Outdoor entertaining season is here and I’m ready to rock it out at our next backyard party with this amazing vegan skillet s’mores dip, complete with homemade graham crackers!

I can’t take credit for the idea (thanks Food Network) but I did put my own spin on it by making it vegan. Think crunchy graham cracker crumbs topped with warm, melted chocolate and gooey toasted marshmallow. You use the graham crackers as a layer in the dip as well as a vehicle for scooping!

The marshmallow is made from the beloved chickpea water (aka aquafaba), the liquid drained from canned or cooked chickpeas which, when whisked with a little guar gum and sugar, creates a thick, fluffy and slightly sticky texture reminiscent of real marshmallows. When this dip is baked for a few minutes the marshmallow topping becomes a little crispy on top just like toasted marshmallows over an open fire. It’s magical.

Since vegan graham crackers are so hard to find, I went ahead and created a super easy oat-based version. The great part is that the dough is soft enough that it doesn’t require rolling out with a rolling pin—you just spread it out onto a cookie sheet, score it and bake! How awesome is that? Feel free to make a double batch so you can have them on hand when another s’mores dip craving hits (trust me, it’ll happen).

Once you have those components made, the assembly is very quick. Take a cast iron skillet (I used a 12-inch skillet), spread out a layer of crushed graham crackers, then a layer of chocolate chips, then a layer of marshmallow creme (you can pipe it like I did or just spread it with a spoon). Then put the whole thing in the oven for a few minutes, broil for a minute to brown the top, and then serve with the rest of the graham crackers for dipping!

This is genius and the absolute perfect party dip. Seriously. Make it now.

Vegan skillet s'mores dip with easy oat graham crackers

Yield: enough for a crowd

Ingredients:

For the oat graham crackers:

• 1 1/2 cups oat flour (use certified gluten-free if needed)
• 1/2 cup oat bran (use certified gluten-free if needed)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon blackstrap molasses

For the marshmallow creme:

• 3/4 cup chickpea water (the liquid drained from one 19-ounce can of chickpeas)
• 11/2 teaspoons guar gum
• 2/3 cup cane sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the dip:

• 2 cups vegan dark chocolate chips

Directions:

To make the oat graham crackers:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the oat flour, oat bran, cinnamon and baking soda.
2. In another bowl, whisk together the coconut sugar, coconut oil, maple syrup, water, vanilla and molasses. Add this mixture to the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until a soft dough forms.
3. Pour the dough onto a cookie sheet lined with silpat baking mat or parchment paper. Use an offset spatula to spread into a thin, even 10x14 inch rectangle (it should spread out fairly easily).  Refrigerate for about 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350F.
4. Remove the cookie sheet from the fridge and score into 2x2 inch squares (I use a pizza cutter) by making vertical and then horizontal cuts all the way across the dough. Using a fork, poke holes in each scored cracker.
5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until dry to the touch and golden around the edges. Remove from the oven and score the dough again through the same score lines so it’s easier to separate them once cool. Allow to cool completely before breaking apart.

To make the marshmallow creme:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the balloon whisk attachment, combine the chickpea brine and guar gum. Mix on high speed for 10 minutes (no less!), until the mixture is fluffy and pure white. It should increase in volume and climb up the whisk.
2. Add the cane sugar one tablespoon at a time, until each is fully incorporated. Add the lemon juice and vanilla extract and continue to process for 5 minutes more.

To assemble:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Take 5 or 6 graham crackers and break them up into the bottom of a 12-inch cast iron skillet. Use the back of a spoon to press down on the crackers and crush them into crumbs. Spread them evenly over the bottom of the skillet. Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over top of the graham crackers crumbs. Then use a piping bag to pipe the marshmallow creme on top (or just spread it with a spoon).
3. Bake on the top rack of the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, until the top is a little crispy like toasted marshmallows and the chocolate chips are melted. Change oven temperature to broil (500F) and broil for 1 to 2 minutes, watching closely, until the top is browned. Serve immediately with remaining graham crackers for dipping.

Recipe inspired by the Food Network.

Confession: I am crushing on Allyson Kramer and her new book, Sweet Eats for All. If you’re a home baker like me, I bet you’ll fall head over heels, too. Here, Allyson shares creative twists on classic confections that will satisfy anyone following any sort of special diet. She’s got everyone covered: all 250 recipes are free of gluten and animal products; you’ll also find recipes free of soy, nuts, and corn, as well as an entire chapter devoted to treats free of refined sugar.

Pretty impressive, right?

As a popular blogger and author of Great Gluten-Free Vegan Eats and Great Gluten-Free Vegan Eats From Around the World, Allyson knows her stuff and really does aim to please. Her first two cookbooks have become essential guidebooks for anyone adhering to a vegan and gluten-free lifestyle. This new book is an excellent companion and, well, really a dream come true for vegans, kids, bakers and dessert lovers, and is a must-have if you bake for people of different dietary persuasions.

I’ve made a number of recipes from the book, including gingerbread squares, peanut butter chocolate chia pudding, cinnamon raisin bread and this strawberries and champagne sorbet, and I still find myself thumbing through it on a regular basis. There is just so much awesomeness in this book. Need a recipe for Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter? An easy summer treat or the perfect kid-friendly birthday cake? She’s got you covered.

If you’re new to vegan and/or gluten-free baking, no problem. Allyson shares all her expert knowledge and secrets of success in the first chapter—Stocking a Sweet Pantry covers all the essential ingredients and tools of the trade, as well as recipes for homemade basics like simple syrup, cashew cream, mascarpone and whipped coconut cream.

Then she moves onto the good stuff with seven more chapters devoted to every sweet you can imagine:

• Killer cakes and toppings
• Captivating cookies and bars
• Luscious pies, pastries, tarts and cheesecakes
• Fabulous frozen treats
• Tempting puddings, custards, jellies and fruits
• Choice chocolates and dandy candies
• Nature’s candy: Refined sugar-free treats

Think you can’t pull off a vegan and gluten-free New York-style cheesecake, flaky homemade puff pastry, perfectly crunchy honeycomb candy, or a Devil’s Food cake complete with rolled fondant and fluffy chocolate frosting? Allyson is here to show you how you can.

This book has lots of less intimidating recipes too. If you’re looking for a simple recipe to share with your sweetie on Valentine’s Day, I highly recommend trying out Allyson’s recipe for strawberries and champagne sorbet, from page 199 of the book. It’s incredible, and only requires four ingredients!

Strawberries & champagne sorbet

Yield: 1 quart

Ingredients:

• 1 pear, peeled and cubed (about 1 cup)
• 2 cups strawberries, greens removed
• 1 cup Prosecco, Spumante, or other sparkling white wine
• ¾ cup sugar

Directions:

1. In a food processor, pulse together the pear and strawberries until well chopped. In a separate bowl, gradually mix the Prosecco with the sugar and stir gently to dissolve. Let rest for about 5 minutes and then stir gently again. Drizzle about ½ cup of the Prosecco mixture into the food processor and blend until quite smooth, for about 1 minute, scraping down the bowl as needed.
2. Add in the rest of the Prosecco mixture and blend until very well combined. Transfer to the bowl of an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer’s instructions or by following directions on page 186.

From Sweet Eats for All by Allyson Kramer. Reprinted with permission from Da Capo Lifelong, © 2014

Cookbook giveaway:

Thanks to my friends at Da Capo, I have the opportunity to gift a copy of the book to one ADC reader! This giveaway is open to residents of the US and Canada. Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below and I’ll choose a random winner on Friday, February 20, 2015. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If butter tarts are one of your favourite pre-vegan desserts, or a comfort food from your childhood, I think you’ll love this vegan, gluten-free version, which I adapted from this recipe from Tori’s Bakeshop. Tori uses coconut milk and maple syrup but all the flavour comes from the pecans and raisins (and yes, the sugar, too).

Oh, and I have no words to describe the gluten-free pastry, other than it is the best and easiest version I have ever made. This recipe will most definitely be added to my regular repertoire.

Since I love all things mini, that’s what I went for here. They are perfect for a holiday buffet because they qualify as finger food and are much easier to serve than pie or cake. They’re also easy to store and they freeze beautifully if you prefer to make them ahead. Enjoy!

Best-ever butter tarts (vegan and gluten-free!)

Yield: 3 dozen mini tarts

Ingredients:

Pastry crust:

• 3/4 cup chickpea flour
• 1/4 cup + 3 tbsp brown rice flour
• 1/4 cup tapioca flour
• 1 1/2 tbsp potato starch
• 1 tsp xanthan gum
• 3/4 tsp cane sugar
• 1/2 cup Earth Balance butter
• 1/4 cup Earth Balance shortening
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

Filling:

• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/3 cup full-fat coconut milk
• 1/4 cup organic cane sugar
• 2 tbsp coconut sugar
• 3 tbsp sorghum flour
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp arrowroot powder
• 1 tbsp Earth Balance butter, melted
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup each (approx.) pecans and raisins

Directions:

For the pastry crust:

1. In a large bowl, sift the first six ingredients and whisk together.
2. Cut the butter and shortening into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter or fork, until you have pea-sized balls.
3. Stir together the water, vinegar and vanilla extract in a small measuring cup. Add to the flour mixture a little at a time to create a dough. The dough should be moist but not sticky. If it is sticky, add some brown rice flour.
4. Form the dough into two disks, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.
5. After the dough has chilled and you are ready to roll it out, preheat your oven to 325F and lightly oil mini or regular size muffin pans.
6. Roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thick, using brown rice flour on the rolling pin and counter to prevent sticking.
7. Using a circular cookie cutter or the top of a glass, cut circles in the dough and fit into your pan. If they are two large, just experiment with folds until you find the shape you like best.

For the filling:

1. Whisk together all filling ingredients until smooth. You can add the pecans and currants at this point or add a few to the bottom of each tart shell instead.
2. Spoon or pour the filling into the tart crusts, filling up to 3/4 from the top of the crust.
3. Bake at 325F for about 10 to 12 minutes (or a little longer for larger tarts), or until the crusts are lightly browned and the filling is bubbly.

These freeze beautifully, so feel free to make them ahead and store them in a tightly sealed container in the freezer. Defrost at room temperature.

You guessed it: this book is all about vegan ice cream. Those who are turning to a lifestyle free of animal products won’t be disappointed by this fabulous collection of inventive, inspired flavour combinations, infinite ice cream base variations, and delightful toppings and accompaniments.

But first, Hannah sets the stage for her recipe categories with a glossary of ingredients, recommendations for kitchen tools and toys, as well as a very helpful section on essential techniques (psst—you can make ice cream without a machine!) and troubleshooting to help us master the perfect ice cream at home. Here, Hannah proves her expertise—”Since the process of creating ice creams is so simple, attention to detail is key,” she says—but it’s in the creation of more than 100 recipes where she really shines. Trust me, there are no compromises on brilliant flavours here; they will lure you to taste a whole new world of possibilities.

Since I love a combination of flavours and textures in my ice cream, I first gravitated toward Peanut Butter Bombshell, a rich frozen delight that is loaded with creamy peanut butter, chopped peanuts and peanut-butter filled cookies. Clearly, this is meant for peanut butter lovers only, but if you really can’t stand the sticky paste, Hannah suggests any other nut butter, along with standard vanilla creme-filled cookies, would make fine replacements. I personally couldn’t get enough of it.

Equally high on my list of favourite flavours, mango and raspberry gelato is always on my must-have list when visiting an ice cream shop. Similar in flavour, this Peach Melba ice cream really rocked my world. Made with fresh peaches and coconut milk and with a swirl of seedless raspberry jam throughout, I was in heaven upon first bite.

Despite Hannah’s reputation for creative risk-taking in the recipe department, she did include a few basics for the less adventurous (like my hubby, who requested this particular treat). It turns out, after centuries of ice cream consumption, Vanilla is still firmly situated at the top of the list, outselling chocolate two to one. Hannah’s take on this classic is pretty simple—high-quality vanilla beans and custard powder—but the results are pretty incredible.

Finally, the German Chocolate won over a crowd of dairy lovers at a recent family gathering. This intense, decadent concoction is a marbled beauty of chocolate ice cream base that is swirled through and through with sweet coconut flakes and pecans, much like the filling found in German chocolate cake. Who knew you could make ice cream out of a cake flavour? In this case, I’d much rather have the ice cream.

Because this final flavour swooned so many of my testers, I got permission from Skyhorse Publishing to share the recipe with you. If you enjoy it as much as we did, buy the book! I promise you won’t be disappointed.

German chocolate ice cream

Hannah says: "Go ahead and really layer the coconut in for this ice cream—it's hard to imagine ending up with 'too much,' even if it looks like a lot compared to the ice cream base."

Yield: Makes about 1 quart

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp arrowroot powder
• 1 tsp instant coffee powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 cups plain, nondairy milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 12-ounce package extra-firm silken tofu
• 3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted

Coconut swirl:

• 1/4 cup plain, nondairy milk
• 1 1/2 tsp arrowroot powder
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tbsp margarine
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

Directions:

1. To make the chocolate ice cream, begin by combining the cocoa, sugar, arrowroot powder, coffee powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium saucepan. While whisking continuously, slowly pour in the nondairy milk, and beat vigorously until there are no more lumps. Turn on the heat to medium and bring the mixture just to a boil, stirring gently the whole time to prevent the solids from settling on the bottom of the pot and burning. Remove from the heat and let cool for a few minutes.
2. Place the vanilla and tofu in your blender or food processor and thoroughly puree, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Once smooth, add in the melted chocolate, followed by the cooked chocolate custard, and pulse until the mixture is well blended and homogeneous. Chill thoroughly in the refrigerator.
3. For the coconut swirl, combine the nondairy milk, arrowroot powder, and sugar together in a small saucepan over medium heat, making sure to get out all the lumps. Cook just until bubbles begin to break on the surface; then turn off the heat. Quickly stir in the margarine so that it melts, followed by the vanilla, coconut, and pecans. Let cool while you begin to churn the ice cream in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
4. Transfer the soft ice cream into an airtight container, layering scoops of ice cream with spoonfuls of the coconut swirl. Let it rest in the freezer for at least three hours before serving, until solid enough to scoop.

Republished with permission from Skyhorse Publishing.

Traditional shortbread recipes are based on the soft, buttery flavour we all know and love. I rarely make use of vegan buttery sticks for baking, but as my husband said to me as he took his first bite of this shortbread, “sometimes you just gotta live a little!”

I initially envisioned something a little different than plain shortbread. Instead, this recipe makes use of toasted walnuts, kamut flour and some pure maple syrup, which give these cookies lots of character. Soft and buttery and oh-so delicious, you’d be crazy not to add them to your holiday baking list.

The best part is they’re fairly easy to whip together because they require just a few ingredients. This made me think they would be perfect to gift to my cookie-loving family and friends. But instead of baking them myself, I simply layered the dry ingredients (toasted walnut meal, kamut flour, all-purpose flour and sugar, and then top with chopped walnuts for garnish) in 1-litre mason jars and added a recipe card and a pretty bow. All the gift recipient has to do is add their own vegan butter and maple syrup. It’s a simple and thoughtful gift that is perfect for Christmas. Enjoy!

Walnut shortbread

Yield: 2 dozen

Ingredients:

• 1 cup vegan buttery sticks (I use Earth Balance)
• 2/3 cup organic cane sugar
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup kamut flour (or more all-purpose)
• 1 1/2 cups California walnuts, toasted (plus more for garnish, if desired)

Directions:

1. Using a food processor, pulse the walnuts to a coarse meal. Don't worry if there are still some chunks; they add some crunch.
2. Using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, mix together the vegan butter and sugar until creamy. Add the maple syrup and mix to combine.
3. Next, add the all-purpose flour and kamut flour and continue to mix just to combine. Finally, add the ground walnuts and mix until the dough comes together. The dough should no longer stick to the edges of the bowl. If it still seems too wet, add a tablespoon of flour.
4. Divide the dough into two balls. Flatten them into 1-inch thick disks and wrap them tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight.
5. Once the dough is chilled, preheat the oven to 350F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat. Work with one dough disk at a time. Unwrap the dough and roll the top lightly with a rolling pin, making sure the disk is smooth and about 1-inch thick all around. Use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes and place them on the prepared cookie sheets. Garnish cookies with chopped walnuts, if desired. Bake the cookies at 350F for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned on the bottom. Allow the cookies to cool for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a cookie rack to cool completely. Store in an air-tight container.

This recipe was submitted to the California Walnut Commission for its California Walnuts Holiday Blogger Challenge.

I’d like to think I’ve reached a higher level of existence where I no longer feel the need to be part of the Christmas marketing scheme, but the truth is I still feel the pressure. I’m not saying I don’t love giving gifts to those I love. Instead, I prefer to go the homemade route. This year, however, I chose to purchase gifts from a local not-for-profit group to go along with my homemade packages of chocolate-dipped ginger cookies.

Chocosol is a small but innovative initiative that links cocao farmers in southern Mexico with ecological and socially conscious producers in southern Ontario to make beautiful artisanal chocolate in its purest form—true whole food treats without the fillers. Chocosol is embarking on a friendlier trade route that goes beyond the fair-trade model, defining it as a horizontal trading relationship akin to community-supported agriculture. And, of course, everyone loves chocolate, right? I’m excited to tell my family members the story of how their chocolate gifts came to be.

One aspect of Christmas that keeps me sane is the excuse to bake with my favourite winter spices, break out the traditional recipes (veganized, of course) and try new desserts that are just too decadent for any other day. These Nanaimo bars definitely fall into the latter category. Once I took a bite of one of these babies, I realized that Christmas really isn’t all that bad.

The Nanaimo bar, a popular no-bake dessert that originated in Nanaimo, BC, is typically made with butter, eggs and honey graham cracker crumbs. While the butter and eggs are quite easy to substitute, I chose to make my own cinnamon graham cookies to use for crumbs in the bottom layer and it worked out perfectly.

If you’ve made these bars before, you’ve probably experienced the difficulty in cutting them into squares without breaking the chocolate topping. I almost cried on  my first attempt, as I carefully punctured the chocolate with a sharp knife only to watch the chocolate continue to crack in misdirected ways through the beautiful bars that I carefully put together. On my second attempt, however, I discovered that placing a sharp serrated knife in a jar of hot water for several minutes helps lessen the impact. Using light, sawing motions with the knife on the horizontal also helps. Enjoy!

Nanaimo bars

Ingredients:

Cinnamon graham crackers:

• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup unbleached AP flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp nondairy milk
• 1 1/2 tbsp sunflower or canola oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp molasses
• 2 tbsp pure agave nectar

Bottom layer:

• 1/2 cup vegan butter (I use Earth Balance)
• 1/4 cup organic cane sugar
• 5 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
• 1/4 cup almonds
• 1 tbsp ground flax + 2 tbsp warm water
• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

Middle layer:

• 1/2 cup vegan butter
• 2 tbsp nondairy milk (I use coconut)
• 1 tbsp arrowroot
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Seeds of 1 vanilla bean
• 2 cups vegan powdered sugar

Top layer:

• 4 oz. dark chocolate
• 2 tbsp vegan butter

Directions:

Graham cracker crumbs:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, unbleached flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the nondairy milk, oil, molasses and agave nectar.
3. Add the liquid mixture to the dry mixture and stir to combine.
4. In between two pieces of parchment paper, roll out the dough into a rectangle about 1/4-inch thick. Transfer the dough to a cookie pan lined with parchment paper (no need to cut them into squares since you'll be processing them into crumbs after baking). Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely.
5. Put the cookies in a food processor and process into crumbs. This should make about 1 1/2 cups, enough for the Nanaimo bar bottom layer.

Bottom layer:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the vegan butter and sugar and cook over low heat until melted. Add the cocoa and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat.
2. In a food processor, process the almonds to a fine meal. Add the flax mixture, cookie crumbs and coconut flakes and pulse to combine.
3. Add the chocolate sauce to the dry ingredients in the food processor and process until thoroughly combined.
4. Press the mixture into the bottom of an 8 x 8-inch square pan. Set aside.

Middle layer:

1. Using an electric mixer, beat the vegan butter until light and fluffy.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the nondairy milk, arrowroot, vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds. Add the mixture to the butter and beat until well combined.
3. Gradually add the powdered sugar and beat for a few minutes until light and fluffy.
4. Spread the mixture evenly over top of the bottom layer using an offset spatula and place in the freezer until firm, about one hour.

Top layer:

1. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over medium-low heat and then stir in the vegan butter. Remove from heat.
2. Remove the pan from the freezer and then sit for about 10 minutes. Then spread the chocolate evenly over the top using an offset spatula. Work quickly or else the chocolate will start to harden. Place the pan in the freezer for at least an hour to set. See above for tips on cutting the squares without breaking the chocolate.

It turns out Matt was describing it to me in detail for a reason. He knows I’m an avid baker, and he wanted me to replicate it for his next meeting. I never turn down an opportunity to bake, but I also didn’t know if it was something that could be successfully veganized. Luckily, Sharon Valencik of the famed Sweet Utopia has already done it for me! I just happen to be browsing through the book—a new addition to my collection—and there it was. I am really enjoying Sweet Utopia and I’m lucky to have found this particular recipe.

It is such an interesting cake that I want to share it with you. Above is a photo of my mini test cake. Imagine a spoonful of this dense cake and warm, buttery sauce touching your lips…delish, yes? The only change I am going to make to this recipe next time is substituting Sucanat and molasses for the powdered sugar, to give the cake a darker colour and deeper taste. Enjoy!

Sticky toffee pudding

Yield: one 9 x 13-inch cake

Ingredients:

For the date mixture:

• 2 cups chopped dates
• 2 cups water

For the cake:

• 3 cups AP flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup vegan butter, at room temperature (I use Earth Balance)
• 1/4 cup soymilk
• 1 tsp white vinegar

For the sticky sauce:

• 2 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup vegan butter
• 1 cup vanilla soy creamer (or plain soy creamer + 1/2 tsp vanilla extract)

Directions:

For the date mixture:

1. Combine the dates and water in a small saucepan and simmer until the dates soften, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool. Puree in a blender or food processor until smooth.

For the cake:

1. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
2. In a separate large bowl, combine the sugar and vegan butter and beat with a wooden spoon until fluffy (I use an electric mixer). Beat in the soymilk and vinegar.
3. Stir in the flour mixture and date mixture and mix until smooth.
4. Pour the batter into an oiled 9 x 13-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes, or until the cake is light brown and a toothpick inserted in to the centre comes out clean.

For the sticky sauce:

1. Combine the sugar, vegan butter and half of the soy creamer in a medium saucepan and mix well. Bring to
2. a boil, stirring often. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
3. Whisk in the remaining soy creamer. If you are using plain creamer, stir in the vanilla extract.

To serve:

1. Poke holes in the top of the cake using a fork and pour half of the sauce over the top, allowing it to soak into the cake. Cut the cake into 3-inch squares. Keep the remaining sauce hot and spoon it over the warm cake. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts, if desired. Store leftover sauce and cake tightly covered in the refrigerator.

Recipe from Sweet Utopia. Reprinted with permission.

No time to bake all these sweet treats? That’s what friends are for! This year, I got much of my holiday baking done early while catching up with friends, sharing laughs and having fun at the same time, thanks to Kelly, who had the fabulous idea of hosting a holiday cookie baking party.

Yesterday was the day we came together with our own recipe ideas and ingredients and got to work. I decided on a version of Fran Costigan‘s famous jam dots from her book, More Great Good Dairy-Free Desserts (recipe below). I am a big fan of Fran’s wholesome dessert recipes. With the early winter theme in mind, homemade persimmon jam made for the cookies’ centre attraction.

Kelly decided on the delicious peanut butter chocolate pillows from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar. After whipping together the chocolate cookie dough and peanut butter filling, and then carefully rolling out the tiny peanut butter balls and wrapping them in the chocolate shell, Kelly’s patience paid off with luscious pillows of goodness.

Angela quickly mixed together a batch of snickerdoodles from La Dolce Vegan! and rolled them in a sweet cinnamon and sugar mixture before placing them in the oven for 10 minutes. The warming scent of cinnamon filled the kitchen as these babies were pulled from the oven to cool.

Lisa put a surprise twist to the cookie-themed party with the idea of a vegan version of Bailey’s Irish cream liqueur (without the whiskey) from Tal Ronnen’s The Conscious Cook. This coconut milk and cocoa-based recipe makes for an excellent sauce poured over cake, or served in a glass with a shot of whiskey. We each enjoyed sipping this smooth drink while the rest was bottled up for us to take home.

Enjoying an afternoon with these lovely vegan ladies was the perfect start to the holiday season. Alissa also joined us a little later in the afternoon to make chocolate mint cookies from The Joy of Vegan Baking, but sadly I had to head out before they were finished. I did, however, leave with a container full of assorted cookies to share with family and friends. I can’t wait to do this again next year!

Famous jam dots

Ingredients:

Homemade persimmon jam:

• 2 ripe persimmons
• 1/4 cup organic cane sugar
• dash of cinnamon

Famous jam dots:

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup pecans
• 1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup canola or sunflower oil
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp pure almond extract
• Persimmon jam or other all-fruit jam

Directions:

For the jam:

1. Cut the top of each persimmon and scoop out the pulp into a small saucepan. Combine the sugar and cinnamon and simmer over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, or until the back of a spoon is coated and glossy.
2. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let cool. Puree in a food processor or blender until smooth.

For the cookies:

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and another rack above it. Preheat to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Spread the oats on one of the prepared sheets and the pecans on another. Toast each pan in the oven for 6 minutes. Cool completely, leaving the parchment paper on the sheets for baking the cookies. Raise the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
3. Put the oats in a blender or food processor, and process until fine. Add the pecans and process until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Pour into a medium bowl and add the pastry flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
4. Whisk the oil, maply syrup, and vanilla and almond extracts in a small bowl until well blended. Pour into the dry mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until the dough holds together when squeezed.
5. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and place 1 inch apart on the prepared sheets. Use your finger to make an indentation in the centre of each cookie. Spoon 1/2 tsp jam in each indentation.
6. Bake for 15 to 16 minutes, or until the cookies are light browne on the bottom. Cool for 3 minutes, until the cookies are firm enough to move. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool. Store at room temperature in a covered container for two days.

Cookie recipe (not the jam) from More Great Good Dairy-Free Desserts. Reprinted with permission.

Lori gave us many options for baked, yeast or deep-fried doughnuts, and I’m happy she did! I don’t think I could ever bring myself to deep-fry anything. Since I had so much fun making my baked apple cider doughnuts last month, for this challenge I made double-vanilla doughnuts using the same mini doughnut pan, and decorated them with a simple glaze and black and orange sprinkles for an upcoming Halloween party.

This recipe was inspired by Nancy Silverton’s buttermilk cake doughnuts, but I removed the yeast and eggs and let some apple cider vinegar, baking powder and a vegan egg substitute do their magic, resulting in a light doughnut with a tender crumb. I also tried making a healthier version by replacing the sugar and margarine, but it was a total flop. Sometimes you just gotta go with what tastes good!

These mini doughnuts are similar to Lolo’s mini doughnuts. If you haven’t had the pleasure of reading her blog, Vegan Yum Yum, do yourself a favour and check out her recipe archive. Her photos and recipes have been an inspiration to me since I discovered her blog a couple of years ago, but she hasn’t posted since earlier this year. She is sadly missed!

Baked double vanilla doughnuts

Ingredients:

Doughnuts:

• 1 cup unbleached AP flour
• 1/2 cup organic cane sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup soymilk
• 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Seeds of one vanilla bean
• Ener-G egg replacer for one egg
• 4 tbsp vegan margarine (I use Earth Balance)

Glaze with sprinkle:

• 1/2 cup vegan powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 tbsp nondairy milk
• bowl full of sprinkles

Directions:

Doughnuts:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the nondairy milk, vinegar, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, egg replacer and margarine and heat on medium-low, stirring until margarine is melted. This mixture should not get too hot or it will burn (it should feel slightly warm to the touch).
3. Allow the margarine mixture to cool for about 5 minutes. Add it to the flour mixture and mix until just combined. It should form a very soft dough.
4. Spoon the dough into a mini doughnut pan, filling about 3/4 full. Smooth the top of the dough with your fingers so it's even.
5. Bake the doughnuts at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a doughnut comes out clean. Allow doughnuts to cool completely before attempting to remove them from the pan.
6. Decorate with glaze (recipe below) and sprinkles.

Glaze with sprinkles:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and nondairy milk until smooth. Dip the top of the doughnut into the glaze, allowing some to drip off, and then dip the glaze-side down into the sprinkles.
2. Set the decorated doughnuts a wire rack that is set on top of a cookie pan or parchment paper (to avoid a mess underneath). Store the doughnuts in an airtight container in the fridge.

Yet I had never used it in baking until a few years ago, when I came across a balsamic fudge cookie recipe on SusanV’s Fat Free Vegan Kitchen. The chocolate and balsamic seemed like a very interesting flavour combination. And wow, is it ever! The vinegar acts as an enhancer of the chocolate rather than a discreet flavour, and I now make these cookies regularly to feed my husband’s cookies-and-tea addiction.

But there’s a problem. Over the course of the last year I have been making the transition to more organic and fair trade whole foods ingredients in my baking. As much as I love how vegan Earth Balance margarine makes for perfectly textured, melt-in-your-mouth cookies, I can no longer bring myself to use it as much as I used to (SusanV also makes a fat-free version with prunes, but that just doesn’t work for me). The white flour and the high sugar content in the recipe also turn me off.

So, I began working on recreating the recipe to include spelt flour, less sugar and no margarine. What came out of this experiment was a wonderful surprise–it turns out you can replicate that fudgy flavour in a more healthful way! I am so happy with this recipe that I have to share it with you all.

I should note, however, that the type of balsamic vinegar does make a difference in the outcome of these cookies. When I first started making SusanV’s version, I used inexpensive, no-name balsamic vinegar, and it did make a great cookie. But I was fortunate to receive a pricey bottle of aged Belazu balsamic vinegar as a gift earlier this year, and the whole bottle has since been used to make these cookies. Yes, it’s that good. If you aren’t able to get the good stuff, I recommend reducing an inexpensive brand so that it becomes thick and syrupy. Please see my note at the bottom of the recipe for instructions.

Balsamic fudge cookies

Yield: one dozen

Ingredients:

• 1 cup spelt flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted
• 1/4 cup muscovado sugar
• 2 tbsp arrowroot
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup canola or sunflower oil
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the spelt flour, cocoa, sugar, arrowroot, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt.
2. In a seperate bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, oil, balsamic vinegar and vanilla extract.
3. Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
4. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for about 20 minutes.
5. Line a cookie pan with parchment paper and drop the dough by tablespoons onto the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the tops of the cookies are cracked. Cool completely on a wire rack. Store in a tightly covered tin container at room temperature.

To reduce inexpensive balsamic vinegar, pour a bottle or two into a large pot, and simmer it all down until it is reduced by about 1/4-1/6 and is thick, syrupy, and coats the back of a spoon. Be careful not too let it simmer too long or it will burn your pot! Once thickened, pour it back into one of the bottles and keep it in your pantry.