Vegan Pumpkin Bread

This is by far my favorite time of the year… food wise at least (my freezing cold fingers and toes may say otherwise). The holiday season has so many different foods associated with it and I honestly can’t complain. Fall has apples, pumpkin, and warm cider, while winter has, gingerbread, peppermint, and hot cocoa to name a few of my favorites!

In the fall you can get pumpkin-spiced anything anywhere. Ive seen pumpkin donuts, pumpkin whoopie pies, pumpkin cream cheese, pumpkin pancakes (one of my faves), pumpkin oreos, pumpkin gum, and of course, every white-girls favorite, pumpkin spiced lattes (soy or skim milk of course, you never order a whole milk pumpkin spiced latte, just never).

Thanksgiving alone has its own set of must-have dishes, though when you’re family is made of vegans, vegetarians, and other diet restrictions, thanksgiving must-haves gain a new spin. Somethings that I know will always be on our thanksgiving table are: pretzel rolls, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, more pretzel rolls, and a large array of festive desserts to satisfy any sweet-tooth, even mine. The recipes may vary depending on any new dietary needs, but its nice to see a few staples year after year, including pumpkin bread.

I’ve actually had a lot of trouble in the past making a good pumpkin bread from scratch. It always turns out undercooked, dense, and sticky. I was hesitant to attempt a vegan pumpkin bread because a lot of times substituting real eggs for flax eggs makes a recipe even denser so I was pleasantly surprised to find this delicious, eggless pumpkin bread recipe!

This recipe for vegan pumpkin bread is light, moist, and delicious. Its actually a lot better then any non-vegan or vegan pumpkin bread recipe I have ever attempted.

RECIPE (adapted from here):

Ingredients: 

2 cups all purpose flour
1 3/4 cups white whole wheat flour
2 cups brown sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tbs cinnamon
15 oz fresh pumpkin puree (1 can)
1 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup honey (To make it vegan substitute maple syrup)
1/3 cup water
Directions:
Pre heat oven to 350.

Grease and flour 2 loaf pans (or one super long loaf pan).

In a large bowl mix flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon. In a separate bowl mix pumpkin, oil, honey, and water together. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.

Pour into prepared pans.

Bake for 1- 1 hour 15 minutes.Or until a tooth pick is inserted and comes out clean.

Let the bread cool before removing from pan and enjoying. Or dont and just dig in like I usually do.

Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

This post comes to you as a way for me to use up the last half bag of holiday cranberries we had lying in our freezer. Sorry as this is my third cranberry recipe basically in a row but the fact is that I had a lot of frozen cranberries and you can’t go wrong with any of the recipes, they’re all a little different but all so delicious. I recently made apple-cranberry cake which was probably one of my favorites, so I was a little reluctant to try a new cranberry recipe for fear that it would be a disappointment. Thankfully this recipe was no disappointment! The cake itself is so light and fluffy from the whipped egg whites with just enough sweetness, while the tart cranberries are a perfect contrast for the buttery brown sugar topping.

Please enjoy this recipe, or any of my other cranberry recipes I have recently posted, you honestly can’t go wrong with any of them! So start baking!

CRANBERRY UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE:

recipe adapted from here

Ingredients:

• Cooking spray
• 1/3 cup lightly packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 6 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries

Cake:

• 1 cup wheat flour
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 large egg whites

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. To prepare topping, lightly coat a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray. Heat brown sugar and 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook 2 minutes or until butter melts and sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally. Pour sugar mixture into prepared cake pan, tilting pan to coat bottom evenly. Arrange cranberries evenly over sugar mixture.
3. Whisk the egg whites with a mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form using clean, dry beaters. once down transfer egg whites gently into a small side bowl. Clean mixer bowl and fit mixer with clean bowl and beater
4. To prepare cake: combine flour, baking powder, and salt; stir with a whisk. Place granulated sugar and 1/2 cup butter in a bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Fold flour mixture into sugar mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
5. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter. Spoon the batter over the cranberries, spreading evenly. Bake at 350° for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes on a wire rack. Loosen cake from sides of pan using a narrow metal spatula. Place a serving plate upside down on top of cake, and invert the cake pan onto the plate. Let stand 5 minutes, and remove the pan. Serve warm and enjoy!

Giant Peanut Butter Cookie

Why does it seem that Giant Cookies only come around for birthdays? For me, theres nothing quite like a giant cookie with a moist crumbly center, one that you  can cut into pie slices and still feel good telling yourself you didn’t eat a full cookie. Well, thats my logic at least, and the reason I decided to make two giant free form peanut butter cookies. Not cake sized or anything but two cookies about the size of my hand (although if you were looking to make a giant peanut butter cookie cake this recipe doubled would probably make a yummy cookie cake).

As many people know peanut butter is my favorite food and there are not many times I have excess peanut butter just lying around. But since I did, I figured I would use up some overly salted natural peanut butter that I’ve been avoiding, and satisfy my long over due peanut butter craving as a result of four months in Spain where sugary “captain mani” seems to be a monopoly.

This peanut butter recipe is so moist and flavor full and the perfect peanut butter cookie base for any of your baking needs.

Recipe from here

makes one large cookie (I doubled it to make 2)

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
• 2 Tablespoons beaten egg (crack an egg, beat it, and use 2 Tbsp. 1 whole egg if double recipe)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 Tablespoons peanut butter (i used natural peanut butter)
• 6 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons old-fashioned rolled oats (or quick oats)
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Toppings of choice (optional): chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, m and ms, Reese’s pieces.. Etc.

(I used peanut butter M and Ms in one and left one plain.)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325F degrees. Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray or line with a silicone baking mat. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the butter and sugars until creamed. Add egg and vanilla mixing until well combined. Stir in peanut butter then add flour, oats, baking soda and salt. Fold in toppings, if using, until combined. With a large spoon, scoop into a ball onto prepared baking sheet. The dough will be sticky. Make sure the cookie dough ball is tall and round.*(I did not press the cookie dough down and it did not seem to flatten so about 5 minutes in I pressed the cookie multiple times to flatten it with a fork like your would with a normal peanut butter cookie).

Bake for about 20 minutes, until edges are lightly browned. The center may appear undone, but it will set as the cookie cools. Let cool ON the baking sheet for 10-20 minutes.

Apple-Cranberry-Almond Cake

So I’ve made this cake twice in the past week because it is just so good! It doesn’t last more then a day in our house of three and about 3/4 of it is gone within the first ten minutes. It’s so moist and delicious and a perfect combination of sweet and tart. It’s technically called a cake but I think it is the perfect little tea cake for breakfast or snack. The original recipe calls for apples and raspberries but raspberries are quite expensive and we always seem to have cranberries floating around in our freezer. This recipe is perfect for using up some old apples and whatever other fruit you have laying around.

Seriously though, next time you don’t know what to have for breakfast try this cake! Its so quick to make a so delicious

Recipe adapted from here

Apple-Cranberry Cake

Ingredients

Cake:
Granulated sugar, for pan
1½ cups all-purpose flour (or combination of wheat and white)
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
¾ cup packed light-brown sugar
½ almond milk
2 large eggs ( I used two flax eggs)
About 2 apples. I used Granny Smith
1/2 cup cranberries

Crumble topping:
2 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar
1/4 cup oats
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter,cut into pieces
1/3 cup slivered almonds
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tbsp applesauce ( optional- helped crumble come together better)

Instructions

Cake:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Spray with cooking spray or butter a 9-inch springform pan, and dust with granulated sugar.
In one Large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
In a medium bowl whisk together melted butter, ¾ cup brown sugar, milk, and eggs in another bowl.
Whisk butter mixture into flour mixture.
Spread batter evenly into prepared pan.
Arrange apple wedges over batter, and sprinkle with cranberries
Gently press fruit into batter.

Crumble topping:
In a small bowl combine oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, almonds, and butter. Mix till it comes together. Add applesauce( if using) and mix and sprinkle over fruit.
Bake until top is dark gold, apples are tender, and a cake tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes
Let cool before removing from pan.

Black Bean Brownies

Don’t be afraid! I know me and my mom were when my sister told us she wanted to make black bean brownies. To a sugar addict like me, the thought of black beans in what should be rich, fudge-y and oozing with chocolate is quite frightening. Brownies aren’t supposed to be healthy, they need to be loaded with butter and sugar and chocolate morsels that melt in your mouth.

My sister decided she was going to prove us wrong, and that she did. She whipped up a quick batch of these babies and you would have no idea that they don’t have any butter but black beans instead. They were smooth and chocolatey and really moist. My mom, a brownie connoisseur, was looking for  a fudgier brownie but was still quite pleased with the results. Me on the other hand, I couldn’t stop myself from eating them. I ate them right when they came out of the oven and they were so warm and gooey, then I ate them when they cooled with a smear of peanut butter and actually preferred how they set up better when they cooled.

All Im trying to say here is that they are one of those recipes that no one would ever know they were full of black beans and definitely worth a try. I know I felt slightly less guilty licking the pan.

RECIPE

look at those gooey brownies! nom nom

and the chef herself. not only is she stealing the baking but she stole my camera and took some selfies

Cranberry Cake

What’s better then baking on a cold winter day? Not a whole lot.
Today was the perfect snowy and cold day hanging out with my family watching more netflix then I would like to admit. So to end this perfectly lazy, chilly day and use some frozen cranberries we stocked up on from thanksgiving, I made a super yummy cranberry cake!

look at those cranberries and walnuts! YUM!

I don’t know about you but I’m somewhat tired of the dry cranberry orange bread that fills most holiday tables. So instead of baking the usual cranberry orange loaf this cranberry cake is so moist, delicious, and anything but boring.

Recipe adapted from here

Cranberry Cake Recipe

3 eggs or two eggs and one flax egg(1 tbsp flax meal mixed with 3 tbsp water. Let sit at least 2 minutes)
1 3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, slightly softened and cut into chunks
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups flour ( I used 1 cup whole wheat flour)
2 1/2 cups cranberries (1 bag)

Optional walnut topping:
3 tbsp butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp applesauce
1 cup pecans, toasted
1/2 cup oats

Heat the butter in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the sugar and stir. Add the toasted pecans and applesauce and cook for several minutes, stirring, until the butter and sugar mixture is shiny and smooth and the nuts smell toasted. Spread over the cake batter and bake as above.

makes one 9×13-inch or one 10-inch springform cake

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×13 pan or a 10″ springform pan.

Beat eggs and sugar together for at least 5 minutes — probably as long as 7 or 8 minutes — the egg and sugar mixture should double in volume and turn pale yellow, leaving ribbons on top of the batter when you lift the beaters.

Add the butter and flavorings and beat for 2 more minutes. Stir in flour and fold in cranberries. Pour into greased pan.

Bake 45-50 minutes for a 9×13, or a little over an hour for the springform. You made need to tent the cake with foil in the last 15 minutes or so to keep the top from browning.

Cool completely before serving.

Moist Banana Tea Cake

 

Nothing’s better then a Homemade Banana bread to use up those brown spotted bananas that no one wants anything to do with. Well what if I told you I have a perfect recipe to do just that. What If I told you this recipe is not only homemade and delicious, but moist, filling, and healthy! This recipe is honestly so good! By adding oat and whole wheat flour and cutting the sugar in half, this recipe has a great texture and perfect sweetness! next time you have any unsightly bananas crowding your counter top don’t chuck them! make this yummy little tea cake!

Moist Banana Bread: adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup wheat flour
• 1/2 cup oat flour(make your own by putting old fashion oats in food processor and process till semi-fine)
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 flax eggs ( 1 egg= tbsp flax to 3 tbsp water)
• 1 1/2 – 2 medium mashed ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup plain fat free yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.
3. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add honey, banana, yogurt, and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Spoon batter into an 8 0r 9 inch  square pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Rustic Apple Crostata

On the rare occasion that we have fruit in our house long enough for it to go bad, recipes like this Apple Crostata are a perfect way to use up any of those little imperfections. Before this I have never made a crostata, not for fear or difficulty, but because my family goes crazy for a good simple apple pie or crisp. Now that I finally got a chance to branch out a little I decided to give it a try.

This was probably one of the simplest baking recipes out there. Although I don’t have an exact recipe to give you all you need to make it is your favorite pie crust recipe, an optional jam layer(I used peach only because I was trying to use it up), apple pie spices, and a little egg wash. Thats really it, so quick and simple and the more rustic it looks the better, well thats what I tell myself anyways. Next time you have a few flawed apples, break away from a traditional pie or crisp and try an super simple crostada. But Im warning you, It might be gone as soon as you take it out of the oven, I had to fend some people off to let me get a few pictures.

an artsy one for the road

Vegan Chocolate Tofu Pie

Before you make some weird reaction to the fact that this Vegan Chocolate Pie has tofu in it, trust me and give this recipe a try.  This pie is so rich and creamy and chocolatey you would be surprised by how simple and quick this recipe really is. I embarrassingly ate half the pie, by myself, in one day. So just to warn you, this pie is highly addictive, but don’t let that stop you from quickly whipping one up.

I roughly followed Alton brown’s Mooless Chocolate Pie recipe but cut the recipe in half, used regular graham crackers, and omitted the coffee liquor.

Side Note:  I wanted to take a picture after every bite.. however you may notice the lack of pictures between the the last and second to last picture. I was too busy stuffing my face with pie to stop and take a picture. Its really not my fault, the pie was just too good.

 

 

Caroline and Ryan’s Baby Shower

    My cousin Ryan and his girlfriend Caroline, who is basically family, recently announced that they are pregnant with a little bambino! This past Sunday I got the privilege of baking for their baby shower, which was the perfect excuse to bake yummy and cute little desserts, so that is exactly what I did! 

Bear Macarons:

     For the macaroni recipe i used this one and followed bakerella’s tutorial for piping. I also made dulce de leche by following this recipe for the slow cooker !

Blue Ombre Cake:

     I made a basic white cake and followed this tutorial. 

Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing: 

     I used “Bake at 350” recipe for both the sugar cookies and royal icing.