The easiest and most enjoyable Fika food you may ever try.

Take a trip to Sweden, and seas of Chokladbollar (chocolate balls) will likely surround you. They fill the glass cases of bakeries, ine the shelves of shops, speckle department store cafes as a welcome Fika break from shoe shopping and even sit in grocery store aisles. It’s next to sinful and downright outlandish to visit this regal land without gobbling up a chocolate ball (or two, or six). But, like most fare in Sweden, chocolate balls fall far from being vegan.

But, make them yourself at home (in 30 minutes or less!), and you’ll discover it’s the easiest vegan dessert you’ve ever made—and gluten-free to boot. All it takes is a simple butter switch. As I whipped these up in Stockholm last week (not kidding), I played around with different proportions of ingredients until it tasted just right—mixing coconut butter with a Swedish vegan butter that the grocery store clerk warned was not made for baking. Yet it worked all the same. So much so that a Swedish friend declared them among the best he’d ever had.

And, while chocolate balls can be made in an endless variety of ways—kid friendly with just chocolate; adult friendly with liqueur or rich espresso—I love the blend of unsweetened cocoa powder, mixed with a couple squares of dark (70%) chocolate and a shot or two of espresso. Plus, espresso (in smaller doses, as in these chocolate balls), has been reported to help protect against type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, liver cancer, and liver cirrhosis, and dark chocolate boasts a host of phyto antixoidants for heart health and overall happiness.

So whip up some chocolate balls for a feel good Fika that makes every day a celebration.

The Original – Swedish Chocolate Balls
from All Recipes

Ingredients

• 4 cups rolled oats
• 1 ¼ cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 tablespoon strong coffee
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2, 1 oz squares unsweetened baking chocolate, melted
• 1/3 cup coconut flakes

The Vegan & Gluten-Free Version – Swedish Chocolate Balls
Makes 24-48 balls, depending upon the size

Ingredients

• 4 cups rolled oats
• 1 ¼ cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup coconut butter and ½ cup vegan butter (may need to add about ½ cup more, as I did, to ensure a sticky dough)
• 1 tablespoon espresso
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2, 1 oz squares dark or unsweetened baking chocolate, melted
• 1/3 cup coconut flakes (or more as needed)

Directions

1. Mix the oats, sugar and cocoa powder together in a bowl. Add the “butter” and use your hands to mix the ingredients together until a thick dough is formed.

2. In a separate, stove top pan, mix together the espresso, vanilla and dark chocolate. Mix together over low heat until the chocolate is melted. Pour over the chocolate dough mixture and combine until thoroughly blended.

3. Place the coconut flakes in a bowl or on a plate. Roll small pieces of dough between your hands to make small balls (or make any size that you wish). Roll the balls in the coconut flakes and eat immediately. For a firmer texture, refrigerate for 2 hours, and enjoy!

Note: This recipe is just the beginning. Create other varieties by adding in a tablespoon (or two) of arrak extract, a Swedish liqueur. Or, roll the chocolate balls in toasted almonds, sugar or another topping of your choice.

Images: Jennifer Barckley

The post Vegan This: Make Your Own Swedish Chocolate Balls appeared first on EcoSalon.

 

Visions of sugar plum fairies waif through the air with these simple, seasonal and nutritional treats.

Scones, experience says, can be either bland as a dog biscuit or so chock full of sugar and butter that they consume a whole day’s food fulfillment. With this fresh take on the Scottish staple, seasonal, local and wholesome lead the way.

Full of vitamin C—just one plum (in season from the summer to early Autumn) contains 10 percent of the typical daily, recommended value—and vitamin A, these low sugar treats provide the perfect jam-and-scone-in-one blend. Part plummy, part citrusy, part caramely, the sugar plums bring a sweet surprise to tea-time or Sunday brunch.

Make these gluten-free as I have, and you’ll get the dietary diversity of millet, brown rice and sorghum flours—full of fiber, protein, iron and other critical minerals. Add walnuts, and you’re in store for an extra dose of fiber, protein, vitamin Bc (which helps your body convert protein into energy) and omega-3 fatty acids for a healthy body and complexion.

Beauty from a baked good? You just may be in luck.

The Original –  Sugar Plum Scones

From Serious Eats

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for rolling
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter, diced
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup chopped prunes
• 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
• about 1 tablespoon water

The Vegan & Gluten-Free Version – Sugar Plum Scones

Inspired by the above recipe and The Best of Vegan Cooking

Makes 6-8 scones

Ingredients

• 2 cups gluten free flour
• (3/4 cup sorghum flour, minus 2 tablespoons)
• (1/2 cup brown rice flour)
• (1/4 cup millet flour)
• (1/2 cup tapioca flour)
• (2 tablespoons almond flour)
• (1 tablespoon xanthan gum)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/3 cup + ¼ cup (for glazing) agave nectar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup cold water
• 1/3 cup oil (canola, sunflower or safflower are ideal)
• ½ cup walnuts (optional)

Caramelized Sugar Plums

• 4 fresh plums (a local, fresh variety of your choice)
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon lemon rind
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon orange rind
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. To prepare the Sugar Plum mixture, thinly slice the fresh plums, removing the seed. Gently heat the coconut oil in a skillet, until dispersed across the cooking surface. Add the slide plums, the fruit rinds and juices, the sugar and vanilla extract. Mix together over medium heat, stirring often, for about 5 minutes until the plums are soft but still intact. Remove from the stove top and cool.
3. Place the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and salt) in a bowl and mix.  Add the oil, ½ cup agave nectar, cold water and vanilla and mix for about 1 minute.
4. Gently fold in the sugar plums and walnuts, if using.
5. Form the scones by hand. Begin by dividing the dough into 8 parts. Then make each section into a ball.  You can form a ball into either a circle, a square or a triangular shape, using your hands. Place on the lined cookie sheet and bake for 8 minutes.  Remove from the oven and brush with the remaining agave nectar, then return to the oven for 4 minutes, until lightly browned.
6. Cool before serving & enjoy!

Images: Jennifer Barckley

The post Vegan This: Sugar Plum Scones to Better Your Complexion appeared first on EcoSalon.

Make this classic Black & White cake, and you’ll get rave reviews from vegans and non-vegans alike.

When bridal showers, birthdays and celebrations of all sorts roll around, there’s nothing that says “Let’s Celebrate (in style)” like Black & White cake. And, this regal dessert, as I discovered quite by accident, has many forms and flavors. The first version I created was white(ish) inside and black outside, compliments of a simple (accidental) ingredient omission—cocoa powder. So naturally, I had to try again. My second go at it, everything went smoothly (cocoa powder included) until, while putting the finishing touches on the frosting, the whole cake tumbled to the ground just minutes before it was due for serving at a party.

With crumbles left behind on the cake stand, I was able to resurrect some pieces, however, this time I lost the cake’s outer, gleaming white hue, as the (vegan) cream cheese frosting melded into the moist chocolate cake.With this mishap, I stumbled upon the creamiest, sweetest, moistest and unbelievably gluten free- and vegan– delight to date. While it tastes sinfully rich and creamy, each bite comes with a dose of vitamins A & E, magnesium, zinc, potassium and even fiber thanks to a secret (moistening) addition—pumpkin puree. So, if your sweet tooth craves chocolate and cake, you really can’t go wrong with this one. Forget an ingredient or send the cake flying in the air and you too might find a new spin on this classic cake.

The Original – Black & White Cake
from Clinton Street Baking Company

Ingredients

• 1½ sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, plus 1 yolk
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• ½ cup buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• ½ stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
• 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• ½ cup whole milk
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• ½ cup semisweet chocolate chunks (52–62% cacao)

The Vegan Version – Black & White (or just Black) Cake
Generously serves 8

Ingredients

• 1½ sticks (12 tablespoons) vegan butter, softened (I used Earth Balance)
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• Egg substitute equivalent to 2 large eggs, plus 1 yolk (I mixed 3 tablespoons flaxseed meal with 7 tablespoons warm water)
• 1½ cups gluten free flour blend:
• (1/2 cup brown rice flour_
• (1/4 cup white rice flour)
• (1/4 cup sorghum flour)
• (1/4 cup potato starch flour)
• (1/4 cup minus 2 tablespoons tapioca flour)
• (2 tablespoons almond flour)
• (3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum)
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• ½ cup buttermilk (easily make your own by mixing ½ cup dairy free milk, like homemade cashew nut milk, with ½ tablespoon white distilled vinegar; let sit for 10 minutes)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Frosting
• 8 ounces vegan cream cheese, softened
• ½ stick (4 tablespoons) vegan butter, softened
• 4 cups confectioners sugar (sifted)
• ½ cup dairy free milk (Mine was thin enough that I omitted the milk all together)

Glaze
• ½ cup heavy cream (I used homemade cashew nut milk)
• 3 tablespoons light corn syrup (I used homemade cane juice by melting a few tablespoons of sugar in a pan on the stove top)
• 1 tablespoon vegan butter
• ½ cup semisweet, vegan chocolate chunks (52–62% cacao)

Directions

Make the Cake
1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Lightly grease (with vegan butter) and flour two 8-inch round cake pans.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the vegan butter and sugars. Add the egg substitute mixture, and combine. Whisk the gluten free flour blend and remaining dry ingredients together, in a separate bowl.
3. Whisk the pumpkin puree together with the buttermilk and vanilla in another bowl. Alternate mixing dry ingredients with the pumpkin mixture into the egg mixture. Start with dry and end with wet.
4. Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the cakes cool and unmold.

Make the Frosting
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the vegan cream cheese and butter together until soft. Add the sifted confectioners sugar, blending in 1 cup at a time. Add the dairy free milk slowly, as needed, and mix until the frosting is smooth and creamy.

Make the Glaze
Heat the “cream,” corn syrup (or cane juice), and vegan butter in a saucepan until boiling. Place the chocolate in a bowl. Pour the cream mixture over the chocolate until it is completely melted, mixing gently with a rubber spatula until the glaze is smooth.

Assemble the Cake
Place 1 of the 2 cakes on a cake plate. Ice the top with 3 to 4 tablespoons frosting, and place the other cake on top. Then use a cake spatula to mask the top and sides until the cake is evenly frosted. Set it in the fridge for 10 minutes. Then, remove the cake from the fridge and pour the chocolate glaze over the center of the cake until the top is covered and the glaze runs over the sides, still showing some frosting. Let the glaze set and serve.

Whatever happens, enjoy!

Images: Jennifer Barckley

The post Vegan This: Decadent Black & White Cake appeared first on EcoSalon.

Time stands still as the best blend of flavors melt in your mouth.

Two summers ago, I had a dream: Salted. Caramel. Ice Cream. Just hearing those words together, I could taste the cascade of sweetness, saltiness, coolness and warmth, all at once, melting in my mouth. And so, the quest began to experience what I imagined would be the sweetest delight on earth.

And then, it happened. Salted Caramel Ice Cream hit the charts. Nearly every micro-creamery was whipping up the flavor. To make it all worse for a tantalized vegan, some began to add crispy bacon to the affair. And yet, my search for a vegan version remained futile. With that, I vowed to concoct my own variety (and acquire an ice cream maker to get the consistency just right).

So, here we are, nearly 730 days later. I’ve whipped up batch after batch and tasted spoonful after spoonful to create the richest, smoothest, creamiest and yes, even healthiest, recipe for all to enjoy. The base of this melting concoction is handmade cashew nut milk. While rich in fats, an ice cream staple, cholesterol-free cashews are full of monounsaturated fats, the “good kind” of fats. They are also full of copper, magnesium, zinc and even Vitamin E—critical to stabilizing a healthy blood pressure and preventing against heart conditions, all while supporting a balanced nervous system and with it, a good mood. It’s no wonder you’ll feel so joyful with every little spoonful.

The Original – Salted Caramel Ice Cream
From Brown Eyed Baker, adapted from David Lebovitz’s original

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar (divided)
• 4 tablespoons salted butter
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 5 egg yolks
• ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

The Vegan Version – Salted Caramel Ice Cream
Makes approximately 2 pints

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups cashew nut milk (divided):
• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked
• 3 cups water
• 1/4 cup agave nectar
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup coconut milk (optional—can substitute with an additional cup of cashew milk)
• ½ teaspoon gaur gum
• 1 cup granulated sugar (divided)
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon salted vegan butter (I used Earth Balance soy-free butter)
• ½ teaspoon (or more—to taste) fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pecans or other nuts (optional topping)

Directions

1. To make the cashew nut milk, first soak the 1 cup of cashews in tepid water for at least 3 hours or overnight. Then, in a large blender, mix the following for at least three minutes, until thoroughly blended: cashews, water, agave nectar, coconut oil and vanilla extract. Once the cashews are thoroughly blended, use a nut milk bag or very fine cheesecloth over a large bowl or Mason jar to strain the milk. You should be left with a creamy mixture (just like milk) in your bowl or jar.

2. Pour 2 cups of the nut milk back into the blender and add the coconut milk, if using, along with the guar gum and vanilla. Blend together and let stand.

3. In a quart size pot, melt the sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly until liquefied. Once the sugar begins to turn to a copper-red color, add in one tablespoon of butter and stir until melted. Then, slowly add in the ½ cup cashew nut milk and stir together until fully mixed and boiling. Remove the mixture from the heat. Let cool slightly, and pour ½ cup of your caramel mixture into the cashew nut mix in the blender. Blend together until fully combined.

4. Pour the custard mixture into your ice cream maker and use according to the manufacturer’s directions.

5. Meanwhile, add at least ½ teaspoon of fine sea salt to your remaining ½ cup caramel mixture. Once the ice cream custard has been mixed together in the ice cream maker for at least 15 minutes, add in the remaining caramel by simply pouring it into the custard base.

6. Freeze your ice cream until it’s reached the desired consistency, and enjoy!

* Note, top this sweet summer delight with your choice of nuts, caramel, chocolate sauce, cherries or any other vegan toppings you can dream of. I made a candied pecan topping by chopping a few tablespoons of pecans and toasting them on the stove top (in a shallow cast iron pan), with 1 teaspoon melted vegan butter, 1 teaspoon of light brown sugar and a dash of cinnamon and sea salt, until lightly brown and crunchy.

Images: Jennifer Barckley

The post Vegan This: Salted Caramel Ice Cream (That took 730 Days to Perfect) appeared first on EcoSalon.

Fresh from the farm and the oven, these cookies make for a perfect picnic tea time.

Mmm. It’s a sound that echoes across rows of raspberries, as red-stained pickers, like me, hover over plants plucking by the pint. A few days later, “mmm” resonates around my kitchen while whisking up a batch of raspberry jam and then, Raspberry Butter Cookies. As the smell of buttery (vegan) baked goodness, mixed with fresh raspberries wafts through my New York City apartment, I feel transported to the farm upstate where we gathered these sweet red jewels. And I imagine myself a homesteader—baking not just for the sheer pleasure of it, but for the sake of letting nothing that I grew go to waste.

I’m normally not one to cook farm fresh berries or take them out of their whole berry goodness, for fear of tainting them in some unknown way. But, when our Foodie Underground columnist presented a recipe for sweet and simple jam, all fearful feelings of berry destruction went out the door. And, when I considered the nutritional benefits of raspberries (which seem to stay largely intact through this jam making process—as indicated by its brightly retained red color), I ran out of excuses. Rich in vitamin C and fiber, raspberries, according to a study, possess almost 50% higher antioxidants than strawberries, three times that of kiwis and ten times the activity found in tomatoes.

So, guilt can go out the back door. After all, it’s summer. Eat it up. Raspberries, butter cookies and all.

The Original – Raspberry-Filled Butter Cookies
from Lost Recipes Found

Ingredients

• 3 cups sifted flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons half-and-half
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2/3 cup raspberry jam

The Vegan & Gluten-Free Version – Raspberry-Filled Butter Cookies
Makes approximately 3 dozen

Ingredients – Raspberry-Filled Butter Cookies

• 3 cups gluten-free flour blend:
• (1 cup sorghum flour)
• (1/2 cup brown rice flour)
• (1/2 cup white rice flour)
• (1/2 cup tapioca flour)
• (1/4 cup almond flour)
• (1/4 cup garbanzo flour)
• (2 teaspoons xanthan gum)
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup butter (I used Earth Balance Coconut Spread and omitted the ½ teaspoon salt, since most vegan butters come with salt included)
• ¾ cup sugar
• Egg substitute for 1 egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons warm water, whisked together)
• 2 tablespoons cashew nut milk (or another rich, dairy free milk of your choice)
• 1 teaspoons vanilla
• 2/3 cup raspberry jam (see recipe below)

Ingredients – Raspberry Jam

• 2 cups raspberries
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 ½ cups sugar (add to taste)
• 1 vanilla bean pod (or 2 tablespoons vanilla extract)

Directions – Butter Cookies

1. Sift together the gluten free flours with baking powder (and salt, if adding). Set aside
2. Cream together the butter and sugar. Stir in the egg substitute, dairy free milk and vanilla.
3. Blend in the dry ingredients.
4. Divide the dough into two balls, and flatten into disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and chill for an hour, or until ready to bake, in the refrigerator.
5. Preheat oven to 400°F
6. Spread one large piece of plastic wrap on the counter, and place one of the dough disks in the center.
7. Cover with another piece of plastic wrap, and using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to approximately 1/16 of an inch (not too thick but still manageable.)
8. Remove the top plastic wrap, and using a donut cutter or a linzer cookie cutter, dip the cutter in flour (if the dough sticks to it) and cut out an even number of plain rounds as donut/linzer rounds.
9. Transfer the cookies to cookie sheets.
10. Bake for 5 – 8 minutes (or longer if you prefer crunchier cookies).
11. Remove from the pan and allow to cool on a cooling rack.
12. Place a small amount of the raspberry jam (directions for jam, below) in the center of each of the plain rounds (the cookie bottom). Top with the cut-out cookie and carefully press together.
13. Enjoy!

Directions – Raspberry Jam

1. Place the raspberries and water in a saucepan.
2. If adding a vanilla bean, cut the pod in half, scrape out the seed and add both the seeds and pod to the saucepan.
3. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir continuously so it doesn’t burn.
4. Stir in the sugar and let simmer for another 3-5 minutes until the jam thickens.
5. Take out the vanilla pod, and pour the jam into glass jars. Leave to cool.
6. Store in the refrigerator until ready to enjoy!

Author Jennifer Barckley picking summer fresh raspberries in Hudson, New York.  

The post Vegan This: Gluten-Free Raspberry-Filled Butter Cookies appeared first on EcoSalon.

Taste summer with every little bite and savor the slow, sweet life.

Nothing says summer like strawberry shortcake. Sure, there’s sand, sunscreen and bikinis. But nothing encapsulates the sweetness, coolness and delightful deliciousness of the season like a bite of this American classic.

On a recent lunchtime picnic in midtown Manhattan, our EcoSalon editor-in-chief gathered with a few friends to simply celebrate and savor the sweet life together. As we lingered over this vegan and gluten-free shortcake—naturally taking many a food porn photo op—time seemed to stand still. We truly tasted the essence of slow food. Three hours later, we seemed to float from our seats, back to our businesses and filled with the joys of good friends and good food. They are, after all, the perfect pairing.

An adventurer’s note:
Making this seasonal treat vegan is like diving into a science lab—but local, fresh and organic. Lucky for you, I’ve conducted all the in-kitchen experiments, so all you need to do is follow along. The most fun and challenging part, you may find, is to create a vegan version of heavy whipping cream. I started with a coconut-based creamer, and then blended in prepared (dissolved, cooled and gelatinized) agar-agar—a red algae based thickening agent. Not only does it give just the right texture, thickness and creaminess to the mix, it’s also reported to provide a healthy dose of minerals and fiber, all the while suppressing the appetite. With those benefits to boot, it’s the perfect complement to a beach time sweet treat.

The Original – Strawberry Shortcake
from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

• 1 ¾ pounds (6 cups) strawberries—rinsed, hulled and quartered
• 1 ¼ cups + 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons cold (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 large eggs
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

The Vegan & Gluten-Free Version – Strawberry Shortcake
Makes approximately 6-8 shortcakes

Ingredients

• 1 ¾ pounds (6 cups) strawberries—rinsed, hulled and quartered (For the fullest flavor, I recommend using local and fresh strawberries.)
• 1 ¼ cups + 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 cups gluten free flour blend:
• (1 cup sorghum flour)
• (1 cup white rice flour)
• (1/2 cup garbanzo bean flour)
• (1/2 cup potato starch flour, minus 2 tablespoons)
• (2 tablespoons almond flour)
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons cold (1 ½ sticks) unsalted vegan butter, cut into small pieces (I used Earth Balance coconut butter)
• 2 cups coconut cream (I used So Delicious coconut creamer, blended with approximately 3 tablespoons of dissolved agar-agar to thicken)
• 2 egg substitutes (I blended 2 tablespoon ground flax seeds with 6 tablespoons warm water)
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F
2. In a medium bowl, toss the prepared strawberries with ¾ cup sugar. (I suggest starting with ½ cup and tasting to see if more sweetness is needed.) Let sit to bring out the juices.
3. In a food processor, pulse together your gluten free flour blend. Add the baking powder, ½ cup sugar and the salt, and pulse until combined. Add the cold butter, and pulse until the mixture resembles course meal with some pea size bits of butter remaining (pulse approximately 10-12 times).
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together ½ cream (before the agar agar has been added to thicken) and the egg substitute. Pour over the flour mixture, and pulse until some large clumps begin to form (pulse approximately 20-30 times).
5. Using a half-cup measuring cup, gently pack dough into the cup, invert and tap out on to a lightly buttered or parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat to form 6-8 biscuits.
6. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool for at least 15 minutes.
7. Beat the remaining 1 ½ cups cream, with the prepared agar-agar mixture, 2 tablespoons sugar and vanilla until smooth and creamy (Note, this will not form peaks like a traditional heavy whipping cream, however, I assure you the taste and texture will not leave you craving cream.)
8. Slice the biscuits horizontally with a serrated knife. Spoon the strawberries and their liquid over the bottom of each biscuit just before serving. Spoon your whipped cream over the strawberries, and top with the other biscuit half.

Enjoy the sweet moments of summer!

Author Jennifer Barckley making her Strawberry Shortcakes for friends in Bryant Park, New York City

Image: Amy DuFault

The post Vegan This: Strawberry Shortcake appeared first on EcoSalon.

Embrace the sweet, slow pace of summer with the food that symbolizes it all.

Italy holds the reigning flag of slow food. It is, afterall, the movement’s official birthplace, dating back to 1986 in Piedmont, Italy. As one of the country’s northern most regions, encircled by the Alps and directly touching France and Switzerland, it’s no wonder a love for food and nature collided into an international movement here—where wine pours from vines and where you can graze for breakfast on meadows of rice and corn.

Travel south some 200 miles to Tuscany, and you’ll meet an even older articulation of slow food—cantucci—most commonly known to us foreigners, as biscotti. The twice-baked crunchy cookie is reported to have been a survivalist food (think modern day granola bar), munched by travelers and Roman warriors along their journeys. With the heralding of the Renaissance, biscotti found life again in the perfect pairing—dipped into a glass of vin santo, Italian dessert wine, for just the right sweetness and crunch. It became something to gather around, to celebrate and to luxuriate in, slowly.

Years ago though, long after the Renaissance, I lived and studied in Florence, Italy. And the aromas wafting from bakeries is what I remember most. (Well, that and spoonfuls of creamy gelato.) Biscotti were the staple among those delectable bakery delights, filled with fruits, nuts, chocolate and varieties between. Now that I dine vegan (and gluten-free—no easy Italian feat), I often wonder what my next trip to Italy will taste like. I may fall off the vegan wagon. Or, I may just pack my own dolce for the journey. Like biscotti, the kind that keeps.

Since no trip is tangibly in store, I’m transporting myself to Tuscany for the summer with bites of biscotti. I started out in my kitchen with a chocolate almond variety and then moved to something more seasonal, cherry hazelnut biscotti. Both provide just the right amount of sweetness, but there’s something about cherries that make June tastebuds sing. Maybe that’s because these summer fruits are reported to protect you from cancer, enhance your memory and help you sleep better at night, thanks to the antioxidant anthocyanin and the nutrient melatonin, respectively. If it ensures the journey is slow and sweet, I’ll take it.

The Original – Chocolate Almond Biscotti
from Joy of Baking

Ingredients

• ¾ cup blanched whole almonds
• 2/3 cup granulated white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
• 2/3 cup semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate

The Vegan & Gluten-Free Version – Cherry Hazelnut Biscotti
Makes approximately 16 biscotti

Ingredients

• ¾ cup lightly toasted hazelnuts (or almonds)
• 2/3 cup granulated, unrefined sugar
• 2 egg substitutes (I blended 2 tablespoon ground flax seeds with 6 tablespoons warm water)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (I mixed vanilla extract and almond extract for a traditional almond biscotti essence)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ¾ cup flour – follow the following gluten-free flour blend:
• (¾ cup sorghum flour)
• (½ cupbrown rice flour)
• (¼ cup white rice flour)
• (1/8 cup tapioca flour)
• (1/8 cup almond flour)
• (½ teaspoon xanthan gum)
• 2/3 cup dried, unsweetened cherries

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Toast hazelnuts, almonds or another choice of nuts for 8-10 minutes or until lightly brown and fragrant. Let cool, and then coarsely chop and set aside.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. In a large bowl, beat the sugar and egg substitute with a stand mixer, a hand mixer or simply a whisk with vigorous arms. Beat until thick, pale and fluffy. Add in the vanilla (and/or almond) extract and beat until mixed.
5. In a separate, medium bowl, mix together the flours, baking soda and salt. Add to the egg mixture and mix together until fully combined.
6. Add the cherries and toasted, chopped hazelnuts (or almonds) to the mix and combine.
7. Transfer the dough to a well floured surface or, if not too sticky, to parchment paper. Roll into a log shape about 12” long and 3 ½” wide.
8. Place on your prepared baking sheet, and bake for about 25 minutes, or until firm to the touch. Remove from the oven, and let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
9. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
10. Transfer the biscotti log to a cutting board and cut, on the diagonal, into ½” thick pieces.
11. Place the biscotti, cut side down, on to the parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake for 8-10 minutes. Turn over, and bake the other side for about 8-10 minutes, until lightly brown.
12. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Note: Experiment with different varieties, mixing in different fruits, nuts, spices and chocolates. Once you have the dough down, there’s no end to the biscotti bliss.

La dolce vita!

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When Nutella, donuts and muffins meet, it’s easy to feed your cravings and forget it’s even vegan.  

Since my kitchen is void of donut molds, and since our fearless Foodie Underground columnist Anna, sent me a Nutella Donut Muffin recipe with a Vegan This dare, I made these donuts muffin-style, with no regrets. And as it turns out, they are best described as a true textural and taste blend of a donut and a muffin – fluffed to perfection with a finely tuned blend of gluten-free flours and filled with homemade Nutella—an EcoSalon favorite.

Normally, donuts, muffins and Nutella make the perfect food coma pairing. Not being one for comatose Sunday brunches, I softened the blow with less processed ingredients like coconut oil instead of butter, homemade almond milk in place of dairy and Nutella with real hazelnuts in lieu of artificial flavorings. For vegans like me who, beyond pure choice, are allergic to foods like milk and eggs, hazelnuts are actually the perfect ingredient. Full of phytochemical flavonoids (antioxidants) like quercetin, these little nuts may help to reduce allergic reactions. And, with healthy doses of vitamins E and B to boot—for healthy skin and a healthy metabolism, respectively – I’ll take a spoonful of hazelnuts with my sugar any day.

Denser than a donut, but still light, sugary and perfectly sweet, these quick and easy treats will give your cravings a real farewell. For now, at least.

The Original – Nutella Donut Muffins
from US Masala

Ingredients

For the donut muffins
• 1 ¾ cup all purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup oil
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 egg
• ¾ cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Nutella (as needed)

For the coating
• 3-4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

The Vegan & Gluten-Free Nutella Donut Muffins
Makes approximately 9 donut muffins

Ingredients

For the donut muffins
• 1 ¾ cup flour – follow the following gluten-free flour blend:
• (¾ cup sorghum flour)
• (¼ cup sweet rice flour)
• (3/8 cup white rice flour)
• (¼ tapioca flour)
• (1/8 cup almond flour)
• (½ teaspoon xanthan gum)
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup oil (I used cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil)
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 egg substituted (I blended 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds with 3 tablespoons water)
• ¾ cup non-dairy milk (I used almond milk)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Nutella (I made this homemade, vegan version)

For the coating
• 3-4 tablespoons vegan butter (I used Earth Balance coconut spread)
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F, and grease a muffin tray with vegan butter or coconut oil.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together your gluten-free flour blend, and add in the baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the oil, sugar, egg-substitute and non-dairy milk. Add the dry ingredients and stir only until fully combined.
4. Follow these instructions to whip up your Nutella hazelnut spread.
5. Place 2 tablespoons of the muffin donut batter into your prepared muffin tins. Add 1 teaspoon of Nutella and cover with approximately 2 more tablespoons of batter until the muffin tins are ¾ full.
6. Bake for 18-22 minutes. (Mine were perfectly done after exactly 18 minutes).
7. Prepare your coating by melting your vegan butter in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together your cinnamon and sugar.
8. While the muffins are still warm, shake them out of the pan on to a cooling rack.
9. Dip your muffin donuts into your melted vegan butter and then into your cinnamon sugar mixture.
10. Allow to cool for approximately 10 minutes. These are perfect when warm and still wonderful when cool (up to 3 days—especially if making these gluten free). Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator if storing longer.

Note: These would also be delicious filled with your favorite homemade jam, in lieu of the Nutella, or simply plain, filling-free.

Enjoy!

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Vegan cupcakes based on Sex and the City’s famous Vanilla Vanilla Cupcake recipe.

From New York City to Dubai, we’re living in a sugar coated world of cupcake mania. Many reports (like this one from the UK Telegraph) put the addiction blame on the famed Magnolia Bakery.

What started 16 years ago as the tiniest of local cupcake spots on Bleeker Street in New York City’s West Village, has now become an over-heated sensation. Sex in City, followed by Saturday Night Live’s “Lazy Sunday” and The Devil Wears Prada, have all been accused of instigating and spreading the cupcakes-gone-wild craze. Flash through old episodes of Sex in the City and you’re sure to find the one where Carrie and Miranda munch on frosted treats outside the original Magnolia Bakery – back in the day before lines circled around the block.

“I have a crush,” Carrie confesses to Miranda, lips lined with pink buttercream frosting. Was it a cupcake crush? Tourists who happily fork over $48 and more than three hours of their time to take the official Sex in the City Hotspots Tour in New York City–  including a stop at this very spot – can answer best. Walk inside the flagship Bloomingdale’s, or simply follow the trend from New York to Chicago, LA to Dubai or the 120 new locations in the works, and you’ll see that a bad case of the Magnolia cupcake crush is taking the world by sweet-toothed storm.

My memories of Magnolia Bakery go back to those one-location wonder days, post Sex in the City. As a transplanted New Yorker, I recall once dedicating an afternoon standing in the Magnolia line – for what felt like hours – simply to snag a cupcake for a friend’s birthday. Five years later, I tasted a tiny crumble of the infamous Vanilla Vanilla Magnolia Cupcake.

Fast forward to today where I’ve masterminded a vegan, gluten-free edition – starting with the original Vanilla Vanilla Cupcake recipe, compliments of Magnolia Bakery and the Food Network. While this is no baking adventure for the weary, the results are well worth it.

If you’ve already tried your hand at vegan baking, eggs, you well know, can put you in a baker’s bind. Especially when it’s four eggs you’re substituting which serve as a binding agent for your wet and dry ingredients. Since I’m always striving to merge decadence with health, I used a flax seed mix in lieu of eggs?

Flax seeds, it turns out, have been traced back to human consumption since 3000 B.C., and for good reason. It’s even been reported that King Charlemagne, recognizing the incredible health benefits, enacted a law requiring his subjects to consume the tiny, golden seeds daily. Today, flax seeds have been studied and recommended as a preventative treatment for nearly all ailments – from cancer to heart disease to diabetes. Rich in omega 3 fatty acids, antioxidant-rich lignans and soluble and insoluble fibers, flax helps cancel out the sugar-high effects of these cupcakes, making them virtually guilt free and easy to digest.

The Original – Magnolia Bakery’s Vanilla Vanilla Cupcake Recipe

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

• 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 6 to 8 cups confectioners’  sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

The Vegan and Gluten-free Vanilla Vanilla Cupcake Concoction

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

For a gluten-free, self-rising flour mix

• ½ cup sorghum flour
• ½ cup brown rice flour
• ¼ cup almond flour
• ¼ cup tapioca flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt

For the gluten-free all purpose flour mix

• ½ cup sorghum flour
• ¼ cup brown rice flour
• ¼ cup almond flour
• ¼ cup tapioca flour

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted vegan butter, softened
• 2 cups vegan sugar
• 4 tablespoons ground flax seeds blended with 12 tablespoons warm water (let sit for two minutes to meld)
• 1 cup non-dairy milk (For an extra creamy version, I made my own almond milk)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted vegan butter, softened
• 6 to 8 cups vegan confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 cup non-dairy milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cupcakes:

Line 2, 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers. In two small bowls, combine each of the flour blends, separately. When mixed separately, whisk together the two blends (self-rising and all purpose). Set aside.

In a large bowl, on medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Gradually add the sugar, and beat until fluffy, for about 3 minutes. Slowly add the egg mixture, in 4 small doses, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated. Be careful not to overbeat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to ensure the ingredients are well blended.

Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

Cool the cupcakes in tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of plant-based food coloring (like beet juice) and mix thoroughly.

Because vegan frosting tends to melt easier than it’s dairy counterpart, store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Yields approximately 2 dozen cupcakes.

Images: Jennifer Barckley

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 The Tagalong cookie gets a whole new nutritional label.

I was recently in the midst of a true food challenge. I’m talking about the kind that covers kitchens in batter. If I were going to share the inner perils and pleasures of veganizing and gluten-freeing a cookie, I thought, why not start with the ultimate? The snack that touts the highest of all cookie claims: “To help girls do great things” – from, you guessed it, the Girl Scouts.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2008, more than one-third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese. And, this number is only increasing. Just read a Girl Scout Cookie’s nutrition facts, and the irony is, it’s chock full of heart-clogging ingredients, like partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil, a trans fat. The kind that lead to less healthy children who are at early onset risk of chronic diseases like diabetes.

While the Girl Scouts have touted their cookies as being trans fat free – something they can get away with if a single serving has less than .5 grams of this artery stifling substance – the Chicago Tribune revealed that Girl Scout Tagalongs, Samoas and Thin Mints still contain trans fats. In the case of Tagalongs, eat one sleeve (five cookies) and you’ll most likely be taking in more than one gram of trans fat – a number directly linked to increased levels of harmful cholesterol (LDL) and a rise in risk for heart disease, stroke and type II diabetes. The even greater irony is that the Girl Scouts themselves have published a research review on childhood obesity titled “Weighing in: Helping Girls be Healthy Today, Healthy Tomorrow”.

The idea to transform this classic cookie into a vegan and gluten-free delight, but also to make it healthier was a task I was willing to accept.

To make this occasion less daunting, I started with an already vegan version of the Girl Scout Tagalongs, compliments of vegan bloggers and inspirers Annie and Dan Shannon and VegNews.

Here’s their mix:

For the Cookie Base
•    1 cup vegan margarine
•    1/2 cup sugar
•    2-1/4 cups flour
•    1/4 teaspoon ground flaxseed
•    1 teaspoon vanilla
•    1/2 teaspoon salt
•    1 tablespoon applesauce
•    2 tablespoons vanilla soymilk

For the Peanut Butter Filling
•    1 cup powdered sugar
•    1/2 cup chunky natural peanut butter
•    1/8 teaspoon salt

For the Chocolate Coating
•    1 10-ounce bag vegan chocolate chips

It’s already a whole lot healthier than the Girl Scout’s original. But never shying from a goal, I vowed to make these gluten, peanut and soy-free cookies packed with other heart healthy ingredients.

On par with it’s peanut counterpart, almond butter is known as a high source of protein, particularly for vegetarians, and as a good way to get healthy, unsaturated fats. In fact, almond butter has half the saturated fat content of peanut butter, with just one gram per ounce. It also also packs extra doses of vitamin E, a free radical fighter that keeps our cells youthful and healthy, while being rich in fiber.

Here’s the revamped recipe:

Makes approximately 24 cookies

For the Cookie Base
•    ¾ cup sorghum flour
•    ¾ cup brown rice flour
•    ½ cup almond flour
•    ¼ cup tapioca flour
•    1 cup vegan butter (I like Earth Balance Coconut Spread)
•    ½ unbleached, granulated cup sugar
•    ¼ teaspoon ground flax seeds
•    1 teaspoon vanilla (plus a little extra if you love vanilla)
•    ½ teaspoon salt
•    1 tablespoon applesauce
•    2 tablespoons almond milk

For the Almond Butter Filling
•    1 cup powdered sugar
•    ½ cup almond butter (I used a smooth blend, but you can use chunky if preferred)
•    1/8 teaspoon salt

For the Chocolate Coating
•    10 ounces of vegan dark chocolate (I used 64% Valrhona chocolate)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a stand mixer or a medium bowl with an electric handheld mixer, cream the vegan butter and sugar. Add the flour, flaxseed, vanilla, salt, applesauce, and almond milk, and blend until dough is smooth.

2. In a cookie press without a form or simply with your hands, roll the dough into a uniform tube. Slice into 1/4-inch wafers. On a cookie sheet covered in aluminum foil, bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Remove and place on a wire cooling rack.

3. In a large bowl, mix the powdered sugar, almond butter, and salt. With your hands, use roughly 1 tablespoon of mixture to form small balls and gently press on top of each cookie.  (You may need to add almond milk to the mix if it’s too dry. If so, slowly add teaspoon by teaspoon until the mixture is moist but firm enough to form into small balls.)

4. In a double broiler, melt the chocolate. Once the chocolate is fully melted, drop cookies into the chocolate-filled dish one at a time, using a spoon to pour chocolate over the top and coat evenly.

5. Place the chocolate-coated cookies on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.  When all are coated, chill cookies in refrigerator for 2 hours or until the chocolate is fully hardened around the cookie. Enjoy!

When I shared these with my boyfriend, the first words out of his cookie-crumbled mouth were “These are beautiful!”

A friend declared them as light and buttery, and another friend called them “decadently rich.”  All three exclamations were from the discerning taste buds of non-vegan and full-on wheat eaters. And because this treat is nutritionally denser than their original counterparts, you needn’t eat a whole stack of cookies to feel satisfied.  Eat one, and you just may feel full. Eat two, and you’ll still be able to button your pants.

We’ll call these tasty, and, in Tagalong terms, a nutritional success.  Hopefully, so will you.

Image: Veg News

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