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

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.



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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.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Fudge Frosting - Vegan

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

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.

Chocolate Sauce - Vegan

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.

"Rock Pudding" - Chocolate Bread Pudding - Vegan

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.

Chocolate Cake with Berry Filling - Vegan

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.

Coconut Cream Pie with Pecan Crust - Vegan

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

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

Vanilla Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting and Dark Chocolate Ganache

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.

JT Cookies - Vegan

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

Fudge Brownies - Conventional

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.