Wednesday Food Blogging

Raspberry Cheesecake

Raspberry Cheezecake, with Oreo crust

One of my cooking magazines had a lovely photo of a raspberry cheesecake on the cover, and I knew I had to try to make it, my way of course. Since I've recently discovered a new vegan cream cheese here, I decided to try that instead of the old standby, Tofutti. 

This one is made by the same company that makes the margarine I've discovered here. Pure is made by Puresoya, and their products so far have been excellent. 

And since I had some Oreos, I used that for the crust instead of graham crackers or digestives. (Note: British Oreos are not vegan, but American ones are. I have no idea why.) 

I used a small springform pan—for a larger pan, your cheesecake won't be as thick, but that's okay. I also forgot to save some of the strained raspberries to drizzle over the cheesecake before serving. 

But it tasted wonderful regardless. In fact, it was so good we took the leftovers to Germany on our road trip. Saved it in our cooler and put it in the hotel fridge—it made for a delicious breakfast in Cologne!

Here's how:

Chocolate and Speculoos Whatchacallits

 

We've never had a name for these holiday treats my husband likes to make. I remember my great aunt making them every year, along with other specialties. I bet lots of American families have similar recipes involving melted chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and dried Chinese chow mein noodles. 

But butterscotch chips contain dairy fat. So what's a vegan to do? This year I hit upon a solution, found in my cupboard where I keep the many jars of Speculoos I bring back from Belgium. It has a slightly butterscotchy flavor, a sweet caramelized flavor that's just perfect for these chow mein Whatchacallits. Combined with 70% dark chocolate, the Speculoos paste made for even better treats than the original.

Call them what you will. They're quick and easy to make, free-form rather than carefully rolled or sliced like other holiday treats. If you keep a room in your house unheated, like we do, you'll find it the perfect temperature for cooling off the treats and storing them. 

The amounts are pretty loose. We usually used 2 bags of chocolate chips (American-size bags, not the smaller British chocolate chips). Be sure you read the labels to find vegan chocolate chips. Alternately, use 70% dark chocolate bars (we use Divine vegan dark chocolate bars).

Melt 2 lbs of dark chocolate in a large double boiler or a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Add 1 cup of Speculoos (or more to taste). Stir in about 8 cups of chow mein noodles and 1 cup of peanuts. When the noodles and peanuts are coated with the chocolate mixture, spoon them onto wax paper and set in the refrigerator or a chilled room until they're firm. If you have extra chocolate, dip pretzels in it and chill the same way.

This makes a lot, enough for sharing. If you want to make less, cut the recipe in half.

If you live in America and haven't yet found Speculoos, try using peanut butter. I bet it wouldn't make any difference, just don't use too much or else the mixture might not firm up enough. 

And if you know what these things are called, please let me know.

Chocolate and Oreo Pudding

It's been raining so much I thought I'd make dessert out of the mud...fooled you!

This dessert is positively sinful, not because of the fat and calories it contains, but because it's so easy to make. Really, it tastes like you spent hours yet it takes only minutes to make, with ingredients you probably have on hand. Everyone keeps Oreos on hand, right?

It's based on a recipe I found in the New York Times. I added the Oreos and took out the Mexican flavors, and I think mine is better. Simpler, too. Plus it looks like mud, with dirt sprinkled on top. There's just something subversive about serving mud in a wine glass, isn't there?

Here's how: 

Parsnip and Maple Cake

 

You'd never know this delicious cake is full of fiber and free of cholesterol!

I love parsnips. They're just about my favorite winter vegetable, aside from turnips. But you can't make cake with turnips. Parsnips, which are really like white carrots (except a little drier), are perfect for making cakes, as this vegan adaptation of a Parsnip and Maple Cake proves. 

Why would you want to make cake with parsnips, or for that matter, with carrots? It's a tasty way to get more fiber in your diet, which most of us could stand. And although I used half whole wheat flour for this cake, I wouldn't have felt guilty using all white flour, since I was getting such a fiber boost from the parsnips.

Here's how:

Raspberry Crumble

Raspberry Crumble, with Swedish Glace non-dairy ice cream.

Yesterday I went raspberry picking at a pick-your-own farm near here. Fat, ripe raspberries dripped from their vines, row after row, and the deeper into the patch I went, the more ripe berries I plucked. Just when I thought I should stop, I'd spy another plump berry, and into my plastic basket it went.

When I got home, I realized we were never going to eat all those berries outright, along with the apples and plums and strawberries I'd also brought home. The dog was willing to help—she adores berries—but I was in the mood for a crumble.

A crumble is similar to an American cobbler, but, as the name implies, crumblier. Made with oats, it's even reasonably healthy—sort of like eating a bowl of porridge with fruit, only upside down.

What a delicious way to dispose of an excess of raspberries, I thought, as I scraped the bowl clean.

While the first lesson you should probably learn at a pick-your-own farm is to stop when you have all you need, the second lesson is how to make a crumble.

Fortunately, the second lesson is easier than the first.

Here's how:

Speculaas Cookies

Speculaas cookies, like windmill cookies minus the windmills.

If last fall was my Porcini Period, this winter is definitely my Speculaas Season. After buying 7 jars of Speculoos paste in Belgium, and a large package of the Belgian biscuits, I talked my Dutch friend into procuring me some special speculaas spices. She also gave me a couple recipes, which I was easily able to adapt to suit my purposes.

Speculaas cookies are like the windmill cookies that are available almost everywhere. Crisp and spicy, they're named "speculaas" from the Latin word for mirror, because they mirror the shape of the wooden moulds used to form them. I didn't have the moulds, but I'll be sure to look for them before next Christmas, when I intend to bake these in time for St Nicholas Eve (December 5).

If you don't have a Dutch friend, you can mix the spices yourself. I have approximated the blend below. If you can find the moulds or a cookie stamp, all the better. I simply formed the cookies into rectangular logs and baked them like that. You may also want to sprinkle flakes of almonds over the top. You may have seen so-called windmill cookies prepared like that, but I'm more of a purist when it comes to speculaas.

The Belgian biscuits, called Speculoos, are slightly different from the Dutch version. They're carmelized, which gives them a unique taste. Try to find them if you can. Otherwise, I'm not going to get into the Dutch/Belgian differences when it comes to biscuits. Wars have begun over less.

Meanwhile, I think I'll go have another one. Just looking at that photo makes me want to dunk one in my tea.

Orange and Almond Loaf Cake

Orange and Almond Loaf Cake with drippy frosting.

These days, when I make something sweet, I take it to my husband's office to be consumed. The two of us just can't eat a whole cake, or a batch of cookies.

This was gone almost as soon as the plate was set down.

I only had one slice, but it was pretty good. Easy to make too. I adapted it from a British recipe that used weights instead of volume measurements and subbed for the non-vegan ingredients.

Keep reading for instructions.

Dark and White Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Hazelnuts

Gooey, rich, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chunks embedded in batter.

I had to row for 25 minutes on the rowing machine today in order to afford one of these yummy cookies. But it was worth it. With large dark chocolate chunks, white chocolate nuggets, and flavorful hazelnuts embedded inside the batter, these cookies are like a little chunk of heaven.

I adapted the recipe from a British recipe, which used weight instead of volume measurements, and I used an egg substitute. The article recommended leaving the batter in the refrigerator overnight, or even longer, so I patiently waited a whole day to bake them. I tried really hard to forget about them, though a nibble of the batter gave me a taste of what was in store.

Letting the batter sit means the flavors—the chocolates, the hazelnuts—infuse throughout the cookies. While you could bake them after 2 hours, try to wait longer. Next time I'll wait two days, which make these a perfect make-ahead cookie.

So if you're coming to visit, give me a couple of days notice. And a few hours at the gym.

For easy directions, keep reading.

Chocolate and Banana Fritters with Pistachio Dust

Better than ice cream.

These tasted so much like a banana split that my husband suggested adding dried cherries to the batter. Not a bad idea. In fact, I’d like to try these with some fresh cherries soon.

The original recipe wasn’t vegan, but I easily veganized it. I really don’t know why anyone bothers with eggs; they’re so easy to replace. And the result is so delicious—of course, chocolate and bananas pretty much guarantees delish.

Easy instructions below. 

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you can wait long enough, let them cool on a wire rack.

When making vegan cookies, I like to use flax seed instead of eggs. That way, I replace the cholesterol and saturated fat with healthy fat, cancer-fighting lignans, and fiber. Granted, not a whole lot—well, unless you eat the whole plate.

Fortunately, these cookies are good enough that you'll want to eat the whole plate. The texture is perfect—crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside. And enough chocolate to count. The coffee enhances the flavor.

Eat them while they're hot. Although they're not bad the next day, either.

Rhubarb and Strawberry Crumble

Rhubarb and Strawberry Crumble

I don't cook with rhubarb very often; in fact, this is only the second time I've bought it. I couldn't resist those long, red limbs.

Making a crumble seemed like a good idea, so that's exactly what I did. But I also has had* (LOL cat I am not!) strawberries. While raspberries and other fruits are more often found in crumble, there's absolutely no reason not to have strawberries. And rhubarb.

For instructions, peek below.

Update: Crumbs! I hate typos!

Chocolate Loaf Cake with (or without) Strawberries

Forget plain old pound cake with strawberries and whipped cream. Why not add chocolate, and make it a real dessert?

This loaf was easy to make, in the oven in about 10 minutes. I used soy yogurt instead of eggs, but other egg substitutes could be used as well: whizzed tofu, or banana.

By itself, the loaf was delicious, but with strawberries popping up in my green grocer's shelves, and Soyatoo whipped cream on my refrigerator shelf, I easily imagined something even more spot on.

Continue reading to see how it's done.

Jam Roly-Poly

Like a biscuit, only roly.

You know how biscuits are cookies, and scones are biscuits in England? Well, there’s this thing called a “roly-poly” which is also like an American biscuit, only in log form.

Think of it as a Swiss rolled biscuit, if you will, filled with jam instead of jelly (which is actually a gel-like candy). Saves you having to split the biscuit and spread the jam. Cracker Barrel might do well to look into this concept.

Just to further confuse the nomenclature: in England, “pudding” is actually a catchall word meaning “dessert”, and a roly-poly is a pudding, or “pud” for short, served with the requisite custard. (Alpro makes a vegan custard, available in many supermarkets.)

It you’d like to try this out, either for breakfast or dessert, click below to find instructions.

Walnut, Flax and Coconut Bars

Yummy, chewy, sweet, and some other ingredients.

I thought about calling these "Omega-3 Bars" because they contain flax, an excellent source of omega-3, and walnuts, another good source, but that sounds more healthy than appetizing. They're also similar to hermit bars, but who wants to eat something named after anti-social behaviour? I could have called them Walnut-Studded Squares with Flaked Coconut and Cinnamon Scent, but that sounds really pretentious.

I also almost named them Kitchen Sink Bars, but again, who wants to eat a kitchen feature?

So I randomly selected a few ingredients and named them accordingly. The truth is, they have a lot of yummy ingredients, none of which predominates. The spicy molasses and cinnamon, the chewy raisins and coconut, the firm, sweet chocolate chips...you get the picture.

Now get the recipe:

Mince Tarts

Hopefully, it’s not too late to make these for Christmas!

The other day at the farm shop I bought a specialty jar of mincemeat, which these days isn’t made with meat. I wanted to surprise the girls with these mince tarts, but I didn’t want to go to the trouble of making mincemeat. The mincemeat filling was delicious, but you won’t have the same luck I did finding this farm shop (the same one where I bought gorgeous poinsettias and a Christmas tree). Buy the best mincemeat you can find, or make your own.

They bake up in just 15 minutes, and only take a few minutes to prepare, especially when you use store-bought mincemeat. (A food processor makes quick work of the dough.) So maybe there's still time to make a batch for Christmas!

Buckeyes (recipe later)

Dark chocolate Buckeyes

I'm having a party tomorrow, and I don't have time to post a recipe today, but I just wanted to show you what's in my living room. These Buckeyes, made with dark chocolate and peanut butter, are worth whatever time you'll spend in hell for consuming them.

I've been baking and cooking and cleaning all week, which is why I've been rather quiet on the blog. Today I made this, and I can't wait to cut it tomorrow. My living room, where I'm storing goodies since the radiators are turned off, smells like chocolate, and every now and then I open the door and get a hit.

I'll post a recipe for these later, I promise. I basically improvised from a lot of online recipes for buckeyes, using dark chocolate and margarine instead of butter, and less powdered sugar. My husband, who, when he cooks does it very well, made the candy-that-has-no-name, made with melted chocolate, butterscotch morsels, chow mein noodles, and peanuts. He makes this every year, to our girls' delight. Don't tell them; they're coming home on Sunday and will be surprised.

If there's any left.

Mintalicious Chocolate Bars

Minty! Chocolate! Delicious!

When I saw the recipe for these lovely little green and black bars, I knew I had to veganize them, right away. Off to the kitchen I went, ideas simmering in my head, to look for ingredients.

I stirred, simmered, poured, spread, and waited. Waited an hour for the crust to set, another 30 minutes for the filling to firm up, and 10 minutes for the chocolate topping to harden. The anticipation grew. My husband kept asking where the cookies were. My dog kept gazing longingly toward the kitchen. The hour grew late.

Finally I could take it no more. I removed the chilled dish to the counter, sank a knife through the hardened bars, lifted a section to my mouth, and bit into a bar. Mintalicious!

And thus an adjective was born.

Here’s how to make some mintaliciousness yourself:

(Meanwhile, if you want more holiday cookies, check out FoodBlogga, or go here to see how to send in your own cookie recipe.)