Fragrant Vanilla Cake

Tag: peppermint

  • Vegan White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

    Vegan White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

    Christmas cookie baking season has always been one of my favorite times of the year, since I was a little kid making cookies with my Mom.  We would always pick out several different kinds to make that sounded good to us or old favorites, make batches of them and freeze them to enjoy throughout the season or to later share!  I decided I wanted to bake something Christmasy last weekend and I happened to have some candy canes on hand, so I decided to bake some Vegan White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies to kick off the holiday cookie baking this year!

    These are really simple and easy to make and I used my chocolate chip cookie dough base because it always comes out so perfect!  I used coconut oil for the fat in these, but if you do not care for coconut oil, you could use melted vegan butter instead.  These use apple sauce for the vegan egg replacement and it gives them a perfect chewy satisfying texture!  For the flour I used whole wheat pastry flour but you could use all purpose flour instead if you prefer, or even a gluten free all purpose flour (such as Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all purpose baking flour which I have used with good results).

    For the flavoring in these I used both vanilla and mint.  I used vanilla bean powder, but if you don’t have that you could use extract instead.  I feel like I gave these just enough peppermint extract to flavor them but not overpower as the balance was perfect! I used chopped candy canes in these but if you wanted to use those round peppermints chopped up those would work as well, just make sure that they are vegan. For the white chocolate I used Pascha vegan white chocolate chips.

    These cookies smelled amazing while baking and they tasted even better!  I mean the dough tasted amazing too, but the soft warm cookies with the gooey white chocolate chips and crunchy peppermints were simply heavenly!  If you are in the mood for some delicious cookies, definitely give these Vegan White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies a try!

    Vegan White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

    Makes 16

    Ingredients:

    • 3/4 cup melted coconut oil
    • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
    • 1/2 cup applesauce at room temperature
    • 1 tsp vanilla bean powder or pure vanilla extract
    • 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
    • 1 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or all purpose flour (for a lighter colored cookie)
    • 1/2 cup chopped candy canes
    • 1 cup vegan white chocolate chips

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line two sheet pans with parchment.
    2. In a large bowl, mix together the coconut oil, sugar, apple sauce and vanilla and peppermint extracts until well blended.
    3. Mix in the salt, baking soda and baking powder then the flour until smooth.
    4. Stir in the candy canes and white chocolate until they are evenly distributed.
    5. Form the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, and place on the cookie trays about 2 inches apart.
    6. Press the dough balls down slightly.
    7. Place the pans in the oven and bake for about 7 minutes, then rotate them and bake another 7 or so until the cookies are done and lightly brown at the edges.
    8. Remove from the oven and let cool at least 15 minutes before enjoying.
  • Vegan Matcha Mint Doughnuts

    Vegan Matcha Mint Doughnuts

    I can’t believe it is already Christmas this week!  Time has flown, and as always this time of year is busy, so instead of making a cake this week when I felt like making a treat, I decided to make doughnuts instead!  I like to enjoy doughnuts with my coffee sometimes on the weekends, and when I make a batch, I always freeze some for future enjoyment. I wanted to make some Vegan Matcha Mint Doughnuts this time, and I recently received some Dastony coconut butter from Raw Guru which is my main ingredient in my doughnut glazes!

    I like making my own baked doughnuts because they are healthier than buying store bought ones, and I use good quality ingredients.  For the cake portion, I used my vanilla cake recipe, which is really simple to mix!  I flavored it with a bit of matcha powder, vanilla extract and peppermint extract.  The batter itself tasted delicious.  I always give it a try, to make sure I don’t forget something (one time I forgot the sugar…oops!  but luckily I tried it and figured it out before dumping it into the pans). A note on the flour in this, if you prefer to use gluten free flour, Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all purpose baking flour will work well, I have tried it before with good results.

    They baked up beautifully and my kitchen smelled amazing!  Once they had cooled down and were all ready to glaze, I was getting more excited.  Like I mentioned earlier, I use Dastony coconut butter from Raw Guru as a base, instead of the usual powdered sugar.  Not only is it healthier, but it sets nice just like a powdered sugar glaze, and I prefer the sweetness level.  I find powdered sugar glaze to be a little too sweet sometimes because there is not much in it to cut the sweetness.

    The Vegan Matcha Mint Doughnuts turned out sooo good!  They were sweet and soft with a hint of vanilla, matcha and mint, and just enough sweetness in the glaze!  I enjoyed them with my coffee and it was such a delicious pairing, but I am going to try them next with a matcha latte because they are matcha after all and I love that too!  If you are a matcha fan definitely give these a try!  If you would like to get some Dastony coconut butter from Raw Guru you can find it on their website.

    Merry Christmas!  I hope you all have a wonderful holiday week!

    Vegan Matcha Mint Doughnuts
    Makes 6 Doughnuts

    Ingredients:

    one 6 hole doughnut pan

    Cake:

    • 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp organic whole wheat pastry flour
    • 2 tsp matcha powder
    • 3/4 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1/2 cup maple sugar
    • 1 cups full fat coconut milk (the thick kind, I prefer Thai Kitchen brand) at room temperature
    • 1 tsp peppermint extract
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 Tbsp cider vinegar

     

    Icing:

    • 1/2 cup melted Dastony coconut butter
    • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 3-4 Tbsp filtered water or as needed
    • 1/4 tsp matcha powder

     

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and position rack in center of oven.
    2. Oil a doughnut pan.
    3. Whisk flour, matcha, baking soda, sea salt, and sugar in a large bowl to blend well.
    4. Whisk coconut milk, peppermint and vanilla extract together in small bowl to blend well, then whisk into the flour mixture until well blended.
    5. Whisk the cider vinegar into the batter.
    6. Transfer the batter to prepared pan.
    7. Place in the oven, and bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs attached, about 20-25 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool completely.
    8. To make the glaze, whisk together all ingredients except the water.  Then whisk in the water until smooth and uniform.  If it is a little too thick add just a few tsp more water until it is a pour-able consistency.
    9. Spoon the glaze over the doughnuts.
    10. Allow glaze to set, then enjoy!

    Doughnuts keep stored in the refrigerator, covered for up to 1 week.

    Notes:

    *If you would rather use coconut sugar or even just granulated sugar for this, either will work in place of the maple sugar. (if you use the granulated it will be more green)

    *This cake can be made gluten free by swapping out the whole wheat pastry flour for Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all purpose baking flour (this is a brand I have used before and have tested it in cakes with great results).

  • Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Roll Cake

    Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Roll Cake

    For Christmas this year I thought I would make a yule log.  Because they are so festive and so pretty!  But I have to admit, roll cakes are something that I like to make year round because to me they are easier than layer cakes but you get just as much delicious filling!  I like chocolate and peppermint around the holidays, so that is what I flavored this one with. In my book “Just Vegan Cakes” I had a chocolate peppermint cake that was heavenly, and I wanted to make this one taste the same, only rolled and with a slightly different batter.

    Since I wrote that book, I have realized that date sweetened cake batter works best for roll cakes because it keeps the cake nice and pliable.  For this one, I used a cacao and mint laced date sweetened batter, and it was heavenly!  Yes, I always have to sample the cake batter lol.  This cake batter also happens to be oil free, because I use nut butter in place of oil and it works out beautifully!

    It baked up nicely and my kitchen smelled amazing!  It deserved a delicious filling, so  I used a coconut milk base, with cashew butter, and cacao butter to thicken it and make it rich.  It tasted like white chocolate mousse!  Even better once I added the peppermint extract and vanilla. I decided to tint it pick to make it prettier. I knew it would be heavenly with the dark chocolate!

    For the outside of the cake I could have just dusted it with some coconut powdered sugar but I decided to make a dark chocolate ganache to finish it off.  It was so heavenly! Rich and sweet cake with a aromatic smooth vanilla mint cream filling and decadent ganache on the outside!  This was the perfect thing to make for Christmas!

    Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Roll Cake
    Makes one 15 inch long roll cake

    Ingredients:

    10×15 inch jelly roll pan

    Cake:

    • 1 1/2 cups organic whole wheat pastry 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 1/4 cups packed soft medjool dates, pitted, soaked in water for 30 minutes and drained
    • 1/4 cup cashew butter or your preferred nut butter (just make sure it is smooth)
    • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp peppermint extract
    • 2 cups filtered water
    • 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

     

    Filling:

    • 1 15 oz can organic full fat coconut milk, such as Thai Kitchen chilled (you want to make sure it is a brand that is 3/4 of the can cream or it will not work)
    • 1/2 cup raw cashew butter
    • 1/3 cup maple syrup
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp peppermint extract
    • 1 tsp beet powder
    • 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp melted cacao butter or coconut butter (NOT OIL), warmed to liquid

     

    Ganache:

    • 3/4 cup chopped vegan dark chocolate
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp full fat coconut milk

     

    Directions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and position rack in center of oven.
    2. Line a 15 x 10 inch jellyroll pan with parchment paper.
    3. Whisk flour, cacao powder, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt in a large bowl to blend well.  Set aside.
    4. Place dates, water, almond butter, 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. Transfer cake batter to prepared pan and bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 15-18 minutes.
    6. Cool cake completely.
    7. To make the filling, combine all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until completely smooth.
    8. 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.
    9. When ready to assemble, spread filling over the top of the cake, then roll up jellyroll style starting with the short side and using the parchment to assist you in rolling.  Be careful because the cake is fragile, but if it cracks as you roll it no worries, keep rolling because the cake will be covered.  Let chill in the freezer once rolled for a few hours before topping with the ganache.  Once it has chilled, cut off the ends to make it nice and even.
    10. To make the ganache, melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler, then whisk in the coconut milk until smooth.  Pour over the cake and smooth out over the top and sides (but leaving the pretty ends exposed).
    11. Chill until the ganache has firmed up, and serve!

    *If you would like to make this gluten free, swap the whole wheat flour for Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour (I have tested this brand and know it works, but have not tried other brands so I am not sure if they would turn out the same).

  • Vegan Pink Peppermint Truffles

    Vegan Pink Peppermint Truffles

        

    I have been seeing lots of mint flavored treats around lately for the holiday season, and they all sound good to me so I thought I would make one of my own!  I am not big on candy canes, but what I do love is the chocolate mint combo. So, I decided to make some peppermint truffles!  I like to make both cookies and candy around Christmas to enjoy so I figured I would get started on the candy part.  I had all of the ingredients I needed on hand, and I was super excited! 

    For the filling, I wanted it to be creamy, rich and have a little bit of a white chocolate flavor, so I started with a cacao and coconut butter base.  I also added in some raw cashew butter to give it that soft creamy texture that I love about truffles.  I added in vanilla as well along with a good amount of peppermint extract because I love those two flavors together.  Sometimes I tint my peppermint stuff green with matcha or spinach powder but this time I decided to tint them pink, my favorite color.  Of course you can do the green if you prefer.  But I love anything pink! 

     

    Truffles are kind of tedious to make, but they are well worth it. It is even kind of fun rolling the filling into balls like play dough!  I always end up sampling a bit though.  It is hard not to because it smells so good and it is so delicious! Once they are all shaped I freeze them for a bit so that they hold their shape when dipping.  I didn’t used to be as good at making truffles when I started, they came out a bit wonky and sometimes not evenly dipped in the chocolate but I have had a bit of practice now.  They are not perfect, but much better than they used to be! 

    I dipped them in vegan dark chocolate to finish them off.  They turned out super delicious!  Soft and smooth, with the mellow sweet scent of vanilla and cool peppermint, the perfect match for the rich dark chocolate coating! If you are a peppermint fan, definitely give these a try! 

    Vegan Pink Peppermint Truffles

    Makes 16

    Ingredients:

    Filling:

    • 1/2 cup cacao butter, warmed to liquid
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp raw cashew butter at room temperature
    • 3/4 cup coconut butter, warmed to liquid
    • 1 tsp beet powder
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp peppermint extract
    • 1/4 cup maple syrup
    • 1/4 cup filtered water

     

    Dark Chocolate:

    • 2 cups chopped vegan dark chocolate or vegan dark chocolate chips

     

    Directions:

    1. Combine all of the filling ingredients in a bowl, and whisk until smooth.
    2. Place in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes until it is firm enough to scoop. Scoop into 14 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 dark chocolate in a double boiler until smooth.
    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.
    5. Store any leftover truffles in the refrigerator.
  • Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Lava Cakes

    Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Lava Cakes

    After a hectic week last week, I decided that I needed to bake something chocolaty.  Brownies or chocolate cake sounded good, maybe with peppermint.  I had seen someone making some peppermint brownies on a morning show I was watching and the combo of chocolate and peppermint sounded amazing at the time.  I didn’t however want to bake a big pan of brownies or make a large layer cake that would have been more work than I was willing to put in after being at work in a kitchen all day, so I went for some mini lava cakes!  I had made some similar ones before and I knew they were nice and easy and I could enjoy some delicious cake quickly. 

    Raw Guru had recently sent me some cacao powder, so it was perfect!  It was just begging to be used in a recipe like this one!  For the base, I started out with quinoa flour which is naturally gluten free.  But you could of course use whole wheat pastry flour if you prefer that and it will work just as well.  Next, I added in the cacao powder of course to make it nice and chocolaty.  For the sweetener, instead of sugar I used dates because they keep the cake nice and moist and soft but not to heavy.  You would never guess that this is fruit sweetened. 

    It also happens to be oil free, because I use full fat coconut milk instead of oil and it comes out perfect!  Lastly a good amount of peppermint was important for that holiday twist!  For the filling I made a quick ganache so it would be nice and gooey and rich inside when you cut into it to enjoy it.  They smelled amazing while baking! I could not wait to try one!  

    I only had to wait 10 minutes.  I poured some of the extra ganache over it and it was amazing!  Gooey and rich as lava cake should be with a hint of peppermint and tons of dark chocolate flavor!  The only thing that would have made this even better is if I had some vegan ice cream on hand which I did not but it was still crave worthy!  If you are a big chocolate fan, definitely give these a try!

    Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Lava Cakes

    Makes 4

    Ingredients:

    Filling:

    • 1 cup chopped vegan dark chocolate or vegan chocolate chips (I like this brand)
    • 3/4 cup full fat coconut milk 

     

    Cake:

    • 3/4 cups quinoa flour (or all purpose gluten free flour)*
    • 2 Tbsp Raw Guru cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 3/4 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 3/4 cup packed soft medjool dates, pitted, soaked in water for 30 minutes and 1/2 cup of the water reserved
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp peppermint extract
    • 3/4 cup full fat coconut milk (the thick part from the top of the can)
    • 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 375F degrees and position rack in center of oven.
    2. Oil four 1 cup custard dishes or ramakins with oil.
    3. To make the ganache filling, place the chocolate and coconut milk in the top part of a double boiler, whisking them, and heat until they are melted and blended together and smooth. Turn off the heat but leave over the warm water.
    4. To make the cake batter, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt in a large bowl to blend well.
    5. Place dates, reserved water, peppermint, coconut milk, 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.
    6. Transfer half of the cake batter to prepared dishes filling them half full, then drop 2 Tbsp of the ganache into each in the center. Spoon the remaining batter over each one, place on a tray, and place in the oven.
    7. Bake cakes until they are set, but not over-baked about 15-18 minutes.  Remove from oven, let cool for about 10 minutes.
    8. Rewarm the extra ganache if it has solidified (if it is too thick or clumpy once it has warmed, whisk in a little water until it thins it will smooth out).
    9. When the cakes have sat 10 minutes, un-mold, pour the extra ganache over and enjoy warm.

     

    *If you prefer to use whole wheat pastry flour instead of the quinoa or gluten free flour, it can be used as well. 

  • Peppermint Vanilla Vegan White Chocolates

    Peppermint Vanilla Vegan White Chocolates

    The holidays are always hectic.  After all, everyone is rushing to buy presents, making plans going to parties, and planning out the food for their holiday gatherings.  It is always a bit of a stressful time, but I feel like it is even more so this year.  A few weeks back I had my car broken into and they caused a good amount of damage and it was in the shop for just over 2 weeks.  So I was dealing with that, and then there is the fact that I work in the food industry and we are a bit short right now at my work and I feel like I am running around like a crazy lady sometimes trying to squeeze everything into my day that I need to get done.  So I am all about the easy recipes right now for the holidays.  Because I am still in a good mood and grateful for the good things in my life despite the hectic stuff going on and I still want to make delicious treats!  Just not super time consuming ones.   That is where this white chocolate recipe comes in.

    This is a super easy recipe but it is sooo good!  I have always loved white chocolate.  Maybe it is because I am more of a vanilla than a chocolate person most of the time. If there was a vanilla cupcake and a chocolate one to choose from I would always go for the vanilla.  So when I was little I would go for the white chocolate.  The problem with a lot of commercial white chocolate now though is it isn’t really white chocolate at all because they have removed the cacao butter and replaced it with some sort of cheaper oil.  Which is no good as far as I am concerned, I want the real stuff!

    So I melt real cacao butter as the base for mine and trust me it makes all the difference in terms of flavor and aroma.  It smells sooo good while you melt it! Next, I add in coconut butter and cashew butter to make it nice and creamy.  Raw Guru recently sent me some so it was perfect! Their nut butters are silky smooth, so just the thing to use in recipes like this!  Next, a bit of vanilla and maple syrup to sweeten it. It is sooo good!

    But since it is the holidays I decided to add in a bit of peppermint and a little color to make these festive!  For the red I used beet powder, and for the green spinach powder.  They turned out so cute!  But more importantly they were super delicious!  Mellow and smooth, melt in your mouth white chocolate with the aromas of vanilla and peppermint!  If you are a white chocolate fan, definitely give these a try!

    Peppermint Vanilla Vegan White Chocolates

    Makes 16

    Ingredients:

    White Chocolate:

     

    Instructions:

    1. Combine cacao butter, cashew butter, vanilla, peppermint, maple syrup,  and sea salt over a double boiler, and whisk until smooth.
    2. Divide between 2 bowls (or glass measuring cups for easier pouring.
    3. Whisk the spinach powder into one, and the beet powder into the other bowl of white chocolate.
    4. Pour into chocolate molds, and place in the freezer until heard, which can take 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on how warm it is.
    5. Pop chocolate out of molds and enjoy!

     

    Store in the refrigerator for a month or an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months.

     

  • Vegan Thin Mint Latte

    Vegan Thin Mint Latte

    We are in the middle of Girl Scout cookie season, and I made some home made ones including Thin Mints, Tag-Alongs, and Samoas. But I also am having fun making other Girl Scout cookie inspired recipes! Stash Tea recently sent me some of their tea to try out and create recipes with and I decided to make a Vegan Thin Mint Latte with it since I thought I could pair it with my Thin Mint Cookies! I was excited about the tea they sent, because I am not a coffee drinker (I only usually use it in desserts), I am a big tea drinker. After about 2 pm I like to stick with caffeine free tea, and peppermint is one of my go to flavors! Stash Tea has plenty of non caffeinated flavors as well as ones with caffeine so whatever floats your boat, you should check them out HERE. I even have a promo code to offer you so you can get a discount should you decide to order some:
    FRAGRANTVANILLACAKE-SC

    Back to that latte though, it was super easy to make and so good! I am obsessed with lattes lately. It is funny because I never used to drink them and now I have them often. Of course I usually order the ones with tea or turmeric, because as I mentioned I am not much of a coffee drinker. In fact, Eric and I made stops almost every weekend for the past month or so just to get fancy lattes. This one has only 4 ingredients though and anyone can make it at home!

    I used oat milk for this because it froths the best in a latte plus it has a cleaner flavor than some other plant based milks. I wanted the mint and chocolate flavors to shine uninterrupted. The Stash mint tea was super flavorful and aromatic once it had steeped in the milk and it tasted good just like that even, but it was even better once I added the cacao powder and maple syrup.

    It totally tasted like a Thin Mint cookie when it was done! Sweet and chocolaty with that punch of peppermint flavor! This is actually the perfect thing to relax with in the evening after dinner because it is a rich tasting delicious latte but it contains no caffeine! Not only that, it is healthier than traditional lattes and a little lighter than eating actual cookies. If you are a big chocolate mint fan, or you enjoy the flavor of Thin Mints, give this a try!

    Vegan Thin Mint Latte

    Makes 2

    Ingredients:

    • 2 cups thick unsweetened oat milk
    • 2 packets Stash peppermint tea
    • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 2 Tbsp cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder

    Instructions:

    1. Bring the oat milk to a boil in a saucepan, remove from heat and add the peppermint tea packets. Let steep for 5 minutes.
    2. Mix together the maple syrup and cacao powder in a small bowl. Remove the tea packets from the milk, and add the cacao mixture to the tea mixture and whisk it in until no lumps remain.
    3. Use an immersion blender to froth the latte (alternatively if you don’t have an immersion blender you could put it into a regular blender instead.
    4. pour into 2 cups and enjoy!
  • Peppermint CBD Hot Chocolate

    Peppermint CBD Hot Chocolate

    I have been saying to myself for weeks now that hot chocolate sounds good.  I caught a whiff of someone’s chocolate creamer going into their coffee at my work and ever since then I have been craving it.  I really don’t make it often enough.  I used to make it quite a bit when I was younger and we had those packets that you just stirred water into.  I know, not the best stuff but I liked it back in the day because it had sugar. The best hot chocolate I ever had back then though was when we were traveling through Europe when I was in high school.  That hot chocolate tasted like it had real chocolate melted into it.  It was so rich and delicious.  So that is what I try to recreate when I make it now as an adult.  I think of hot chocolate as a dessert in and of itself.  Something perfect for sipping after a meal.

    So, I decided to make some just for that reason last weekend. I wanted something fancy, so I made it a peppermint hot chocolate.  And, I heard about a coffee shop opening around here recently that had CBD coffee, so I thought, why not make some CBD hot chocolate?!  Get my daily dose of CBD oil with my dessert.  Raw Guru recently sent me some 300 mg Veggimins CBD oil and I love it!  I have been taking CBD oil before bed and in the morning for a few months now, and it really helps me sleep better and calms my nerves.  CBD is also good for relieving inflammation, which I need help with sometimes since I work out a lot.  If you have never tried this oil, it does not contain THC the psychoactive part of cannabis, so you don’t get high, it just helps with things like decreasing anxiety, fighting inflammation, relieving nausea and decreasing depression among other things.  Definitely check it out, it is worth it!

    But back to the hot chocolate.  It is really simple to make, I just heated the coconut oil, and whisked some cacao powder AND chocolate into it for a double chocolate affect!  I of course had to add some peppermint and vanilla to to give it that delicious peppermint flavor, plus a little maple syrup for sweetness.  And of course I had to add the CBD oil.  I think that this hot chocolate might become a favorite this Winter.  It is rich, creamy, intensely chocolate flavored, aromatic with mint and vanilla and of course it has a calming affect.  This is the perfect thing to relax with all cozy in your PJs!

    Peppermint CBD Hot Chocolate
    Serves 2

     

    Instructions:

    1. To make the hot chocolate, heat the coconut milk in a saucepan until it comes to a boil.
    2. Once it has come to a boil, turn off the heat and add all other ingredients, whisking until smooth and uniform in color.
    3. Pour into mugs and serve!
  • Vegan Peppermint Swirl Ice Cream Cake

    Vegan Peppermint Swirl Ice Cream Cake

    I know it is Winter, and it is chilly outside, but I still love to enjoy ice cream when I am home and all nice and warm in my pjs.  So, I still make ice cream year round, because it is fun to come up with new and exciting flavors, and I need something to serve with my fruit crisp, or pie.  It dawned on me though, I haven’t made a Winter ice cream cake in a long time.  You know, like a Dairy Queen ice cream cake with the crunchy bottom and smooth ice cream filling.  I used to love those as a kid.  Well, mostly just the crunchy bottom and fudge crunch layer in the middle that they had because their vanilla ice cream did not taste like real vanilla to me.  So, anyways, last weekend I decided to be ambitious and make an ice cream cake instead of just scoop-able ice cream. I thought it should have a Holiday theme, and I had 3 ideas of flavors to make, gingerbread, eggnog, or peppermint, but I decided on the peppermint because I thought I could have more fun with color.  Plus, I haven’t made anything peppermint in a while, and I love it this time of the year. I even put peppermint oil in my diffusers in the car and in my house because it smells so festive and happy.

    So, I thought it was the perfect flavor for my cake.  I made a crunchy crust for this ice cream cake with no refined ingredients, unlike the ones I enjoyed as a kid. I know it is traditional to use Oreos or something, but I  have never really been a fan of those, they have lots of artificial ingredients in them.  I also did not want to make cookies simply to crush them up because that was just too much work. So I used ingredients I had on hand to make a chocolate crust which was pretty much what I use for my raw cheesecakes sans the cacao powder.  It is the perfect thing to showcase an ice cream cake on, and it is easy and fast to make.  For the filling, I used a mixture of coconut milk and cashew butter to give it a silky smooth texture like real ice cream.  I sweetened it with maple syrup, and added vanilla and peppermint extracts and it was super delicious even before I froze it.  I mixed beet powder into half of it to give it a candy cane swirl look once finished and it turned out lovely!  If you don’t have beet powder for this recipe, you can use red food coloring, just make sure it is natural.

    Lastly, I wanted this cake to have a fudge element, so I topped it off with a gooey sweet chocolate fudge.  It was the type of thing you would make a delicious ice cream sundae with.  I then sprinkled the cake with some peppermint white chocolate and it turned out even more lovely than I thought it would!  Originally I was going to buy some candy canes just for garnish but I really don’t even care for them and they are pretty sugary and I didn’t want to buy a whole pack just to use one.  So I made the white chocolate instead.  It was a good choice because it tasted wonderful with the cake! The cake was heavenly!  Just the right amount of peppermint and vanilla, sweet, creamy and delicious that gooey fudge, rich white chocolate and crunchy crust the perfect additions.  If you are in the mood for ice cream for your Holiday dessert, give this a try!

    Vegan Peppermint Swirl Ice Cream Cake
    Makes One 8 inch cake

    Crust:

    • 3/4 cup organic gluten free rolled oats
    • 3/4 cup finely shredded dried unsweetened coconut
    • 3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 3/4 cup soft pitted medjool dates (soaked in filtered water if not soft for 30 minutes and drained well.)
    • 3 Tbsp almond butter
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt

     

    Ice Cream:

    • 2 15 oz can full fat coconut milk
    • 1 cup raw cashew butter
    • 2/3 cup maple syrup (or to taste)
    • 1 tsp peppermint extract
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 2 Tbsp beet powder or a few drops natural vegan red food coloring

     

    Fudge:

    • 1/3 cup almond butter
    • 1/4 cup maple syrup
    • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 2 Tbsp filtered water (or as needed)

     

    Assembly:

    • vegan white chocolate*
    • vegan chocolate chips

     

    Instructions:

    1. Oil a 8 inch spring form pan and line with parchment paper.
    2. To make the crust, combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until fine and starting to hold together when squeezed. Once it is at that stage, press it into the bottom of the prepared pan.  Set aside.
    3. To make the ice cream, combine all ingredients but the beet powder in a high speed blender or food processor and blend until very smooth (if you are using a food processor and it still has little bits you may want to strain it through a fine meshed strainer to remove them).
    4. Pour into a bowl and place in the freezer for about 30 minutes or until chilled, whisking after 15.
    5. Divide between 2 bowls, and whisk the beet powder into one of them.
    6. To assemble the cake, pour the two different colors of filling into the center of the pan by the 1/4 cup, alternating between the two until it is full.
    7. Place in the freezer until firm, about 6 hours.
    8. Whisk together the fudge until smooth (if it is too thick add a little more water, too thin a little more cocoa powder, you want it pour-able but not too runny).
    9. When ready to serve, pour the fudge over it, sprinkle with the white chocolate and chocolate chips, and enjoy!
    10. Store any leftover cake in the freezer in an airtight container.

     

    *You may use store bought vegan white chocolate or make your own, this is the white chocolate recipe I used:

    Vegan Peppermint White Chocolate

    • 1/4 cup cacao butter (2 oz)
    • 3 Tbsp raw cashew butter
    • 1/3 cup coconut butter
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
    • 3 Tbsp maple syrup (or to taste)
    • 1/8 tsp sea salt
    • 1 Tbsp beet powder, or a few drops natural vegan red food coloring

     

    Instructions:

    1. Combine cacao butter, cashew butter, vanilla, peppermint, maple syrup,  and sea salt over a double boiler, and whisk until smooth.
    2. Divide in half, and whisk the beet powder or food coloring into one bowl until even in color.
    3. pour the two different colored chocolates into the pan, alternating between the two and swirl them, then place them in the freezer to set.
    4. Chop into pieces.
    5. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to a few months.

  • Vegan Mini Peppermint Swirl Cheesecakes

    Vegan Mini Peppermint Swirl Cheesecakes

    peppermint-cheesecakes-2

    One of the things I love about living in Minnesota is the beautiful scenery we get with the changes of the seasons.  Sure, it gets really cold here in the winter sometimes.  But you have to admit that waking up to a world of sparkling white outside your window is beautiful!  I had to get out and enjoy it last weekend, and I bundled up (but not too much because it was not below 30) and went for a run on the fresh powder.  I love how soft it is, and that squeaking sound my shoes make as they compact it with every footstep.  I also love being the first one on a trail to make the footprints.  So peaceful and serene.  The snow really put me in the mood for Christmas. Although I have been hearing Christmas music around in the stores, and people have their Christmas lights up and whatnot, I hadn’t really felt in the Christmas mood before that.

    peppermint-cheesecakes-4

    So, I put on some Christmas music, and decided to make something festive!  Something red and green and delicious!  Some Vegan Peppermint Cheesecakes! I have been using peppermint a lot in my diffuser, because it smells like candy canes.  And to be honest, that is what gave me the idea!  I am not a big candy cane fan (I have never liked sugary hard candy), but I love peppermint and vanilla together in desserts!  I made mini cheesecakes because they are easier and faster to make than one big one, and great for sharing!  I love sharing treats this time of the year!  And of course shocking people by telling them that they are vegan after they say they are delicious after tasting them.

    peppermint-cheesecakes-3

    These are simple to make, don’t let the swirls and color fool you.  For the crust, I chose a chocolate with a cookie dough like texture and a hint of mint.  It was so good I could have just eaten it like that (the big cookie dough fan that I am), but I wanted there to be enough for the cheesecakes! I used a rich coconut milk and cashew base, which always tastes the best in cheesecakes in my opinion.  For the colors, I went the natural route using matcha (green tea) powder, and beet powder to give them those beautiful hues.  Once they were all chilled and set, I could not wait to taste them!  They were super delicious, the mellow scent of vanilla and fresh peppermint the perfect flavors for the luscious creamy filling and rich chocolate crust! I highly recommend making these for your Holiday parties!  Sooo good!

    peppermint-cheesecakes-1

    Vegan Mini Peppermint Swirl Cheesecakes
    Makes 8

    Ingredients:

    Crust:

    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp gluten free organic oat flour
    • 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 2 Tbsp organic raw cashew butter
    • 2 Tbsp coconut butter, warmed to liquid
    • 1 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1/2 tsp pure peppermint extract
    • 1/8 tsp sea salt

     

    Cheesecake Filling:

    • 1 cup full fat organic coconut milk at room temperature
    • 1/4 cup organic raw cashew butter
    • 3 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1/8 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp coconut butter, warmed to liquid
    • 1 tsp matcha (green tea) powder or spinach powder*
    • 1 tsp beet powder*

     

    Instructions:

    1. To make the crust, stir together all ingredients in a bowl, and then press into the bottoms of 8 silicone muffin tins, and set them on a tray.  Place in the freezer while you make the filling.
    2. To make the filling, combine all ingredients but the matcha powder and beet powder in a blender and blend until smooth.
    3. Divide the filling between two bowls, and mix the matcha into one bowl, and the beet powder into the other.
    4. Drop the filling over the crust in the tins by the tsp, alternating the two colors until you have the tins full, then swirl with a toothpick to create marbling.
    5. Place cheesecakes in the freezer to firm up for 1-2 hours or until firm (depending on how warm the filling was).  Once they have firmed up, unmold them and place them on a tray to serve!
    6. Store any leftover cheesecakes in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

    *If you would like to use natural food colorings or spinach or beet juice instead of the powders, go right ahead!  Just add a little at a time until you reach the desired color.  Note that if you add a lot of liquid, you may need to add 1 Tbsp or more extra coconut butter to firm these up.

  • Vegan Mint Chip Cake

    Vegan Mint Chip Cake

    Mint Chip Cake 5

    I loved mint chip (or peppermint bon bon) ice cream growing up as a kid, and I still enjoy it as an adult. There is just something so refreshing and delicious about it, especially in the summer since the mint is cooling.  I always was attracted to the green color also, but now I make mine green with mint or spinach instead of the fake food coloring that is in a lot of commercial conventional mint chip ice cream.  Anyways, I made some recently, and I decided that a mint chip cake would be even more fabulous!  I didn’t make an ice cream cake however, since I have made a mint chip ice cream cake before.  I wanted a mint chip cake with baked chocolate cake layers so decadent that they taste like brownies.

    Mint Chip Cake 3

    I have a go to chocolate cake recipe that I use for a lot of bases that was perfect for this cake.  It is sweetened with dates, uses nut butter instead of oil, and it is gluten free.  If baked for the proper amount of time, it is the perfect texture, and you would not be able to tell it was vegan at all, let alone healthier cake.  It is awesome.  So, once I had that all made, I made a luscious mint chip frosting with a coconut milk cashew base laced with both fresh mint, and mint extract for extra freshness. It tasted just like the ice cream, but you could eat it and not get an ice cream headache.

    Mint Chip Cake 1

    Lastly, I added some delicious chocolate chips and it was perfect.  Like the classic ice cream flavor and a cake were morphed into a hybrid.  It was so good.  The perfect dessert for Summer when you don’t want ice cream but you want cake.  It was simply heavenly and it was perfect for the hot day we enjoyed it on.  Don’t let the idea of a layer cake intimidate you, it is actually pretty easy to make, and so worth the time!

    Mint Chip Cake

    Vegan Mint Chocolate Chip Cake
    Makes 1 6 inch 2 layer cake

    3 6 inch cake pans

    Cake:
    1 1/2 cups quinoa flour (or all purpose gluten free 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 1/2 cup of the water reserved
    1/4 cup raw almond butter or pecan butter
    1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
    1 cup filtered water
    2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

    Frosting:
    1 15 oz can organic full fat coconut milk*, chilled
    3/4 cup raw cashew butter
    1 cup fresh peppermint leaves
    1/4 cup maple syrup
    1/4 tsp sea salt
    2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    1 tsp peppermint extract
    1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp coconut butter, warmed to liquid

    1/2 cup vegan chopped chocolate or chocolate chips plus more for serving

    Preheat the oven to 375F degrees and position rack in center of oven. Line the bottoms of t three six-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides with parchment paper. Coat parchment paper and pan sides lightly with oil so that the cake doesn’t stick. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt in a large bowl to blend well. Place dates, reserved water, pecan 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. Transfer cake batter to prepared pans and bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cakes completely in pan on rack, about 1 hour. Cut around sides of pan to loosen. Turn cakes out onto platter; peel off parchment paper.
    Meanwhile, to make the frosting, combine all ingredients but the coconut butter, in a high speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth. With the motor running, add the coconut butter and process a minute more (if it starts to get lumpy at all during the process it is just the fat separating because it is 2 different temperatures. Just continue to blend until it is smooth, and it will get warm so it will just have to chill longer). Pour the frosting into a bowl and let sit in the freezer until the consistency of whipped cream, whisking every 15 minutes (this may take anywhere from 15 minutes to hour to an hour depending on how warm it has gotten and which appliance you used).
    To assemble, place one cake layer on a plate, spread some frosting over it and sprinkle about 1/2 cup chocolate chips over it. Place the another cake layer over that, and sprinkle more chocolate chips over it, then top with the last layer.  Spread the rest of the frosting over the top and down the sides of the cake. Sprinkle more chocolate chips over the cake, and serve!

    *You want a brand of coconut milk that is rich and mostly cream (at least 3/4 of the can) or the recipe will not work.  I like organic Thai Kitchen full fat coconut milk.

    Mint Chip Cake 2