Category Archives: Meatless Monday Desserts

Broiled or Grilled Peaches with Caramel Sauce

Posted by LD in Beginner Recipes, Meatless Monday Desserts, QUICKIES! and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

In the summer there are a few fruits that just beg me to eat them. Peaches are definitely one of them. The thing about peaches however is that other than eating them raw, putting them in iced tea, or making a galette I was always afraid to do much else with them. I mean they are soft and super juicy and I feared that any sort of cooking would reduce them to a sticky mess. Well the other night I proved my own fears wrong.

peaches

I invited a few of my guy friends over to have a cookout at my home with my husband and I. I made spiced vanilla cupcakes from the box (Organics brand using egg replacer and a dash of Penzey’s Cake spice then finished them off with a vanilla sugar). Then I took fresh peaches from my local Whole Foods in Swampscott and sliced them in half cut out the pit and put the oven on. The grill was off limits since my husband had been grilling steaks on there for the guys and I was not putting my peaches on that mess. Yuck.

The result was a softened warm juicy half peach enrobed in a quick stovetop caramel drizzle next to a slice of delicate vanilla spice cake. It was heaven and it was quick. Even the guys sighed when they ate them.

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Here is how I did it:

3 peaches
Coconut Spray Oil (like Pam but with Coconut Oil, I use Spectra brand)
1 Earth Balance Buttery Stick
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup Soy Creamer

  1. Preheat oven at 400degrees.
  2. Wash peaches to slightly de-fuzz them.
  3. Slice peaches in half and remove the pit.
  4. Spray a cookie sheet with Coconut Oil.
  5. Melt 2tbsp of earth balance in a teacup in the microwave and baste the inside and outside of the peaches until well covered.                                                                                                                          peach preperation
  6. Place peaches flesh side down on cookie sheet with fuzzy side up.                                        peaches baking
  7. Bake until they appear to be bubbling juices out about 15-20minutes.
  8. Then turn the broiler on to HI, move the peaches to the top rack, and broil until brown and black spots appear on the top of the peaches about 3minutes. This simulates the grill marks you would get if you grilled them instead. If you were to grill them you would do something similar with keeping them on the top shelf until then were cooked and soft and then bring them down to the lower grill grate to get the grill marks on them.                                          peaches broiled
  9. In a medium sauce pan mix brown sugar, remaining butter, and soy creamer over medium until melted and combined. Be careful it does not burn and stir often.
  10. Once caramel is reduced remove from heat.
  11. Drizzle peaches with caramel and serve with your favorite cakes or ice cream!

SERVES 6.

(WW Points for just Broiled Peach – 3pts for 2 halves)

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Enjoy!

XOXOX, The Hippie Gypsy

Grilled Tropical Fruit Kabobs

Posted by LD in Beginner Recipes, Meatless Monday Desserts, QUICKIES!, Traveling Vegan and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

When I was just out of college I moved into my first place on my own. I always had roommates or suite-mates prior to that point in my life. After about 2 months I moved out of that apartment because someone had stolen the tires off my car and kicked down my door to rob me in a 30 day time span.

In an effort at safety my parents had me move to a quiet remote spot. My parents helped me find the most magical beachhouse on Point Shirley in Winthrop, MA. I loved this little house more than anything. My parents even bought me my first grill since I had a porch and mini backyard with my beach view. I learned quickly that if you are having people over for a party in which you intend to grill. You should not turn on the grills gas ahead of time without igniting it or else it will all simply seep out and you will not be able to use the grill (I thought I was preheating it like one would an oven). Luckily people were only coming for snacks and dessert so I improvised my grilling techniques and held my grilled fruit kabobs over the open flame of my gas stove. The party was great and no one even noticed my poor cooking abilities and naivety. They did however love my kabobs!

Now that I am older and wiser (and giving recipes to others) I say, be like I was when I was 22. If you can’t complete a step because you don’t have that fancy tool or you live in a place that you can’t grill or what have you, Improvise. It will always work out. Food is nothing to be afraid of. If it looks terrible at least it may still taste good! If it doesn’t, there is always the company to enjoy! You just need to be creative. No one will die or go home hungry. They will just stop at McDonald’s.

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Grilled Tropical Fruit Kabobs

1 container of Sweet and Sara (R) Toasted Coconut Marshmallows

1 box/bag of bamboo skewers (soaked 5-15minutes in warm water)

2cups Cubed Pineapple

2cups Shredded Sweetened Coconut

3 Starfruit sliced thin

2 mangoes cubed

1lb strawberries

1 container of melon balls (honey dew, seedless watermelon, or cantaloupe)

4tbsp melted Earth Balance (R) Butter Sticks (with a basting brush)

Vanilla Sugar (for sprinkling) ( I use Penzey’s)

1/2 bag of SemiSweet Vegan Chocolate Chips (melted in a bowl) (I use 365 brand)

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  • Prepare your grill or open flame to be of medium heat.
  • Melt Chocolate in a bowl in the microwave or a fondue pot. Keep a spoon nearby for drizzling the kabobs.
  • Place shredded coconut on a platter so that you can roll your kabob in it.
  • Lightly baste all hard fruits that will be directly on the grill with melted Earth Balance.
  • When stacking your fruit on the skewer, do not do it all at once. Place the thicker fruits like pineapple on first and place on the grill for 2-3 minutes (they need more time and won’t fall through the grate). Then the softer fruits and marshmallows and hold over the open flame like you are at a Camp Fire! this prevents them from falling through the grate or falling apart on the grill. Softer fruits will burn quicker and watery fruits may drip causing spitting flames so holding it over is a safer option.
  • Once the fruits are dripping just a tad you know that the sugars are extracting and the kabob is ready.
  • Drizzle the kabob with melted chocolate, sprinkle with vanilla sugar, and roll in coconut. Serve (or Eat) Immediately.

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NOTE: These are always a hit and the kids love to be able to make their own! If you want to prepare some in advance for a kids party, grill some starfruit ahead of time then use all softer fruits and marshmallow along the base (for when they grill their portion) and top with the starfruit for a “magic wand” effect. You can also get graham crackers and make fruit smores as well!

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XOXOX,

The Hippie Gypsy

Two Ingredient Oatmeal Cookies

Posted by LD in Beginner Recipes, Holiday Recipes, Meatless Monday Desserts, QUICKIES!, Traveling Vegan and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , ,

So to keep the theme of fast recipes with leftovers… I came across this recipe from a former coworker who found it on another site and thought it was too good to be true. It was a 2 ingredient cookie (3 or 4 if you add some good stuff). I had two containers of half used quick oats and a quarter of a bag of vegan chocolate chips because my husband sneaks chocolate when I am not around, and of course at least 5 or 6 frozen brown bananas in my freezer just in case! I always keep them around because my step kids love banana pancakes. So whenever I don’t finish a bunch in the freezer one or two will go! This was the prefect recipe that I will make again and again because it is so easy and dare I say healthy! My husband thinks it needs more sugar. But I just told him to go snack on the fudge from yesterday :). Eat up!

cookies cooled

NOTE: The original recipe was on The Burlap Bag and my friend’s blog is Organic Glory. So take a looksy!

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RECIPE: Vegan Oatmeal Cookies

(2) Overripe Brown Bananas

1 cup Quick oats

Optional: Vegan Chocolate Chips, Walnuts, etc.

oats

Mash the bananas into the quick oats and then mix in any optional toppings.

silpat

Place on a cookie sheet with either a silpat or parchment, it will stick and be messy otherwise.

cookies on silpat

Bake at 350degrees for 15minutes.

cookies close up

Eat and Enjoy!

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XOXOX, The Hippie Gypsy

Four Ingredient Fast Fudge

Posted by LD in Beginner Recipes, Holiday Recipes, Meatless Monday Desserts, QUICKIES!, Traveling Vegan and tagged with , , , , ,

cooled fudge

So this was the weekend of leftovers. We have moved into a new house in the past 2 weeks and we have all of this half eaten food moving from our rented townhouse to our shiny new big house. I new I had some plain soy creamer that was about to expire at the middle of this month and I also realized during this move that my husband has a peanut butter issue. By issue I mean he eats 3/4 of a jar and then opens a new one. We had multiple jars of half eaten peanut butter all over the townhouse. So when I cleaned and organized the new kitchen with my mom, I got to work on finding something fast to do with the peanut butter. It was either peanut tofu a recipe from my coworker or this quick 15minute fudge with only 4 ingredients. I had a sweet tooth and a headache so fudge it would be! I didn’t have the patience for overthinking tofu at the time. However I did make a delicious lasagna with it later. Recipe is on the way.

So enjoy this recipe it is like 15minutes and done, which is nice. At the same time it will make a great holiday gift, potluck item, and you can take it with you anywhere. I am a big advocate of bringing my own food places so this is perfect. I can bring it to a picnic, on a roadtrip, or to a party.  Also it is omni approved by my husband! Love it! Hope you do too!

quarter jar peanut butter

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Four Ingredient Peanut Butter Fudge

2 cups Vegan Sugar

1/2 cup Soy Creamer

3/4 cup Peanut Butter

1 tsp Vanilla

vanilla and PB

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In a medium saucepan of medium low heat bring cream and sugar to a boil stirring constantly. it only needs to boil for a minute or two. Then take off the heat.

boiling sugar and cream

Please note if you do not take it off the heat before adding vanilla it will explode a little. I did this. It is a hot sticky mess. Do not repeat my dumb mistake 🙂 .

Moving on, after the saucepan is off the heat add vanilla and peanut butter and stir until it is well combined and melted down completely.

pouring fudge

Then pour into a heat safe container while still hot. Do this quickly so it doesnt start to cool and come out grainy. Preferably add parchment to the bowl so that you can pull out the fudge. I placed it in a heat safe glass container and regretted not using parchment later.

freshly poured fudge

Allow to cool on a countertop until solid (about an hour or two). Cut and serve!

fudge cooling

xoxox, The Hippie Gypsy

Mango Coconut Sorbet

Posted by LD in Beginner Recipes, Meatless Monday Desserts, QUICKIES!, Shopping Vegan, Traveling Vegan and tagged with , , , ,

So a coworker in my office made mango sorbet at a work party last summer and I stole his recipe which he altered from a recipe on http://www.allrecipes.com. This is the best kind of recipe because it starts as something standard and goes “viral” without anyone knowing it. It is a simple tried and true recipe for Mango Sorbet but it can be any kind of sorbet just swap out the fruit and toss aside the coconut and add another topping (the base ingredients for sorbet are at the bottom of this post).

So I am making this into a Mango Coconut Sorbet that has just a hint of lime in it. It will be fresh and cool and can accompany my Mango Cake recipe from Easter Dessert. Also, I just found out yesterday Mangos are on a one day sale at Whole Foods in Bedford MA on Friday 10am-6pm, so go get some for the weekend or cube a bunch and freeze them for summer! Heck if you are feeling that excitable make it into a milkshake and throw in a cupcake and some coconut milk and have 2 desserts this weekend!

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Mango Coconut Sorbet
Ingredients:

(4) mangos (I am a champagne mango fan)
(1) Cup of Simple Syrup (3/4 cup sugar dissolved in 3/4 cup water)
(3) Tablespoons Lime Juice (try key lime for a lighter flavor)
1/4 cup of shredded unsweetened coconut

Place ice cream maker bowl in freezer overnight.
Chop and peel mangos. Place flesh in a high-efficiency blender or food processor like Vitamix or Cuisinart SoupMaker. Once the mango is soupy add simple syrup and lime juice. Combine until liquid. If you want to you can strain it after to make sure there are no chunks and either reblend the chunks or toss them if they are minimal.

Next, pour into the ice cream maker bowl and sprinkle in coconut as it starts to stir. Then leave on until the sorbet is cold at least 10-15minutes.

Serve cold with a cupcake or by itself and enjoy!

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Optional: Drizzle with raspberry or strawberry sauce in an ice cream cone bowl for a summer dessert!
Optional 2: Make it a milkshake by adding 1/2cup of canned coconut milk to the blender after and 3-4 scoops of the sorbet. Toss in some mango cake for a little something decadent!

Note: The base recipe is simple: 2cups of fruit, 1 cup of simple syrup, 3 tablespoons of lime juice. Try it with any fruit you love!

XOXOX, The Hippie Gypsy

Mango Cake with Coconut Frosting

Posted by LD in Beginner Recipes, Holiday Recipes, Meatless Monday Desserts, Traveling Vegan and tagged with , , ,

Today is Good Friday and nothing is “good-er” than cake!

My poor, but entertaining, grammar aside, I love cake. Yesterday I got to talk about cake at work and that made my week! In fact I got to pass along my vegan knowledge to a coworker whose very adorable daughter was having a birthday but can’t eat eggs and wanted cake. Her mom had no idea vegan = eggless. I think she believed that vegans and vegetarians were the same and ate eggs and dairy which is a common misconception but I got to spread some knowledge, talk about cake, and possibly make a birthday party become a hit filled with delicious chocolatey goodness.

However, for Easter my chocolate addiction needs to be lightened up. After all those chocolate bunnies are consumed we need something lighter and more tropical to make New England remember that there is a thing called Spring that leads to Summer and it is on its way (slowly). So I thought I would post a Citrus Cake recipe that is just whimsical enough for this wonderful holiday. Enjoy!

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Mango Cake with Coconut Frosting

 flours

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt (a few pinches to pull out the sweetness)

1 tsp cake spice (I use Penzey’s) or a few pinches of cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom

1/3 cup canola oil

1/2-2/3 cup of Vegan Sugar (I like sweet things but between the frosting, coconut, and the mango you many not feel like you need 2/3cup of sugar so for those that want a little less feel free to scale it down to as little as 1/2cup)

1tbsp Mexican Pure Vanilla Extract

1 tbsp of lemon juice

2 mangos peeled and diced

Vanilla Frosting (I am lazy and buy mine but feel free to make it by whipping together (2) Earth Balance Buttery sticks, 7cups Vegan Powdered Sugar, 1tsp vanilla extract, and a few splashes of soy milk)

1 bag of sweetened shredded coconut

Vanilla Sugar

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COOK!

 Preheat your oven to 350degrees. Butter your cake pans with Earth Balance Buttery sticks then cut parchment to fit the bottoms. If you don’t do this the cake will stick and make a mess.

Next place chopped mangos in a blender and pulverize until smooth. Then pour into a medium mixing bowl with oil, vanilla, and lemon juice. Combine until smooth.

In another bowl place both flours, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together to combine and then slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. I usually add 1/4 at a time. You can use a stand mixer for this to make the process go faster.

Last pour the batter into the greased parchment bottomed pans. The cakes should rise slightly and be ready in about 4o-45minutes. Check with a toothpick and allow to cool. I usually run a knife along the edges and then flip them over on a cool towel so they will separate from the pan. The parchment helps this.

When they are cool, place a thin layer of frosting between the cake layers and a sprinkle of coconut. Sometimes I reserve a bit of the puree and at that in between. Then place the second cake layer on top and frost only the top and sprinkle with coconut and vanilla sugar.

Serve cold. Enjoy!

cakes baking

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Optional Ways to Prepare: Top with dried pineapple, add a squeeze of orange or grapefruit to the batter,  instead of frosting just sprinkle with powdered sugar or a dollop of coconut whipped cream, add crushed pineapple to the batter, add a handful of coconut to the batter, or add 1 squeezed lemon to the frosting.

orange

Happy Birthday Cake Recipes

Posted by LD in Beginner Recipes, Holiday Recipes, Meatless Monday Desserts, Menus, QUICKIES!, Traveling Vegan and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

So Monday will be my birthday. This weekend I will be removing wallpaper from my new house. As you can see I am a party animal. I cannot wait to make a birthday cake for myself however. Cakes are very important in my family. A few reasons have dictated this importance. 1.) My mother never got birthday cakes as a child due to a mixture of it being an extravagance to a single mom with six kids and also the fact that my mom was born on the second anniversary of her sister’s death. 2.) My birthday is the same week as 4 other family members. My cousin was born the 22nd, my grandmother the 24th, I on the 25th, my aunt on the 26th, and my great-grandfather on the 27th. So that week was pretty party ridden. 3.) My birthday tends to fall during blizzards. So we always had to prepare in advance for the cake in case we could not leave the house for ingredients. In High School once, I discovered that I loved cooking when caught in a blizzard on my birthday. I not only figured out how to get myself Chinese food but I also made myself an apple caramel drizzle cake out of things in the pantry and a very weathered version of the Joy of Cooking and a church cookbook were analyzed and ingredients were questioned like “is baking soda and powder different and is there a substitute for canola oil?”

So this year I am going to give you my favorite low ingredient birthday cake recipe that my husband adores despite it being vegan. I will also post links to some of the most delicious looking cakes out there and tell you where I would buy my cake if I wasn’t going to make it this year.

Enjoy my birthday cake extravaganza!

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My Favorite Birthday Cake Recipe:

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cake with Guava Filling

CAKE:
1 Box of Dark Chocolate Cake Mix (most mixes are vegan just look)
3/4 bag of vegan chocolate chips
1 can of pumpkin
Cinnamon
Earth Balance to butter the cake pans
Parchment to line the bottom of the cake pans

Filling:
1/4 bag of vegan chocolate chips
1 thin large can of guava paste (I like Goya)
Cinnamon
Vanilla Sugar (I like Penzey’s)

Topping:
Chocolate Frosting (You can make it or buy it, I like to make a ganache style frosting)
Vanilla Sugar
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Take all cake ingredients place in a large mixing bowl. Mix until combined. Add Cinnamon to taste. I always add 1-3 tbsp so that I can taste the cinnamon over the chocolate flavor. I test as I add it. Place in two round cake pans evenly lining the bottoms with parchment and buttering them with Earth Balance Buttery Sticks.

Bake according to the box directions. Take out when you can remove a toothpick cleanly.

Next in a medium mixing bowl warm your guava paste so you can spread it in between the cake layers. On top of the cake you will sprinkle cinnamon, spread the guava paste, and then sprinkle chocolate chips and vanilla sugar. Top with warm second cake layer.

Next, warm the frosting so you can drizzle it over the top of the cake. Wait until the cake is cooled. THen drizzle the frosting over the top. Sprinkle liberally with vanilla sugar.

Serve with homemade ice cream.

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LINKS TO DELICIOUS LOOKING CAKE RECIPES FOR BIRTHDAYS!

Banana Split Cake: This looks and sounds amazing.

Lemon Birthday Cake: THis sounds so light and delicious. I would even use this cake as a base for my July 4th Trifle!

Chocolate Chip Banana Cake: Chef Chloe is always a no brainer when it comes to cooking. Her cookbook also has a birthday cake recipe that looks divine! I had a banana cake layer at my wedding by Red Velvet Cafe in Las Vegas, NV and I am a convert!

Strawberry Vanilla Cake: This recipe has quite a few ingredients but I have all of them in my home so I figure so will most vegans. This looks and sounds fresh and delicious and looks amazing like a giant strawberry shortcake. Yum!

Raw Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake: Something more decadent and raw for my raw fans! This looks so sinful I can feel a toothache coming on and the drool pooling on the side of my mouth!

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Top Places to buy a Vegan Cake in New England:

1. Veggie Planet in Cambridge, MA: I cannot say enough about the restaurant or the all vegan bakery. It is amazing. Get the cheesecake with strawberries or the Coconut Lemon Passionfruit Layer Cake. I live for these two cakes and served the Coconut at my Bridal Shower last February.

2. Cafe Indigo in Concord, NH and MA Whole Foods: You can get their cakes onsite or at local Whole Foods throughout Massachusetts. The Carrot Cake changes lives. You will never want another carrot cake ever again. I served that cake at my engagement party and I buy slices of it at Whole Foods more than I probably should. My omni husband does as well and sometimes eats mine.

3. Moo-Cluck Corp. : You can buy these at various whole foods and natural foods stores in the cold section. I have bought all of their items at some point but truly love the vanilla strawberry cake when I need to buy something to run to a party in a pinch. It is yummy and the strawberries are fresh and not just some syrup.

Chocolate Cherry Brownie Cupcakes

Posted by LD in Beginner Recipes, Holiday Recipes, Meatless Monday Desserts, QUICKIES! and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

So during the Superbowl (that I was not impressed at all with, Go Pats!). I decided to experiment on my two favorite people who will eat just about anything. My lovely husband and my very good asian male friend. Both will eat vegan food without any fuss. My husband because he will eat anything, and in bulk. My friend because he grew up in a Chinese family where “vegan” isn’t a foreign or scary but very normal and part of the culture. That being said I decided I would make a chocolate cherry cupcake that was half homemade. Basically an adaptation of the boxed variety. I also figured this could be a great treat for potlucks, birthdays, and the upcoming Valentine’s Day holiday!

So I got to work looking for a good boxed brownie mix that was vegan. I found Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Brownie mix which is really just brownie mix with chocolate chips and that seemed perfect. The reason I say that is because a.) the chocolate chips in the mix were vegan and B.) generally if chocolate cake/brownie mixes do not have chips in them I will add them to add a light flavor mask over any vegetables I toss in and their potential after taste. That being said… enter pumpkin. I know you can add a can of pumpkin to cake mix in lieu of oil/water/eggs but brownies I always hear “add black beans and puree them”. This has never sat well with me as I am part mexican and think refried beans don’t go with my dessert they only touch chocolate in mole, so I went back to my trusty canned pumpkin. Also let me note that you should NEVER add the egg replacer powder with your oil/water to brownie mixes the batter will separate during baking and you will be left with a rubbery batter covered in an oil slick. Oh and my husband will still eat it FYI.

So I added pumpkin to my brownie mix and then stirred forever. Once combined I placed batter equally in 12 paper cups in a cupcake pan. I then microwaved bagged frozen cherries from Whole Foods and placed one squished down in the center of each cupcake. They will be a little runny but that is totally ok. Then I covered half the cherries with a little more batter and half I left exposed. This was just to see what was a better method. Both came out fine so it is really up to you! I liked the batter topped a little better because it seemed like a hidden treasure but the exposed cherry is aesthetically more pleasing unfrosted. I then baked it according to the pan brownie suggestions on the box.
 

brownie batter

Mini Recipe:

Ingredients: Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Brownie Mix, (1) Can pumpkin, Whole Foods Frozen whole cherries, Betty Crocker Vanilla Frosting, Sliced Raw Almonds, Vegan Chocolate Chips (12chips).

Instructions: Add canned pumpkin to mix. Stir. Place in cupcake papers inside cupcake pan. Add defrosted cherries to center. Bake at 325degrees for about 40minutes. Take out. Let cool. Add frosting a sprinkle of almonds and one chocolate chip!

 

brownie cupcake

 

The end result. They came out so yummy! They are better cooled however. Gives the cherry juice a chance to settle into the cake.

They were lighter than a fudgy brownie but more dense than a box made cupcake. I thought they were perfect. I added a dollop of vanilla frosting (Betty Crocker from the aerosol decorator can) and then sprinkled with raw sliced almonds and one vegan semisweet chocolate chip. However for Valentine’s Day I am thinking red sparkly sprinkles and a heart-shaped dollop or maybe a blue frosting heart? Any suggestions?

Well anyway the almonds are the perfect addition. I am actually thinking I may add a shake of almond extract to the batter next time to increase that sweet cherry flavor. I will tell you all how it “pans” out 😉 … pun intended!

Happy Valentine’s Day folks! Enjoy the chocolatey love with your sweet!

XOXOX, The Hippie Gypsy

Simple. Caramel. Apple. Pie.

Posted by LD in Beginner Recipes, Holiday Recipes, Meatless Monday Desserts

What is better during the holidays than pie? I am not sure if I can find a single thing. Maybe Pie a la mode? Or …. nope nothing.

As a kid my mother would get apple pie from the grocery sometimes only a half of pie for dessert and place it in the produce drawer of the fridge. I am sure she knew it never made it to dinner because my greedy belly would go in there, sneak it out, and sit on our tile floor gobbling up every inch of it after lunch.

These days I know better. Mostly because I don’t want adult onset diabetes but also because I would have a terrible stomach ache and headache from all its delicious sugar. Well with the ideas of a warm holiday pie dancing through my stomach and moderation in the back of my head…. here is my delicious Caramel Apple Pie Recipe. Enjoy loves!

Caramel Apple Pie INGREDIENTS:

2 apples per mini pie peeled and diced, At least 10-12 for a whole pie (I use a red apple that has green in it like macintosh, fuji, gala, etc. See Photo below. I got these apple picking in New Hampshire.)

6 mini graham cracker crusts or 1 whole graham crust*

1 cup brown sugar (or 1/2 vegan white and 1/2 brown)

 1/2 stick of Earth Balance Soy Butter

1/4 cup of Soy Flour

1 tbsp Egg Replacer Powder

1/8 cup of water

1/2 to 1 cup of Pecans or Walnuts (I use pecans)

1 cup Quick Oats

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*(I will do this based on mini crusts, PS check for honey in the ingredients or make your own from Nabisco Original Grahams and melted Earth Balance)

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TIME TO COOK!

Preheat oven to 350degrees.

Peel and dice all the apples.

In a medium sauce pan place 1 peeled diced apple, sugar, butter,  flour, egg replacer, and water over medium low heat. Stir until combined watching carefully as sugar burns easily. It will turn a rich brown color. Add 3/4 of the nuts you have chosen. Reserve the other 1/4 to sprinkle on top of pies.

Place a portion of the remaining apples in each pie crust evenly at about 2 apples per pie. I use a apple peeler/corer and then sliced and quartered them. It reduces the time substantially.

Next, pour at least 2 tablespoons of mixture over each of the 6 pies until covered and full. The apples should be stacked in a dome above the crust. They will sink as they cook down.

Sprinkle tops of the pies lightly with remaining nuts and some quick oats. You may not use all the oats and this is fine.

Place pies on cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees until bubbling and brown (around 15minutes).

Cool for 10-15minutes. Serve warm.

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Feel free to make this with a mini scoop of my vegan vanilla ice cream (earlier super simple recipe) or the coconut whipped cream (also another earlier simple recipe) dolloped on top! It is so delicious and decadent I promise it will be a huge hit! The other day when I was testing it I sent my omnivore male friend from college home with 3 mini pies and he was so happy he would text me as he ate them. Bachelors love take home treats! I was suprised he wasn’t all appled out after eating 5-7 apples while we went apple picking! I guess you can never have too much of a good thing.

ENJOY!

XOXOX, The Hippie Gyspy

Half Homemade: Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Cupcakes

Posted by LD in Beginner Recipes, Meatless Monday Desserts, QUICKIES! and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

So today is my husband’s birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEFF!

Excitement aside. We had a mostly vegan BBQ, my husband is an ominivore so I let him have his steak tips and hamburgers (because everything else he ate was vegan and he was very forgiving of my mood swings when I was detoxing off dairy and meat, I cried over Mac n Cheese once, It was pathetic).  But vegan-wise…  I made vegan beer brats, vegan hot dogs, chili, rice, baked russet potatoes, steamed veggies, a nacho dip, and a spinach artichoke dip with all the edible dipping tools one could ask for. I will try to post my recipes for those dips later this week as they are delicious!

So for dessert, what room there was left for dessert, was filled with the smell of warm milk chocolate and freshly chopped strawberries. I usually add guava with his chocolate cake and a dash of cinnamon but the store didn’t have any. So, I made a delicious half homemade milk chocolate cake with a spruced up strawberry frosting. I took plain white frosting that was “accidentally vegan” and added strawberry preserves from a local farm and freshly chopped strawberries.

The only issue I ran into was I could smell them baking in the oven nearly tasting the melted chocolate chips when I snuck a peak and saw the tops of them exploding and chocolate chips oozing over the top. I panicked for about 10 seconds contemplating pulling them out as they seemingly deflated and then said to my inner self “just wait until the time is up and they are cooked and test them”. When I brought them out it was like magic! The chocolate had formed a crunchy layer across the top similar to a carmelized creme brulee and the inside was soft and moist with little pockets of melted chocolate. The best mistake ever.

S0, I will now share the recipe of my delicious mistake with you!

Cake Ingredients:

Organics Chocolate Cake Mix by Dr. Oetker (follow recipe on back with below substitutions):

  • 2tbs powdered flaxseed (to sub for 2 eggs)
  • 1 egg worth of egg replacer mixture (1 1/2tsp egg replacer powder whisked with 2 tbs warm water)
  • 2tbs Water for egg replacer
  • Soy Milk instead of Dairy Milk (according to box directions)
  • Canola Oil for “Oil”

1/2cup- 2/3cup of vegan chocolate chips

Frosting Ingredients:

1 large container of white frosting (vegan or accidentally vegan options are at every grocery store it seems, just read the label)

1/2 cup small diced fresh strawberries

3/4  container of strawberry preserves 

COOKING:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

So I started by making the frosting which one would think would be the last step since the cupcakes take about 25 minutes however, due to the heat lately, I needed to refrigerate the frosting so it would firm up.

First combine the white frosting and the preserves then after it has a good flavor (testing is the best part) and is well mixed add the fresh cut strawberries until they are evenly mixed in. Refrigerate. The flavor will intensify as it sits.

Next, make the egg replacer mixture in a small teacup or mixing bowl.

Then in a large mixing bowl place in Chocolate Cake powder mixture.

Grind the flaxseed powder in a coffee grinder and add to the Cake Mix.

Next, add soy milk and oil to the cake mix.

After it starts to get wet and combined add the egg replacer mixture to the cake mix.

Once everything is well combined and a little thick, add the chocolate chips. Mix well.

Finally start placing the cupcake batter into the lined tins. I use cupcake paper cups so that the chips don’t stick to the pan and make my cupcake fall apart.

Place first tray of cupcakes in the oven for between 20-25 minutes.

When taking them out use a fork to slide down the side of the cupcake between the paper and the pan to lift them out and place on a cooling tray or rack.

 Let cool at least an hour before frosting as the chocolate chips will explode onto the top forming a delicious crunchy layer that is more like lava at first! My cupcakes got a little melty with the frosting because of the weather being about 95 degrees and the cupcake being warm still.

Frost and Enjoy!

 

PS If you want to get fancy for a holiday add a heart-shaped strawberry slice on top for Valentines Day or a Chocolate Dipped Strawberry for an Anniversary or a Strawberry Lollipop in the Center for a Little Girls Birthday or Baby Shower!