Bryanna Clark Grogan’s Vegan Feast Kitchen/ 23rd Century Table

Last Sunday we had a family party (24 of us) for my granddaughter Mariah's 13th birthday.  Because Mariah loves coffee flavor, I made two 9 x 13-inch Chocolate Mudpie Cakes with Coffee/Coconut/Pecan Icing (except that I used almonds instead of pecans, which I was short of).  To go with it, I made a double batch of the following ice cream. There were only a few vegans there, but everyone loved this rich-tasting treat, and we had no leftovers to bring home (which is a good thing, since we are weight-watching!).

               The Birthday Girl cutting her cake, with eager guests waiting.




Printable Recipe

                                                          Almond Crumb Cake Muffins


I don't make muffins very often these days, since it's just the two of us most of the time. (You can indeed have too many low-fat muffins, by the way!) But we had a visitor for a few days and one of my granddaughters came over as well one day, so muffins seemed appropriate. Below are the recipes for the two muffin recipes I made during the last few days.

Muffins are pretty easy to veganize, and to make lower in fat. I like muffins that are moist, not crumbly and dry, too, and it's not difficult to achieve that. My muffin batters are a little bit runnier than you might be used to (like my cake batters), but that seems to be a plus.

My standard procedure is to use pastry flour (usually a whole wheat type) instead of all-purpose flour because it contains less gluten. If you are using plenty of fat, the flour's not a problem, because the fat coats the gluten in the flour and makes it tender. However, if you use less fat, you want to use a flour that is lower in gluten content, such as pastry or cake flour. This is made from a soft wheat, whereas bread flour is made from hard wheat, and all-purpose is in between.

I generally substitute smooth unsweetened applesauce for up to 3/4 of the fat called for. I freeze canned or homemade applesauce for baking in ice cube trays and pop the cubes into zipper-lock bags.  Each one equals 2 tablespoons, making it easy to measure it out and eliminating waste.  I use 1/4 cup nondairy milk (I generally use soy, which contains some lecethin, as egg yolks do) in place of each egg-- sometimes I add flax, sometimes I use a little egg replacer, but I usually keep it simple in muffin recipes.

I made the following muffins as a breakfast muffin.  They are not super-sweet, which I prefer.



Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S VEGAN ALMOND CRUMB CAKE MUFFINS
Makes 12 muffins
These muffins are super easy and quick to make, but nice enough for afternoon tea or coffee.

Dry Mix:
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup unbleached flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Wet Mix:
1 3/4 cups soy milk
1/4 cup smooth applesauce
(TIP: Freeze canned or homemade applesauce for baking in ice cube trays and pop the cubes into zipper-lock bags-- each one= 2 tablespoons)
2 Tbs oil
1/2 cup unbleached organic sugar
1 Tbs vinegar
1/4 tsp pure almond extract
Topping:
1/3 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 Tbs melted vegan butter (try my homemade palm oil-free vegan butter)

Heat oven to 400ºF. Grease 12 muffin cups, or use paper cupcake liners or parchment muffin cup liners (how to make your own), I don’t like to use silicone liners with muffins because I like a bit more f a crust on muffins, as opposed to cupcakes, which need to be softer.

In a small bowl, mix together the Topping ingredients with your fingers and set aside. Whisk together the Dry Mix ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk together the Wet Mix Ingredients in a medium bowl or measuring pitcher until smooth.

Add the Wet Mix to the Dry Mix and mix briefly. Spoon evenly into muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins evenly with the Topping. Bake for about 22 minutes. Place pan on a baking rack to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving. The muffins can be eaten hot or at room temperature. Cool leftovers thoroughly before storing in a plastic bag or rigid plastic container. These freeze well.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per muffin): Nutrition (per serving): 214.4 calories; 25% calories from fat; 6.3g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 172.2mg sodium; 170.2mg potassium; 36.0g carbohydrates; 3.0g fiber; 13.9g sugar; 33.1g net carbs; 5.1g protein; 4.2 points.

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These next muffins are a favorite of mine, because I love anything corny, and these are double-corny! The stoneground cornmeal contains more fiber than the ordinary refined type. The creamed corn (which actually contains no cream) adds more fiber, and makes the muffins moist and sweet without added sugar and with very little oil.  A perfect go-with with our Border Beans and braised greens for dinner last night.



Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S CREAMY CORN MUFFINS
Makes 12 muffins
This recipe is from my book, "The Fiber for Life Cookbook".

DRY MIX:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal (stoneground, if possible)
1/2 Tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
WET MIX:
3/4 cup non-dairy milk
1 Tbs oil or melted vegan butter (try my homemade palm oil-free vegan butter)
1/2 Tbs powdered egg replacer (Ener-G or Orgran)
ADDITIONAL:
1 can (14-15 oz.) cream-style corn (this product does not contain dairy products)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 12 muffin cups, or use paper cupcake liners or parchment muffin cup liners (how to make your own), I don’t like to use silicone liners with muffins because I like a bit more f a crust on muffins, as opposed to cupcakes, which need to be softer.

Mix the Dry Mix ingredients together well in a medium bowl. Blend the Wet Mix ingredients together well in a deep bowl or medium measuring pitcher, using a hand/immersion blender or whisk. Pour the contents of the can of creamed corn into the blended Wet Mix and stir gently but thoroughly. Pour this mixture into the Dry Mix and mix briefly. Spoon the batter evenly into the muffin tin. Bake 20 minutes.

Place the muffin tin on a rack, cover the muffins with a clean tea towel and cool for a few minutes before serving hot.

Cool leftovers thoroughly before storing in a plastic bag or rigid plastic container. These freeze well.


Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per muffin): 110.8 calories; 14% calories from fat; 1.8g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 227.8mg sodium; 121.0mg potassium; 22.3g carbohydrates; 2.4g fiber; 1.5g sugar; 19.9g net carbs; 3.2g protein; 1.9 points.



VARIATIONS:
NUTTY AND/OR FRUITY CREAMY CORN MUFFINS: Add 2/3 c. chopped toasted walnuts or pecans; and/or 1 c. fresh cranberries or blueberries, or 1/2 c. dried cranberries or blueberries, or 3/4 c. chopped pitted prunes. Bake the batter in 12 greased muffin cups for about 25 minutes at 400 degrees F.
HOT CHILE SURPRISE CREAMY CORN MUFFINS: Make muffins as directed above, but spoon only half the batter into 12 muffin cups. Spoon about 2 tsp. of hot red pepper or jalapeño jelly into the center of each portion. Top with the remaining batter and bake as usual.
GREEN CHILE CREAMY CORN MUFFINS: To the batter, add 1 (4 oz.) can , drained well, of chopped green California chiles. Sprinkle the top of each unbaked muffin about 1/2-1 T. vegan parmesan or other vegan cheese.
BASIL PARMESAN CREAMY CORN MUFFINS: To the batter, add 1/4 c. chopped fresh basil and 2 T. vegan parmesan. Sprinkle the top of each unbaked muffin about more vegan parmesan.


Enjoy!

My Almond Cream Whipped Topping on the Lemon Tiramisu from my book, World Vegan Feast.

For many years (like most vegans, I suspect) I tried to make a tofu whipped cream that I really liked.  I finally came up with a version that was acceptable, but it was always evident that it was tofu.  While developing recipes for my subscription newsletter, The Vegan Feast (it ran for 5 years but I am no longer producing it), I developed a delicious, light, clean-tasting, not-too-sweet whipped topping made mostly from almond milk, and it remains my favorite still. ( I prefer not to use whipped coconut milk, which feels too heavy for my taste and is full of saturated fat.)

I tried making it with commercial almond milk, but it just didn't have the fine taste and the body of that made with homemade almond milk.  However, that's not really a deterrent because nut milk is really easy and relatively quick to make.  In fact, the whipped topping is very easy to make, especially if you use a microwave to do the cooked part. (Scared of microwave ovens?  No need to be-- here's some info I've collected and here's an article from The Sierra Club. And, in the book "Cooking Green: Reducing Your Carbon Footprint in the Kitchen", author Kate Heyhoe tells us that microwaves can save up to 80% energy compared to doing the same tasks made on the stovetop or in a conventional oven-- so it makes sense to use it for little tasks like heating a cornstarch mixture.)

I'm sharing the recipe with you below (after some photos of the topping used on some yummy desserts), and I hope you'll enjoy it!

More desserts heaped with this delicious (and fairly low-fat) homemade vegan whipped topping:

On Scottish Trifle, from my book, World Vegan Feast.

           

On a Blueberry Shortcake

On  Mango Trifle with Indian Spices, from my book, World Vegan Feast.

                      

In Tiramisu from World Vegan Feast

On a peach shortcake

Troubleshooting: This cream is not as stiff as whipped cream and cannot be used for an icing. But, as you can see from the pictures, it is whipped enough for topping a shortcake or pudding or fruit. 1.) You need to follow the directions exactly, 2.) use the homemade almond milk-- don't try using commercial almond milk beverage; it's not creamy enough-- and 3.) make sure that the agar powder is cooked properly (the microwave method works best, IMO). It MUST be translucent (not white). 4) Also, do not substitute agar flakes for powder-- you would need to use 6 times more flakes than powder and flakes must to be cooked longer. 5.) Chill for AT LEAST 3 hours. That's all I can think of-- I've made it many, many times with no problem.

Printable Recipe


BRYANNA’S ALMOND CREAM WHIPPED TOPPING
Makes about 2 cups, GF (Recipe from my book, World Vegan Feast.)
This is my all-purpose whipped topping – rich, creamy, and light, with a lovely, subtle almond flavor. It can be the perfect shortcake topping when made with a little less agar powder (1/2 teaspoon) because traditionally, the cream for shortcakes is not whipped to stiff peaks, but left soft. PS: This topping is NOT stiff enough to use for a cake icing!

For best results, make the topping at least 4 to 6 hours before serving, but it can be made several days ahead of time. (The recipe is easily doubled.)

1 cup blanched, slivered raw almonds
2 cups hot water
2 tablespoons unbleached organic sugar (light-colored)
2 tablespoons cornstarch (you can choose an organic one) or  wheat starch (which is GF) OR 3 tablespoons white rice flour
3/4 teaspoon agar powder NOTE: Do not use agar flakes (Agar powder is actually less expensive than flakes if you compare by weight!)
1/4 cup firm silken tofu (NOTE: if you prefer to leave this out, use 1 tsp. agar powder instead of 3/4 tsp.)
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Optional: 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract

1.) To make the Almond Milk (this just takes a few minutes):
In a blender, combine the almonds and hot water and blend until very smooth. Be patient and let it run for several minutes. Strain the resulting almond milk through a cheesecloth-lined colander over a clean pot, measuring pitcher or bowl. Use 2 layers of fine cheesecloth from a fabric store (or use a nut milk bag). Gather the cheesecloth up to make a “bag” and twist and squeeze the “bag” to squeeze out as much of the almond milk as possible. You can use the almond meal for a facial scrub. NOTE: Do NOT substitute commercial almond milk beverage for the homemade almond milk-- the recipe will not work with the commercial stuff.

2.) In a small saucepan, mix 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the almond milk with the sugar, agar and cornstarch. Stir the mixture over medium heat until thickened and translucent. Or use the...
Microwave Option: Mix in a 2-quart microwave-safe bowl (with room for the mixture to rise up) and cook 30 seconds on 100% power (default setting), whisk and repeat 3 more times or until thickened and translucent. (See note about microwave cooking in the text above the recipe.)

3.) In the blender, combine 1 cup more of the almond milk, the silken tofu, salt, lemon juice, vanilla, and almond extract, if using. Scrape the cooked mixture into the blender. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate for about 1 hour, then beat the mixture briefly so that it is creamy. Chill again for at least 3 hours.

Nutrition Facts:
Nutrition (per 1/4 cup): 133.4 calories; 58% calories from fat; 9.3g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 47.3mg sodium; 149.0mg potassium; 9.7g carbohydrates; 2.0g fiber; 4.2g sugar; 7.7g net carbs; 4.6g protein; 3.0 points.

Enjoy on your favorite desserts!

I should be blogging a little more regularly from now on (except for being away for the week of May 12th). Due to some family obligations, I decided to stop publishing my quarterly vegan cooking newsletter, the Vegan Feast, after five years. I'm kinda sad, because it was a great experience, I met some wonderful people, learned alot, and ate really well, but something had to go!

Last night we took dinner over to a friend's house and I made a dessert I had been thinking about doing for a week. The brownies are a veganized, whole grain version of one I saw in a magazine, with a few other changes. I have made a number of other desserts with chai spices, and this sounded intriguing. I was a little worried that the brownies would be too dry (they were dryer than my other brownies, but not overly-so), so I decided to pair them with a really gingery version of my vegan gelato. It worked! All of the diners gave the dessert a thumbs-up! Give it a try!


Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S VEGAN ALMOND-CHAI BROWNIES (WHOLE GRAIN, SF, can be GF)

These were inspired by a recipe in Cooking Light magazine. They aren't dark brownies-- if they were too chocolate-y, the chai spices would get lost in the chocolate! They are delicious served with the Ginger Gelato (recipe below).

GLUTEN-FREE NOTE: I think this recipe would work well, maybe even better, with a gluten-free flour mix.

1/4 cup plant-based milk
2 chai tea bags (I used rooibos chai teabags-- see photo below)
1/4 cup (1 1/2 oz.) organic, dairy-free semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (Fairtrade, if possible)
1/4 cup vegan butter (see my palm oil-free Buttah) or 3 tablespoons oil
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons flaxseeds
Dry Mix:
1 tablespoon Ener-G or Orgran egg replacer powder
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or GF flour mix
1 cup organic unbleached sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened organic cocoa (I use fair trade Camino brand)
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Additional:
1/2 cup lightly toasted slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 350°F. Oil or spray a 9-inch square baking pan and line the bottom with baking parchment cut to fit.

Heat the milk in a very small saucepan (like a little butter melter) OR microwave in a heat-proof measuring cup at 50% power  just to boiling.

Remove from heat. Add the tea bags, pressing down into the milk. Cover and let stand 15 minutes. Strain milk mixture through a tea-strainer into a measuring cup, pressing the teabags with the back of a spoon. If it doesn't measure 1/4 cup, add more milk until it does.


Pour into a medium microwave-safe bowl. Add the chocolate and Earth Balance or oil to milk/chai mixture. Microwave at high power for 20 seconds or until the chocolate is melted. Stir or whisk until smooth. Cool slightly.

In a blender, combine the water and flaxseeds at high speed until the mixture is "gloppy" like egg whites and you can only see flecks of flaxseed. Add the egg replacer powder and blend until it thickens a bit. Scoop this into the chocolate mixture with a spatula. Fold it into the chocolate mixture until it is well-mixed, but fluffy.





Combine the Dry Mix ingredients together with a whisk in a medium bowl. Add the Dry Mix to the chocolate/flaxseed mixture, along with the toasted almonds, stirring just until combined. It will be thick.



Spread evenly into the prepared pan-- I had to use wet fingers to spread it out. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in the pan on a rack. Cut into 20 pieces, and loosen the edges. Cool before eating. Remove from the pan to a serving plate. Keep covered after they cool.

Servings: 20
Yield: 20 brownies

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per brownie): 140.1 calories; 29% calories from fat; 4.9g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 76.7mg sodium; 134.0mg potassium; 24.1g carbohydrates; 2.5g fiber; 13.8g sugar; 21.5g net carbs; 2.5g protein; 2.7 points.



The gelato in my little Donvier hand-crank ice cream maker ("No salt or ice needed; freezer bowl and paddle do the work").  UPDATE: Now I also have a Cuisinart Pure Indulgence 2 qt. Automatic ice cream machine.

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S VEGAN DOUBLE GINGER GELATO WITH AGAVE (Can be Soy-Free)
Servings: 8
Yield: 1 quart
Adapted from a recipe in my book "Nonna's Italian Kitchen". Tapioca starch makes this gelato smooth and custardy without the mouth-feel of a "frozen pudding".

This is a very ginger-y gelato. If you want to tone it down a bit (but, why?), omit the candied ginger.

NOTE ABOUT NUT ALLERGY: if allergic to nuts, use coconut milk beverage, or soy, hemp or rice milk, and omit the cashews and add 1/4 cup more milk of choice and 1/4 cup oil.

MIXTURE #1:
Ginger-Water:
1 cup water
1/4 cup grated peeled fresh ginger
Additions:
1/2 cup light agave nectar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
MIXTURE #2:
1 3/4 cups creamy original-style plant-based milk
1/2 cup raw cashew pieces
1/2 cup unbleached organic granulated sugar
1 tablespoon tapioca starch (don't substitute other starches! See Cooking Tips below)
1/4 teaspoon salt
ADDITIONAL: (you can omit this if you want a milder ginger flavor)
1/2 cup chopped organic candied ginger

Mixture #1:
To make the Ginger-Water, simmer the water and ginger in a small saucepan, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Strain through a sieve. Measure. You should have 3/4 cup. If you have more, simmer again to reduce it to 3/4 cup. If you don't have enough, add water to make 3/4 cup. Pour it into a small mixing bowl.

Whisk in the agave nectar and vanilla. Set aside in the refrigerator.



Mixture #2:
Blend all of the Mixture #2 ingredients in the blender until VERY smooth and frothy (make sure that it doesn't feel grainy). Place this mixture in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan and stir over medium-high heat until thickened.

OR (MICROWAVE OPTION) place the mixture in a large microwave-proof bowl and microwave on high power for 2 minutes; whisk; cook 2 minutes more; whisk; and cook 1 minute more.

Whisk Mixture #1 into cooked Mixture #2. Chill the gelato mixture thoroughly, and then freeze according to directions for your ice cream machine.

When the mixture is about 3/4 of the way frozen, add the candied ginger.



When the gelato is frozen, scoop it into a quart container, cover and freeze for several hours before serving.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per 1/2 cup serving): 201.2 calories; 19% calories from fat; 4.5g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 91.3mg sodium; 105.7mg potassium; 42.5g carbohydrates; 0.5g fiber; 29.5g sugar; 42.0g net carbs; 1.8g protein; 4.3 points.

Cooking Tips
TAPIOCA STARCH:
Easy to find in natural food stores, Asian grocery stores or the Asian section of large supermarkets.

Also available at http://www.bulkfoods.com/, amazon.com & .ca and many online Asian food purveyors.


Enjoy!

UPDATE: HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY 2011! At this new post, I've posted 2 new vegan truffle recipes, with variations, that do not contain margarine or vegan butter-- one is nut butter-based, and one contains silken tofu.



You gotta have chocolate on Valentine's Day, right? Well, we certainly do! As I've mentioned before, though, I'm not much of a candy maker. But, I discovered some years ago that truffles are actually not very hard to make, and make an impressive gift for your sweetheart! Believe me, if I can do it, you can do it!

Why are chocolate truffles called truffles, anyway? These candies, based on ganache (which is generally chocolate mixed with cream to make a smooth mixture, but in this case, liqueur and vegan butter are used instead of cream), resemble the French mushroom-like fungus of the same name. And, like the original truffle, chocolate truffles also denote luxury and a sumptuous taste experience.

I make a basic dark chocolate truffle mixture with a few variations that we like-- coffee, orange, and raspberry-almond. I use appropriately-flavored liqueurs for deep flavor (and maybe a bit of buzz?) If you don't use alcohol, you can substitute a flavored syrup used for special coffees and Italian sodas (like Monin or Torani.)


You can find organic, vegan (and often fair trade) sugar, powdered sugar, chocolate, and cocoa on many online vegan grocery sites, such as:

Vegan Store (Pangea)

healthy-eating.com

Vegan Essentials

Vegangoods.com (A Different Daisy)

Cocoa Camino (organic, fair trade) has chocolate chips that are vegan. I use Vivani dark chocolate, or Denman Island dark chocolate, but there are others. Dagoba has a wide range for baking. Newman's Own has some vegan bars, all organic, fair trade. Check out some of the online vegan stores I mentioned above for other brands of vegan, organic chocolate and chocolate chips. There are more every year!

I use organic, fair trade Cocoa Camino unsweetened cocoa powder. Other organic cocoa powders (unsweetened) include:
Rapunzel,
Ah!Laska, Fairly Traded cocoa, Now Foods Organic Cocoa Powder, Green and Black's ( a UK brand, but available in North America), Organic Dutched and Natural Cocoa.



BRYANNA'S VEGAN DARK CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES
makes about 2 dozen

12 oz. organic vegan semisweet chocolate
1/4 c. vegan butter, softened (try my homemade palm oil-free vegan Buttah)
1/2 c. liqueur of choice (or flavored syrup for Italian coffees and sodas)
Unsweetened organic cocoa powder
blended with organic powdered (icing) sugar (equal amounts)
(Organic, vegan powdered sugars: Hain, Rapadura, Wholesome Foods, Woodstock Farms, Nature's Flavors, Florida Crystals.)

OR, instead, use ground, chopped, or slivered lightly-toasted nuts
(your choice-- could be almonds, walnuts, pecans, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts or filberts, macadamia nuts, coconut, etc.)

Break up the chocolate in very small pieces. Place in the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water. Cook until chocolate melts, stirring often. Transfer to a medium-sized bowl. With an electric mixer, beat in the Earth Balance. Gradually beat in the liqueur, beating constantly to keep the mixture creamy and smooth. Cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours, til firm. With hands, roll mixture into 1" balls. Roll balls in cocoa mixture or nuts, shaking off excess.

You can place them in little candy cups, if you like-- gold foil ones are nice.


Equally divide between two pint freezer bags with zip-lock tops. Remove excess air and seal. Can Freeze up to 6 months.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per truffle, rolled in cocoa/sugar mixture): 109.2 calories; 44% calories from fat; 6.2g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 21.8mg sodium; 65.5mg potassium; 12.4g carbohydrates; 0.3g fiber; 1.3g sugar; 12.1g net carbs; 0.8g protein; 2.6 points.



NUTTY ORANGE TRUFFLES:
Use orange liqueur instead of coffee liqueur and add grated zest of 1 orange. Roll in chopped nuts. Hazelnuts are nice.





RASPBERRY ALMOND TRUFFLES: Use raspberry-flavored liqueur (or syrup), and chopped or slivered lightly-toasted almonds for the coating.





COFFEE OR ESPRESSO TRUFFLES: Use Kahlua or other coffee-flavored liqueur (or syrup) and any nut of your choice.