Desserts
Chocolate Bliss
| This recipe originally comes from The Voluptuous Vegan by Myra Kornfeld and George Minot, in which it was originally called Chocolate Pudding. It turns out that the consistency was not much like pudding, and for awhile I tried to make it more like pudding, but my girlfriend said she liked it as it was. So I then figured out a nice way to serve it, added a little brandy for some extra flavor, and a little bit of that magic xanthum gum to thicken it up. Trust me, it's a real hit. |
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1 package firm silken tofu (the kind in the box, not in water. If you use the kind in water it will not become smooth) 2 cups melted dark chocolate 1 cup powdered sugar 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 1 shot (1 1/2 oz.) brandy 1/8 to 1/4 tsp. xanthum gum (to thicken) |
Melt chocolate in double boiler. Place tofu and powdered sugar in food processor and briefly process. Add vanilla and brandy. Add chocolate and process until smooth, scraping sides with a rubber spatula if necessary. Once processed, transfer to a dish lined with waxed paper (I use an 8x10 Pyrex dish with a top). Chill for at least two hours. To serve, gently lift the now firm and fudgelike dessert out of the dish by pulling up the waxed paper. Cut into 2x2 inch squares, and serve on plates with a f ork. For an additional touch, one can gently insert pieces of fruit such as strawberries or cherries into the chocolate mixture before chilling. Enjoy! |
Fooled You! Vegan Brownies
| The first recipe for vegan brownies I tried was basically the same as regular brownies, except without the eggs. They were tasty, but very crumbly. Adding Ener-G egg replacer solved that problem, and after comments for more sweetness and chocolate, I also added the Hershey's syrup, which is surprisingly vegan. And yes, several people have been surprised when they found out that they are vegan. |
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1 1/4 cup all-purpose white flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. salt 1/2 cup coffee or espresso (very hot) 1 cup sugar 1/3 cup cocoa 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1/3 cup vegetable oil (preferably canola) 1 tbsp. Ener-G egg replacer 1/8 cup warm water 1/4 cup Hershey's syrup |
Pre-heat oven to 350ºF. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan. Combine
flour, baking powder, and salt in separate bowl. Combine egg
replacer and water in separate bowl. Whish the hot coffee into
the cocoa and sugar until smooth. Add the vanilla, vegetable oil
and egg replacer mixture. Stir in flour mixture and Hershey's
syrup. Pour batter into pan. Bake for 35 minutes.
Makes 12 medium-sized brownies. |
Peppernuts
| This recipe comes from my mom's dad's mom. It seems that we make more every year around Christmas time, as more and more friends expect their share of the tasty, gingerbread-like cookies that look a lot like dog food. |
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| 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 cup solid vegetable shortening 1 cup strong coffee, cold 1 cup mild molasses 3 tsp. cloves 4 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking soda 6 cups flour |
Pre-heat oven to
350ºF. Stir together sugar and crisco. Add coffee and
molasses. These will not mix in well, but will become a dough
when the other ingredients are mixed in. Stir in cloves, salt,
cinnamon and baking soda. Add two cups flour and mix well.
Add rest of flour gradually, until a stiff dough is formed. To
make peppernuts, place a fist-sized ball of dough on a lightly floured
surface. Using a back and forth motion with the tips of your
fingers, roll the dough into a long snake about 3/4 inch in
diameter. Cut the snake into bite-size pieces at 3/4 inch
intervals. Arrange on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for
10-12 minutes. Makes about 1 gallon. |