Ice cream party and VVC details
My ice cream maker was in hibernation through the very long Midwest winter this year. So rather than valuing the simple things in life, it was ravenous for over-the-top flavors when I pulled it out for the warmer months. This is peanut butter butterscotch maple chocolate chip (PBBMCC) ice cream. Coconut milk-based, this ice cream is full of peanut butter, pure maple syrup, butterscotch extract, and two kinds of chips. It’s extra decadent and also extremely simple to make because it’s not an exact science and there’s nothing to heat up. Lazy ice cream, if you will.
Here is how you make peanut butter butterscotch maple chocolate chip, PBBMCC, ice cream (see, I pulled a Rachael Ray* there) or a variation thereof:
1. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 can of full-fat coconut milk, at least 1/3 cup maple syrup, a few heaping spoonfuls of creamy peanut butter, and a splash of butterscotch extract.
2. Add a few splashes of non-dairy milk to make your ice cream go further. A little goes a long way. Too much will make your ice cream less creamy because fat=delicious. Taste and adjust the flavors as necessary. The two reasons I used maple syrup are (a) this is maple ice cream, and (b) it would be so much work to heat up the coconut milk and dissolve granulated sugar in it. You could do that though, especially if you want to mix up the flavors. Start with 1/2 cup sugar since maple syrup is concentrated sweetness.
3. Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Typically, you’ll toss in the add-ins during the last 5 minutes of freezing (check your instructions). I added about 1/2 cup total of butterscotch and chocolate chips.
4. Done-zo! Eat that ice cream! Store in the freezer in an airtight container.
You can use these guidelines for a myriad of ice cream flavors. The basic formula is 1 can of coconut milk, 1/3-1/2 cup sweetener, and your flavors. There is much room for experimentation as ice cream is very forgiving.
*I don’t have anything against RR’s tendency to refer to an ingredient along with its clunky acronym over and over in speech (à la EVOO, extra-virgin olive oil). It’s proof that if you consistently say something odd and gratuitous, it can become your brand. In fact, I even have her orange tea kettle.
And finally, I’m so excited for Vida Vegan Con this week and can’t wait to see those of you who are also attending! The agenda looks fantastic and of course, the food will be out of this world.
This week I’m finishing up preparation for the two classes I’ll be teaching:
Artful Food Photography, Sunday at 1:45pm
I’ll be talking about the blog as a space where you have complete creative control to develop your own style. Having recently completed my degree in photography, I spent the last few years working with fine arts in school, producing commercial work for books and print media, and making photos for this blog that fall somewhere in between. We’ll discuss influences, designing your photos around the food, and presenting your own voice through the photos on your blog.
Finding Balance: Blogging & Personal Life, Saturday at 2:15pm
Jamie J. Hagen, Gena Hamshaw, and I will be speaking about the importance of setting realistic schedules and boundaries while juggling a full-time job or going to school, writing a blog, and maintaining a personal life.
I’ll be back following the conference to recap the weekend, the food, the classes, and what I learned!
Vegan Cuts Snack Box
I was at home one night looking for a snack with no success. My Twitter feed was filled with pictures of Vegan Cuts snack boxes. I signed up for one a few weeks prior, but it hadn’t yet arrived. With the possibility the mail carrier didn’t ring my bell earlier that day, I decided to check my mail one more time. And there it was!
The contents:
Simply 7 Lentil Chips
Surf Sweets fruity hearts
Merry Hempsters spearmint lip balm
PureFit Peanut Butter Toffee Crunch Bar
Dang! Coconut Chips
Budi Sunflower Star Chai Bar
Serengeti Tea Sticks
…and a couple of heart-shaped chocolates
So far, my favorite snack out of the box was the lentil chips (and the chocolate and candy, of course). Light and crispy with just a bit of salt!
I don’t normally seek out protein or fitness-type bars because so much nutrition packed into such a compact space often tastes a little off, but I enjoyed the peanut butter toffee and star chai bars. The flavors were more delicate than intense and kept me satiated for several hours.
I’m keeping the individually-wrapped tea sticks for on the go!
More info on the snack box subscription can be found here!
Book cover: Cheers to Vegan Sweets!
I’ve been posting dessert photos and alluding to this book for quite a while, and now I have tangible internet proof and a cover image to post! Published by Fair Winds Press, Cheers to Vegan Sweets!: Drink-Inspired Vegan Desserts: From the Cafe to the Cocktail Lounge, Turn Your Sweet Sips Into Even Better Bites! will be hitting the shelves November 2013. The book contains 105 recipes and 45 full-color photos for desserts based on drinks like Apple Cider Donuts, Mexican Coffee Truffles, Margarita Ice Cream, and Shirley Temple Cupcakes. It’s divided into chapters like “The Café”, “The Lemonade Stand”, and “The Cocktail Lounge”, so there’s something for everyone’s tastes, whether you’re looking for treats for a kid’s party, or a boozy dessert. The book is clearly so awesome that it got an exclamation point in the title and two subtitles, and the designers at Fair Winds did an amazing job making the book really beautiful, so I’m really excited for you all to see the final product!
In the meantime, the book is available for pre-order on Amazon and many online retailers through the publisher’s website. Just as I did with The Vegan Cookie Connoisseur, I’ll be selling signed copies on the blog and perhaps setting up a book signing in your city, so you can buy books packaged with love directly from me! Get updates on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Instagram, and follow Fair Winds Press on Facebook and Twitter! Feel free to email me with any inquiries! Thank you so much to everyone involved in this project! I’m looking forward to the release date and all the awesome people and opportunities that will come along with it!
Weekend Baking
As the temperature hit the single digits over the weekend, it seemed absurd not to have the oven on constantly as a source of comfort food and extra heat. I’m not crazy about snow or arctic-inspired seasons unless accompanied by holidays and a break from school and work, so January and February (and sometimes March, April, and May in the Midwest) are all about biding time until peeling off winter coats and scarves in the sunshine of spring is a reality. After a few forays into the icy cold streets and waiting in the wind chill for late buses (living without a car in a medium-sized city will crush all illusions of happy public transportation in due time!), baking cookies and tending a warm, crusty loaf of bread seemed like a much better plan.
In 2009 and 2010 I lived without a real kitchen for about 8 months and the majority of my diet was PBJ and Peanut Butter Panda Puffs, so not surprisingly, I was not so into peanut butter after that. I’ll eat a PBJ if absolutely necessary, but it’s never my first choice for lunch anymore. But of course, desserts are another story, so sometimes peanut butter cookies sound like an absolutely fantastic idea. This weekend I reached for the Soft Peanut Butter Cookies recipe from The Vegan Cookie Connoisseur, which is my go-to peanut butter cookie recipe.
I was looking to make a standard whole wheat bread, but while flipping through my recipe binder I came across a molasses rye bread with caraway and raisins (recipe here). I made the bread pretty much as directed, except I couldn’t find raisins in the cabinet and left them out.
Still craving regular bread, I made a standard whole wheat bread recipe. I like to replace 1/2 cup flour in any given bread recipe with wheat gluten flour (the kind you use to make seitan) because it makes the bread fluffy and soft. While searching through the cupboard for some kind of seed or herb to add to the bread, I came across my giant bag of sunflower seeds and dumped some in the dough at the last minute while kneading. They made a wonderful addition for a little toothsome crunch throughout the loaf. I ended up using this loaf for BBQ seitan sandwiches with ginger sesame red cabbage slaw.
Stay warm, everyone! Bread and cookies are the answer to snow and subzero temperatures. Unless you’re in a warm climate, and in that case, I am extremely envious!
Sprout Kit
My friend Melisser of Vegan Cuts emailed me last week asking if I’d like to try out Sprouters Starter Set and I said yes!
While this is predominately a dessert blog and I’ve been known to say things like, “Ew, salad. Kill it with fire!”, I actually try to eat healthfully most of the time. Especially in the winter when it’s dark and cold and deep fried food makes me want to fall asleep at 4pm. Between eating colorful fruits and vegetables during the winter months and sleeping enough, I can remain a productive member of society and not fall asleep on my laptop every day. Unless it involves spirulina or wheatgrass enemas, I’m up for trying healthy new things to add to my culinary repertoire.
Here’s what came in the package: a sprouting jar, metal screen for rinsing the sprouts, cotton drawstring bag that reads “Sprout”, instructions, and a 4oz tin of sprouting lentils.
Despite my lack of a green thumb, my lentils sprouted! I followed everything to a T and within a day, my lentils were already bursting from their shells! I began the process Sunday afternoon and harvested everything Tuesday evening. Employing the minimalist approach, I decided to put them in a salad with spring mix, apples, blackberries, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, and cardamom ginger dressing. There were some recipes included within the kit and I found some curry lentil stir fry recipes online, so I might try one of those with the rest of the lentils.
So, my sprouting adventure was a success, even with my clumsiness in regard to sensitive food growing processes. The offer is available now on Vegan Cuts, where you can find more information about this kit.
Plain chocolate cake [recipe]
I’ve been sick for five, going on six days this past week and I’ve enjoyed it too much. Unabashedly staying home writing, reading, watching too much TV, and crafting for five days straight, save for a few short trips around the block or to the grocery store, is pretty much my dream life. To eliminate the risk of becoming one with my blankets and couch and the fact that I feel mostly better today, I decided to descend upon reality and take more risks: sensory overload from the outside world, fresh air, and interaction with other humans. Needless to say, I survived, and the holiday season will be upon us soon in full force of overindulgence, reminiscent of those glorious five days when I was too sick to leave the house. Until then, simple pleasures will fuel the next couple weeks of an unseasonably warm December (in the Midwest, anyway). One of those pleasures is cake. Straight up chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, no frills.
This recipe is modified from my chocolate malt cake recipe. It’s plain chocolate cake, super fudgy, no unanticipated anomalies. You could add peppermint extract and Candy Cane Joe Joe’s to be festive, but save that for the end of the month and just eat chocolate cake.
Chocolate Cake
Makes 2 layer 8 inch cake
2/3 cup canola oil
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 cups almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2-3 tablespoons almond milk
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Line two 8 inch cake pans with parchment rounds and grease the sides with margarine or cooking spray. Set aside.
Pour the canola oil, sugar, almond milk, vanilla extract, and apple cider vinegar together in a stand mixer or large mixing bowl. Stir until just combined.
Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Gradually sift into the wet ingredients, stirring after each addition. The batter should be thick and pourable.
Divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans. Bake for 30-32 minutes, until the tops of the cakes are firm and a toothpick comes out clean. Transfer the pans to a wire rack to cool before attempting to remove the cakes.
In the meantime, make the frosting. Cream together the margarine and shortening in a stand mixer or with hand beaters. Gradually add the powdered sugar and cocoa, stirring as you go. Mix until completely incorporated, then add the almond milk. If the frosting is too soft or liquid, add more powdered sugar. Beat the frosting for 6-8 minutes. Add more powdered sugar or almond milk to adjust the flavor and consistency of the frosting if necessary.
Remove the cakes from the pans. Spread frosting atop one layer and place the second layer on top. Frost the sides and top of the double layer cake, piping on a border or adding chocolate and candy for decoration if you wish.
MoFo #20: More French desserts
Champagne, chocolate, Grand Marnier, oh my!
Mulled Wine
I mulled wine for the first time last Thanksgiving using the recipe from Celebrate Vegan. This year I made some with a different array of spices: cardamom, rose, anise, cinnamon, cloves, and orange. I’m going to continue making it each year in the fall and winter months, switching the ingredients up every time.
Grand Marnier Petit Fours
A tale of chocolate, roses, and scorned love that ends in tempestuous prose, broken ceramic, and orange cognac by candlelight. Complete with a marzipan “wax” seal.
Champagne Mousse Petit Fours
Fluffy chocolate cakes topped with elegant chocolate clouds comprised of bubbly sparkling wine with melting in your mouth its only purpose in life.
This concludes Vegan MoFo 2012 on The Vegan Cookie Connoisseur. Back to regularly (but somewhat capriciously) scheduled programming of weekly posts!
Thank you so much for reading throughout October, and thanks to the MoFo team for organizing yet another wonderfully global vegan event!
MoFo #19: October in cellphone animal pics
This is Gnocchi. He likes to hang out in the kitchen with me when I cook. Last year during Vegan MoFo, he wrote a post over at Get Sconed!
He also likes to rub his chin all over my feet. Especially when I’m sitting and eating. I’ve been pretty busy lately and made salad at least four times in the past week…it’s Vegan MoFo, what’s wrong with me?
This is Drake. He just had his 7th birthday earlier this month. Aww.
This is the squirrel who lives in my windowsill. I thought he might leave when I took out the AC unit and brushed all his leaves out of there, but he’s back.
I guess he’s cute and all, but this window is right next to my bed, so hopefully no middle of the night squirrel face attacks are in the works.
MoFo #18: Absinthe shortbread
Over the summer, I assisted an editorial photoshoot at a bar in Chicago with one of the largest absinthe collections in the US. While adjusting lights, wiping up stray ice water, and sampling absinthe prepared the traditional French method, I also listened to anecdotes and history lessons as colorful as the spirit. Modern day absinthe consumption alludes to 19th and 20th century Europe, where the drink became wildly popular, notably among French writers and artists. The name comes from the Latin name for wormwood, artemisia absinthium. The three necessary ingredients in absinthe are anise, fennel, and wormwood, but the variations, additions, and methods can be as diverse as wine making.
To serve, a slotted spoon with a single sugar cube is placed on top of a glass containing the bright green liquid. Ice water is slowly dripped into the glass, dissolving the sugar cube, diluting the absinthe, and creating a chemical reaction that turns the concoction into a milky green color.
This shortbread contains no absinthe or alcohol at all. Instead, the flavor is alluded to with star anise and fennel, and the mint green color courtesy of food coloring.
MoFo #17: Wine and cheese
New takes on the classic pairing!
The wine…
White Raspberry Wine Bundt
This is a sweet vanilla cake filled with chardonnay, fresh raspberries, and white chocolate, topped with a white chocolate chardonnay glaze.
A cherry version was also in the works.
Rose Rosé Shortbread
Rosewater and rosé wine come together in a crisp shortbread perfect with herbal tea or lemonade.
The cheese…
I never ate havarti cheese before making the switch to veganism and wasn’t entirely sure what it was prior to a vegan version hitting the shelves. You could’ve told me a havarti was a car or brand of electronics (also topics I’m not well-versed in). But after reading rave reviews of Daiya’s new havarti wedge cheese for many months, I decided to give it a whirl when they were on sale for the first time ever at Whole Foods. The raving was correct, as this cheese was spicy, creamy, and intensely flavorful! It really tastes nothing like the distinguishable cheddar and mozzarella shreds, if you’re not a fan of those (I love ‘em all). I’ve eaten the havarti on crackers, toast, with apples, and in salad. So tasty!
