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.

I’m not getting off the baked doughnut bandwagon yet, either. This time, I experimented with an allergen-friendly version so some of my gluten-, nut- and dairy-sensitive colleagues could enjoy them, too. And, well, because it just meant another fun challenge in the kitchen. I do love challenges.

Thanks to Lani at LPK’s Culinary Groove, one of my favourite bakeries in Toronto, I’ve learned to be a little more daring when it comes to gluten-free, vegan recipe development. I participated in her Introduction to Gluten-Free Baking workshop a few months ago and I simply relished my experience working in a professional kitchen alongside her, if only for a few hours.

The keys to successful gluten-free, vegan baking? Use a combination of flours that include rice, bean and two starches. My go-to mix includes brown rice flour, chickpea flour, potato starch and tapioca starch—or a similar combination like in the recipe below. Also, a combination of binding agents is often required to keep things together. For the recipe below, I’ve included both flax and Ener-G powder.

One of my favourite treats to bring to parties and to the office, these cinnamon-spice doughnuts have a lovely, fluffy crumb. The deep, spicy flavour is enhanced by the cinnamon sugar topping—a must, as far as I’m concerned. Enjoy!

Gluten-free cinnamon spice doughnuts

Yield: 2 dozen mini doughnuts

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup brown rice flour
• 1/2 cup sorghum flour
• 1/4 cup potato starch
• 1/4 cup tapioca starch
• 1/3 cup Sucanat, ground
• 1 1/2 tbsp flaxmeal
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 cup nondairy milk
• 3 tbsp sunflower oil
• 3 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
• Ener-G egg replacement for one egg
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Cinnamon sugar coating:

• 1/2 cup cinnamon sugar (ground cinnamon + organic cane sugar)
• 1/4 cup Earth Balance butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Lightly oil two mini doughnut pans and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, sift together the brown rice flour, sorghum flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, Sucanat, flaxmeal, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, baking powder and baking soda.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the nondairy milk, sunflower oil, applesauce, egg replacement and vanilla.
5. Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture and stir to combine, making sure there are no more large clumps.
6. Spoon the mixture evenly into the prepared doughnut pans, filling each about 3/4 full. Lightly tap the pan on the counter to release any air bubbles. Bake at 350F for 8 to 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of a doughnut comes out clean. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
7. For the cinnamon sugar topping, simply dip each doughnut in the melted Earth Balance and allow excess to drip off. Then dip in the cinnamon sugar to cover all sides.

To avoid soggy doughnuts, I prefer to freeze the doughnuts for an hour after baking and dipping them while frozen to keep the Earth Balance from soaking right in.

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.

Not long ago, I fell in love with vegan baking and would spend countless hours hopelessly experimenting with new flours and flavours in my tiny condo kitchen. After much persuasion from my husband, I finally put myself out there and started sharing my baking results with others—and amazing things happened. Not only did I start to realize my potential, but I made an impact on others. Colleagues became curious about using healthy substitutions in their own kitchens, family members embarked on new ways to improve their diets, and friends sought out advice on cutting meat from their daily meals.

There is nothing more rewarding than sharing your passion with the world and realizing your skills have the potential to change lives, change habits, and even change the world, just by encouraging others to celebrate the deliciousness of a plant-based diet.

In other words, today is about baketivism. This means using vegan baking as a form of activism.

The beauty of Vegan Baking Day is that you can make up your own rules. The concept is simple: bake up your favourite vegan goodies and take them with you to work, school, band practice, jury duty, shopping…wherever you find yourself on the last Friday of September. The official website lists some tips on how to plan ahead, choose your desserts and have fun, too.

Since I’ve had one heck of a busy week, I wasn’t able to create my own treats (maybe next year). While perusing options on a few of my favourite recipe blogs, Angela‘s easy chocolate chunk toffee bars stuck out as something easy and recognizable. Needless to say, my colleagues loved them.

Chocolate chip toffee bars

Yield: 12 bars

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1/4 cup 12-grain flour (or spelt)
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
• 1/2 cup brown rice syrup
• 2 tbsp Earth Balance (or other nondairy spread)
• 1/4 cup Sucanat
• 2 tbsp natural almond butter
• 2 tbsp natural peanut butter
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line an 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper (long enough to it draps over the sides).
2. In a large bowl, combine the rolled oats, flour, chia seeds, cinnamon, salt, sliced almonds and walnuts. Set aside.
3. In a small saucepan, stir together the brown rice syrup, Earth Balance, Sucanat, almond butter, peanut butter and vanilla on medium-low heat until the Earth Balance is melted and the mixture is smooth.
4. Pour the liquid mixture into the bowl with the oat mixture and stir well. The mixture will be very thick. Fold in the chocolate chips.
5. Scoop the mixture into the pan and smooth out with the back of a wet spoon or offset spatula. Bake at 350F for 25 minutes. Allow the bars to cool in the pan for 20 minutes and then place the pan in the freezer to set (I left it for an hour). Cut into bars and serve, or store in an air-tight containter for future snacking.

Recipe adapted from Oh She Glows.

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.

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.

The September 2010 Daring Bakers challenge was hosted by Mandy of What the Fruitcake?! Mandy challenged everyone to make decorated sugar cookies based on recipes from Peggy Porschen and the Joy of Baking. I’m not a fan of sugar cookies at all–mostly because they don’t contain one single healthful ingredient. And, they’re just plain boring!

That being said, this month’s challenge involved more than just a basic sugar cookie recipe. What intrigued me was the idea that, with just a little imagination, a simple sugar cookie can be transformed into a gorgeous bakery-style treat that is perfect for special occasions. It is definitely something I will keep on file for my Christmas gift baskets.

Since it’s the beginning of autumn, the most gorgeous time of the year, I envisioned vibrant shades of red, orange and green that mark the transition from summer into winter. To spice up these autumn-style cookies, I also added a touch of freshly ground nutmeg and orange zest. My veganized versions of the recipes are adapted from one of my favourite books, The Joy of Vegan Baking. 

Vegan sugar cookies

Ingredients:

Sugar cookies:

• 1 cup unbleached AP flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup nondairy butter (I use Earth Balance)
• 3/4 cup Sucanat
• 1 1/2 tsp Ener-G egg replacer
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp fresh orange zest

Vegan royal icing:

• 1/2 cup vegan powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Food colouring (optional)
• 2 to 3 tsp nondairy milk

Directions:

For the cookies:

1. Sift the flours and baking powder in a large bowl and set aside.
2. Grind the Sucanat briefly in a spice or coffee grinder. In a separate bowl, beat the Sucanat and vegan butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add the egg replacer, water and vanilla and beat for another minute.
4. Add the flour mixture and beat until the dough is smooth.
5. Divide the dough into two flat disks and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour, until firm.
6. Roll out the dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. (I roll mine out between two pieces of parchment paper to prevent sticking.)
7. Cut out the cookies with cookie cutters and carefully transfer them to a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
8. Put the cookies in the fridge for 10 minutes before baking to help them keep their shape.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes, or until they start to brown around the edges.
10. Cool on a wire rack and decorate with royal icing.

For the royal icing:

1. In a medium bowl, sift the powdered sugar and cornstarch together.
2. Stir in the lemon juice and optional food colouring.
3. Add nondairy milk 1 tsp at a time until the mixture becomes smooth.
4. Do the toothpick test to get the correct consistency: Drag a knife through the royal icing and count to 10. If the surface becomes smooth within 5 to 10 seconds, the icing is at the correct consistency. If not, add more powdered sugar or nondairy milk for desired results.
5. Decorate cookies as desired and let sit for several hours to dry. Store cookies in between pieces of parchment paper in a tightly-covered container for up to one week.