Awesome Vegan Brownies

By far the best vegan brownie recipe I’ve ever tried.

Recipe from Rednikki.

1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup soymilk/almond milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup semi/sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil an 8 inch square pan.
2. Put the oil, maple syrup , soy milk and vanilla in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
3. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder and salt.
4. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture with a rubber spatula. Don’t overmix.
5. Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
6. Put the batter in the pan and spread it out evenly. Bake for 35 minutes.
7. Don’t overbake.
8. Cool before cutting.

Recipes I need to try

Crispy Potato Latkes

Vegetable stew with black tea prunes

Roasted cauliflower with green olives and pine nuts

Roasted red curry carrots

Pumpkin and slit pea soup

Indian-Spiced Turkey Breast

Chickpea tagine

Pan-Fried Salmon with Citrus Vinaigrette

Meyer Lemon Gnocchi

Sweet and Spicy Catfish Sandwiches

Cinnamon Cake with Chile-Chocolate Buttercream

Dairy-free Chocolate Cake

Adapted from Food and Wine November 2007

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 large eggs
1 cup soy milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water

Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter and flour a 9-by-13-inch cake pan.

In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Whisk in the boiling water. Pour the batter (it will be thin) into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool.

Makes good cupcakes!

Minty Peas and Carrots

From Food and Wine, December 2007

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 large shallots, halved and thinly sliced
1 pound frozen baby peas, thawed
2 tablespoons thinly sliced mint leaves
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the carrots and shallots and cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until the carrots are just tender, about 8 minutes. Add the peas and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the mint and butter. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Fudgy Walnut Cookies

From Food and Wine Jan 2008

2 3/4 cups walnut halves (9 ounces)
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Spicy Chickpea Soup

Adapted from a recipe in Food and Wine March 2008

Two 14oz cans chickpeas, drained
One 14oz can coconut milk (light or regular)
One 14oz can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup naturally sweetened apple juice or 1/4 cup applesauce
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup vegetable stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a blender, combine the drained chickpeas with the coconut milk,  tomatoes, apple juice or applesauce, garam masala and ground ginger and puree the mixture until smooth.

Transfer the puree to a medium saucepan. Stir in the stock and bring to a simmer over moderate heat. Season with salt and black pepper.

Also works without the ginger, although I think it would be better with. And I was lacking apple juice the first time I made it, so I cooked half an apple in the stock and pureed it with the chickpeas, etc. Worked just fine.

Chocolate Peppermint Swirls

Recipe by Alton Brown
Makes about 32 cookies

1 batch Sugar Cookies, recipe below
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon peppermint extract (optional)
1/2 cup crushed candy canes or peppermint candies

Split the dough in half. To one half, add the egg yolk, peppermint extract, and crushed peppermint candies and mix in well. To the the other half, add the chocolate and vanilla and mix in well.

Wrap each half in plastic and chill for five minutes. Roll each half out separately to 1/4 inch thickness. Try to keep it roughly rectangular. Lay peppermint dough on top of chocolate and press together at the edges. Roll together into a log.

Wrap log in wax paper and refrigerate for two hours. I emphasize this so you won’t, as I almost did, start these cookies an hour before you need to take them to a party.

Preheat oven to 375. Remove dough from fridge and cut in 1/2 inch slices. Place 1 inch apart on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake 12 to 13 minutes, or until they are firm on the surface when you touch them and the kitchen smells like peppermint.

Remove from oven and let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Base dough
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon milk
Powdered sugar, for rolling out dough

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Place butter and sugar in large bowl of electric stand mixer and beat until light in color. Add egg and milk and beat to combine. Put mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl.

Shortbread cookie variations

Makes 6 1/2 dozen

Basic recipe
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks of unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together.

2. In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle, beat butter with sugar at medium until light and fluffy, about three minutes.

3. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl.

4. Beat in dry ingredients on low speed until combined.

5. Divide dough in half, pat into rounds, wrap each half in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

6. Preheat oven to 350. Position racks in upper and lower thirds of the oven.

7. Roll out each piece of dough to 1/8 inch. Using a biscuit cutter, cut out as many rounds as possible. Re-roll the scraps together and cut out more cookies. Arrange rounds on baking sheets, one inch apart. Bake cookies in batches for 20 minutes until golden. Let cool on sheets for 5 minutes and then transfer to cooling rack.

Variations

Cocoa nib cookies
2 3oz chocolate bars
1/3 cup cocoa nibs

Add chocolate chunks and cocoa nibs after the dry ingredients are worked into the dough.

Thumbprints
3/4 cup dried unsweetned coconut
jam

Work coconut into dough after the dry ingredients are combined. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and bake for 14 minutes. Make a dent in the cookies, fill with jam, and bake for 10 more minutes.

Double ginger cookies
1/3 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
1 1/2 tsp dried ground ginger

Add dried ginger with the flour. Add crystallized ginger after the dry ingredients are worked into the dough.

Hazlenut sandwich cookies
2/3 cup roasted salted hazlenuts, ground
Nutella

Add the ground hazelnuts when you add the flour. When the cookies are baked, spread one with Nutella and sandwich it with another.

I haven’t made the hazelnut or ginger variations, but the other two are delicious.  Like, seriously, the cocoa nib ones, they are The Perfect Cookie.

Vegetable Curry

Adapted from a recipe by Madhur Jaffrey.

Olive oil
1 - 2 medium onions, peeled and minced
8 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 Tbs corriander
2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp turmeric
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
carrots, potatoes, cauliflower, or whatever vegetables are desired
1 C vegetable stock or water
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp  hot or sweet paprika
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 fresh hot chili, minced, or to taste
2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
1 can chickpeas, drained

Sautee onion until rich medium brown, and add garlic. Turn heat to medium low and add coriander, cumin, cayenne, and turmeric. Stir to combine and add the tomatoes.
Add water or vegetable stock and cook until vegetables are tender.

Add chickpeas, cumin, paprika, garam masala, salt, and lemon juice. Cover, turn heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove cover, add chili and ginger, and serve.

Cinnamon Coffee Cake

From More Great Good Dairy-Free Desserts Naturally by Fran Costigan

Filling
1 1/2 C pecans
1/4 C sugar
1/4 C brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
2 - 3 Tbs canola oil

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.

Cake
1 whole wheat pastry flour
1 C white flour
3 Tbs sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 C canola oil
3/4 C maple syrup
3/4 C soy or rice milk
2 Tbs vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 350 and oil a 9×3 inch springform pan. Line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper.

2. Sift together pastry flour, white flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg in a bowl. Whisk to combine.

3. Combine oil, maple syrup, soymilk, vanilla and almond extracts, and vinegar in a medium bowl and whisk until blended. Pour into dry ingredients and fold until batter is smooth.

4. Pour half the batter into the pan and sprinkle half the filling over the top. Pour in the rest of the batter and top it with the rest of the filling.

5. Bake 40 - 45 minutes until the cake is golden brown and a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean or with only a few crumbs stuck to it.

6. Place pan on a wire rack and run a thin knife around the inside of hte pan to release the cake. Cool for 15 minutes and then remove the ring. Cool completely before cutting.