Rosemary's Bakery

Blackberry Sorbet - Vegan, Gluten-Free

2011-08-09T09:38:00.005-04:00

we grow an odd sort of blackberry in the bramble patch - no one's entirely sure what variety it is. The fruits are massive, nearly black and just barely sweet. This final quality makes them ideal for preparations with added sugar, such as jam or sorbet, in which the tart, rich flavor of the berries is concentrated without being overwhelmed by the sweetness.

Blackberry Sorbet
makes about three pints

1 C water
2 C sugar
pinch kosher salt
3.5 C strained blackberry puree (see note)
1 T lemon juice

in a small saucepan, combine water, sugar and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and stir til sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and cool completely. Stir into blackberry puree and add lemon juice. Chill this base at least 4 hours or overnight.

Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturers instrictions. (I use a kitchenaid ice cream churn attachment on my mixer; this sorbet takes about 7-12 minutes to freeze properly.)

Moving quickly, pack finished sorbet into one large freezer-safe container for storage or several smaller 1/2pt containers for sharing. Freeze 2 hours before serving. Keeps up to 3 months in freezer.

note: to prepare blackberry puree, whiz up 4 to 4.5 C blackberries (depending on size of fruits) in a blender until mostly smooth. Pass puree through mesh sieve into a large pitcher, to remove seeds and fruit centers; a spatula is helpful to speed up the straining process.

The Only Scone Recipe You'll Need - Vegan

2011-08-01T13:00:00.002-04:00

These scones are versatile, slightly sweet and incredibly easy to prepare; the fact that they're vegan as well makes them a mildly healthful, tasty breakfast/brunch/anytime snack for almost everyone at your table. (a gluten-free option is on the agenda, have no fear.)

the scones shown are blueberry-oat, prepared with ground toasted oats for the non-wheat flour portion of the recipe.

Scones - the only recipe you need
makes eight regular scones or sixteen mini-scones

1.5 C all-purpose flour
.5 C non-wheat meal or flour*, or additional all-purpose flour
2 t baking powder
.5 t baking soda
.5 t kosher salt
1 t dried spice, as needed

2 T non-hydrogenated vegan margarine
.25 C non-hydrogenated cold-pres palm shortening

.75 C non-dairy milk of your choice
.5 t vinegar

.75 C total of additions (dried fruit, unsweetened shredded coconut,candied ginger, chocolate chips, nuts, etc.

additional non-dairy milk for brushing
additional sugar for topping

On a small plate, work together the margarine and shortening with the back of a spoon until the fats are somewhat short of homogenous.

Combine dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Cut in the fats with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal with a few pea-sized pieces remaining. Stir in milk mixture until the dough just comes together. Stir in mix-ins.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead once or twice to ensure mix-ins are incorporated. Pat out into a rough circle about 9 inches accross and cut into eight wedges. For mini scones, roll into a rectangle of about 4-inches by 12-inches and cut into quarters; cut each quarter into triangles.

Place scones on a lined baking sheet and brush with additonal non-dairy milk. Sprinkle with additional sugar, if desired. Bake 10-15 minutes for full-size scones, 5-10 for mini scones, until golden brown. Cool slightly on pan before serving.

*options for non-wheat meal or flour include: corn meal, coconut flour, ground toasted oats or barley flakes, white whole wheat flour, nut flours, etc.

Mint Arnold Palmer with Agave

2011-07-19T11:24:00.004-04:00

The perfect vehicle of refreshment. Mint to ease the nausea that accompanies the oppressive Pennsylvania humidity, lemon to brighten things up and agave to sweeten the deal.

Mint Arnold Palmer with Agave
makes one serving

2-3 T agave nectar, sweetness is your preference
about 5 mint leaves
.25 C lemon juice
.75 C fresh brewed mint tea, cooled
ice

Combine mint leaves and agave in a tall glass and muddle a bit to release mint oils. Add lemon juice and tea and stir. Drop in the ice and enjoy with something crunchy.

How Does the Garden Grow?

2011-07-09T17:06:00.002-04:00

wicked fine, that's how.

pulled all the remaining beets today, which means it's time to think about a midsummer planting schedule. also picked a lovely zucchini, as well as four cucumbers and another ancho pepper - all of which immediately went into a salad with tomato and broccoli from the farm market.

We planted two varieties of cucumbers this year - this one has yet to yield (likely due to heavier deer damage this spring). Looking forward to a taste test once this plant catches up.

I take photos of tomatoes primarily for posterity's sake. I am too accustomed to losing them to hungry deer and dogs prior to harvest. Hopefully this year will be different.

Fettuccine with Tomato-Basil Sauce - Cheatin Vegan

2011-02-21T15:20:00.003-05:00

A Lori Guerin speciality from back in the day, this pasta dish is cheap, delicious and vegan, until you adulterate it with pecorino sprinkle cheese. The original recipe calls for dry herbs exclusively, but it's lovely when gussied up with some fresh basil as well.

Tomato-Basil Fettuccini
serves 6-8, depending on the appetite

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 16 oz package fettuccine, preferrably the vegetable-enriched variety
1 small onion or half a large onion
2 cloves of garlic
4 oz fresh mushrooms, about half a carton
dried oregano, marjoram and basil
fresh basil, if you're fancy
pecorino romano cheese, if you have no morals

Put on a pot of water for the pasta. Salt the water once it boils and cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, dice onion, mushroom and garlic. Heat a medium saute pan and add olive oil to coat the botttom of the pan. Add onion and saute several mintues until softened. Add mushrooms and a light sprinkling of salt; cook on high, stirring frequently, until most of the moisture has been cooked from the mushrooms.

Add garlic and dried herbs - this is a matter of taste, but one should go heavy on the basil and marjoram and a lighter on the oregano. Cook another 2-4 minutes until garlic is fragrant. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and reduce heat to simmer the sauce until thickened. At this point, one may add a palmful of cheese to the sauce.

The sauce will be ready about the time the pasta is cooked al dente. Drain the pasta fully and return to the pot. Pour the sauce over the pasta and toss to combine. Chiffonade 4-8 leaves fresh basil and toss with pasta.

Serve with additional cheese or fresh basil.

Facts and Speculation

2011-01-29T18:13:00.003-05:00

True fact, I mostly live in a farmhouse with no internet and, more crucially, no computer. What computer time I get, I borrow from civilised folks in the suburbs.

Speculation, I shall soon have a laptop and will become a starbucks zombie tiptapping away as a wifivampire.

True fact, this blog is hereby about my day to day baking at work and at home, and the weirdness of moving into an old house on the way to, but not quite in the middle of, nowhere.

Speculation, the goings-on in a bakery run entirely by women is a odd, somewhat rude and generally entertaining. The actual baking is more of a sideshow to the host of conversational threads about all things right and wrong - culture, politics, health, religion, how awful children are these days. And gutter-minded subjects, naturally.

Speculation, the recipes I do develop in my spare time may be of interest to the general public. As I return to painting and threadwork, folks might dig that as well. Speaking of digging, it's time to start seeds for the garden, just about, and that'll wheedle its way in as well.

True fact, Rosemary's Bakery is a whole new blog. A more interesting blog. A better-kept blog. An account of the baking life and it's sidebars.

Peace, etc.
Rose G V

Bread! Gluten-filled bread!

2010-12-01T21:28:00.004-05:00

I've once again started baking on my days off (from the bakery). My focus is bread, delicious, gluten-y, hearty, light, crusty, toasty, soft, chewy bread. And whole grain bread, naturally.

The week, I started into Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Bread Book (gifted to me by dear Gran last Christmas or so), with the intention of baking my way through most all of the recipes, veganising as I go. Most of the formulas are, at their heart, either vegan to begin with or very simple to modify to accomodate the dairy-and egg-free lifestyle.

In order not to infringe upon Mr. Reinhart's territory or copyright, I shall not include the full formulas or methods for the breads I discribe here. The basic principles of Mr. Reinhart's preparation do, in fact, require quite a bit of explanation. Once you've read the complete introduction and instructions, the whole thing will be largely demystified and undertaken without mental strain.

So as not to step on toes or copy a published work word for word, I will include only the modifications I make to the formula or recipe, as well as helpful photos of the process. My intention is to assist those vegans or dairy-free types who adore real bread in the hassle-free preparation of healthful, whole grain breads detailed in this delightful book.

My foray was the Transitional Rye, one of the simplest varieties included in the book. The only modification required was a substitution of soured soy milk for the buttermilked asked for in the biga. The recipe allows for the use of agave nectar or honey in the final loaf, the choice being obvious for the layperson.

Being that I'm lazy and out of practice, there are only photos of the finished product at this time. Within the next week, full details of the modifications will be posted, as well as another recipe or two, perhaps.

By the by, Peter Reinhart's lovely blog can be found right over here.

What I've Been Eating This Week

2010-09-23T16:03:00.005-04:00

I eat most everthing from this little white bowl. Except certain pancake- and waffle-type things.

Tofu Scramble with Vegetables

Onion, celery, tofu, turmeric, curry powder, cumin and water.

Pumpkin Soup with Rice

Half an onion, one carrot, one stalk of celery and a quarter of a fresh pumpkin (about 3-4 cups, peeled and chopped large), sauteed. Vegan soup base, salt, pepper and curry powder go next, followed by 4 cups of water and about a cup or brown rice. Simmer til rice and vegetable are tender.

Cous Cous Salad

Cook couscous as always, adding some salt and garlic powder to the water as it come to a boil. Toss with chopped snow peas, blanched broccoli florets, half a carrot (sliced with a vegetable peeler), handful of currants, and olive oil. Add salt, pepper, onion or garlic powder to taste. Hot or cold.

Inclusive Chocolate Chip Cookies - vegan, gluten-free, soy-free

2010-09-21T08:13:00.000-04:00

These cookies are free from everything but deliciousness- no soy, eggs, wheat or milk required! The cornstarch can also be eliminated without much trouble; try an equal amount of potato starch.

[photo will arrive shortly]

The Inclusive Chocolate Chip Cookie
makes about two and a half dozen medium cookies

8 ounces non-hydrogenated palm shortening
.25 C sugar
1.25 C lightly packed light brown sugar

3/8 C white rice flour
.25 C quinoa flour
.25 C sorghum flour
2 T bean flour (garbanzo or garbanzo-fava blend)
.25 C cornstarch
2 T tapioca starch
1 t xanthan gum
1 t kosher salt
1 t baking soda
.5 t ground cinnamon

7 T H2O
1.5 t vanilla extract
1 t apple-cider vinegar

10 ounces gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free chocolate chips (EnjoyLife Brand is excellent)

Combine all the flours, starches and powders in a medium bowl and stir with a fork to combine. Set aside.

Combine the sugar and shortening in the bowl of an electric mixer and cream just until combined – there should remain a few small pieces of shortening within a generally homogenous mixture. Blend in the flour mixture. Add the water, vanilla and vinegar and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl before incorporating the chips.

Chill the dough at least one hour. About 20 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 350°F. Portion dough by #40 scoop onto baking sheets, preferable parchment-lined. Bake 12-14 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool 2 minutes before transferring cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Pumpkin Sticky Buns - vegan

2010-09-13T08:16:00.007-04:00

In honor of those who are leaving the area before the start of our gorgeous, crunchy, chilly, squash-filled fall, I present the perfect autumn bruncheon fare. It may seem to be a terribly involved recipe, given the multiparagraph directions, but it's really quite simple once you get going.

Pumpkin Sticky Buns
makes one dozen buns

for the dough
.5 C WWW flour
2 t yeast
.5 C water, 110ºF

2 C AP flour
.75 C pumpkin puree*
2 T sugar
2 T non-hydrogenated margarine, melted
1 T canola oil
1 T flaxseed meal
1 t salt

1-2 C AP flour for addition and dusting

*in my case the Jarrahdale puree I made and froze last year

for the filling
2 T non-hydrogenated margarine, melted
.25 C brown sugar
.5 t ground cinnamon
.25 t ground cloves
pinch nutmeg
pinch ground allspice

for the pans
.25 C non-hydrogenated margarine
.5 C brown sugar
.5 t cinnamon
.25 pepitas, chopped

Combine .5 C water and the WWW flour with the yeast in the bowl of an electric stand mixer and let stand, covered, half an hour to 3 hours.

Fit bowl into mixer and attach dough hook. Add 2 C AP flour, pumpkin puree, sugar, margarine, oil, flax, and salt; mix on medium-low until combined and a soft, tacky dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until, about 10-15 minutes, adding more flour to the dough and surface as needed, up to 1 Cup, until the dough is springy and no longer sticky. Form dough into a round and turn to coat lightly in flour. Place the round on a clean plate or sheet pan and cover with a clean, damp tea towel or plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in bulk, about an hour.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Combine all of the filling ingredients except for the margarine in a small bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.

Also, prepare the pans. Cream together the margarine, brown sugar and cinnamon by hand or with an electric mixer. Divide the mixture into each of twelve cups in a standard muffin tin and spread to cover the bottom. Sprinkle pepitas evenly amongst cups.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and press evenly with knuckles to disrupt and evenly distribute air pockets. Knead the dough briefly and form into a round once more. Cover with towel or plastic wrap and elt rest 5 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to form the dough into a rough rectangle of about 8”x13”, with the long side parallel to your body. Brush the melted margarine over the rectangle, leaving a .75” border on the long side farthest from you. Sprinkle the sugar mixture evenly over the margarine and pat down lightly. Roll the dough tightly away from you so that the edge without the margarine forms the outer seam of the roll; press this seam to seal.

Cut the roll into quarters and each quarter into thirds, forming a total of 12 pieces. Fit the buns into the prepared muffin tin and cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in bulk, about 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Remove plastic wrap and bake rolls 30-50 minutes, until the internal temperature of the rolls reaches 180ºF and the tops of the rolls are golden brown*. Remove from oven and immediately invert pan onto wire rack or sheet pan. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Fudge Frosting - Vegan

2010-06-03T08:09:00.006-04:00

ad-hoc recipe. this is my basic chocolate cake - light, not too sweet and chocolatey. The fudge frosting is a delicious mixture of right (tasty agave!) and wrong (corn syrup and shortening!) that is a dense counterpoint to the texture of the cake.

Chocolate Cupcakes
makes 1 dozen standard cupcakes

1 C + 2 T AP flour
1.5 t baking powder

.25 C canola oil
.5 C + 1/3 C sugar
.25 t salt

1 C boiling water
3/8 C cocoa powder (6 T)(use Hershey's Special Dark for a really dark, black chocolate)
.5 t instant coffee powder
1 t vanilla extract
.5 t vinegar

Preheat the oven to 350 and line one standard muffin tin.

Use a fork to whisk together the flour and baking powder in a small bowl, set aside.

Pour boiling water over cocoa powder in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Add remaining wet ingredients and set aside to cool briefly.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the oil and sugar until lighter in color and texture, scraping the bowl once or twice. With the mixer running on low speed, incorporate the flour mixture; process until well combined, scraping the bowl once. Incorporate the chocolate mixture with the mixer on low, scraping the bowl as needed.

Portion into tin and bake 22-26 minutes. The cakes are ready when they spring back when lightly pressed. Cool in pan 5 minutes before unmolding. Cool completely before frosting.

Fudge Frosting
makes enough to top 1 dozen cupcakes

.25 C non-hydrogenated shortening
.25 C non-hydrogenated margarine
.25 C corn syrup
.25 C agave nectar

.5 C cocoa powder

With an eelctric mixer, cream the shortening and margarine until well combined. Beat in corn syrup and agave until smooth. Sift in cocoa powder and beat on low until combined - the frosting will the thick and glossy.

Chill briefly, as needed, to firm up frosting before topping cupcakes. Pipe onto cakes or dollop and smooth with a hot offset metal spatula to create a lovely sheen.

note: if you've ever eaten a Berger cookie, this is more or less the fudge that tops those confectionary wonders.

Raspberry Swirl and Coconut-Chocolate Chip Muffins - Vegan

2010-05-08T00:28:00.006-04:00

delicious modifications of this recipe.

Raspberry Swirl - Prepare the basic muffin recipe omitting mixed berries and portion into greased muffin cups. Dot the top of each muffin with 1 t of seeded or seedless raspberry preserves, swirl just a bit with a butterknife. Bake as directed.

Coconut-Chocolate Chip - Pepare basic muffin recipe, omitting mixed berries and using unsweetened coconut milk for the non-dairy milk measurement. Mix in 1 C dark chocolate chips and .5 C unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted. Bake as directed.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies - Vegan

2010-05-08T00:28:00.004-04:00

modified from Vegan with a Vengeance.

Substantial, peanut-buttery and not overwhelming, these cookies are an excellent afternoon snack. The dough itself is easy to prepare by hand - no mixer necessary.

Peanut Butter-Oatmeal Cookies
makes about 2 dozen

2C AP flour
2 t baking powder
1 t salt

2 C sugar
.75 C smooth, all-natural peanut butter (Crazy Richards)
.5 C non-dairy milk
.5 C canola oil
2 t molasses
2 t vanilla

2 C old fashioned "rolled" oats

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a small bowl, combine dry ingredients and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the wet ingredients until well mixed. Stir in the flour mixture until just combined before incorporating the oats.

By hand, form into walnut-sized lumps and round between your palms. Place on lined baking sheet and flatten to 1/4" thick. Bake 12-15 minutes, until edges just begin to brown.

Cool on wire rack completely before consuming or storing.

Oatmeal Cranberry Raisin Cookies - Vegan

2010-05-08T00:27:00.003-04:00

This recipe is modified from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook, veganized and tweaked just slightly. These cookies are soft and chewy at the center, slightly crispy at the edge and full of sweet jewel-like dried fruit.

Oatmeal Cranberry Raisin Cookies
makes 2 dozen

1 C whole wheat white flour
.5 C AP flour
1 t baking soda
1 t ground cinnamon

1 C sugar
2/3 C canola oil
1/3 C agave nectar
1 t molasses
1 t kosher salt

2 T flaxseed meal
3 T hot water

3 C rolled oats
.5 C raisins
.5 C dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350F.

Whisk together dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. Stir together flaxseed meal and water and let stand 5 minutes.

Cream together oil, sugar, agave, molasses and salt, by hand or on a stand mixer. Incorporate flax mixture and stir in dry ingredients. Mix in oats and fruit.

Scoop generously with a tablespoon onto parchment-lined baking sheets and bake 8-12 minutes, until golden brown. Remove to wire rack to cool.

Seat of the Pants Spiced Strawberry Jam - Vegan, Gluten Free

2010-05-03T09:25:00.001-04:00

This jam can be prepared with myriad variations - drop the puree if you don't have it on hand, play with the spices, adjust the sweetness to your liking. Provided you keep the sugar content above four cups, the preserves ought to gel just fine thanks to the pectin provided by the apple.

Seat of the Pants Spiced Strawberry Jam
fills 5 halfpint jars or 10 quarterpints

5 C strawberries, hulled and halved (from about 1.5 pounds of fruit)
4-5 C sugar
1 C strawberry puree
3 T lemon juice
1/3 tart apple, with skin, cut into several large pieces
1 large piece lemon rind - roughly 3 x 1.5-inches, including yellow zest and some white pith
5 whole cloves
1 whole cinnamon stick, about 3 inches
.5 t vanilla extract

Use a paring knife to knick 4 small cuts in the lemon rind. Insert a clove into each hole. In a large pot, mash strawberries with sugar until only a few large chunks of fruit remain. Add lemon juice, apple and spices in a large pot and let stand one hour to macerate.

Place pot over medium-low heat and stir occasionally until sugar is fully dissolved. Increase heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally and crushing berries with back of spoon.

Meanwhile, Set 8 clean half-pint canning jars in a water bath along with 8 rings and any canning equipment that has not yet been sterilised. Bring to a boil; keep at a boil 10 minutes before reducing heat to low until preserves are ready. Set dome lids in rack for dunking or have at the ready with tongs.

Attach a candy thermometer to the preserve pot, taking care that the probe be at middle-depth and neither touching the pot or sitting above the preserves. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the mixture reaches 215ºF. It will take some time for the mixture to reduce sufficiently to reach this temperature. The preserves will foam as they cook - simply stir them down if they reach too high. Increase heat to medium-high if necessary.

Once the preserves have reached 215ºF, remove from heat and let stand in the pot 2 minutes. Skim off any foam that has accumulated and remove spices, rinds, etc. Add vanilla extract and stir preserves once to distribute fruit pieces.

Meanwhile, sterilise dome lids by dunking in water bath.

Portion preserves into hot sterilised jars, leaving .5-inch headspace. Place dome lid on lip of jar and screw on ring until finger-tight. Process in boiling water bath 5-6 minutes. Remove from bath and let cool, undisturbed for 24 hours.

Label and store up to 9 months in a cool, dark location.

Eat them on a gluten-free roll and you're set for breakfast.

Fried Avocado Ice Cream with Chipotle Chocolate Sauce - Vegan, Gluten-Free

2010-04-30T09:16:00.003-04:00

Fried Avocado Ice Cream with Chipotle Chocolate Sauce
serves 6 or more

For the Ice Cream
3 cups coconut milk, unsweetened
2 ripe avocados, halved, pitted and scooped
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp agave nectar
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch kosher salt

For the Coating
2 cups corn flakes, crushed
2/3 cup cold water
1/2 cup white rice flour
3 Tbsp agave nectar
1/8 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

For the Chocolate Sauce
1/4 cup hot water
1 Tbsp agave nectar
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8-1/4 tsp chipotle chile powder
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch kosher salt

Additional Ingredients and Unusual Equipment
Ice Cream Churn
Food Processor or Blender
Deep Fry Thermometer
Oil for Frying

Method:
Combine all ice cream ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree until very smooth. Chill several hours before churning according to ice cream maker manufacturer instructions. Remove from churn into container and freeze ice cream until hard.

Scoop ice cream into 6 large balls using a disher or ice cream scoop; roll in crushed corn flakes and freeze 20 minutes. Combine water, rice flour, agave, baking soda and cinnamon in a small bowl, whisking until smooth. Dip ice cream balls in batter and roll once more in corn flakes. Freeze at least 3 hours or overnight.

Meanwhile, prepare chocolate sauce. Whisk together dry ingredients in a small bowl. Combine hot water and agave and whisk into dry ingredients until smooth. Strain and pour into sauce bottle or a small container.

Heat 3 inches of oil in a medium-sized heavy-bottomed pot to 400°F. While the oil is heating, line a plate or platter with brown paper or paper towels to catch oil after frying. Also, have plates or bowls for serving ice cream at the ready, drizzled with chocolate sauce as desired.

Remove ice cream balls from the freezer 2-3 at time and place directly in oil. Fry for 15-20 seconds, until coating is well browned and ice cream just begins to soften – do not overfry, the ice cream will melt. Use a slotted spoon to remove ice cream and rest briefly on paper-lined plate before moving to serving dishes.

Serve immediately, with additional chocolate sauce as desired.

Cinnamon Raisin Bread - Vegan, Refined-Sugar-Free

2010-04-16T10:49:00.006-04:00

Soft, slightly sweet bread with a hint of cinnamon and a bit of raisiny goodness. Almost half whole wheat and sweetened with maple syrup and brown rice syrup, so not so terrible for you.

Cinnamon Raisin Boule
makes one 7-inch round loaf

1 C white whole wheat flour
.75 C water
1 t active dry yeast

1.5 C all-purpose flour
3 T canola oil
2 T maple syrup
2 T brown rice syrup
1 t ground cinnamon
.5 t kosher salt
1-3 T almond milk

.5 C raisins

Combine .5 C water and the WWW flour with the yeast and sugar in the bowl of an electric stand mixer and let stand, covered, at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

Fit bowl into mixer and attach dough hook. Add flour, oil, syrups, salt and cinnamon and mix on medium-low until combined, adding almond milk, one tablespoon at a time, as needed to create soft dough. Incorporate raisins. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until a springy, slightly tacky dough forms, about 10-15 minutes, adding more flour to the dough and surface as needed. Form dough into a round and turn to coat lightly in flour. Place the round on a clean plate or sheet pan and cover with a clean, damp tea towel. Let rise until doubled in bulk, about an hour.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and press evenly with knuckles to disrupt and evenly distribute air pockets. Knead briefly before folding the dough onto itself and rounding once more. Place on a lightly oils pie plate or sheet pan and cover round with plastic wrap or damp tea towel; let proof until almost doubled in bulk, about 30-40 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F.

Remove cover from dough and bake 30-40 minutes, until the internal temeprature reaches 190F. Let cool at least 20 mintues before slicing. Store at room temperature up to two days or freeze up to a month.

Raspberry Lemonade

2010-04-15T10:41:00.002-04:00

simple, sweet, tart, delicious.

Raspberry Lemonade
makes about 3 pints

1.5 C sugar
1.5 C water
1 C fresh or frozen raspberries
2 C lemon juice

additional water and/or ice

Combine water and sugar in a small saucepot and bring to a boil; keep over medium heat until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool briefly before adding the raspberries. Crush the berries into the syrup with a fork or potato masher and let the mixture stand 2o minutes.

Strain berry syrup into a large pitcher. Add lemon juice and stir. If serving immediately, dilute with 3-4 C of ice. For later service, stir in an additional 1-2 C water and chill in the refrigerator at least 1 hour. Serve over ice with additional frozen berries for added flavor.

Scones - Vegan, Agave

2010-04-15T10:30:00.000-04:00

your basic American scone - cakey, slightly moist and just a touch sweet. made with agave and whole wheat white flour for just a bit of nutrition with your tea. Use any mix-ins you have on hand - the dough is versatile and forgiving.

Scones
makes 8 large scones

1.5 C AP flour
.5 C www flour
.5 t baking salt
.5 t baking soda
2 t baking powder

2 oz non-hydrogenated shortening
1 oz non-hydrogenated vegan margarine

.75 C chopped dried or fresh fruit, chocolate or nuts, if desired

.75 C non-dairy milk measured over .25 t apple cider vinegar
2 T agave nectar

Whisk together all dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Cut in shortening and margarine until pieces are about the size of peas. Stir in mix-ins, if using.

Use a fork to whisk together the liquid ingredients. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the wet mix; stir until just combined. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead very briefly, just to get the mass together.

Place dough on a piece of plastic wrap and form into a disc. Wrap tightly and chill at least 1 hour and up to overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Remove dough disc from the refrigerator and unwrap. Cut through the center into eight pieces. Place pieces on lined sheet pan and brush tops with additional soy milk - sprinkle with raw sugar if desired. Bake 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool briefly before consuming.

Raspberry-Basil Variation

add 1.5 t dried basil to the flour mixture, substitute 1 t balsamic vinegar for the apple cider vinegar in the wet mix, and mix in 2/3C frozen raspberries, broken into small pieces.

Ginger-Orange Variation

add to the dry mix:
1 t ground ginger
pinch white pepper

add to the wet mix:
.5 t vanilla or orange extract
zest of one orange
replace 1 oz of non-dairy milk with 1 oz of pulp-free orange juice

for a drier scone, simply use all All-Purpose flour, rather than incorporating whole wheat white flour - they won't be quite as moist or nutritious, but they'll certainly be tasty.

freezing
the dough disc can be double wrapped in plastic and frozen for up to one month. Thaw overnight in refrigerator before baking.

Raspebrry-Blueberry Muffins - Vegan

2010-04-08T09:49:00.003-04:00

altered only slightly from "Bakery-Style Berry Muffins" in Vegan Brunch

Oversized, sweet and full of berries, these fall somwhere between being hearty muffins and naked cupcakes. The use of whole wheat white flour makes them slightly more healthful without endangering their flavor.

Raspberry-Blueberry Muffins
makes 12 muffins

1.5 C AP flour
.5 C white whole wheat flour
.75 C sugar
1 T baking powder
.5 t kosher salt

.5 C soy yogurt
.5 C canola oil
.5 C + 2 T non-dairy milk
2 t vanilla extract

1.5 C mixed fresh or frozen berries - break up large berries

large-crystal raw sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F and grease a twelev-cup standard muffin tin.

In a small bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients; make a well in the center of the dry mixture and pour in the wet mix. Stir together with a spatula until just combined. Fold in berries.

Portion batter into prepared pan and lightly sprinkle the top of each muffin with raw sugar, if desired.

Bake 25-30 minutes, until tops are golden brown and spring back when gently pressed.

So, I'm graduated

2010-03-22T10:00:00.005-04:00

well, well, it's been about a month since I last posted anything useful to this blog, and I'll tell you why. Finals. Final finals.

Projects include, but are not limited to:

- Business Proposal and Loan Request for theoretical bakery
- Presentation of Materials and handouts (almond glee French macarons) for said Proposal

- final notebook for Dessert and Plating, including some crayon drawings of finished plates that I'm a bit happy with

- final notebook for Wedding and Display Cakes
- Wedding Cake Brochure for theoretical bakery

last, but not leaset, a three tier dummy wedding cake in fondant

this guy, right here:

bottom tier: armadillos

middle tier: mountains

top tier: black birds flying

topper: caramel tumbleweed

Now that I'm graduated, I'm keeping my dead end job and using my free time to tend the annual vegetable garden and to develop my personal professional style, clean up my work and perfect recipes.

Waffles, 'Nuff Said - Vegan

2010-02-27T21:36:00.004-05:00

modified slightly from Vegan Brunch.

light, crunchy, satisfying, rich and everything a waffle ought to be.

Waffles, 'Nuff Said

2 C non-dairy milk
1 t apple cider vinegar
3 T canola oil

1.25 C AP flour
.5 C whole wheat white flour (or more AP flour)
.25 C cornmeal
2 T barley malt powder
1 T cornstarch
1 T baking powder
.5 t salt

Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl; combine wet ingredients. Add wet mixture to dry and stir til smooth but not beyond. Set aside to rest while preheating waffle iron.

Cook according to waffle iron directions. Work on the higher end of the toastiness settings for optimal deliciousness, and remember to spray the iron with cooking spray between each waffle.

Serve immediately or let cool and toast as needed. Freeze for future enjoyment.

Blueberry Variation

set aside 1/8 C non-dairy milk and combine with 1 C dried wild blueberries. Microwave or heat on the stovetop briefly to plump the berries slightly. Incorporate the blueberries after the wet and dry have been combined.

Chocolate Sauce - Vegan

2010-02-11T14:26:00.007-05:00

modified from an Alton Brown recipe, c/o FoodNetwork.com

Excellent sauce for hot chocolate, chocolate milk, sundae topping and general drizzling. Taste a bit of the sauce with milk while it's hot, before straining; it may taste acidic, depending on the variety of cocoa used. Adjust this by increasing the sugar by up to .25 C or adding up to two ounces of finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate.

Chocolate Sauce

.5 C water
.75 C sugar
.5 C unsweetened cocoa powder, plain or dutched
2 t agave syrup
1 t vanilla extract
1/8 t ground cinnamon
pinch salt

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and whisk until smooth. Bring to a boil while whisking or stirring with a spatula. Remove from heat, strain and cool to room temperature. Pour into a squeeze bottle or regular container for refrigerated storage.

Hot Chocolate

6-8 oz almond, soy, coconut or rice milk
2-5 T chocolate sauce

In a small microwave-safe container, nuke the milk for 2 minutes on high; if you have a $1.99 IKEA milk frother, use it to add some texturally delicious foam. Meanwhile, pour chocolate sauce into bottom of a heatproof mug. Pour hot milk over sauce and stir to combine.

Top with additional sauce, cinnamon or whipped rice cream.

Banana French Toast - Vegan

2010-02-11T13:58:00.005-05:00

Only slightly tweaked recipe from Vegan Brunch

Creamy, banana-cinnamon goodness. enough said. Easily wheat-free with some good gluten-free bread. I recommend Virago's French rolls, sliced in half or thirds.

Banana-Cinnamon French Toast
1 loaf sourdough bread, sliced and a bit stale (or lightly toasted)

2 bananas, very ripe
1 C plain, unsweetened coconut milk
.5 C plain, unsweetened soymilk
2 T cornstarch
2 t vanilla extract
.5 t ground cinnamon

Combine everything but the bread in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. pour into a wide, low baking dish and place bread slices over the mixture in a single layer (you'll be doing this in several batches). Flip the slices and let soak 5-8 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat a lightly oiled nonstick skillet or large frying pan several minutes over medium heat.

Remove the bread slices from the batter, dragging them on the edge of the baking dish to remove some of the excess batter, and place on skillet/pan in a single layer. Cook til lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until browned, another 3-5 minutes. Remove to plates for eating or hold in a warm oven, covered in a tea towel, for up to half and hour.

Serve with vegan butter, cinnamon, confectioner's sugar, maple syrup, agave nectar and whatnot.

"Rock Pudding" - Chocolate Bread Pudding - Vegan

2010-02-01T22:10:00.003-05:00

Creamy, toothsome chocolate bread pudding. Stale the bread for optimal results, and serve with a dollop of whipped soy cream or vanilla coconut ice-cream.

Note for the bread - challah, french, italian, whatever you've got, just keep the texture simple - don't use sticks and stones bread.

Rock Pudding

6 C bread, at least 1 day stale, cut to 1" cubes*
3 C non-dairy milk, divided - coconut, almond or soy are best
3 T corn starch
3 oz unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
2/3 C sugar
1 T vanilla extract
.5 t cinnamon
pinch kosher salt
pinch fine ground black ro white pepper

non-hydrogenated margarine for pan prep

*alternatively, toast fresh bread cubes lightly til dry

Lightly coat the interior of one 8- or 9-inch square pan or 10 individual 6-8-ounce oven-safe ramekins with margarine, set aside. Place bread cubes in a large bowl and leave aside. Preheat oven to 350 F.

Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat .75 C nondairy milk until just boiled and pour over chocolate. Stir briefly and then let stand 5 minutes. Stir with a fork until homogenous.

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the cornstarch with just enough non-dairy milk to create a slurry. Turn the heat to medium and whisk in the chocolate mixture, and remaining milk. Cook until sugar is dissolved and the mixture is somewhat thickened - bring to a boil but do not allow a sustained boil. whisk in the cinnamon and vanilla.

Remove from heat and cool briefly before pouring over the cubed bread. Stir lightly to coat all pieces and let stand 15 minutes for even absorption.

At this point, you may fold in chocolate chips, toasted nuts, coconut flakes, fruit or whatnot to your liking; 1-2 C of mix-ins would be appropriate.

Spread the bread mixture into the prepared pan and bake until any loose liquid is bubbling, and the top is puffy and lightly browned, about 30 mintues for a 8 x 8 pan, closer to 18 for individual ramekins. Let cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

Pineapple Upside-Down Coffee Cake - Vegan

2010-01-20T11:49:00.006-05:00

The mild sweetness of the cake is offset by the tangy pineapple and mellowed by tones of vanilla and molasses. I used cornmeal to create a more texturally interesting cake, but one can certainly replace it with white flour or corn flour for a fluffier crumb.

The "Topping"

1t non-hydrogenated margarine + more for preparing pan
.25 C brown sugar
about 1/4 of a pineapple, sliced into 1/8-1/4-inch thick pieces lengthwise

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and 1 t of the margarine with fingers until homogenous and set aside.

Coat a 8 x 8 or 9 x 9-inch square baking pan with margarine, line with parchment (leaving an overhang on two opposing sides) and coat the parchment with margarine as well. Sprinkle or spread the browns ugar mixture ovenly over the bottom of the pan. Cut pineapple slices into pieces about 4-inches long, ang arrange as picture above. Set pan aside while preparing the cake batter.

The Cake

.75 C fine-ground cornmeal
.75 C unbleached all-purpose flour
1.5 t double-acting baking powder
1/8 t ground cardamom or 1.4 t ground cinnamon

.25 C canola oil
.5 C light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/3 C granulated sugar
.5 t kosher salt

1/8 t vinegar
1 C coconut milk*
1 T vanila extract

Sift together the dry ingredients and set aside. In a separate container, stir together the wet ingredients and set aside.

Cream together the oil, sugar and salt until lighter in color and texture. With the mixer running on low speed, add the flour mixture and mix until even. Scrape the bowl well before adding the wet mixture at low speed.

Pour into prepared pan and even the top with a spatula. Gently, run the spatula across the top of the cake in an X pattern, from corner to corner. Bake 20-30 minutes, until golden brown, springy and cake-tester comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack 20 minutes before unmolding. Remove parchment paper and serve warm or at room temp.

Corn Muffins - Gluten Free, Cheatin' Vegan

2009-12-23T11:25:00.003-05:00

adapted from Babycakes : The Cookbook.

these muffins are fluffy, golden brown and just the right kind of sweet. adding pan roasted corn to the batter ups the sweetness and makes these even more toothsome. honey makes these acceptable for cheatin' vegans, but animal-friendly agave works just as well.

GF[V] Corn Muffins
makes 12 standard muffins

.75 C Bob's Red Mill GF Flour Blend
.5 C corn starch
.5 C corn meal (not coarse ground)
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 t xanthan gum
1 t kosher salt

1 t apple cider vinegar
2/3 C non-dairy milk, measured over the apple cider vinegar
.5 C canola oil
1/3 C honey
1/3 C applesauce (unsweetened)
2 t vanilla extract

optional:
.75 C frozen corn, cooked in a hot, barely oiled, pan until a bit browned on every side

Preheat oven to 325 F. Oil a 12 cup standard muffin tin and set aside.

Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients til homogenous. Stir the wet mixture into the dry, whisking til combined. If using, fold in roasted corn.

Portion batter into prepared pan and lightly brush or spray muffin tops with oil. Bake 20-23 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and/or the internal temperature is at or above 180 F. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Unmold and cool completely on wire rack.

Chocolate Cake with Berry Filling - Vegan

2009-11-09T14:54:00.013-05:00

An incredibly simple and delicious chocolate cake. Moist, light and soy-free if you say so.

Basic Chocolate Cake
makes one 8-inch round layer cake or 2 dozen standard cupcakes

2.25 C AP flour
.75 C cocoa powder (a blend of dutch and regular rocks)
1 T baking powder
.25 t ground cinnamon

.5 C canola oil
1 2/3 C sugar

.5 t apple cider vinegar
2 C non-dairy milk*, measured over the vinegar
1 T vanilla extract

*coconut milk works quite well, but a blend of soy and almond milks is fantastic

Preheat the oven to 350 and oil two 8-inch round pans or line pans for 2 dozen cupcakes.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, powder, cinnamon and pepper and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the oil and sugar until lighter in color and texture, scraping the bowl once or twice. With the mixer running on low speed, incorporate the flour mixture; process until well combined, scraping the bowl once. Add the milk mixture and vanilla and mix on low, scraping the bowl once, until well integrated.

Portion into pans and bake 30-40 minutes for rounds, 22-26 minutes for cupcakes. The cakes are ready when they spring back when lightly pressed. Cool in pans 15 minutes, cupcake pans 5 minutes, before unmolding. Cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Coating

5 oz semisweet chocolate, chips or finely chopped
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chips or finely chopped
6 fl oz non-dairy milk

1 t vanilla extract

Combine chocolates in a heatproof bowl.

Heat the milk to boiling in the microwave and pour over chocolate. Stir just to distribute the milk through the chocolate pieces and let stand, without stirring further, for 5 minutes. Starting in the center, stir the chocolate into the milk until the mixture begins to become cohesive. Increase stirring radius to homogenize the mixture. Stir in the vanilla extract.

Let cool til slightly thickened but not set before using.

Assembling the cake

1 recipe basic chocolate cake, baked in 8-inch rounds, sliced to level as needed
(if you prepared as 2 rounds, split to make 4, prepared as 3 rounds, let them be)
.5-.75C raspberry-blackberry preserves (depending on number of layers)
1 recipe chocolate coating, cooled slightly

Place one layer of cake, cut side up, on serving platter. Spread .25C of preserves evenly over cake, stopping about .25-inch short of the edge all around. Place second layer on top of coated first. Repeat the application of preserves on this round once or twice more, depending on layer number, taking care to position the final layer cut side down. The final layer should not have preserves on top.

Pour the chocolate coating onto the center of the top layer, letting the chocolate distribute itself over the cake. Egg on as needed, but do not overwork the coating. Wipe excess coating from servign platter as desired.

If desired, let the leftover coating set further until it is pipable and use a paper cone to decorate the cake top.

Kliene Apfelkuchen - Vegan, Wheat Free

2009-10-21T13:20:00.004-04:00

A slightly sweet cake with a spiced sugar and apple topping. Both the conventional and wheat free varieties are easy as all get out to prepare. Consider subbing in pears for the apple, or chopping either fruit to a small dice and folding the pieces directly into the batter, as I've done for the GF cupcakes.

Kliene Apfelkuchen
makes one 10" cake or a dozen cupcakes

for the cake
1 C AP flour
.5C white whole wheat flour
or
1.25 C oat flour
.25 C brown rice flour
1 T potato starch

2 t baking powder
.5 C non-hydrogenated vegan margarine
.5 C sugar
1/8t apple cider vinegar
.5 C non-dairy milk, measured over the vinegar
.5 C unsweetened applesauce

for the topping
2 medium baking apples (rome, cortland, empire, etc)
1 T lemon juice
.25 C light or dark brown sugar
.25 t coriander
.25 t cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350ºF for the wheat version, 325ºF for the wheat free. Oil pan(s) or line with paper cups.

Slice the apples to about 1/8" thickness and place in a microwave-safe bowl with lemon juice and water, turning to coat the pieces. Nuke on high 45-60 seconds. Remove from microwave and set aside. If making cupcakes, it is desireable at this point to chop the apple more finely to better fit the smaller cake.

Combine remaining topping ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Cream together the margarine and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Incorporate the milk and applesauce at low speed. Scrape the bowl down before sifting in the flours and baking powder. Mix at low speed just until combined.

Portion the batter into prepared pan or baking cups. Arrange apple slices on top of cake in concentric circles and spread topping evenly over the fruit. For the cupcakes, divide the apple pieces between cupcakes and top each with a tablespoon of topping. Alternatively, fold the diced small pieces into the batter, portion as above and top with brown sugar only.

Bake 30-40 minutes for the cake, 15-25 for the cupcakes. The kuchen are ready when the internal temperature exceeds 190ºF and/or a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in pans 10-15 minutes before unmolding. Let cool completely on wire rack before slicing.

Cinnamon Buns & Banana-Walnut Cinnamon Buns - Vegan

2009-10-08T12:15:00.006-04:00

Not-too sweet rolls with a cinnamon-rich brown sugar filling and a four-ingredient frosting - best breakfast around. Even more delicious is the Banana Walnut Filling, way down there at the bottom of the post.

Cinnamon Buns
makes an 8-inch round of 9 rolls

The recipe may seem complicated on first review, but you’ll find that the process itself is not highly demanding. Making the rolls the day or night before you intend to eat them (see the “overnight rolls” note) makes everything even easier.

the dough
1 C WWW flour
2 T sugar
1 t yeast
.5 C water, 110ºF

1.5 C AP flour
1 t salt
2 T canola oil
3 T water

water and AP flour as needed

the filling
2 T non-hydrogenated margarine, melted
4 T sugar
1 t molasses
.5 t brown rice syrup
pinch salt
2 t ground cinnamon

the topping
2 T non-hydrogenated margarine, melted
1 T non-dairy milk
.5 t vanilla extract
1-2 C confectioner’s sugar

the method
Combine .5 C water and the WWW flour with the yeast and sugar in the bowl of an electric stand mixer and let stand, covered, at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

Fit bowl into mixer and attach dough hook. Add remaining ingredients and mix on medium-low until combined, incorporating more water, a tablespoon at a time, as needed to create soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until a springy, slightly tacky dough forms, about 10-15 minutes, adding more flour to the dough and surface as needed. Form dough into a round and turn to coat lightly in flour. Place the round on a clean plate or sheet pan and cover with a clean, damp tea towel. Let rise until doubled in bulk, about an hour.

Meanwhile, oil an 8-inch round cake pan. Also, prepare the filling. Combine all of the filling ingredients except for the margarine in a small bowl. Use a fork or spoon to work the mixture into a uniform, slightly pasty, brown sugar. Set aside.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and press evenly with knuckles to disrupt and evenly distribute air pockets. Use a rolling pin to form the dough into a rough rectangle of about 8”x16”, with the long side parallel to your body. Brush the melted margarine over the rectangle, leaving a .75” border on the long side farthest from you. Sprinkle the sugar mixture evenly over the margarine and pat down lightly. Roll the dough tightly away from you so that the edge without the margarine forms the outer seam of the roll; press this seam to seal. Cut the roll into thirds, and each third into thirds, forming a total of 9 pieces. Fit the buns into the prepared pan and cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap.

Let rise 45-60 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Remove plastic wrap and bake rolls 30-50 minutes, until the internal temperature of the rolls reaches 180ºF and the tops of the rolls are golden brown*. Remove from oven and let cool in pan 10 minutes.

While the rolls are cooling, prepare the frosting. Use a fork to whisk together the margarine, milk and vanilla. Add as much confectioner’s sugar as is needed to form the correct consistency; a thicker frosting will sit higher on the top of the roll, which a thinner icing will seep into all the nooks and crannies.

Turn the round out onto a wire rack and then transfer, right side up, to a plate for serving. Pour or spread the frosting over the warm rolls and serve immediately.

Unfrosted rolls will keep a day or two, but frosted rolls will be a bit off after a couple of hours.

*depending on the thickness of the dough and the type of filling used, it may be necessary to cover the rolls with foil while they are baking to ensure they are cooked through without burning them. If the rolls seem to be browning too quickly, cover tightly with a sheet of foil for the last 10-15 minutes of baking. Remove the foil in the last minute to avoid sogginess.

Banana-Walnut Rolls
Throw some toasted chopped walnuts on the frosted rolls for style and crunch.

the filling
2 T non-hydrogenated margarine, melted
4 T sugar
1 t maple syrup
.5 t brown rice syrup
pinch salt
1 t ground cinnamon
1 banana, thinly sliced
.5 C walnuts, lightly toasted

Combine the sugar, maple syrup, brown rice syrup, salt and cinnamon to form a pasty brown sugar. Spread three quarters of this mixture over the dough after you’ve spread the margarine as directed in the recipe. Evenly distribute the banana slices and walnuts over the covered dough before sprinkling the remaining sugar mixture over top. Proceed with the recipe.

With this filling in particular, it may be necessary to cover the rolls with foil during the final 10-15 mintues of baking to prevent burning. The overall baking time may also increase by up to 10 minutes. Be careful when taking the temperature of the dough not to hit the filling, as the banana may appear to be uncooked dough.

overnight rolls
After fitting the rolls to the pan and covering, place the pan in the refrigerator overnight, up to 24 hours. Remove the pan from the refrigerator 2 hours prior to baking time. Proceed with baking instructions.

Lori's Zucchini Bread - Vegan

2009-09-28T10:24:00.004-04:00

This bread has been in the family for quite some time now, and the end of summer seemed a good time for veganisation. That, and I was jonesing for the deliciously moist and sweet top crust.

3 C AP flour
1.25 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon

2 C sugar
2/3 C oil
1 t salt

6 T flaxseed meal
.5 C water
1 T vanilla
.25 C non-dairy milk

2 C finely shredded zucchini

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans (preferrably glass) with non-stick cooking spray.

Sift together the dry ingredients and set aside. Whisk together the flaxseed meal and water in a small bowl and set aside.

Cream together the oil, sugar and salt until lighter in color and somewhat fluffy. With mixer on low speed, beat in the flaxseed mixture, vanilla and milk. Add the dry ingredients and beat until combined. Add the zucchini and beat 1 minute on medium-low speed.

Divide mixture evenly between prepared pans and bake, 40-60 minutes, until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

The mixing method described above works just fine; however, I've been using another method I brought home from work. Once I determine the legality of sharing it, I shall.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies - Macrobiotic

2009-09-23T10:35:00.003-04:00

rich and sweet, as cookies should be.

Macro Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
makes about one dozen cookies

.5 C brown rice syrup
.25 C canola oil
.25 C non-dairy milk
1 T flaxseed meal
.5 t salt

.5 C whole wheat or whole wheat white flour
.25 C almond meal
.5 t baking soda
.5 t cinnamon

2/3 C raisins
1.5 C old fashioned/rolled oats

Preheat oven to 325ºF.

Combine the first set of ingredients in a large bowl, whisking til well combined. Add the second set of ingredients and stir to incorporate. Stir in the raisins and oats.

Scoop 2 T portions of dough onto parchment-lined cookie sheet and flatten to about .5-inch with the palm of your hand. Bake 15-20 minutes, until golden brown and slightly crisp around the edges. Cool 2 minutes on pan before removing (with paper) to wire rack to cool completely.

Cherry-Coconut-Oatmeal Cookies - Vegan

2009-09-08T12:05:00.003-04:00

makes 10 large cookies

Hearty, soft and slightly cakey, these cookies have an mellow coconut flavor with a tart cherry counterpoint. With some dark or white chocolate chunks, these cookies could rule the world.

Cherry-Coconut-Oatmeal Cookies
makes 8-10 large cookies

.25 C oil
.5 C sugar
.5 t blackstrap molasses
.25 t salt

6 T unsweetened coconut milk
1 t vanilla extract

.75 C flour
.5 t baking powder
.5 t ground cinnamon

1.5 C old fashioned or rolled oats
.5 C dried cherries, chopped
.5 C shredded unsweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 350ºF

Sift together the flour, baking powder and cinnamon and set aside. Toss the chopped cherries in 1 t of the flor mixture and set aside.

Cream together the oil, sugar, molasses and salt until lightened and fluffy. Scrape down the mixing bowl before incorporating the coconut milk and vanilla on medium-low speed. Scrape the bowl again.

With the mixer on low speed, beat in the flour mixture in two batches, mixing until just combined. Scrape the bowl before adding the oats, cherries and coconut with the mixer running on low just until they're incorporated.

Use a scoop or .25 C measure to portion out onto parchment-lined sheet pans. Press each cookie to flatten them to about .25-inch. Bake 14-18 minutes, rotating halfway through, until light golden brown and springy when lightly pressed. Let cool 2 minutes on pans before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

Coconut Cream Pie with Pecan Crust - Vegan

2009-09-02T21:12:00.007-04:00

Makes one 9-inch or four 4-inch pies

Light coconut flavor, creamy custard, fluffy whipped cream, crispy nutty crust and just a bit of dark chocolate.

Pecan-Wheat Germ Press-In Pie Crust

1.25 C pecans, ground
.5 C raw wheat germ
2 T sugar
2 T AP flour
1 T lightly toasted unsweetened coconut
.25 t salt
3 T non-hydrogenated margarine

2 oz unsweetened chocolate

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

In a food processor, process pecans to a medium grind – some larger and smaller pieces are fine. Be careful not to overprocess to nuts into a paste. Add the remaining ingredients except for chocolate and pulse until just combined.

Press the mixture into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate (four 4-inch mini-pie plates). Bake 20-25 (12-25) minutes or until light golden brown and slightly aromatic. Cool completely.

Melt the unsweetened chocolate and drizzle or brush over the bottom of the tart shell. Let set at least 15 minutes or chill in refrigerator for at least 5 minutes before filling.

Coconut Pastry Creme
modified from the vegan chef

.25 C unbleached AP flour
.25 C garbanzo bean flour
2 C coconut milk
.5 C sugar
pinch fine ground white pepper
pinch turmeric
pinch of salt
2 T lemon juice
1 t vanilla

In a small bowl, make a slurry of the flours and .5 C milk and set aside.

In a small saucepan, whisk together the remaining milk, sugar and salt. Whisk to incorporate the flour mixture into the liquid ingredients.

Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 4-6 minutes. Whisk in the remaining ingredients and continue cook and additional minute. Remove from heat and transfer crème to a clean bowl.

Cover with plastic wrap or waxed paper, pressing the cover to the top of the crème to prevent skin formation. Cool completely before using.

Assembly

soy or rice whipped cream
baked, chocolate brushed pie shell
coconut pastry creme

Stir creme to loosen it up before folding in .5 C of whipped cream. Spread lightened creme into prepared shell. Decorate top of pie with remaining whipped cream (a simple starpoint pattern or wavy lines look lovely). Dust the top with cinnamon, drizzle with melted unsweetened chocolate or sprinkle on some toasted unsweetened shredded coconut. Chill for at least 15 minutes before serving. Cover with plastic wrap if reserving for a longer period, up to a day in the refrigerator.

Brownie Development

2009-08-26T09:56:00.009-04:00

The time has come to create my own vegan brownie recipe, fed up as I am with oily, fruity, over-moist concoctions lovingly called "fudgey brownies". So, I've consulted several sources, vegan and non, and noted their recipes and methods on a notebook page. From them I've gleaned a working recipe on which I can improve to create a moist, chewy, chocolately brownie that resisted the pitfalls of its vegan brethren.

I'm close, very close to the perfect chewy/fudgey brownie recipe. When it is complete, Cakey will be up next, along with the elusive and delicious Blondie bar.

The Method

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Oil a 8 x 8-inch pan. Lay a wide strip of parchment accross pan so that it covers the bottom of the pan as well as two opposing sides. Lightly oil the parchment and set the pan aside.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and pepper and set aside.

Chop the unsweeted chocolate well and combine with oil and cocoa powder in a medium, microwave safe bowl. Nuke at high power in 20 second intervals, stirring well after each with a spatula, until almost melted and stir until smooth - the carryover heat with resolve any lumps. Set aside to cool slightly

In a large bowl, cream together the sugar, salt, milk and vanilla until well combined. Whisk in the chocolate mixture. Stir in the flour mixture in three batches, mixing until combined.

Pour into prepared pan and bake 40 minutes. Remove to wire rack and cool, in pan, 15 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely before slicing.

The Recipes

Brownies 1.0
3T oil
6 oz unsweetened chocolate
.25 C cocoa powder
.5 C non-dairy milk
.25 t salt
1.5 C sugar
2 t vanilla
1 C flour
.25 t powder
pinch white pepper

pros: rich, chocolately, not oily

cons: too dark and dense, not sweet enough, poor mouth-feel

resolve: decrease unsweetened chocolate, melt more carefully to prevent burning, increase sugar content.

Brownies 2.0
.25 C oil
3.5 oz unsweetened chocolate
.25 C cocoa
.25 t salt
1.75 C sugar
.5 C non-dairy milk
1 T vanilla
.5 C unbleached AP flour
.5 C whole wheat white flour (or AP flour)
.5 t baking powder
pinch white pepper

pros: rich, moist verging on fudgey, not oily, a good balance of dark chocolate and sweetness

cons: an odd bottom crust, slightly too moist center – increased sugar content = candylike composition as opposed to cakelike? used foil rather than parchment - wonked the temperature?
resolve: improve creaming method, decrease milk slightly, use parchment

Brownies 3.0
.25 C oil
3.5 oz unsweetened chocolate
.25 C cocoa
.25 t salt
1.75 C sugar
6 T non-dairy milk
1 T vanilla
.5 C unbleached AP flour
.5 C whole wheat white flour (or AP flour)
.5 t baking powder
pinch white pepper

untested

Deep Dish Vegetable Tart

2009-08-26T09:23:00.002-04:00

makes one 10-inch tart

The dough for this tart is simple to make and the tart itself is just as delicious flat out and free-form as it is seated in the pan. Naturally, the filling is a matter of personal preference, and great liberties can and should be taken. Once baked, serve the tart warm or at room temperature, indoors or out – it makes great picnic fare.

Soft Tart Dough
This dough can be made a day or two ahead of time and refrigerated, or frozen for up to a month (defrost over night in the refrigerator before using).

.5 C water, heated to 100-110ºF
.5 t active dry yeast
1/8 t sugar

1.5 C unbleached AP flour
.5 C white whole wheat flour or additional AP flour
1 t kosher salt
2T olive oil
2-4 T water

flour and cornmeal, for dusting

Combine the water, yeast and sugar in the bowl or a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Let stand 5-10 minutes, until foamy.

Add flours, salt, oil and 1 T of water to the yeast mixer and mix on low speed until combined; add more water as needed to create a uniform, slightly tacky dough. Increase speed to medium-low and mix 5-8 minutes to develop a smooth dough. It may be necessary to add a little more flour now and then to prevent the dough from sticking.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly before rounding. Place in a medium, oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and set aside to rise until doubled in bulk, 1-2 hours.

The dough is now ready to use.

The Filling

1 small head garlic
1 yellow onion
1 medium carrot
2 pattypan squash
.5 C fire-roasted diced tomatoes, well drained (about half a can)
olive oil

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Remove the papery outer skins and cut the tops from the garlic cloves. Place garlic in a medium square of aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil. Bake until very tender, 30-40 minutes. Unwrap and let cool slightly before squeezing the cloves from the skins and mashing with a fork.

Meanwhile, halve and finely slice the onion crosswise. Peel and trim the carrot and slice thinly into rounds. Halve the squash and remove the seedy center. Cut crosswise into 1/8-1/4-inch slices. Toss squash with a little bit of salt and set aside.

Preheat a tablespoon of olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Add carrot, spreading slices into a single layer, and cook a minute or so without disturbing. Give the pan a shake to unseat and flip the carrots. Add the onion and a sprinkling of salt and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft and golden brown and the carrot is tender. Remove onion and carrot mixture to a bowl and return the pan to the heat.

Oil the pan very lightly. Arrange squash slices in pan in a single layer (two or three batches may be necessary). Cook, without disturbing, until the edged brown a bit. Flip slices and continue cooking until tender and nicely browned. Remove to a bowl or plate while preparing the remaining slices.

The Tart

Preheat oven to 450ºF

Lightly oil the sides of a 10-inch springform pan and dust the bottom with cornmeal.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a 14-inch round. Fit the dough to the prepared pan, pressing the edges to the sides of the pan to create a lip about 1.5-inches tall all around.

Drizzle the center of the tart with about a tablespoon of olive oil and spread it around with a fork or your fingers. Spread the mashed roasted garlic evenly over dough. Arrange a single layer of squash slices over the garlic, and about half the diced tomatoes over that. Distribute half the onion-carrot mixture over the tart, followed by the remaining squash, the tomatoes, and the rest of the onions and carrots. Top it all off with some freshly ground black pepper.

Bake 20-30 minutes, until the edges are nicely browned. Cool slightly before slicing and serving.

Vanilla Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting and Dark Chocolate Ganache

2009-08-10T15:50:00.009-04:00

Vanilla Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting and Dark Chocolate Ganache
“vegan kandy kake”

The peanut-butter and chocolate flavor combination is indisputably delicious, and the addition of a light vanilla cake elevates this pairing from a sweet snack to a luscious dessert. Anyone who grew up in the Northeast United States should be familiar with the Tasty Baking Company’s classic snack cakes, KandyKakes – small rounds of vanilla cake with a peanut butter topping enrobed in milk chocolate. This is a vegan version of those sweet snacks, with a sliceable size that makes it much easier to share.

The Cake
Basic Vanilla Cake
makes two 8-inch rounds or two dozen cupcakes

3 C unbleached all-purpose flour
1 T baking powder
.5 C oil
1 2/3 C sugar
.5 t salt
2 C non-dairy milk
1 T vanilla

Preheat oven to 350

Lightly oil 2 8-inch round pans, line bottoms with rounds of parchment paper and lightly oil parchment; set aside.

Sift together the flours and baking powder into a medium bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together oil and sugar with paddle attachment until lighter in color and texture, about 5-10 minutes. Scrape the bowl before incorporating the vanilla. Reduce speed to low and beat in 1 C of the milk. Stop and scrape the bowl completely. Add half of the flour mixture and beat on low until just combined; scrape the bowl before returning to low speed to just incorporate the remaining milk. Add the remaining flour mixture, beating on low until just combined. Remove bowl from mixer and scrape with a spatula to ensure homogeneity.

Portion batter into prepared pans and bake, 30-50 minutes, until the top of the cake springs back when lightly pressed and a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Cool in pans on wire rack 10 minutes before inverting onto rack; right the cakes to cool completely before icing and assembling.

The Filling
Peanut Butter Frosting
makes about 1.5 C

.25 C non-hydrogenated margarine
2 T non-hydrogenated shortening
.5 C creamy natural peanut butter
1 t vanilla extract
1/8 t salt
1.25 C confectioner’s sugar
1-2 T non-dairy milk

In a medium bowl, beat together the margarine and shortening until well combined. Beat in the peanut butter, molasses, vanilla, and salt on high for several minutes until well combined. With mixer on low, beat in sugar gradually; once sugar is fully incorporated, raise speed to high and beat 5-7 minutes, until lighter in color and texture. Add milk and beat until fluffy.

Use immediately or refrigerate, covered, for 3 days. Allow frosting to come to room temperature and beat lightly before use.

The Coating
Basic Chocolate Ganache
makes 2 C

12 oz semi-sweet chocolate pieces
.5-2/3 C non-dairy milk
1 t vanilla extract

Combine chocolates in a heatproof bowl. Scald milk over high heat and pour over chocolate, reserving a few tablespoons for adjustment. Let mixture stand about half a minute before stirring with a rubber spatula until well combined, adding the remaining milk as needed to create a smooth ganache. It may be necessary to briefly microwave the mixture to melt the chocolate completely – do so with caution as you do not want to overheat the chocolate. Heat the bowl in 10-15 second intervals, stirring well after each, just until the mixture is smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract.

Use the ganache immediately.

The Assembly

Slice the domed tops from cooled cakes. Place one cake, cut side up, on a cake round. Spread Peanut Butter Frosting over top of cake only, leaving the sides clean. Place second cake, cut side down, on top of frosted cake. Pour warm ganache onto the cake and spread with an offset spatula to create a smooth, even coat. Let cool at room temperature until ganache is set. Store at room temperature for up to one day or refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Cinnamon-Bun Ice Cream - Vegan

2009-03-28T23:49:00.004-04:00

Cinnamon-Bun Ice Cream
modified from Veganomicon
makes about 1.5 quarts

2 C plain, unsweetened soy milk
1 1/3 C raw sugar
1 half vanilla bean, scraped

12 oz silken tofu (1 pkg Nori-Mu brand)
1 C coconut cream (spooned from top of canned coconut milk)
2 t ground cinnamon
1 t pure vanilla extract
pinch ground nutmeg
pinch ground ginger

2 T maple butter
1 t blackstrap molasses

Combine the milk and sugar in a medium sauce pan over medium heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and stirr in vanilla bean scraping. Let cool until warm.

In blender, combine tofu, coconut cream, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, ginger and about 6 oz of milk mixture. Process until very smooth.

Place maple butter and molasses in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in remaining milk mixture, making sure that all the butter and molasses are dissolved. Stir, do not whisk, in the blended mixture until color is uniform.

Chill at least 2 hours or overnight before freezing in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's unstructions.

Consume soft-serve just after churning or portion into containers and freeze 2 hours for scoopable ice cream.

JT Cookies - Vegan

2009-03-28T23:48:00.002-04:00

JT Cookies
the best vegan chocolate chip cookies I've made yet.
makes nearly 2 dozen small cookies

.25 C flaxseed meal
6 T water
2/3 C oil
.25 C plain, unsweetened non-dairy milk
2 C sugar
2 T molasses
1 t salt
1 T pure vanilla extract
3 C flour
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
2 C semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Creaming method. Incorporate the milk into the sugar along with the oil and molasses.

Bake at 350ºF on lined sheets until light golden brown, 12-14 minutes.

Whole Wheat
This recipes lends itself to whole wheat adaptation very easily. One can replace up to 2/3 of flour with whole wheat white flour without noticably affecting the flavor.

Soy-Free
simply use a non-soy milk (plain, unsweetened almond is excellent) and allergen-free chocolate. Enjoy Life brand has some very tasty chocolate chips that are available at many mega-marts.

Gluten-Free
in progress

Orange-Pecan
1 C chopped bittersweet chocolate
1 C chopped, lightly toasted pecans
1 T orange zest

BFD - Vegan

2009-02-04T10:17:00.007-05:00

BFD
January Cookie of the Month
makes 18 large cookies

1.5 C whole wheat white or AP flour
1 t baking soda

.25 C ground flaxseed
6 T water

.5 C oil
1 t salt
1 C sugar
1 T molasses
1/3 C maple syrup

1 C chocolate chunks
1 C dried fruit
1 C nuts/seeds
.5 C medium-shred unsweetened coconut
1 C barley flakes
.5 C old fashioned oats

Use the Creaming Method with Oil.

Add mix-ins in two batches.

Scoop onto parchment lined sheets, about 8 to a sheet when arranged creatively. Press with damp palm to flatten to between .25 and .5 -inch thick.

Bake at 350ºF for 12-14 minutes, until golden and just browning at the edges.

Mixing Methods - Cookies

2009-02-04T09:51:00.008-05:00

In all formulas, it is essential that all ingredients be scaled/measured as accurately as possible and that they be at room temperature. Refrigerated items can be safely left out at room temperature for up to 2 hours to come to temperature.

Measure ingredients, prepare pans and being preheating oven before beginning mixing.

Creaming Method with Oil

Stir together flour and other dry ingredients, excluding salt; set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flaxseed or commercial egg replacer and water; if using yogurt, leave aside; if using eggs, break into small bowl and whisk with a fork just to break yolks, set aside.

With a paddle attachment, beat together fat, sugars and salt in a large mixing bowl at medium-high speed until lighter in color and finer in texture, about 4-8 minutes; taste the mixture for doneness – it should be just a mite grainy and the sugar should crunch only slightly. If melted chocolate is being used, it may be added during this stage.

Reduce mixer speed to low and add any liquid flavorings (extracts). With mixer running, slowly add flax/replacer mixture/yogurt/eggs. Mix until just combined. Stop mixer and scrape down bowl.

With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in three batches, waiting until each is just combined before adding the next. Scrape bowl in between additions.

If using, stir in mix-ins in one or two batches, according to recipe.

Chill, if necessary, portion, bake and cool.

Frozen Dessert Factors and Ingredients

2009-01-30T22:23:00.003-05:00

Factors/Ingredients

MILKS – the basis of most frozen desserts, vegan and conventional.

cow milk is the conventional base of most ice creams and produces a consistent product. It is widely available, inexpensive and comes in a variety of forms: heavy cream, ½ + ½ , whole, 2%, 1% and skim (nonfat). A number of yogurts are also widely available to the average consumer, including plain, flavored and Greek-style. Not acceptable for vegans or the lactose intolerant.

goat, sheep and waterbuffalo milks are available in limited varieties in many natural food stores and large supermarkets. The smaller selection of grades is largely irrelevant to ice cream production, as whole milk provides adequate fat for most recipes. Yogurts produced from these milks also make frozen yogurt a possibility. Not acceptable for vegans. Goat milk is acceptable for some lactose intolerant.

soy milk and soy creamer can be effectively combined to take the place of animal milk in many recipe conversions. While a “plain” flavor creamer is available, all are as yet sweetened, a factor that can be compensated for by reducing added sugar in converted recipes. The stabilizers in both soy milk and soy creamer mimic the thickness of animal milk well and produce a smooth mouth feel when churned correctly. Acceptable for vegans and the lactose intolerant.

almond, hemp, oat, and rice milks can be used in addition to other, higher fat milks to produce a smooth, rich ice cream. The combination is essential, as their individual qualities are generally thin. These milks generally have distinct flavors that can be used well to enhance the flavors of the complete recipe. Acceptable for vegans and the lactose intolerant.

coconut milk is usable in ice cream both on its own and in combination with other milks, dairy or non-dairy that have low fat content. To utilize the coconut fat best, refrigerate the milk in its can overnight. Skim the thick white milk from the top and use in ice cream batter; put the clear coconut water to other use. Coconut milk has a distinct flavor which works well on its own and in concert with other flavors in recipes. Acceptable for vegans and the lactose intolerant.

EMULSIFIERS – contribute to the richness and smoothness of ice cream products. Overuse of any emulsifier can result in an uncomfortable inhibition of melting in ice cream products.

eggs are a v basic emulsifier used in traditional European ice cream recipes. Yolks not only being batters together, but also contribute to richness and smoothness with their high fat content. Egg whites are sometimes used in gelatos and cooked ice creams, and contribute a lightness as well as a closeness of texture to the products their used in. Not acceptable for vegans.

plant gums (guar or agar), xanthan gum (produced from the dead husks of specific bacteria), and plant starches (tapioca, corn, potato, arrowroot) are excellent stand-ins for eggs in dairy or non-dairy ice creams. Soy Lecithin is also a good option, but is less widely avaible. These should be used in moderation, according to set ratios, as many are unaccustomed to their texture. Acceptable for vegans.

FAT CONTENT – contributes to richness, flavor. Too high a fat content can result in a displeasing grainy, globular texture in ice cream products; too low a fat content can result in a too-hard, thin-flavored product.

Whole milks, coconut milk, egg yolks can all be used to increase fat content in ice creams. Pure cocoa butter, used properly is also excellent for this purpose. Whole milk and egg yolks are not acceptable for vegans; coconut milk and pure, certified vegan cocoa butter are acceptable for vegans.

SWEETENERS – contribute to flavor and are a hallmark of frozen desserts.

Granulated sugar, evaporated cane juice and raw (demeraro) sugar are the most commonly used sweeteners and can be use interchangeable in recipes. The latter two contribute a richness of flavor due to their molasses content and are acceptable for vegans. The first (granulated sugar) has a light, unobtrusive flavor and is not acceptable for vegans. Similar to granulated sugar in flavor and sweetness is beet sugar, which is acceptable for vegans.

Agave Nectar – excellent in recipes designed to showcase its unique smoothness and flavor. Use in place of other liquid sweeteners. Acceptable for vegans.

Frozen Dessert Types and Qualities

2009-01-30T22:13:00.005-05:00

Types of frozen desserts
as recipes/individual methods are posted, ice cream headings will be turned into links

Ice Cream – A frozen dessert consisting of milk and/or cream, sugar, flavorings and sometimes eggs. The unfrozen ice cream is called “batter” and is prepared and then chilled before churning and freezing. Ice creams are churned by machine or by hand and are served either soft (directly after churning) or hard (frozen for several hours after churning).

American Traditional/Philadelphia-Style Ice Cream – churned ice cream containing no eggs.

French Style Ice Cream – churned ice cream containing egg yolks, prepared in the manner of Crème Anglaise.

Ice – crushed ice that is drizzled with sweetened, flavored syrup or fruit juice.

Ice Milk – v. low fat churned ice cream made with whole or low-fat milk, containing no eggs or other additional fats.

Gelato – churned Italian ice cream made with whole milk, sometimes with egg whites and never with cream. characterized by a v. light, smooth texture and quick melting.

Granite – mixture of water, sugar, fruit juice or other flavoring that is frozen in shallow pans and occasionally agitated but not churned. characterized by the bright texture of large ice crystals.

Semifreddo – a light-textured semi-frozen dessert. includes ice cream cakes, frozen custards, some fruit tarts and ice cream sandwiches made brioche or pastry.

Sorbetto – a churned dessert of water, fruit/fruit juice and sugar. contains no milk, cream or eggs.

Sherbet – fruit ice cream.

Frozen Yogurt – low fat churned ice cream with yogurt in place of higher-fat dairy products.

Qualities

smoothness – texture determined by ice crystal size.
small crystals = smooth texture, large crystals = coarse texture

ice creams are frozen rapidly while being constantly agitated (churned), creating small ice crystals. uniformly small crystal size maintained by proper storage at a consistent, sub-freezing degree.

granites are frozen slowly with occasional agitation, forming large crystals

overrun – during the churning process, air is incorporated into the freezing batter, resulting in an increase in volume. the difference in volume between the un-churned batter and the final product is expressed as a percentage of the original volume.

e.g. A batter that increases from 1 C unchurned to 1.5 C frozen product would be said to have 50% overrun.

In commercial production, ice creams run the gamut from 20% overrun (premium ice creams) to 100% overrun (lower grade or dietic ice creams).

mouth feel – the mouth feel of an ice cream product is described by its richness, speed of melting and smoothness. The primary factors in mouth feel of a product is the fat content, the inclusion of emulsifiers (eggs or plant gums) and the products overrun percentage. Generally, high fat products are heavier and richer in feel and melt slowly; low fat products are lighter and melt more quickly.

storage – ice cream products should be stored at a consistently sub-freezing temperature and not allowed to melt and refreeze, which causes large, uneven crystals to form.

Praline Popcorn - Vegan

2009-01-09T16:21:00.007-05:00

Praline Popcorn
makes about 9 cups
modified from Everyday Food October 2007 (MSLO)

.25 C non hydrogenated margarine, plus more for baking sheet
10 C popped popcorn , plain and unsalted (from a bit less than .5 C raw kernels)
1 C hazelnuts, pecans or a combination of the two, coarsely chopped
.5 C raw sugar
1 t molasses
1/8 t kosher salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Coat large rimmed baking sheet with margarine, set aside. Place parchment paper or silpat in another large rimmed baking sheet, set aside. Place popcorn in a large bowl with hazelnuts and pecans.

In a small saucepan, bring margarine, sugar, molasses, salt, and 2 tablespoons water to a boil, stirring constantly just until sugar is dissolved. Working quickly, drizzle popcorn with sugar syrup, and toss to homogenize the mixture.

Spread popcorn evenly on prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden and beginning to crisp, about 40 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. The popcorn and nuts will retain individuality, rather than becoming a solid mass. Transfer hot popcorn to parchment-paper-lined baking sheet and let cool before consuming or packaging.

Keep in airtight container up to 1 week.

Panettone - Vegan

2008-12-22T13:49:00.002-05:00

Panettone
modified from Parsnip Parsimony
makes one 6-inch round

1 t active dry yeast
5 oz warm water (110ºF), divided

5oz sugar, divided
1 t kosher salt
8 oz firm silken tofu
3/8 t soy lecithin granules
1.5 oz vegetable oil
1/8 t turmeric
1/8 t ground white pepper
1/8 t poulty seasoning blend
zest 1/2 lemon
zest 1/2 lime
zest 1/2 orange

17.8 oz AP flour, divided
.2 oz vital wheat gluten

4 oz dried fruit (cranberries, currants, raisins, golden raisins, figs)
enough warm water and/or orange juice to just cover the fruit

pinch xanthan gum
pinch kosher salt
2 t sugar
1 oz soy milk

See pan prep procedure here.

In a large bowl, combine yeast with 4 ounces warm water and set aside in a warm place until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add .5 t sugar and 2 oz flour to the yeast mixture and stir to combine; cover loosely with a moist tea towel or plastic wrap. Set aside to ferment at room temperature 30 minutes to one hour, or refrigerated overnight.

Whisk together remaining flour with the vital wheat gluten; set aside.

Process remaining sugar, salt, tofu, lecithin, oil, pepper, turmeric and citrus zests in a food processor until very smooth, scraping down sides of bowl at least once. Stir the tofu mixture into the yeast mixture until smooth. Stir in three quarters of the flour mixture, adding the remaining 1 ounce water if needed to maintain proper moisture; the full volume will likely be unecessary. Turn dough out onto lightly floured board and knead to incorporate remaining flour mixture. Continue kneading until a smooth dough forms, about 10 minutes. Dough should spring back when gently pressed.

Round and place in a lightly oiled pan or bowl and cover with a moistened tea towel. Place pan in a warm place to rise until doubled in bulk, about 50 minutes.

Punch down and re-round dough; return to pan, cover and raise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, an additional 50 minutes.

Meanwhile, place dried fruit in a medium bowl, cover with warm water and/or orange juice and set aside to plump, at least 30 minutes. Drain fruit well before incorporating.

Turn dough out onto a very lightly floured surface. Punch down and press gently out into a rough rectangle. Sprinkle dough with half of the drained fruit, pressing lightly to embed them. Fold dough as if a tri-fold letter: top third down over the center third, lower third folded over both. Again, pat out dough into a small rough rectangle and repeat process with remaining fruit. Knead lightly to evenly distribute fruit. Round the dough and drop, seam side down, into prepared pan. Cover with oiled plastic wrap or damp tea towel and proof in a warm place 30-40 minutes, until doubled in bulk.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350ºF.

Whisk together xanthan gum, soy milk and sugar. Brush top of loaf with xanthan mixture. Using a very sharp blade in as few strokes as possible, cut a .25-inch deep X into the top of the loaf. Bake 40 minutes to an hour, until browned and internal temperature reaches 190ºF. Cover top with parchment or foil if it begins to brown too quickly.

Remove from oven and cool in pan 15 minutes. Unmold and cool completely on wire rack before slicing or storing.

Challah - Vegan - in process

2008-12-14T21:44:00.002-05:00

Challah
makes two braided loaves
modified from Parsnip Parsimony

1.25 t active dry yeast
5 oz warm water (110ºF), divided

1 oz sugar, divided
1 t kosher salt
8 oz firm silken tofu
3/8 t soy lecithin granules
1.5 oz vegetable oil
pinch turmeric
pinch ground white pepper

17.8 oz AP flour, divided
.2 oz vital wheat gluten

pinch xanthan gum
pinch kosher salt
2 oz soy milk
poppy seeds, sesame seeds, cracked black pepper or other topping

Line two half sheet pans with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine yeast with 4 ounces warm water and set aside in a warm place until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add .5 t sugar and 2 oz flour to the yeast mixture and stir to combine; cover loosely with a moist tea towel or plastic wrap. Set aside to ferment 30 minutes or place in refrigerator/retarder overnight (bring to room temp before using).

Whisk together remaining flour with the vital wheat gluten; set aside.

Process remaining sugar, salt, tofu, lecithin, oil, pepper and turmeric in a food processor until very smooth, scraping down sides of bowl at least once. Stir the tofu mixture into the yeast mixture until smooth. Stir in three quarters of the flour mixture, adding the remaining 1 ounce water as needed to maintain proper moisture. Turn dough out onto lightly floured board and knead to incorporate remaining flour mixture. Continue kneading until a smooth dough forms, about 10 minutes. Dough should spring back when gently pressed.

Round dough and place in a lightly oiled pan or bowl and cover with a moistened tea towel. Place pan in a warm place to rise until doubled in bulk, about 50 minutes.

Punch down, knead briefly and re-round dough; return to pan, cover and raise until doubled in bulk, an additional 50 minutes.

Turn dough out onto a very lightly floured surface and punch down. Divide dough into either ten or six even pieces; make two braids, or either five or three pieces each. Place each on individual prepared sheets. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or damp tea towel and let rise 40-50 minutes, until double in bulk.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350ºF.

Whisk together xanthan gum, salt and soy milk. Brush over top of braids and sprinkle with topping of choice. Bake 40 minutes to an hour, until browned and internal temperature reaches 190ºF.

Remove from oven and cool completely on wire rack before slicing or storing.

Camp Food - Vegan

2008-12-11T18:20:00.007-05:00

Thanksgiving week, I backpacked in western PA from Pine Grove Furnace State Park to Caledonia State Park via the Appalachian Trail. We accomplished 20 miles in two days, spending one night out in a PATC shelter. Our food consisted of complete protein cookies, oatmeal with raisins, cous cous with veggies, apples, and tea. Here follows the recipes for the first three items.

Couscous with Veggies
per person, per day
.5 C whole wheat couscous
.5 C dried vegetables (Just Veggies brand sold at many Whole Foods and REI stores)
pinch kosher salt
pinch crushed red pepper flakes
pinch garlic powder
1 vegetable boullion cube, crushed

Combine ingredients in a resealable plastic bag, leaving airspace. Shake to combine. Open bag slightly to release excess air. Store up to a month at room temperature.

Constitute: Pour individual portion into sierra cup. Cover with .25-inch of boiling water and stir. Cover and let stand 5 minutes. Stir and eat.

Chocolate-Cranberry-Pumpkin Seed-Peanut Butter-Barley Cookies
(Complete Protein Camp Cookies)
makes 18 large cookies

.5 C non-hydrogenated, creamy peanut butter (not natural-style)
.5 C brown sugar
2 T maple syrup
1 t kosher salt

2 T flaxseed meal
3 T water

.75 C whole wheat white flour
.75C AP flour
1 t baking soda

1 C barley flakes
.5 C instant oatmeal flakes
1 C raw pumpkin seeds, hulled (pepitas)
1 C dried cranberries
1 C chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flaxseed meal and water. Use as an egg.

Creaming method with additions.

Scoop by .25-C measure onto a lined baking sheet. Bake until light golden brown and set, about 12-14 minutes, rotating halfway through. Cool completely before storing.

Oatmeal Mix
per person, per day

.5 C instant oatmeal
.25 C raisins or dried cranberries
1 T toasted wheat germ
pinch salt
pinch ground cinnamon

Combine ingredients in a resealable plastic bag, leaving airspace. Shake to combine. Open bag slightly to release excess air. Store up to a month at room temperature.

Constitute: Pour individual portion into sierra cup. Cover with boiling water and stir; depending on preference, you may just cover or add up to .25-inch of water on top of mixture. Cover and let stand 2 minutes before consuming.

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake - Conventional

2008-11-20T18:38:00.005-05:00

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake
makes one 9-inch cheesecake
modified from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook

for the crust:
2 C graham cracker crumbs, fine
.5 C pecans, chopped fine
1/8 t ground allspice
1/8 t ground ginger
1/8 t ground cloves
.25 t ground cinnamon
3 oz unsalted butter

for the filling:

1 C + 2 T granulated sugar
.25 C AP flour
.25 t ground allspice
.25 t ground ginger
1/8 t ground nutmeg
1 t ground cinnamon

.75 C roasted pumpkin/winter squash puree

1.75 lb cream cheese
.5 C sour cream
1 t vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk

equipment:
9-inch springform pan
roasting pan

Bring all filling ingredients to room temperature. Dairy and eggs may be left out at room temperature for up to 2 hours to bring to temperature.

Preheat oven to 350ºF

make the crust:
In a medium bowl, stir together the cracker crumbs, pecans and spices. Melt butter; pour over crumb mixture and stir to combing. Press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake until lightly toasted and fragrant, 10-12 minutes. Let cool completely.

Once cooled, wrap sides and bottom of pan in a double layer of aluminum foil.

make the filling:
Combine spices in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, stir together sugar, flour and a quarter of the spice mixture; set aside. Into the first bowl, stir the pumpkin/winter squash puree until incorporated.

In a large bowl, whip the cream cheese with an electric mixer until fluffy. With mixer on low speed, gradually add the sugar mixture and beat until smooth. Incorporate sour cream and vanilla. Add the eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, beating after each addition just to combine; DO NOT OVERMIX. Scrape down bowl and stir mixture with spatula just to homogenize.

Add 1.5 C filling to the pumpkin mixture and stir to combine.

Pour about .5-inch of plain filling into the cooled crust. Place several large dollops of pumpkin filling around the pan; swirl with a butter knife. Pour remainder of plain filling over swirled filling, covering all visible pumpkin. Dollop remaining pumpkin filling evenly over plain; with a clean butterknife, swirl.

Place pan in the bottom of a large roasting pan. Pour or ladle enough boiling water into pan to come halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan.

Bake in water bath 30 minutes at 350ºF. Reduce oven temperature to 325ºF and continue baking until the center remains jiggly but the edge of the cake is set and just beginning to turn golden brown, about 30-40 minutes. Turn off oven and prop door open with a folded tea towel. Let cool in oven 1 hour before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

Cover and refrigerate overnight before serving, to allow cake to set, flavor to mature.

Fudge Brownies - Conventional

2008-11-18T19:18:00.005-05:00

Fudge Brownies
modified from MSL February 2004
makes one 8 x 8-inch pan

3 oz unsalted butter
6 oz chocolate (semi-sweet and bittersweet blend)
.25 C non-dutched cocoa powder
.5 C flour
.25 t baking powder
1 C sugar
2 large eggs
2 t vanilla extract
.25 t salt

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Butter a 8 x 8-inch square glass baking dish. Line dish with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on two sides; butter lining, excluding overhang.

Sift together flour and baking powder, set aside.

Combine butter, chocolate and cocoa powder in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave 1-2 minutes on medium power, stirring every 30 seconds. Once most of the chocolate is melted, remove from microwave and stir until all pieces are dissolved. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, whip together sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt until the mixture is pale and light in texture. Add chocolate mixture and beat just to combine. Sift in flour mixture and beat just to combine. Scrape down bowl and stir with a spatula to homogenize the mixture.

Pour into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a knife inserted halfway between side and center comes out almost clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely. Slice after fully cooled.

For optimal flavor, store brownies in an airtight container overnight before serving.

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls - Vegan

2008-11-12T18:41:00.004-05:00

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
modified from The Pioneer Woman Cooks
makes three 8-inch round or 8 x 8 square pans

dough:
2 C non-dairy milk
.5 C canola oil
.5 C granulated sugar
2.25 t active dry yeast
4.5 C AP flour, Divided
.5 heaping t baking powder
.5 scant t baking soda
1.5 t salt (K)

filling:
.5 C non-hydrogenated vegan margaine, melted
..5 C granulated sugar
.5 C light brown sugar
3 T cinnamon
1 T ground ginger, allspice and/or cloves

topping:
.25 C apricot preserves

frosting:
1 lb (4 C) confectioner’s sugar
2 T non-hydrogenated vegan margarine, melted
2 t orange, lemon, vanilla or maple extract

Combine soymilk, oil, and 1 cup of sugar in a large pot. Scald the mixture and immediately remove from heat. Let cool for 50-60 minutes, until mixture is lukewarm and has fallen below 115ºF.

Stir in the yeast and let stand for 5 minutes. Add 4 C flour and stir to combine. Cover and let stand at room temperature 1 hour.

Stir in remaining .5 C flour, powder, soda and salt. Turn dough out onto a well floured surface. Punch down/fold the dough; knead gently until smooth and slightly elastic. Cover with oiled plastic wrap or damn tea towel and let rise 1 hour.*

Lightly oil three 8-inch round or 8 x 8-inch square pans; set aside.

On a well floured surface, roll the mass into a long, thin rectangle, about 20 inches long. The exact dimensions are not vital; the important thing is for the dough to be uniformly .25-inch thick. Brush rectangle with melted margarine, leaving a 1-inch border along one long edge. Sprinkle brushed area with sugar mixture and press lightly to adhere.

Beginning with the long edge nearest you, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. Pinch the seam to seal. Use unwaxed, unflavored dental floss or a sharp serrated blade to slice log into 1-inch pieces. Arrange in prepared pans. Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap and proof in refrigerator overnight (at least 8 hours, up to 16).

Let pans of rolls stand at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Bake pans until the rolls are golden brown, 20-30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in pans on wire racks until warm. Heat the apricot jam in a small bowl in the microwave until viscous but not bubbling; brush over top of warm cinnamon buns and let set before frosting. Frost and let cool further before serving.

*At this point, instead of resting on the counter, the dough can be placed in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to two days. Bring to room temperature before proceeding with rolling process.

Caramel Nut Bars - Conventional

2008-11-08T11:24:00.007-05:00

Caramel Pecan Bars
Modified from Martha Stewart Baking Handbook
Makes a 10 x 15-inch pan

crust:
8 oz unsalted butter
.75 C packed brown sugar
1/8 t salt (K)
1.75 C AP flour
.5 C raw oat bran

filling:
3 C sugar
.75 t cream of tartar
2 t salt (K)
.75 C water
.75 C heavy cream
1 lb pecan halves

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Toast pecans in an ungreased sheet pan until lightly browned and fragrant, about 10-12 minutes; let cool completely before coarsely chopping. Set aside.

Butter 10 x 15-inch pan. Line with parchment, leaving 1-inch overhang on long sides.

Crust:
Creaming method.

Drop into pan and cover with another piece of parchment. Use hands, lightly, back of large spoon or measuring cup or empty bottle to press dough evenly into pan, creating a .25-inch lip all around. Remove parchment and bake until light golden all over, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely in pan on wire rack.

Filling:
In a large saucepan, stir to combine sugar, cream of tartar, salt and water. Cook over high heat, without stirring or agitating, until sugar is completely dissolved. Lower heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture reaches 300ºF and is medium amber.

Reduce heat to low and immediately add cream; pour in a steady stream towards the edge of the pan, stirring constantly. The mixture will foam considerably. Raise heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, an additional 3-5 minutes, until foaming is reduced and the caramel begins to boil again. Remove from heat and let cool 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add prepared pecans to caramel and stir to coat. Pour into prepared crust, spread evenly to coat. Bake until caramel is set, 10-25 minutes. Let cool completely on wire rack.

Chill 10-15 minutes before removing from pan to cutting board for slicing.

Store refrigerated, serve at room temp.

Pressure Cooker Apple Sauce - Vegan

2008-10-26T18:57:00.006-04:00

Pressure Cooker Apple Sauce
modified from Pressure Perfect by Lorna Sass
yields approximately 3.5 cups

.75 C water
2 lbs mixed apples (winesap, cortland, empire, braeburn, smokehouse)
one of the following: 3 sticks cinnamon, 8 whole cardamom pods, 1 t ground coriander, 6 whole cloves

Peel, core and quarter the apples. If using apples of inequal size, cut larger units into eights.

Combine water and spices in a 6 quart or larger pressure cooker. Add the prepared apples.

Lock the lid in place. Over high heat, bring cooker to high pressure; immediately turn off heat. Allow the pressure to come down naturally for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the lid.

Remove whole spices from cooker and discard. Use a slotted spoon to remove apples from cooker to the bowl of a food processor. Pour about .25 cup juices from cooker over apples; pour remainder into a separate container and reserve. Let apples cool for 5-8 minutes before processing. Purée apples until fine, 2-3 minutes on high speed, adding reserved juices as necessary to smooth the sauce.

Pour into sterilised jars, leaving .5-inch headspace. Lid jars and process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool, undisturbed, for 24 hours before labelling and storing.

Sunflower Honey Brittle - Almost Vegan

2008-10-20T18:35:00.007-04:00

Sunflower Honey Brittle
adapted from the urban vegan
makes one 12 x 17-inch sheet

1.5 C granulated sugar
.25 C corn cyrup
.25 C clover honey
1/8 t kosher salt
.25 C water

2.5 C raw, hulled sunflower seeds

1 t vanilla extract
1 t baking soda

Combine sugar, corn syrup, honey, salt and water in a medium saucepot. Over medium heat, bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Once sugar is dissolved, cover pot and cook for 2 minutes over medium. Alternatively, use a pastry brush to wash down sides of pot with water.

Cook mixture to 240ºF, stirring infrequently and only after the mixture is above 215ºF. Stir in sunflower seeds. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the candy reaches 310ºF.
Remove from heat. Add vanilla and baking soda and stir to combine; a large amoung of foaming will occur. Pour hot candy onto prepared slab or sheet pan. Use prepared spatula to spread brittle to a .25-inch thickness.

Let brittle cool completely before breaking into large pieces. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Pumpkin Pie Spice Cookies - Vegan

2008-10-08T19:19:00.004-04:00

Pumpkin Pie Spice Cookies
makes about 20 cookies

1 C bread flour
.25 C AP flour
.75 C white whole wheat flour
.75 t baking soda
1/8 t salt
1 t ginger
1 t cinnamon
.25 c nutmeg

3/8 C margarine
1/8 C shortening
3/8 C sugar
3/8 C packed light-brown sugar
.25 C pumpkin purée

Creaming method.

Divide dough in two. Between two pieces of parchment paper, roll out half of dough to .25-inch thick. Transfer to a baking sheet and chill for 8 minutes in the freezer. Repeat with remaining half of dough.

Preheat oven to 350º.

Cut dough with a shaped cookie cutter. Transfer shapes to a lined baking sheet. Freeze cookies on sheet for 15 minutes prior to baking.

Bake for 12-16 minutes, until cookies are lightly browned around the edges and puffing is reduced. Cool on pan 3 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Winter Squah: Jarrahdale

2008-10-08T18:58:00.004-04:00

Jarrahdale
Average weight: 12-13 lbs
Excellent for baking.

A large New Zealand pumpkin with a tough blue-green-silver shell. A moderately long keeper - at least 3 months with proper treatment. Sometimes round, sometimes squat, always deeply ridged. The innards are dry and easily removed; the seeds are unusually large and plump.

Raw, the flesh is dry, thick and fine-grained. Roasted, the flesh remains fine and very hearty. Add several tablespoons water to the roasted flesh before processing. Pass through a sieve for optimal texture. Excess water will separate after a few hours of refrigeration.

Steamed, excellent. The dry nature of the flesh agrees with a wet cooking method, steaming by pressure cooker in particular. Some additional liquid may still be necessary to purée.

The sweet, tender flesh is excellent for sweet applications. The rich texture stands up well in soups, gratins and as a dish in and of itself.

Pumpkin Pancakes - Vegan

2008-09-30T19:17:00.005-04:00

Pumpkin Pancakes
makes 12-16 4-inch pancakes

2 T flaxseed meal
3 T water

1.25 C flour (whole wheat white and white flour blend)
2 T sugar
2 t baking powder
.25 t cinnamon
.25 t ground ginger

.25 t kosher salt
1 1/3 - 1.5 C non-dairy milk
.5 C winter squash purée
1 T vegetable oil

In a small bowl or glass, stir together flaxseed meal and water; set aside while preparing other ingredients.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and ginger in a large bowl; set aside

Whisk together the salt, milk, purée, oil, and flaxseed mixture in a small bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir to combine.

Preheat an oiled skillet or large fry pan for several minutes over medium heat. Dollop batter by the .25-cup onto the hot pan and spread slightly. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until cakes appear dry around the edges. The cakes are ready to flip when the bubbles that erupt in their centers are not immediately refilled with batter. Flip cakes and continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes, until golden-brown.

Eat hot or cool on wire rack before storing in refrigerator or freezer.

Cooking Winter Squash

2008-09-30T18:12:00.003-04:00

Cleaning

Prior to each preparation, wash winter squash and pumpkins with warm water and a very small amount of mild soap. Rinse well and dry with a kitchen towel.

Breaking Down

Cutting winter squash is treacherous whether the shell is thick or thin. Work on a solid cutting board with a non-skid footing*; position the board so that you will have a comfortable angle when addressing the squash with your knife. Your first goal is to remove the stem, your second is to halve the squash evenly.

Place the cleaned squash on your board, stem end up. Use a sharp, sturdy chef's knife to pierce the shell near the stem. With force and caution, work the blade into the flesh; remove blade. Rotate the squash about 30 degrees before repeating process. It should take about six repetitions to cut out stem. Set your blade aside before removing stem. It may be necessary to use a sturdy offset spatula or other non-sharp tool to leverage the stem out. The ease with which the stem is removed will be different in each variety, but this step is generally not problematic.

Again, piece the shell at or near the stem hole you've just created. With force and caution, work the blade into the flesh. Taking care to not tip the squash, cut an even line towards the blossom end. Remove blade before turning the squash 180 degrees. Repeat process to cut another line opposite the first. Remove blade before flipping squash so that the blossom end is facing up. Cut to continue lines to their nexus; they should come close to lining up. Set your blade aside before pulling apart the hemispheres of the squash.

Set one half aside while working on the other. Place the hemisphere cut side down on board. Using the same method of caution and force, halve. To break down into eighths, repeat process, this time with skin side on board.

Roasting:

Preheat oven to 400ºF

Halve sqash from stem to blossom. Divide each segment into halves. With a metal or sharp-edged plastic scoop/spoon, scoop stringy pulp and seeds from cavity, reserve in a large bowl. Cut each quarter into halves, keeping pieces as equal as possible.

Lightly oil exposed flesh with vegetable oil or vegetable oil-olive oil blend. Arrange pieces, skin side down, on a half-sheet pan.

Cook for 40-60 minutes, as determined by the variety of squash you are preparing.

Steaming:

Place a steamer insert into a 4 or 6 quart pressure cooker. Pour 1 cup of water into the bottom of the cooker.

Wash and quarter pumpkin and chop into roughly 1.5-inch pieces. Peeling is optional; some squash are easier to peel before cooking, others after.

Arrange pieces as evenly as possible in cooker, not filling the cavity above 2/3 full. Lock lid closed. Over high heat, bring to cooker to high pressure. Maintain high pressure for 3-4 minutes, adjusting burner as necessary.

Quick-release pressure by running water over the closed cooker. Remove lid and test squash - if the flesh is not fork tender, replace lid and lock in place; allow squash to continue to cook in residual heat for another 4-6 minutes.

Remove pieces from cooker and let cool slightly before removing skin and consuming or puréeing.

Puréeing

Wash, break down and roast winter squash. Once squash segments are cool enough to handle, use a large spoon to scoop flesh from skin. Place in the bowl of a food processor or carafe of blender. Process on medium-high speed for several minutes, until even and smooth; it may be necessary to add water to ease the textural transition.

If the flesh is exceptionally stringy, or to achieve a totally smooth texture, pass purée through a sieve before using or storing.

Pour into resealable bags or containers to freeze.

Toasting Seeds:

Place seeds and scooped strings/pulp in a large bowl. Fill partway with water. Press seeds from pulp and discard pulp. Occasionally, stir water briskly to ease this separation. Once the ratio of pulp to seeds is tipped in the favor of the latter, drain bowl through a pasta colander. Scoop seeds back into large bowl and refill partway with water. Repeat squeezing, stirring, drainging until there are very few strings remaining. Drain seeds and spread out on towel-lined sheet pan. Let air dry for 2 hours, sometimes manipulating towel to separate and redistribute seeds.

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spread dried seeds in an even layer in a rimmed half-sheet pan. Toast, stirring somewhat frequently, until shells are golden-brown and fragrant. Remove sheet from oven. If you so desire, toss hot seeds with kosher salt and a small amount of vegetable oil. Let cool before consuming.

Winter Squash: Long Island Cheese

2008-09-30T17:52:00.001-04:00

Long Island Cheese
Average weight: 10-12 lbs
What pumpkin is when it's a vegetable.

A large heirloom pumpkin with a thick, dull pink-orange shell. When properly treated, a very long keeper. The even, squat shape makes the pumpkin easy to store but can complicate seed removal. Large seeds are easy to remove from pulp.

Raw, the sherbet-orange flesh is very moist and stringy. Roasted, the flesh maintains color and body, becomes more smooth with a few small strings. Add a few tablespoons of water to the cooked flesh before whizzing in a food processor.

The barely sweet flesh of this pumpkin is excellent for sweet and savory use.