try making one.  Now when I say butter of course it is not real butter like with dairy in it.  I am talking totally plant based!

    I wanted this butter to have some heart healthy oils in it, so I went for the avocado oil.  It already has a buttery but neutral flavor to it, which is why I love to use it on popcorn or for baking.  It blends in beautifully.  Next, I wanted to add some hemp seed oil.  I had a big bottle on hand, and I know it contains heart healthy omega 3 fatty acids, so why not add some of that too?  I try to have a little every day anyhow.  These two oils are both liquid even when refrigerated, which is important for making the butter spreadable.  I figured mix them with one fat that is solid when chilled and the butter would be the prefect consistency.  I chose coconut oil. I like the slightly sweet flavor of coconut oil, and I figured it would mimic the sweetness in some sweet cream butter. But of course if you are making this and want it more neutral, use a refined coconut oil instead of the unrefined I use in the recipe.  That is just what I happen to like.  I added a touch of sea salt and apple cider vinegar (to make it taste more like dairy), and it was perfect!  So how do you make this into buttery perfection?  well, the process is a little fun.

    You don’t just pop it in the refrigerator to chill, that would result in a less spreadable butter. It gets whipped up like frosting!  You just chill it until it starts to get a little cloudy, then whip it with a hand mixer. This is actually the process I use for making body butter, so I knew it would work beautifully for this.  It turned out so good!  It spreads onto toast perfectly like real butter, and it tastes good too, it has a slightly sweet nutty flavor I love!  I shared it with my Mom and she said it was better than the store bought vegan butter she had been buying.  So, if you are a butter person, skip the store bought vegan butter and give this a try!  It is easy to make and worth it!

    Avocado Hemp Butter
    Makes about 2 cups

    Ingredients:

    • 1/2 cup raw unrefined coconut oil*
    • 1/4 cup hemp seed oil*
    • 1/4 cup avocado oil
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1/4 tsp apple cider vinegar

     

    Instructions:

    1. In a medium glass bowl, whisk together all ingredients until combined.
    2. Place in the freezer until the mixture starts to solidify at the edges, and becomes cloudy, about 20 minutes or so.
    3. Remove from the freezer, and whip with an electric mixer on high speed until light, fluffy and the consistency of creamy frosting (you may have to scrape the bowl sides half way through).
    4. Spoon into a jar, and let sit in the refrigerator until more firm, about an hour at least.
    5. Keeps in the refrigerator for a few months.

     

    *Note: if you want less of a coconut flavor, use refined coconut oil instead. I just prefer the unrefined.

     

     

  • Vegan Strawberry Lemon Cheesecake Popsicles

    Vegan Strawberry Lemon Cheesecake Popsicles

    It feels like Summer here, so I am craving popsicles.  When I was little, they were an essential item that we always had to have around in the freezer.  The plain fruit sweetened ones were my favorite, especially the raspberry or strawberry.  I wasn’t as big of a fan of the fake ones that were blue and green and whatnot.  Although I would never turn down a Freezee (those colored tubes of popsicle ice in case you have not heard of them), those were very popular when I was little.  Now as an adult, I like to get a little more creative with my popsicles, adding interesting flavors, or turning classic desserts into them.  Like the strawberry lemon cheesecake popsicles I made last weekend.  They tasted just like strawberry cheesecake!  I suppose it might be more appropriate to call them ice cream bars, but I am just sticking with popsicle, because that is the mold shape that I have.  I had organic strawberries on hand so I didn’t have to buy any ingredients, which is always a win in my opinion!

    The strawberries are so good and flavorful lately too, so I knew these were going to be good before I even made them.  What most people don’t realize is that it is really easy to substitute dairy in vegan recipes like this one.  Vegan cheesecake is just as delicious if not even more delicious than traditional dairy cheesecake.  I made a rich ice cream base with coconut milk and cashew butter and it tasted just like cheesecake once I added the vanilla.  I also added plenty of lemon zest and a bit of juice to give it a refreshing lemon flavor that didn’t overpower.  I wanted these to be layered, so I had a layer of strawberries, then a layer of strawberry cheesecake cream then the plain lemon cheesecake cream. They were lovely!  Then I just had to let them chill and set.

    I wanted to try one, but I had to leave them overnight because I made them in the evening.  But it was perfect, because I got to try them the next day when it was pretty warm out after taking a walk, and I needed something refreshing.  They were sooo good!  They tasted just like cheesecake with a hint of lemon and the sweet jammy strawberries were what made it!  you would never guess that this does not contain any dairy, since it tastes so rich and delicious!  Give these a try, no need to wait until it is actually Summer!

    Vegan Strawberry Lemon Cheesecake Popsicles

    Makes 8

    Ingredients:

    • 2 cups full fat coconut milk
    • 1/2 cup raw cashew butter
    • 1/4 cup maple syrup
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • pinch sea salt
    • 1 Tbsp lemon zest
    • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
    • 1 cup organic strawberries, chopped (divided)

     

    Instructions:

    1. Combine the full fat coconut milk, cashew butter, syrup, vanilla, sea salt, lemon zest and juice in a blender and blend until smooth.  Remove half and set aside in a bowl.
    2. Drop a few strawberries into the bottoms of 8 popsicle molds.
    3. Blend the remaining coconut mixture (that you did not remove) with the remaining berries, then pour over the strawberries in the molds. Pour the mixture you had set aside without the strawberries over that.
    4. Place sticks into the molds, leaving about 1 inch at the top, then place in the freezer until completely hard, about 4-6 hours (or overnight).
  • Vegan Roasted Asparagus Garlic Flat Bread

    Vegan Roasted Asparagus Garlic Flat Bread

    Last weekend I ran the Foodie 4 Mile, a race to celebrate the opening day of the Minneapolis North East Farmer’s Market.   It was a beautiful perfect morning for running, about 49 degrees and cloudy.  I like the cooler temperatures because then I don’t overheat.  I ended up beating my time from last year by 6 seconds which was a surprise because I recently took a little time off from an injury and didn’t feel like I was in as good of shape as I normally am this time of the year. It went really well though, and I was glad I did it.  I just prayed before the race that I would feel good and go well, and it did!  They gave out reusable totes with coupons to the farmer’s market, so we had to stop there after and browse around.  I love farmer’s markets, but I don’t get there often because usually I work on Saturdays and am busy on Sundays, so it is packed up by the time I would get there.  But it was awesome to be able to visit right after the race on the way home.  They had surprisingly a good amount of produce for this time of the year.  I bought some beautiful asparagus, purple and green.  Since it is so good this time of the year.

    I thought it deserved to be used in something delicious. I usually would just roast it with a little olive oil and sea salt and eat it like that, but I decided to use that roasted asparagus to top off a flatbread. It just sounded good.  I wanted it to have a nice sauce on the bottom underneath the veggies, so I decided to use some Dastony watermelon seed butter that Raw Guru recently sent me to make a creamy garlic sauce.  If you have never had watermelon seed butter, it tastes similar to tahini just a little more mild.  I honestly did not even know it existed until they sent me some to try but it is good, and actually has health benefits!  Perfect for people who want to make a creamy sauce but are allergic to cashews.  If you want to check it out for yourself, you can find it HERE. If you do check out the Raw Guru Website, and you decide to order something, use my coupon code FRAGRANTVANILLA to get 10% off your order, typed in at your checkout.  Back to that flatbread.  The creamy garlic sauce was the perfect thing to spread over the flatbread.

    I had made a whole wheat cracker crust, because that is what I like. I am not as much of a fan of doughy crusts for some reason.  It is the toppings that matter to me.  I roasted plenty asparagus, then combined it with arugula, kalamata olives, and some vegan garlic white cheddar I had made and it was beautiful.  Lastly a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for garnish and it was perfect!  It was a nice combination of textures and flavors, with the crunchy crust, savory veggies, creamy cheddar and garlic sauce and kick of pepper flakes.  If you are in the mood for something that screams “Spring!” give this a try!

    Vegan Roasted Asparagus Garlic Flat Bread
    Serves 2

    Ingredients:

    Dough:

    • 1 1/2 cups organic whole wheat pastry
    • 1 Tbsp olive oil
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp filtered water

     

    Asparagus:

    • 2 cups organic asparagus, cut into 2 inch pieces
    • olive oil
    • sea salt

     

    Sauce:

    • 1/2 cup Dastony watermelon seed butter
    • 1 garlic clove, minced
    • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
    • 1/3 cup filtered water (or as needed)
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt, or to taste

     

    To finish:

    • 1/2 recipe Vegan Garlic White Cheddar , or store bought, such as Miyoko’s Kitchen cheddar
    • 1 handful arugula
    • 1/2 cup kalamata olives, halved
    • red pepper flakes

     

    To make the dough, combine the flour, and sea salt in a bowl, and whisk until well blended. Add the oil and water, and mix in until you have a soft dough.  Turn out onto a sheet of parchment paper with a light dusting of flour, and roll out into a 14 inch circle.  Set aside.

  • Vegan Almond Butter Maple Blondies 

    Vegan Almond Butter Maple Blondies 

    It smells so good here right now, like you have walked into a secret garden if you close your eyes when you walk outside.  The trees and flowers are all in bloom in all of their beautiful Spring glory, and they are loving the warm weather we have been having.  It may not seem like the time to be baking things, since you want to spend all of your time outside in the sun when the weather is like this, and you are not at work, but I figured I went outside for a 7 mile run in the morning, worked then went for a 3 mile walk in the afternoon, so why not relax and bake something afterwards?  I was in the mood for something chocolate chip cookie dough like.  Blondies sounded perfect!  I hadn’t made any in a really long time, and I am still looking for a perfect blondie recipe.  Meaning one that tastes just as rich and delicious as traditional ones, and is healthier without tasting like it.  One good way to make thing taste rich and delicious?  Add nut butter to the recipe.  And nut flour in this case.

    Raw Guru recently send me some raw almond butter and I had some of their raw almond meal, so I thought that they would be perfect in my little blondie recipe experiment.  Their almond products are fabulous by the way, the almond butter is super smooth and has a sweet flavor, and their almond flour is the best I have tried.  I should mention, if you do check out the Raw Guru Website, and you decide to order something, use my coupon code FRAGRANTVANILLA to get 10% off your order, typed in at your checkout.  Back to the blondies, I was super excited about them.  For the dough, I used my chocolate chip cookie recipe but tweaked it a bit.  I always use flax eggs in my cookies, because I always have ground flax seed on hand, and they always work perfect.  You would not even be able to tell there are not eggs in m cookies.  For the oil portion that I normally use in my cookie recipe, I swapped half with almond butter to make these nice and chewy, plus give them a delicious almond flavor.  I swapped out 1 cup of the gluten free flour for almond meal and it was perfect!  I used maple sugar in these to give them a sweet maple flavor, and let me tell you, the dough was amazing.  Like the best chocolate chip cookie dough ever. I added in plenty of chocolate chips. Because that is how I like it.  Someone recently complained that I put too many chocolate chips in my cookie recipes, but guess what?  I need all of those chocolate chips in my cookies and bars and that is how they will always be on this blog.  Because gooey chocolate chips are amazing!  The more the better!

    They baked up beautifully, and my kitchen smelled so amazing for hours after!  Unfortunately I had to wait for them to cool a bit (a bit more than I would like, because I wanted them to look nice in pictures for you all).  But OMG were they ever amazing when I was finally able to dive in!  I think I actually like blondies better than cookies, because they are softer in the center and remind me more of cookie dough!  If you are in the mood for something cookie like, but don’t want to roll out cookies and all that jazz, give these a try!  Blondies are just as amazing!

    Vegan Almond Butter Maple Blondies 
    Makes 16 large cookies

    Ingredients:

    •  2 Tbsp ground flax seed
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1/2 cup virgin coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1/2 cup Dastony raw almond butter
    • 1 1/2 cups maple sugar or coconut sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp maple extract
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
    • 1 cup Raw Guru raw almond meal
    • 2 cups gluten free all purpose flour
    • 1 cup mini vegan chocolate chips or chocolate chunks

     

    Directions:

    1. Preheat your oven to 350F degrees. Line an 8×8 inch square pan with parchment and oil it.
    2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seed and filtered water.  Set aside in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
    3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, coconut oil and almond butter butter with sugar and mix until well combined
    4. Mix in the vanilla extract and flax mixture until well combined.  Add the baking soda and salt then the almond meal and flour, a cup at a time, mixing between each addition, until well combined.  Mix in the chocolate chips. Spread the dough evenly into the prepared pan.
    5. Place in the oven and bake for about 30-35 minutes until starting to brown, and set in the center, but do not over bake.  You want soft blondies.
    6. Remove from the oven and let cool, then cut into 16 bars and enjoy!
  • Mini Vegan Nutella Mousse Tarts

    Mini Vegan Nutella Mousse Tarts

    When I was little, I loved Nutella.  I loved having Nutella toast, it was like having dessert for breakfast.  After all, the real Nutella has sugar as the main ingredient and is super sweet.  My 10 year old self loved that.  When I visited Europe in high school, I ate Nutella on baguettes almost every day for breakfast the two weeks we were there.  I know, super healthy, but when I was 16 I didn’t really care if I ate healthy or not.  As an adult, I prefer real nutella, not the commercial stuff, the small batch stuff I either make at home, or get from somewhere like Raw Guru. They have some amazing raw hazelnut spreads, like their Raw Hazelnut Crunch Spread.  They recently sent me a jar, and that stuff is pure deliciousness.  So much better than the Nutella I had as a kid. I decided to make it into some delicious nutella tarts last weekend.  I wanted a simple dessert involving chocolate and they fit the bill.  Plus, I was daydreaming about how good something nutella would be.

    They are super simple to make.  For the crust, I kept it gluten free by buzzing up a mixture of quinoa flakes, hazelnuts, Raw Guru cacao powder, dates, and sea salt in the food processor. If you have never heard of quinoa flakes, they are a great gluten free substitute for oats in most recipes, and they work awesome!  Anyways, the crust tasted wonderful like chocolate cookies, and I knew it would be perfect with the topping.  The topping is simple to make as well, and it gets its richness from coconut milk and butter and of course the delicious hazelnut spread.  It was heavenly!  I kept “sampling” it because it was so good.  Not because it needed anything but I wanted to keep eating it.  I had to control myself so that there would be enough for the tarts.   A little chill time in the freezer and voila!  Delicious dessert goodness.

    They taste like real home made nutella, so heavenly.  Rich smooth creamy mousse filling that melts in your mouth.  If you are in a chocolate mood, do yourself a favor and whip up a batch.  These babies are sooo good!  If you happen to wander over to the Raw Guru Website to check out their delicious Rawmio products I mentioned in the post, bring my coupon code with you in case you decide to order some.  Just type in the code FRAGRANTVANILLA to get 10% off your order!  I hope you are all having a wonderful week so far!

    Mini Vegan Nutella Mousse Tarts
    Makes 4 mini tarts

    Ingredients:

    Four 4 inch removable bottom tart pans

    Crust:

    • 1/2 cup quinoa flakes
    • 1/2 cup raw hazelnuts
    • 1/4 cup soft, pitted medjool dates (if they are not soft, soak them first in filtered water 30 minutes and drain well before using)
    • 2 Tbsp Raw Guru raw cacao powder
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 2 tsp filtered water (or as needed, see note in recipe)

     

    Filling:

     

    Instructions:

    1. To make the crust, combine all ingredients but the water in a food processor, and process until fine. Add the water (but only if you did not soak your dates in water) and process until it is starting to hold together but not too sticky.
    2. Oil four mini tart pans (4 inch wide), and press the crust into the bottoms and up the sides of the tart pans. Set aside in the refrigerator.
    3. To make the filling, combine all ingredients but the coconut butter in a high speed blender or food processor, and process until smooth.  Add the coconut butter, and process until just blended.
    4. Pour the filling into the tart shells, and place in the freezer for about 1 hour or until set.
    5. Remove from the freezer and enjoy!  Store any leftover tarts in the refrigerator.

     

    *If you are using regular hazelnut butter, add an additional 1-2 Tbsp maple syrup to the recipe.

     

     

  • Vegan Strawberry Lemon Cream Cheese Galette

    Vegan Strawberry Lemon Cream Cheese Galette

     
    It is the little things in life that make me happy.  For instance, when I went out for a run on Friday I was a bit tired and sluggish, but my spirits were quickly lifted.  The lilacs were starting to bloom.  Let me tell you, that is one of my favorite times of the year. They smell amazing and running past a row of them is like being in a garden.  I am so envious of anyone who has them in their yards.  Not only that, they were finally sweeping the streets in my city (sand is really hard to get traction on when you are running on asphalt), and they put the porta potties back out in the parks and along the trails.  Trust me, to a runner these things are big.  And it all made me so happy!  So I went into my day in a super good mood.  I decided after work that some baking was in order.  I like to bake when I am happy, or at least I have more motivation to!  One of my coworkers had made hand pies in the deli I work in and it made me want to make some when I got home.  Except, I am a little lazier so I went for making a galette with the same ingredients instead.  Trust me, it is a lot less work.
    A galette is like a way easier version of pie.  You only need one crust, and you don’t have to do anything fancy with it, since it is rustic.  I decided to give it an almond crust.  I had just gotten a box of goodies from Raw Guru, including some raw almond butter and raw almond meal, so I thought they would be amazing in a crust!  As a side note, if you visit the Raw Guru Website and you see something there you want to buy, you can use my coupon code FRAGRANTVANILLA to get 10% off your order!
    Back to the galettes, the almond products in the crust were amazing!  I like nut crusts for pastries, because it gives them a more rich flavor without adding too much other oil.  To be honest, I kept eating chunks of it before I rolled it out, since it tasted kind of like cookie dough.  Next, I made some vegan “cream cheese” filling from thick coconut milk and cashew butter with a touch of vanilla and lemon and it was sooo good! I knew it would be amazing with the strawberries!
    For the fruit filling I used some fresh organic strawberries I had bought at work since they were on sale, and they were so flavorful and delicious!  They barely needed any sweetening, and a touch of lemon juice made them shine!  It all baked up beautifully and my kitchen smelled amazing!  I could not wait to try it, but unfortunately I had to wait because it needed to cool off before diving in.  It was well worth the wait though!  Jammy flavorful strawberries, a lemon scented luscious cream cheese layer, and a flaky crust.  It was heavenly!  If you have strawberries on hand, and are craving pie but you are a bit intimidated by it, give this a try! It is much easier to make!
    Vegan Strawberry Lemon Cream Cheese Galette
    Makes 1 10 inch galette

    Ingredients:

    Crust:

     

    Cream Cheese:
    • 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk
    • 1/2 cup raw cashew butter
    • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp lemon juice
    • 1 Tbsp organic lemon zest

     

    Filling:
    • 2 cups fresh organic strawberries, sliced
    • 3 Tbsp maple sugar or granulated xylitol
    • juice of one small lemon
    • a pinch of sea salt
    • coconut sugar, for topping

     

    Directions:
    1. To make the crust, in a large bowl, mix together flour, meal, sugar, and sea salt.  Cut in coconut oil and pecan butter 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 a touch more water if needed, and knead slightly until a smooth dough is created.
    2. Roll it out into a 14 inch round using parchment underneath and floured rolling pin.  If it tears, no worries, just press it back together and patch it up. Using the parchment to move it, place on a sheet pan.
    3. To make the cream cheese, whisk together all ingredients until smooth.  Set aside.
    4. Preheat oven to 400F degrees.  To make filling, mix together all ingredients in a large bowl.
    5. Spread the cream cheese over the crust leaving a 1 1/2 inch boarder.  Spread the berries over the cream cheese, then carefully fold up edges to cover the edge of the fruit. Sprinkle with a little sugar.  Place in the oven.  Bake for 45 minutes (checking after 20 and if it is very brown, if they are tent with foil) until bubbling and fruit is tender.  Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for at least an hour.
    *If you want this to be gluten free, Gluten Free All Purpose Flour will work as well in this recipe (the same amount substituted for the whole wheat flour).
  • Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Pancakes

    Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Pancakes

    I am a peanut butter and chocolate fanatic. I even have a round up of 30+ Vegan Chocolate and Peanut Butter Recipes!  Growing up, Reese’s peanut butter cups were my all time favorite candy, and now my own home made peanut butter cups are. It is just an irresistible combination!  So a few days back at work I was kind of rungry (mid day hungry after running in the AM even though I ate a good breakfast, it just happens), I was daydreaming about what sort of chocolate and peanut butter concoction I could make when I got home.  I landed on pancakes after sorting through quite a few ideas in my head.  I thought peanut butter cup pancakes sounded amazing!  But I wasn’t going to chop up peanut butter cups and mix them in.  I wanted the pancakes themselves to be chocolate and peanut butter.  An amazing stack of deliciousness!

    This may sound like it would take quite a bit of time and effort to make, but not at all!  No pancake mixes here either.  I mean it is only about a minute more of your time to make your own so why not do it?  That way I can use the sweetener I want as well instead of just sugar.  I prefer maple syrup in my pancakes.  I made them with my classic gluten free batter, with plenty of peanut butter mixed in, then divided it in half and added in some cacao powder.  I thought about swirling the two batters and making the pancakes marble, but that was too much work, so I just cooked the two batters separately and decided to layer them together instead.  They cooked up beautifully and nice and fluffy.

    They were lovely when stacked together with their opposite colors! But they needed a special decadent topping as well.  I was thinking fudge syrup and peanut butter syrup. So I whipped some up in just a few minutes and it was perfect on the pancakes.  Lastly, they needed a little crunchy element so I scattered some chocolate chips and peanuts 0ver them. It was a sight to behold. They were super delicious as well!  I consider them dessert, but I never make pancakes just for breakfast, it is usually in the evening when I get around to doing so!  But if you have the time on your day off in the morning, why not have dessert for breakfast and make yourself some of these?!

    Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Pancakes
    Makes 12

    Ingredients:

    • 1 1/2 cups gluten free all purpose flour
    • 2 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 cup peanut butter
    • 1 1/4 cups filtered water
    • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 3 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 3 Tbsp cacao powder mixed with 3 Tbsp filtered water

     

    Peanut butter and chocolate fudge syrup:

    • 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
    • 1/3 cup maple syrup
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • filtered water as needed
    • 2 Tbsp cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder mixed with 1/4 cup filtered water

     

    For serving:

    • 1/2 cup vegan dark chocolate chips
    • 1/2 cup roasted organic peanuts

     

    Directions:

    1. In a food processor, combine all pancake ingredients (except the cacao mixture) and process until just blended, pour into a two bowls.
    2. Whisk the cacao water mixture into one of the bowls.
    3. To cook pancakes, preheat oven to 110 degrees. Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the peanut butter batter in 1/4 cup amounts (I did 3 at a time, but it depends on your pan), and let cook for about 2-3 minutes on the first side until set and starting to brown, then flip with a spatula and cook another 2-3 minutes.  Do the same with the chocolate batter pancakes.
    4. When cooked, place on a plate and keep warm in the oven while you cook the other pancakes.
    5. To make the peanut butter and chocolate syrups, whisk together the peanut butter, maple syrup, and sea salt until smooth. Divide between 2 bowls.  Add the cacao water mixture to one and mix until smooth.  If either of the syrups are too thick, add a Tbsp or two filtered water and whisk it in until smooth.  They should both be pour-able.
    6. Serve the pancakes topped off with the syrups, and sprinkle with peanuts and chocolate chips.

    *Note: If you do not own a non-stick pan, you may need to lightly oil your pan to prevent sticking, if you do not mind these not being oil free.

  • Vegan Strawberries and Cream Brownies 

    Vegan Strawberries and Cream Brownies 

    I spent most of last weekend outside, going for long bike rides and walks, because I feel like we haven’t seen the sun or warmth like this in forever.  I mean, Winter lasted an extra 2 months, and now I feel like Summer has arrived and we have skipped Spring weather wise.  It is ok though, it feels nice and now we just have to wait for the plants to catch up.  When I did take a break from the outdoors stuff,I made some really delicious food. On Sunday, after Eric and I took a 27 mile bike ride, I made some vegan ramen from a recipe by Cilantro and Citronella.  You can find it HERE.  Man was it ever delicious!  I don’t usually follow recipes when I make stuff, but her recipe sounded amazing.  I was craving that type of ramen because it is the type I like to order at a local restaurant and I wanted to make it at home.  It turned out sooo good! It has a creamy sesame broth that makes it like comfort food.  I know, not really 80 degree weather type food but I was hungry for it.  The second thing I made is what this post is all about, some Vegan Strawberries and Cream Brownies.

    I am in a strawberry type of mood now that it feels like Summer, and I thought to myself, why not pair them with chocolate in some fudgy brownies?!  Yes, my brownies have to be fudgy, I am not a cakey brownie person at all.  I used my gluten free brownie base for these, and they turned out perfect!  It has a mixture of apple sauce and avocado oil to keep it moist but you would never know.  If you don’t have access to avocado oil, olive oil would work too (you can’t taste it because of the strong chocolate flavor).  For the strawberries and cream part, I used a mixture of coconut milk and cashew butter with freeze dried strawberries and it turned out like strawberry cheesecake swirls.  Why freeze dried strawberries?  Well, they are packed with strawberry flavor, but don’t add a lot of moisture to the recipe.  Lastly, I dropped some strawberry jam over the brownies as well.  I swirled it together, and could not wait to try them!

    Sadly I had to wait until they cooled but it was so worth it!  They were so good!  Super fudgy texture, rich chocolate flavor and sweet strawberry cheesecake like filling with flavorful jam throughout.  They taste like Summer brownies!  I mean, these are so much better than chocolate dipped strawberries!  If you are in the mood for something chocolaty, give these a try!  I hope you are all having a wonderful week!

    Vegan Strawberries and Cream Brownies 
    Makes 16

    Cheesecake swirl:

    • 1 cup freeze dried strawberries
    • 3/4 cup thick coconut milk (from the top of a chilled can)
    • 1/2 cup raw cashew butter
    • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1/8 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

     

    Brownies:

    • 1/4 cup avocado oil
    • 1/2 cup applesauce
    • 1 cup coconut sugar
    • 2 Tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water
    • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 cup gluten free all-purpose flour
    • 1/2 cup cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
    • 1/2 cup strawberry rhubarb jam

     

    Ingredients:

    1. To make the swirl, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  Pour into a bowl and set aside.
    2. To make the brownies, pre-heat the oven to 375F degrees. Whisk together the sugar, avocado oil and applesauce until well combined and the sugar is starting to break down.
    3. Add the flax water mixture, and vanilla and beat until smooth.
    4. Add the flour, cacao powder and sea salt and beat until smooth.
    5. Scrape the batter into a greased 8×8 inch pan, then pour the swirl over it, then drop the jam by the tsp over that.
    6. Place in the oven, and Bake for about 30 minutes or until set (but do not over bake).
    7. Let cool completely before cutting into bars.

     

  • Vegan Chili Mole with Rice

    Vegan Chili Mole with Rice

    I have always loved spicy chili. When I was little, my best friend’s Dad made the best chili with the vegetables from his garden. Including spicy peppers like habaneros and jalapenos. I always loved it when I could eat dinner at her house when chili was being served. It was so packed with flavors, unlike any soup I usually ate from a can at that point in my life (I was about 10). I remember one time we were enjoying dinner, and the doorbell rang so we all got up to see who it was, and when we got back to the table the dog had jumped up and was enjoying the chili too. So everyone loved it! When I decided to start cooking for myself in college, I made vegetarian chili a lot because I knew it was something I liked. Also, because it was pretty hard to mess up, and it was always so good. I ended up combining several recipes, and it included some unusual ingredients like peanut butter, cacao powder, and vegan worchestershire sauce. Every time I served it to people, they would tell me how good it was but they couldn’t quite figure out what made it so good. I love making foods like that. I still make a version of that chili at the deli I work in and the customers like it. But at home I like to switch it up a bit. The peanut butter and cocoa powder thing was kind of a play on mole sauce I believe. So, recently I have been making a slightly different chili mole.

    Or, at least that is what I am calling it. It is by no means traditional mole sauce, but it is inspired by it so I am calling it that.  I have made this chili about 4 times now and it is so good that I finally needed to include it on my blog. It has been Sunday supper for me and Eric and I have been loving it! It is easy to make, and so good! I just combine the ingredients in a pot, cook them until flavorful, and it is that simple. I know traditionally people sautee everything in oil, but I decided to skip that step because I think it tastes the same and I know a lot of you appreciate oil free recipes. It does have a lot of spices in it, 5 different kinds of chilies technically, but that is what makes it so good.  That and cocoa powder, touch of cinnamon, and almond butter I added, which were mole inspired.

    I used to serve my chili with cornbread, but I have recently been serving it with jasmine rice and I love it that way!  The rice kind of cools the heat from the chili, because I make mine spicy.  Also, I serve it topped off with cool, rich avocado.  Trust me, the combination is so good!  I know the weather is getting warmer now, but I still like this sort of thing, especially on a rainy day which we tend to get a lot in the Spring.  Eric loves this chili too, which is why I have made it a few times. Both of our bowls are always gone pretty fast!  If you love a good spicy chili too, give this a try!

    Vegan Chili Mole with Rice
    Serves 2-3

    Chili:

    • 1 small onion, diced
    • 1 jalapeno, minced
    • 1 stalk celery, sliced
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • 3 cups diced tomatoes (canned are fine)
    • 1 tsp ancho chili powder
    • 2 tsp ground cumin
    • 1/2 tsp chipotle powder
    • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
    • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
    • 1/4 tsp black pepper
    • 2 tsp Spanish paprika
    • 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt or to taste
    • 2 Tbsp almond butter
    • 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans
    • cooked rice for serving (I used jasmine rice)

     

    Instructions:

    1. In a pot, combine all ingredients but the almond butter and beans.
    2. Bring to a boil, and lower to a simmer.
    3. Cook on low heat for about 20 minutes or until the veggies are getting tender.
    4. Add the beans, and almond butter and cook for about 10 minutes more until they soak up the flavor and the almond butter is well incorporated.
    5. Remove from heat, and serve with the rice in bowls topped off with the avocado slices.

     

     

  • Avocado Lime Margaritas

    Avocado Lime Margaritas

    Since it is Cinco de Mayo, I thought it would be the perfect day to share some margaritas with you!  No, not those cheap ones with all of the sugar and artificial color and stuff that you get in many restaurants, some quality margaritas with healthy ingredients that won’t make you feel gross after drinking them.  I do love a good margarita, but it has to be made with real fruit and quality liquor.  I only order them in restaurants when they fit those qualifications.  Of course just a good old fashioned one with lime, orange and tequila is awesome, but I have had some pretty amazing ones with unusual flavors.  For my 21st birthday I had a passion fruit one and it was sooo good. I also had an awesome carrot margarita in New Orleans a few years back (that I later recreated at home and you can find it here).  But one that I have been wanting to try making is an avocado margarita.  I had seen a recipe for one a while back and I said to myself I need to make my own version. Well, yesterday was perfect timing.  So, I got the ingredients for it, and made some avocado lime margaritas after work.

    The perfect think to relax with on a Friday right?!  It is really pretty simple to make, you just blend up the ingredients in a blender, and pour them over ice.  Of course I used avocado for the base, but it needed some other add ins to taste margarita worthy.  So I added in some fresh lime juice for that classic tartness, and some orange juice instead of the orange liqueur that is usually in margaritas.  I added a little maple syrup, and a touch of chipotle pepper for  kick, and the base was super delicious!  Once I added in the silver tequila it was perfect!

    I like cocktails that are made with coconut milk, because they are super silky, and this had that same quality, but it was even more refreshing.  The bright citrus flavor, that touch of sweetness from the maple syrup and the dash of spicy chipotle had married together well and it was smooth going down.  If you are an avocado lover like me, and you are always looking for new recipes to use them in, give these a try.  Or even if you aren’t a giant avocado fan, this just tastes like a creamy and delicious drink, kind of like creamy key lime pie but with orange, so you might still love it too!  Do yourself a favor and make these!

    Avocado Lime Margaritas
    Makes 2

    Ingredients:

    • handful of ice cubes
    • 1 medium avocado, pitted and diced
    • 1 cup tequila blanco or silver tequila (be sure to check Barnivore to make sure it is vegan)
    • 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
    • 1 cup fresh orange juice
    • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1/8 tsp chipotle powder (optional)
    • ice for serving
    • lime slices for serving

     

    Directions:

    1. To make drink, combine all ingredients but the serving ice and lime slices in a blender and blend briefly until smooth.
    2. Place about 1/3 cup ice into 2 serving glasses.
    3. Pour the mixture into the prepared glasses, garnish with lime and serve!

     

     

  • Vegan Chocolate Drizzled Tahini Cookies 

    Vegan Chocolate Drizzled Tahini Cookies 

    You may think of tahini as something that you add to hummus, or make dressing out of.  But did you know it is really good in desserts too?  I am not just talking about halva (a tahini candy popular in the Middle East). I mean adding it to actual desserts for richness in place of nut butters.  Like in delicious cookies.  My Mom gave me a jar of tahini from Trader Joes, and asked me to make some cookies with it. Heck yes!  I was excited about making them, because I like working with ingredients I don’t normally use all the time.  You know me, I tend to get obsessed with peanut butter and almond butter and don’t venture outside of those boxes, but tahini is a great ingredient too!  Especially if you happen to be allergic to nuts or peanuts, it is a life saver if you are craving rich nut butter cookies.  Which is exactly what I ended up making.  I modified my peanut butter cookie recipe, and added in creamy tahini instead of the peanut butter.

    The dough came together perfect! Honestly it tasted like peanut butter cookie dough, with the same texture just not as strong.  Sometimes tahini can be a tad bitter, but the stuff from Trader Joes is not, and it tasted good in this recipe.   Not only that, it has a nice smooth runny texture not too stiff.  Be sure that the tahini you are using for this recipe is the runny type that has been mixed well. I could not stop sampling the dough, but what else is new?!  I love cookie dough.  Most importantly though, these baked up beautifully!  I wasn’t sure if they would come out as nice as the peanut butter cookies, but they came out perfect!  They smelled amazing, like peanut butter cookies, with that hint of caramel from the coconut sugar.  I decided to drizzle them with dark chocolate, because I like to adorn cookies with something if they don’t have a lot of add ins.

    They tasted wonderful!  Rich peanut butter like flavor and a buttery texture.  Soft in the center, crispy at the edges, the dark chocolate the perfect touch!  If you are allergic to peanut butter or nuts,  but are wanting some delicious peanut butter cookies definitely give these a try!   Or, even if you aren’t allergic, still give them a try because I am sure you will love them!

    Vegan Chocolate Drizzled Tahini Cookies 
    Makes 12 cookies

    Ingredients:

    Cookies:

    • 1 Tbsp ground flax seed
    • 1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1 cup coconut sugar
    • 1 1/4 cups organic tahini*
    • 1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 1/4 cups gluten free all purpose flour
    • 3/4 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt

    Chocolate Drizzle:

    Instructions:

    1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seed and water.  Place the bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes, this is your flax egg.
    2. In a large bowl, with a wooden spoon, mix together the sugar, tahini, coconut oil, vanilla and flax egg, until smooth.  Then mix in the flour, soda, baking powder, and sea salt in until the mixture is smooth.
    3. Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.  Line a sheet pan with parchment.
    4. Shape the cookie dough into 2 inch balls, place on your baking sheet a few inches apart and flatten with a fork, like you would with peanut butter cookies.
    5. Place in the oven and bake at 375F for 12 minutes or so, until lightly browned and set.  Allow to cool completely on a rack.
    6. Melt the dark chocolate in the top of a double boiler.
    7. Drizzle the dark chocolate over the cookies, then set in the freezer until it has hardened.
    8. Enjoy!