14 posts tagged “chocolate”

VEGAN BANANA CAKE

What you'll need . . .

• 1/2 cup vegan butter (I like Earth Balance), softened
• 1/2 cup raw sugar
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 medium bananas
• 1/3 cup applesauce
• 1 and 1/2 cup wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup instant oats
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• (soy milk, if batter is too dry)

Method . . .

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease an 8 inch square pan (I used a glass one).
2. Cream sugar and butter together until light and fluffy.
3. Add bananas, applesauce, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
4. Add flour, oats, cornmeal, and baking powder. Mix. Add soy milk if batter is too dry.
5. Pour mixture into the pan . . . and then bake for 35 to 40 minutes (until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out dry).
6. Let cool completely before frosting (also, I cut mine in half to make a layer cake).

CHOCOLATE FROSTING

What you'll need . . .

• 6 tablespoons vegan butter (Earth Balance)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups vegan confectioners' sugar
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup soy milk (or your favorite non-dairy substitute -- I think it'd be interesting to try coconut milk)

Method . . .

1. Cream the butter and vanilla together with an electric mixer on low to medium speed.
2. In a separate (large) bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder with a whisk.
3. Add dry ingredients to the wet until fully integrated. Slowly add the soy milk to the mix until you have reached the desired consistency. (I found that I thought I'd added too much milk . . . because the frosting was dense and heavy . . . but actually I needed to add a few more splashes, and it turned out fine. Just add the milk s-l-o-w-l-y.)
4. Spread onto cake -- and I added some walnuts to my middle layer.
   

Have a lovely Tuesday!

My husband and I have recently increased our mileage to train for the Lehigh Valley Half Marathon this spring -- so I've been focusing foremost on that activity this week. BUT I haven't forgotten about METHOD. This messy pie recipe comes from our Valentine's Day feast last weekend. The pie is vegan EXCEPT for the Cool Whip topping I so lazily slapped on at the last minute. Flickr user Vegan Butterfly shared with me a great vegan topping that would have paired marvelously with the coconut milk base of the chocolate filling: Vegan Coconut Cream.




The crust is AMAZING -- crushed (well, food processor-destroyed -- as well as wheat free, dairy free) Newman-O's mixed with Earth Balance (butter substitute) pressed into a pie pan. And the filling . . . well, let's just say it's the best vegan chocolate pudding I've ever come across, courtesy of 101cookbooks.




VEGAN COOKIE CRUST

What you'll need . . .

• 2 cups Newman-O's wheat free, dairy free cookies (take out the filling)
• 2 - 3 tablespoons Earth Balance (or other butter substitute), melted

Method . . .

1. Pulverize Newman-O's in food processor.
2. Mix together cookie and butter sub. in small bowl until well combined.
3. Pour into pie pan, press until even across sides and on bottom.
4. Put in refrigerator to cool until pudding mixture is ready.

VEGAN CHOCOLATE-COCONUT PUDDING (FILLING)
(Straight from 101cookbooks.com)

What you'll need . . .

• 1 14-ounce can of coconut milk (lite is fine), divided
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• scant 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup arrowroot powder, sifted
• 3 tablespoons alkalized dutch-cocoa powder, sifted (this part is important -- use ALKALIZED)
  
• 1 3.5-ounce bar chocolate (use chips or chop into smaller pieces)
  
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method . . .

1. Shake the can of coconut milk vigorously for a few seconds. In a heavy saucepan bring 1 1/4 cups of the coconut milk, sugar, and the salt (just) to a simmer over low heat.
2. While that is heating, in a separate bowl whisk together the remaining coconut milk, arrowroot powder, and cocoa powder. It should look like a chocolate frosting (see above).
3. When the coconut milk and sugar mixture has started simmering take about 1/4 cup of it and whisk it little by little into the arrowroot mixture, creating a slurry. Turn down the heat to the very lowest setting. Now drizzle the arrowroot slurry mixture into the simmering pan of coconut milk whisking vigorously all the while. Keep whisking until the pudding comes back up barely to a simmer and thickens up a bit, about a minute.
4. Remove the saucepan from heat, continue whisking while it is cooling for about a minute. Now whisk in the chocolate and vanilla. Keep stirring until the pudding is smooth.
   

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER . . .

1. You needn't wait for the pudding to cool before pouring into the cookie shell.
2. Once it's in there, cover with plastic wrap -- place it directly onto the surface of the pudding (to prevent a weird skin from forming).
3. Chill for a few hours (we waited 3) and then enjoy as is . . . or top with toasted coconut shavings . . . or vegan coconut cream . . . or whatever else you'd like.

Work is still a bit crazy, which is, again, why I've not been posting so much. And I haven't forgotten about the blog showcase. I've got some cool sites to share with you all! I *promise* to do that soon. Now to today's recipe . . . people out there who frequent this site know I'm addicted to everything chocolate-peanut butter. And for those of you new to METHOD -- you'll learn fast. I made these peanut butter whoopie pies at 10PM last Wednesday on a whim. I've not had much time for baking these days, so when I get the urge, I go for it.

I've also not baked anything exclusively vegan in a WHILE -- and these turned out wonderfully with a little Ener-G Egg Replacer! My favorite part? The peanut butter center. Oh, and I think the pies taste best straight from the fridge.

(A bit from the book now . . .)

The origins of the whoopie pie remain a mystery, but many believe that the cookie, a specialty of Pennsylvania Dutch country and parts of New England, was created when leftover cake batter was baked, iced, and sandwiched as a treat for children.

PEANUT BUTTER WHOOPIE PIES (VEGAN)
Adapted from a recipe in Martha Stewart's COOKIES book. To get the original recipe, go here.

For the pies . . .

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  
• 1/2 cup Earth Balance (or your favorite butter substitute)
  
• 1/2 cup raw sugar
  
• 1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• Ener-G Egg Replacement for 1 large egg (I also imagine that 1/4 cup applesauce would do the trick)
  
• 1 cup regular soy milk
  
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the filling . . .

• 2/3 cup natural, creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup Earth Balance (or other butter substitute)
  
• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Method . . .

1. Make cookies: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder into a small bowl; set aside.
2. Put Earth Balance (butter sub.) and sugars into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add Ener-G (or other egg replacement); mix until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in half the flour mixture, then the soy milk and vanilla. Mix in remaining flour mixture.
3. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies spring back when lightly touched, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks using a spatula; let cool completely.
4. Make filling: Put peanut butter and Earth Balance (butter sub.) in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on high speed until smooth. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add confectioners' sugar; mix until combined. Raise speed to high, and mix until fluffy and smooth, about 3 minutes. Season with salt, if desired.
5. Assemble cookies: Spread 1 scant tablespoon filling (or more!) on the bottom of 1 cookie. Sandwich with another cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling. Cookies can be refrigerated in single layers in airtight containers up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Before I go, I thought I'd share embroidery project #2, which is turning out quite well. (Bye!)

 

I've been working now for 12 days straight . . . but I still found some time to squeeze in this month's challenge last Saturday. First, I had never, EVER made anything like tuiles before -- so that aspect of the challenge was incredibly exciting for me. And despite their amateurish thickness (Yes -- I've notice that everyone else's are much thinner and crispier), they tasted amazing . . . looked pretty . . . and I think I'll most definitely make them again.

I didn't muse over the whole process before beginning -- so when I had finally whisked together the paste/dough and put it in the refrigerator to cool, I went mad searching around the house for some type of stencil material. As you can see in my photos, I didn't find anything that actually worked (I tried a piece of card stock, several cookie cutters, etc., etc.). To make them look fancy, I used a bit of pink food coloring and -- when they were RIGHT out of the oven -- lightly pressed our potato masher into them to make a design.


A few broke while being tranfered from baking sheet to rolling pin . . .


While others simply basked in the morning sun . . . (I certainly wish MY Saturday had been so restful!)


I paired them with a rich ricotta chocolate mousse (another new recipe for me -- see below).




What You'll Need . . .

Yields: 20 small butterflies/6 large (butterflies are just an example)
Preparation time batter 10 minutes, waiting time 30 minutes, baking time: 5-10 minutes per batch

• 65 grams / ¼ cup / 2.3 ounces softened butter (not melted but soft)
• 60 grams / ½ cup / 2.1 ounces sifted confectioner’s sugar
• 1 sachet vanilla sugar (7 grams or substitute with a dash of vanilla extract)
• 2 large egg whites (slightly whisked with a fork)
• 65 grams / 1/2 cup / 2.3 ounces sifted all purpose flour (I mixed in 1/8 cup coconut flour)
• (I added some sesame seeds)
  
• 1 table spoon cocoa powder/or food coloring of choice
• Butter/spray to grease baking sheet

Method . . .

Oven: 180C / 350F

Using a hand whisk or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle (low speed) and cream butter, sugar and vanilla to a paste. Keep stirring while you gradually add the egg whites. Continue to add the flour in small batches and stir to achieve a homogeneous and smooth batter/paste. Be careful to not overmix.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up. (This batter will keep in the fridge for up to a week, take it out 30 minutes before you plan to use it).

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease with either butter/spray and chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. This will help spread the batter more easily if using a stencil/cardboard template such as the butterfly. Press the stencil on the baking sheet and use an off sided spatula to spread batter. Leave some room in between your shapes. Mix a small part of the batter with the cocoa and a few drops of warm water until evenly colored. Use this colored batter in a paper piping bag and proceed to pipe decorations on the wings and body of the butterfly.

Bake butterflies in a preheated oven (180C/350F) for about 5-10 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown. Immediately release from baking sheet and proceed to shape/bend the cookies in the desired shape. These cookies have to be shaped when still warm, you might want to bake a small amount at a time or maybe put them in the oven to warm them up again. (Haven’t tried that). Or: place a baking sheet toward the front of the warm oven, leaving the door half open. The warmth will keep the cookies malleable.

If you don’t want to do stencil shapes, you might want to transfer the batter into a piping bag fitted with a small plain tip. Pipe the desired shapes and bake. Shape immediately after baking using for instance a rolling pin, a broom handle, cups, cones . . .




RICOTTA CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

What you'll need . . .

• 6 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
• 15-ounce container part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup soy milk (or regular milk)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  

Method . . .

 

1. Place chopped chocolate in a 2-cup glass measure or small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, uncovered, on 70% power (medium-high) for 1 minute; stir. Microwave on 70% power for 1 to 2 minutes more, or until chocolate is melted, stirring every 15 seconds.
   
2. In a food processor bowl combine cheese, soy milk, and vanilla. Cover and process until combined. Add melted chocolate while food processor is running. Process until well combined. Spoon into demitasse cups or small bowls. Serve immediately, or cover and chill for up to 24 hours. If desired, garnish with fresh berries and mint leaves.

{January is Tuile Month for DB!}
This month’s challenge is brought to us by Karen of Bake My Day and Zorra of 1x umruehren bitte aka Kochtopf. They have chosen Tuiles from The Chocolate Book by Angélique Schmeink and Nougatine and Chocolate Tuiles from Michel Roux. Please visit the Daring Bakers Blogroll to check out more masterful creations!

 

Somehow we neglected to put dessert on the menu for our Thanksgiving dinner this year. Quite honestly, I have no idea how this could have happened. I feel like all I ever EAT are dessert items. So, just as we were pulling the stuffing out of the oven (and, yes, I will be sharing our cranberry-hazelnut stuffing recipe another day . . . even though I'm wildly nauseous from feasting my eyes on pies & potatoes, etc.), I got the idea to modify a basic baking powder biscuit recipe into a sweet, but not complete overkill after-dinner treat.

At first, I thought to just add spice -- cinnamon and nutmeg. But I'm a chocolate lover ("Tell us something we don't know, Ashley!" . . . right?), so I decided it was absolutely imperative to incorporate something sweet into the mix.

A tablespoon of sugar, some dark cocoa powder, and a 1/2 cup of bittersweet chocolate chips later, the chocolate spice biscuit was born. OK. I can't exactly give myself credit for inventing the thing. However, I'm sure our biscuits are one-of-a-kind.

Janet over at Gonna Go Walk the Dogs (a great vegan food blog that is also on Vox) has commented that, at least on my baked goods, sugar crystals are surely my signature. And there is a generous helping of sugar -- yet again -- plopped onto the biscuits.

Just look!




CHOCOLATE SPICE BISCUITS
(A scrumptious afterthought with the "regular" recipe and vegan substitutions I made!)

What you'll need . . .

• 4 cups wheat pastry flour
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon sugar (I used Sugar in the Raw)
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg (or less, depending on your taste)
• 3 tablespoons dark cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter (or 1 cup Earth Balance -- but omit the salt), cold, and cut into small pieces
• 2 cups regular soy milk (I added 2 teaspoons of corn starch & whisked them together . . . the original recipe called for heavy cream. I don't know if this is an acceptable method, but it has worked several times.)
• 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (or more or less to taste)

Method . . .

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cocoa powder, and salt.
3. Using your hands, blend the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs with a few larger clumps remaining. You may also use a pastry blender for this part . . . but what's the fun in that?
4. Pour in the soy milk and -- using a rubber spatula -- fold it into the dough, working in all directions. Fold until just incorporated.
5. Then add in the chocolate chips. Again, until just incorporated. Dough will be sticky.
6. Then take a lightly greased (or simply nonstick) baking sheet . . . and drop heaping 1/4 cup amounts of the dough onto it -- spacing 1-1/2 inches apart.
7. Top each biscuit-to-be with a generous pinch of sugar crystals (again, Sugar in the Raw works the BEST!).
8. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until biscuits are golden brown.
9. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. But not too much, because it's best to serve them with the chocolate still gooey inside.

Have a great day, and if you enjoyed this post, please tell you friends.

Oh, and subscribe to METHOD!!! <3

It's been a while since my last post. I apologize! I took a short break from baking . . . and now I'm back. ANYWAY. This past weekend my husband and I visited friends who live in Boston -- and the first night we were there, we bought this gigantic chunk of the most delicious bittersweet chocolate at Whole Foods.

We planned to make chocolate lava muffins, but just didn't get the chance with everything else we were doing. So Sunday, we ceremoniously divided the chocolate and vowed to make something amazing with it.

Here's mine. I'm also anxiously awaiting Laura's creation (over at Earth Muffin Bakes).

Oh . . . I have included in this post the original directions I found for the croissant part. I cut ALL but the last pause time in HALF (so, if you follow just one, follow the hour-long rise time). I can never wait that long -- especially on a weeknight. And I am not convinced all that wait time is necessary.



PAIN AU CHOCOLAT
(whole wheat & vegan style!)

What you'll need . . .

• 1-1/4 cups plain soy milk (warm)
• 2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1-1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1-1/2 cups wheat pastry flour, plus more as needed
• 1 cup graham flour
•  3/4 cup Earth Balance or butter (cold)
• 10 ounces bittersweet (I THINK ours was vegan) chocolate (chips, shavings, just something that will melt)
  

Method . . .

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, sugar, and yeast (until yeast has dissolved). Let sit for four minutes.
2. Mix together both flours and salt. Add this dry mixture to the wet and stir until a sticky dough forms.
3. Turn dough onto a liberally floured work surface and knead – adding flour as necessary – until a smooth dough forms.
4. Roll dough out using a floured rolling pin. Create a rectangle that is approx. 9 by 14 inches.
5. Place Earth Balance or butter between two sheets of wax paper and roll out into a rectangle that is approx. 6 by 8 inches.
6. Peel off the wax paper and place the Earth Balance or butter on the bottom half of the dough.
7. Then, fold the bottom, sides, and top half over the butter, encasing it completely.
8. Sprinkle dough with flour and cover with plastic wrap. Then refrigerate for 45 minutes (I cut this in half).
9. First turn: Now place the dough on a liberally floured work surface and roll out to another 9 by 14 inch rectangle using a floured rolling pin. Fold just the bottom and top halves toward the center, sprinkle with flour, and refrigerate for another 45 minutes
10. Second: Repeat step nine again.
11. Third: Repeat step nine once more.
12. Now's the fun part: Roll out dough (on yet another well floured work surface) into a 10 by 20 inch rectangle. Cut into squares that are approximately 3 to 4 inches. Or however large or small you wish to make them.
13. Take each square and place equal parts of chocolate in each (I think it's about one tablespoon). Then, pour a small dish of warm water and lightly wet all edges of the square. Roll into a tube shape – with chocolate in the middle – and then gently press edges together to seal.
14. Put each tube of dough/chocolate onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Then either spray tops of dough with cooking spray or just get a bit of oil on them. Cover again with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place for at least one hour.
15. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees F . . .
    
16. Bake the croissants for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 degrees F. Bake for an additional 10 minutes (or so), until golden brown.
    
17. Cool on a wire rack.

Serve these warm for the tastiest results. I am very much impressed by how light & fluffy they turned out. Even with all that wheat flour -- so give it a try. I just ate one for breakfast!

AND if you like chocolate as much as I do, consider subscribing to METHOD! <3

No ingredients? No worries. These vegan chocolate chip cookies can be whipped up easily with only the basics.

(PS: Sorry for the crappy photo!)

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

What you'll need . . .

• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup raw sugar
• 4 tablespoons water
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Method . . .

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.
3. In another bowl, cream together the vegetable oil, brown sugar and raw sugar until smooth. Beat in the 4 tablespoons of water & 2 teaspoons of baking powder (which replaces the eggs), then stir in the vanilla extract.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, then fold in the chocolate chips.
5. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto cookie sheets.
6. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
   

Today's post is part of VeganMoFo. For more delicious vegan recipes -- including sweets, soups, and other scrumptious things -- keep reading METHOD (subscribe here). As well, check out the VeganMoFo Flickr group.

Just a quick recipe today. This sweet tooth has a dentist appointment in a few hours (AHHH!).

Anyway, I got back from my run last night and wanted to bake. As I mention below, I'm on a bit of a baking hiatus (a.k.a. diet), so I decided to experiment with buckwheat muffins. Healthy, I decided. Definitely taste good, and aren't too sweet. Plus, we had two extremely ripe bananas to use up.

I had no choice.

Note: If you have more experience with (and more of a taste for) buckwheat flour, feel free to substitute more of it. I included only a little because the last time I used the stuff -- I decided to go full force. The double chocolate cookies I made were awful. Just AWFUL! In fact, I cannot find words to describe the taste. However, I titled this recipe buckwheat banana muffins because the buckwheat went a long way.

Well, happy Wednesday, and hope you enjoy!




BUCKWHEAT BANANA MUFFINS

What you'll need . . .

• 6 tablespoons soy milk
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 10 tablespoons melted soy margarine (or your favorite butter substitute)
• 2/3 cup buckwheat flour
• 1-1/3 cup wheat pastry flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 cup raw sugar
• 5 ounces dark chocolate chunks
• 2 small, very ripe bananas (mashed)

 

Method . . .

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a muffin pan. If you have a large muffin pan, this recipe makes 12 large muffins. Small muffin pan? 24 small muffins. (I made tiny muffins because I’m on a bit of a *GASP* diet..)
2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the milk, applesauce, soy margarine, and 1 teaspoon baking powder.
3. In another, larger bowl, sift together the flours, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and then add sugar and chocolate chunks.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry – but do not beat them together. Just mix.
5. Fold in the mashed bananas.
6. If you used a large muffin pan, bake muffins for 20 minutes. Small: about 14 minutes, but keep an eye on them. Muffins are done when they are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into them comes out clean.

Today's post is part of VeganMoFo. For more delicious vegan recipes -- including sweets, soups, and other scrumptious things -- keep reading METHOD (subscribe to METHOD's RSS feed). As well, check out the VeganMoFo Flickr group.