Coconut Pancakes

I couldn't make it up to Scranton for Easter this year. My family doesn't do much for the holiday, but I was still pretty bummed I wouldn't get to see everyone. And on top of it, Ken was working a bunch of doubles in a row, and wouldn't be home at all. Though I love my kitty, the thought of spending any holiday alone with my cat had my grumpy-pants all in a bunch. To cheer myself up, I made some cupcakes. Just look at these things. They're too adorable to not make you smile.

Vegan coconut cupcakes with strawberry 'butter'cream and toasted coconut nests. Jelly bean 'eggs' complete the cuteness.

 Then, late Saturday night, Ken called to say he didn't have to work Sunday morning. He was coming home! Joy of Joys! An Easter miracle. My sour-puss was replaced with a big ol' smile.

Since I anticipated spending the day alone, I hadn't planned much of a menu. Sunday morning I decided to make a nice holiday breakfast for us with whatever we had around the house. I think I did a pretty good job pulling it together.

As a baker, at any given time I probably have the ingredients to make you whatever kind of sweet breakfast you want. Except waffles, because I don't have a waffle iron (hint, hint...). Ken and I are also the kind of people to have things like mangoes, toasted coconut, mango butter, and coconut extract lying around. It makes throwing together a holiday breakfast a little easier.

Sunday's menu: Coconut pancakes with mango butter, fresh mango, and strawberries. Vegan sausage links. Mango Lemonade. Coffee. Boo-Love.

This is a nice basic vegan pancake recipe that works best as thin, almost crepe-like pancakes. Ken loved them. You've probably got all the necessary ingredients right now, and can make them yours with whatever happens to be in your fridge/pantry. Next time you want to make an impromptu breakfast for someone special, this recipe will be your best friend.

Vegan Coconut Pancakes
adapted from Vegan Yum Yum

1 1/2 cup almond milk
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp canola oil
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp coconut extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup toasted coconut

Preheat oven to warm, 200 degrees, or the lowest temp your oven will allow. To keep pancakes warm while you make them, you'll stack them on an oven-safe plate inside the oven.

Pour milk into blender. Add all other ingredients except toasted coconut. Pulse a few times. Scrape down sides, and pulse a few more times, but don't over blend. You can place this in the fridge overnight, or use immediately. If using the next day, you may need to thin the batter with a tablespoon or so of water. (*note: I use a blender because I like being able to pour the batter, and also it keeps the dishes at a minimum. A bowl and a whisk would work just as well)

Heat a non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat for a few minutes. Pour batter into center of pan. I like to make my pancakes about 4-5 inches across, and swirl the pan slightly to spread the batter and make a thin pancake. Sprinkle coconut on top. After a few minutes, the top will bubble, and the batter will change color from white to a dull yellow. This is when you should flip. If the other side of your pancake is not brown yet, you may need to turn your heat up slightly. If it's over-browned, turn down the heat. Allow to cook for another few minutes, until brown. Place on plate in oven, and continue to stack as you make them.

We served these with mango butter from Trader Joe's and fresh fruit. I'm sure they would have been lovely with a coconut syrup too. Also, making them coconut pancakes was a last minute decision, when I remembered I had the leftover toasted coconut from the cupcakes. Had I planned in advance, I would have probably substituted some or all of the almond milk for coconut milk.

If coconut's not your thing, you can use another extract and add any other filling: bananas, blueberries, chocolate chips, etc. And then come back here and tell me all about it!

Vegan Apricot Scones

Full Disclosure: I don't really like scones. They're usually so dry and flavorless and pointless. I'm aware that in the right hands they can be quite tasty, but they're also pretty easy to mess up. Normally, I'd say my favorite flavor of scone is muffin, and let's move on.

But a few weeks ago some people I really like asked me to make some scones, and since I'm a people pleaser, I got to work.

I started with chocolate chip. They were pretty tasty, and everyone seems to like them, but they weren't special enough to make me change my opinion on the pastry.

Then I got it into my head I was going to make some apricot scones. And let me tell you, these just might convert me to the cult of scones. Especially still warm from the oven. They're lovely. So pretty; so lady-like. They'd be a pleasant addition to brunch or tea with your lady friends. As a matter of fact Gracie LaRoux, the sweetest gal I know, gave these treats her stamp of approval. So there you have it.

The secret ingredient? Lemon zest. Because let's get real, lemon zest makes everything better.

Vegan Apricot Scones
adapted from The Joy of Vegan Baking

1 1/2 tsp Ener-G egg replacer
2 tbsp water
2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup of Earth Balance vegan butter, cold and cut into cubes
1 cup dried apricots, diced
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup non-dairy milk
1-2 tbsp non-dairy milk for brushing tops
sugar for sprinkling on top (I like Demerara sugar)

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, whisk egg replacer and water together until frothy. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut in butter. Continue to cut in until mixture is crumbly, and resembles coarse cornmeal. You can leave some pea-sized chunks of butter, this will keep scones flakier.

Using a fork, mix in the apricots and lemon until incorporated. Add the egg mixture and milk, and using a fork, wooden spoon, or your hands, combine with flour mixture just until moistened. DO NOT OVER MIX. If you over mix, the gluten starts to activate, and will make your scones dense. And then you'll perpetuate the idea that all scones are dry and terrible. Using your hands, gather dough into a ball. You may have some dry crumbs at the bottom, and this is okay. Press them into the mixture, but again, do not knead or over mix. You just want to bring the dough together.

On a sheet of wax paper or table top sprinkled with flour, press out the dough with your hands to form a circle about an inch thick. Cut into triangles (usually makes 8-10), and place on prepared baking sheet at least 1/2 inch apart. If you're making these in advance, you can place the sheet in the freezer overnight at this point, and bake the next day. If baking immediately, brush tops with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes, until tops are golden brown. If scones are frozen, they'll take about 20 minutes to bake. Allow to cool on a wire rack for about 15-20 minutes.

These are great slightly warm, or fully cooled. In an airtight container they'll last about 2 days, but are best eaten the first day. Enjoy!

Cupcakes took over my life

This month has been consumed with whiskey-filled cupcakes. Seriously. They're kind of taking over my life. Earlier this month, I made a whole crap ton of them, and headed up to Scranton for Parade Day. 

Let me school you on a little thing called Parade Day. Thousands of people descend on the small city of Scranton, PA wearing their finest green t-shirts and drink until their livers beg for mercy or they get arrested, whichever happens first. The bars open around 8AM, and the actual parade starts around Noon. But as you could expect, most of the people who go to the bar at 8AM never actually make it to the Parade. It's a long day of drunken revelry all in the name of green beer. Sometimes it's fun, sometimes it's sad, but it's always interesting. 

Parade Day used to be the most magical day of the year for me. I loved it, obsessed over it. I made big countdowns on put them on my wall and saved my change all year to buy my own personal bottle of whiskey for the festivities. Those days are gone now, (my drinking capacity has all but diminished) but I still look back on Parade Days past and remember them fondly. (Well, what I can actually remember...)

Since partaking in the festivities no longer interests me, the lovely ladies at the Fanciful Fox suggested I set up a table outside their store, and feed the drunken masses with my goodies. And I said, "Well, why NOT?" I loaded up my car with cupcakes, grabbed my little brother and headed to downtown Scranton. 

It was an interesting day to say the least. My brother, at the tender age of ten, learned a lot about business, cash handling, and the dangers of alcohol poisoning. I made some money to put towards the business, and people got tasty treats. Really, everybody won.

The big sellers of the day were the goodies with booze in them, of course. The Carbomb cupcakes and Irish Coffee Whoopie Pies made me a lot of new friends. To make them vegan, I make my own Irish cream. I know, I'm fancy.

It was a really fun day, and definitely the best way to spend Parade Day if you're not drinking. Thanks again to everyone who stopped by and enjoyed a treat. And of course, a very special thanks to the ladies at the Fanciful Fox for helping me make it happen. Slainte!

Tuesday Breakfast

Ken made this for breakfast yesterday.

It's a quick hash he tossed together with sweet potatoes, soy chorizo, peppers, and spinach, placed on corn tortillas and topped with broccoli shreds and avocados, and served with a side of fried plantains. That's about the closest to a recipe I can give you, as the boy just knows how to make magic in the kitchen with no guides.

Have I mentioned lately how deeply and passionately in love I am with that man? He puts such fine snacks in my belly. I'm a lucky girl...

Lemon Bars, Episode 2: The Agar Agar Strikes Back

No surprise here, but this winter's been wearing me out. Sure, it's been cold. And there's been lots of snow. I can deal with that. But I just can't deal with a week of GRAY skies. I mean seriously. The trees are dead. The snow is dirty. I need some color here. (Note: The Photo below was taken at noon. NOON.)

I can handle single-digit temps and wintry mix if I can just get blue sky and sunshine a couple days a week. But no, a week of gray. This weather had me on the edge and I needed some color. So I did what always seems to make sense. I made some lemon bars. Bring the sunshine in.

A year ago, I battled my lemon bar demons. But that was back in my pregan (pre-vegan) days when butter and eggs were still in my fridge. A vegan attempt was long over due, especially since I have at least 3 different recipes to try. I started with Isa and Terry's version, since that's usually the best place to start.

The jury's still out on this recipe. As far as appearances go, these did the trick. They looked beautiful; bright, sunny, little gems in my dreary February world. I'm just not sure I liked the taste. (Though, to be sure, I kept eating them...)

They hardly had any lemon flavor, despite adding more juice and zest than the recipe called for. And the texture was just weird. Too solid, yet soft. Sorta like those fruit-shaped jelly candies. Weird.  Maybe I loved my pregan lemon bars a little to much for these to compare. Or maybe I screwed up the agar agar. It was my first time working with it, and it seemed a little too thick to me. Is there a manual for baking with agar agar?

So what's the deal? Have any of you made this recipe before? Does it just not suit my taste, or did I screw up? People, I need to know. Enlighten me.

Until then, I think I'll move on to the recipe in The Joy of Vegan Baking. Lemon bars, you haven't heard the last of me...

Vegan Lemon Bars
from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar

Crust:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 

2/3 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 cup non-hydrogenated margarine 



Filling:

1 1/3 cups water

3 tablespoons agar agar flakes

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/8 teaspoon tumeric

2/3 cup fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons arrowroot powder 

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (from two large lemons)

1/4 cup soymilk

Extra powdered or confectioners’ sugar to decorate finished bars 



Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 13 x 9 inch baking pan.



Pulse flour, powdered sugar and cornstarch in food processor. Add margarine in spoonfuls and blend, 8 to 10 seconds, and then pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle mixture into prepared baking pan and press firmly into an even layer with slightly raised sides to hold in the filling. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes and then bake for 40 minutes; remove from oven and let cool. Meanwhile, prepare the filling.



In a sauce pot, soak the agar agar in the water for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, zest your lemons and squeeze your lemon juice. Mix the arrowroot into the lemon juice to dissolve.



When the agar has been soaking for 15 minutes, turn the heat up and bring to a boil. Boil for about 10 minutes, or until the agar is completely dissolved. Add the sugar and tumeric and boil until dissolved, about 3 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and add the arrow root and lemon juice mixture, then add the lemon zest and soy milk. Wisk constantly until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. It should not be rapidly boiling, but lowly bubbling is ok.



Pour the mixture into the prepared crust, let cool for 20 minutes and then refrigerate for at least 3 hours, until the filling is only slightly jiggly and set. Use a sifter or a fine mesh strainer for sprinkle the bars with powdered sugar. Slice into squares and serve.

Mac and Cheese, Please

I've been doing so awesome with my new year's goal of trying a few new recipes each week. You just haven't seen much of it, because not everything has been exactly photo or blog-worthy. (Curried sweet potatoes and Banana Cream Pie, I'm looking at you.)

But this mac and cheese is different. This is a "stop-whatever-you're-doing-and-make-this-now" kind of dish. And I don't even really like mac and cheese, vegan or not. But seriously, this stuff is addictive. And I was totally amazed at how CREAMY the sauce was with with no milk of any kind (not cow, soy, almond or rice). And you probably have most of these ingredients already in your pantry. There's nothing stopping you, really.

The ingredient list is long, and it makes a lot of dishes, but it's totally worth it. It's the perfect comfort food on a cold day when it feels like the snow is never going to end and spring will never come. Which has been most of this week in Philly. So I've spent my snow days eating this mac and cheese, crocheting a baby blanket and watching hour after hour of Ken Burns' The War. Just call me Grandma. I'm ok with it.

Vegan Mac and Cheese
from the VegNews Go Veg Guide

Pasta:
4 quarts water
1 tbsp sea salt
8 oz macaroni

Bread Crumbs:
4 slices bread, torn into large pieces
2 tbsp vegan margarine

"Cheese" Sauce:
2 tbsp (about 1 medium) shallots, peeled and chopped
1 cup red or yellow potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup carrots, peeled and chopped
1/3 cup onion, peeled and chopped
1 cup water
1/4 cup raw cashews
2 tsp sea salt
1/3 cup vegan margarine
1/4 tsp garlic, minced
1/4 tsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp paprika

Start by cooking the macaroni to al dente (or follow instructions on box). Once cooked, drain and rinse with cold water, then set aside.

To make bread crumbs, place torn bread slices and margarine into food processor, and pulse until medium-fine in texture. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium sauce pan, bring shallots, potatoes, carrots, onion and water to a boil. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until vegetables are very soft.

Meanwhile, in a blender, combine cashews, salt, margarine, garlic, mustard, lemon juice, pepper and cayenne. (Mine didn't process very smoothly, but I don't have an awesome blender. Don't worry if it's not smooth, just start to get things combined.) When vegetables are done, add to blender and process until smooth and creamy.

In a large bowl, toss the pasta with the cheese sauce until completely coated. Spread into a 9x13 pan, sprinkle breadcrumbs on top and dust with paprika. Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbling and bread crumbs are lightly browned. Eat it up, yum!

Miss Rachel's Lunch Club

I heard about Miss Rachel's Pantry awhile ago. Early last spring, a friend of a friend told me about some amazing soup lady, and slipped me a number on a piece of paper. But I lost the paper.

Then when I started chilling with Marina and helping her make the Better Butter, she mentioned a girl named Rachel and her soups. The plot thickened.

Then I saw a sign in Grindcore House for Thanksgiving Dinner Orders from Miss Rachel's Pantry, with an adorable retro sign to match. This had to be the same mysterious soup lady!

So I checked out her website, and realized I'd been missing out. It's more than soup. There's casseroles  and sides, and full catering and personal chef-ing. And it all looks and sounds delicious. And it's all vegan and homemade. YES PLEASE.

So when I saw on Twitter the other day that Rachel was staring a Friday lunch delivery service, I knew I had to get in on it. And I did. And let me tell you, it was the best part of my day. No lie.

 What did I get? A "chicken" salad sandwich, veggie noodle soup, an apple, and a chocolate chip cookie. A great healthy lunch delivered to my door!

The veggie noodle soup was perfect. I want a whole gallon of it next time I've got the sniffles. Carrots, celery, mushrooms and bow-tie noodles in a perfectly light veggie broth. So nice on a chilly afternoon.

The "chicken" salad sandwich was different than I'm used to, but a real winner. Cubed tofu (with excellent texture, BTW), in a dijon mustard sauce with lettuce on a hoagie bun. Tangy and delicious! But those of you who know your hoagies know it's all about the bun, and this was the perfect hoagie bun. Not too soft that it soaked up too much sauce, but not so tough that it was impossible to tear into. It was that magical combination of crunchy, chewy and soft that makes you want to crawl inside and stay forever. And not so huge it was overwhelming, but not so small I needed more when it was done. Obviously, I was a big fan of this sandwich.

The local apple was sweet and crisp and the NorthPortFishington chocolate chip cookie rounded out the lunch bag. I'll definitely be ordering again soon, because the menus change every week. And there's even a gluten-free option. This lady thinks of everything...

If you live or work in Center City Philadelphia, add this to your lunch roster. Just make sure you order by at least Thursday. It gives a whole new reason to look forward to Friday! For ordering info, check out Miss Rachel's website. Here's this week's menu:

The Jim - Tofu “chicken” salad sandwich - creamy with a zippy dijon mayo and crisp romaine on a local roll, a cup of tomato-tortilla soup, a local apple and a peanut butter sandwich cookie 

The Barb - Barbecue seitan piled high with cool slaw, avocado and crisp lettuce on a roll, a cup of tomato-tortilla soup, a local apple and a peanut butter sandwich cookie 

The Oprah Wheatfree - (gluten-free option, nothing to do with Oprah) - smokey, textured tofu, crisp lettuce and avocado on two homemade cornbread biscuits with spicy aioli, a cup of tomato-tortilla soup, a local apple and a peanut butter crispie square 

Banana Split Cupcakes

I made these beauties awhile ago to take to a friend's New Year's Day party. Which also happened to be one of the craziest parties I've been to in awhile. People wasted at 3 in the afternoon, a girl walking around with a bottle of whiskey in her overalls calling it her "whiskey baby", an old man with a light-saber inside a traffic cone as a hat, and Elvis double dipping in the black-eyed peas. You can't make this stuff up people.

Oh yeah, and these cupcakes added to the debauchery. They've got a little of everything in them. It's a vegan banana cupcake with pineapple and chocolate swirled inside, topped with a vegan vanilla buttercream, chocolate ganache drizzle, homemade vegan caramel sauce, chopped walnuts, rainbow sprinkles, and of course a cherry on top. YOWZA. I didn't even get to try one of these they went so quickly, but everyone seemed to enjoy them. I could tell because on 3 separate occasions someone said, "Oh, YOU made the cupcakes!", then hugged me. And I don't think that was just the whiskey babies talking.

Did I ever tell you I grew up across the street from an ice cream shop? Nothing fancy, just a little shack next to a gas station that was only open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. My favorite treats from there were mint chocolate chip ice cream in a cup, soft-serve vanilla chocolate twist in a cone with rainbow sprinkles, blue-raspberry slushies, strawberry milkshakes, CMP (chocolate, marshmallow, peanut) sundaes, and of course (on special occasions only) their banana splits. Which were always served in a little plastic boat. 3 mounds of ice cream (vanilla, chocolate and swirl), with a half a banana on either side of the boat. The vanilla was covered in pineapple preserves, the chocolate was covered in strawberries, and the whole thing was smothered in hot fudge and topped with walnuts, sprinkles, whipped cream and a cherry on top. And I always had to share it with my mom. I think I did a pretty awesome job recreating those banana splits in cupcake form. And you don't have to share these with anyone else.

These cupcakes are, of course, from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. Honestly, if you like to bake and don't have this book yet, I don't know what's wrong with you. GET ON IT, PEOPLE.

And now I'm also thinking about a banana split layer cake. And what kind of layers it should have. And since everyone seems to have their own opinion on what a banana split should have in it, I'm asking you: What would be in your banana split?