Tracy's Epic Double Chocolate Vegan Tart

Vegan Month of Food 2017

"Lines and Light"

(a line or two of original poetry or a photo of beautiful Michigan light every day during October)

Day 18 : Chocolate

"Dappled Light"

Well, this was good. I mean really, really good. Imagine an Oreo Cookie crust and a dark chocolate - cashew pudding. Heavenly! Wasn't too tricky to make either....You see, I'm the type of person who doesn't mind using both my food processor and my blender in one recipe. I don't really mind doing these kinds of dishes. (For the record, it's the after dinner dishes that kill me)

I only wish I was hosting a dinner party to have plenty of friends oooing and ahhhhing over my fancy dessert! :) 

Chocolate is so luscious..... I eat it every day!

Here's what you need:

1 package Oreo cookies

1 C butter - divided

2 C raw cashews

3 C soy milk

1 T arrowroot

1 t vanilla

1/2 C sugar (or less)

1 bag dark chocolate chips (use a good brand)

1/4 t salt

Here's what you do:

Pulse the cookies in a food processor until they are fine crumbs. Add 1/2 C melted butter. Press into a tart pan and chill for at least 30 minutes. 

Meanwhile, soak the cashews in cold water.  (or don't soak them...I never do.) Place cashews, milk and arrowroot in a high speed blender and create a smooth mixture. Then run this through a fine sieve to remove any stubborn nut  pieces. 

Pour cashew milk into a heavy bottom pot, add the chips and slowly bring to a warm simmer....just enough to melt the chips and allow the arrowroot to do its thickening magic. Add the vanilla. 

Pour over the crust, chill long time, decorate. Voila! Serve with pride. 

Black Bean Brownies (from Veganuary)

This is the kind of recipe that you avoid for many months. You may see it cross your Facebook page, or you may read about it on a strange vegetarian blog (like this one), or you may even see it at your workplace coffee station. But you avoid. You can’t quite seem to bring the dreaded black bean concoction to your lips.

Because I was the brave one in the room and tried these, you may follow my lead and tamp down your fear! What’s it gonna cost you? A can of beans.

Warning: these brownies are not very sweet, which in my opinion is a bonus.

Warning: these brownies are totally and completely chocolatey

Warning: these brownies are moist, chewy, dense, rich, satisfying, ‘healthy’, and cheap to make

Warning: these brownies could become your new favorite thing

Here’s what you need:

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

½ avocado

1 C brown sugar

3 T cocoa powder

½ C walnuts – divided

1 t baking soda

1 t vanilla

1 T coconut oil (plus more for greasing the muffin tin)

Large pinch of salt

2/3 C dark chocolate chips (plus more for garnish)

Here’s what you do:

Prepare a muffin tin by greasing it with coconut oil. This will help the brownies come out perfectly.

Place beans, avocado, sugar, cocoa, half the walnuts (1/4 C), baking soda, vanilla, coconut oil, and salt in a food processor and mix very well.

Melt the 2/3 C chocolate chips in a double boiler until soft (don’t scorch them) and add the chocolate to the bean mixture.  Mix well.

Evenly distribute the batter into prepared muffin tins.

Garnish with more chocolate and the remaining ¼ C walnuts.

Bake 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. Cool them completely in the fridge before removing. Remove them carefully because they are soft in the middle.

Delicious!

Banana Rabanada (Brazilizan French Toast) from Isa Chandra

Banana Rabanada (Brazilian French Toast)

Just saying the name of this recipe is fun and elevates it to a more exotic level. 

Banana Rabanada. Banana Rabanada.

 I love it! 

I tested this recipe and made this meal for my son a few months ago, planning to serve it to my sister-in-law and her friend when they visited from Brazil in September. The bummer was that I never actually had the chance to make it when my Brazilian guests were here. We did eat well, and I did get to cook for them, but  brunch was never in the plans, so my Banana Rabanada had to go by the wayside. 

This recipe is another total winner from Isa Chandra's "Vegan Brunch" cookbook. Basically you soak good bread in a super delish banana milk, toast them in a hot skillet, and serve them with cocoa and cinnamon. Simple ingredients, fantastic result. The bread is key here - choose a high quality baguette and toast it completely to create those chewy places. I think I might have gone overboard with the cocoa powder, but it was worth it. I think this would be a good choice for a brunch party, because it could hold well in a warm oven - it's pretty sturdy. 

Here's what you need for 4 servings: 

2 very ripe bananas

1 1/2 C non dairy milk

2 T cornstarch

1 t good vanilla

1 T unsweetened cocoa powder

1 t ground cinnamon

1 stale baguette, sliced diagonally in once inch slices

extra fruit for garnish

Here's what you do:

Blend the bananas, milk, cornstarch, and vanilla in a blender. Place bread slices on a baking sheet and pour the banana mixture over them. Allow the bread to soak for about 20 minutes, turning them over at the 10 minute mark. 

Heat a skillet, use a small amount of oil, toast the bread slices for at least 5-7 minutes on each side. Do not try to turn them over too soon! Let them get brown before you flip them. You don't want any of the banana goodness to 'peel' away from the bread and get stuck in the pan. 

Mix the cocoa powder and cinnamon together and dust each serving liberally before serving. 

Chocolate Pumpkin Loaf: Forks Over Knives

Day 14: Share something vegan (and delicious, duh!) with a non-vegan.

Do you have one of these places at your work? A place for coffee and various treats? I brought in the chocolate pumpkin loaf. Someone else brought banana bread, and those donut holes were for the students to celebrate the first day back at school . Mine, of course, was vegan.

This might be the third day. See how moist it still is?

 From Forks Over Knives, this recipe is a keeper. Very moist, spicy in a good way (like autumn) and just enough chocolate to satisfy. Actually, a nice balance between chocolate and pumpkin.

Flourless Chocolate Tart (From “The Vegan Table”)

Apparently everyone else has their mind on pumpkin …. Pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin lattes and so forth. 

 I have my mind on chocolate. I made this for a dessert buffet and it was killer. Gotta plan some sort of dinner party so I can make this again.

I lifted up the tart so you can see the nutty crust. Delish! Look carefully and you
can see my new orange purse in the background....vegan, of course! 

 Thanks to the awesome Colleen Patrick-Goudreau for the recipe from “The Vegan Table.”  

Adonis Cake – (from My Beef with Meat)

I think I have mentioned that I love cake. It just makes even plain old Wednesdays special. Thursdays too. This one is dense and moist and full of healthful ingredients. Makes you kinda feel great about going back for a second slice.  And check out that frosting! (secret – no butter, no egg whites, no cream cheese)

I got this recipe from the excellent book “My Beef with Meat.” The reading is light and informative, presenting the case for veganism in a very basic and non-threatening way. The recipes, however, are pretty hard-core vegan and totally plant based. See Zeb’s Waffles here and Raise the Roof Lasagna here. Maybe you already know that Rip Esselstyn, the author, is a well-known vegan tri-athlete and is the son of Dr. Esselstyn of “The China Study” fame. Rip (gotta love that name) helped fellow firefighters with their struggling health by cooking plant based meals for them. You can check him out on Facebook and all over the internet. I recently learned that he has partnered with Whole Foods, so those of you who are addicted to Whole Foods will see his stuff on the shelves soon.

I’m just going to let you google the recipes today. Look for “Adonis Cake” and be sure, sure, sure to use the frosting Rip recommends. (I am not giving away the ingredients or method for that frosting – I am going to make you go on an internet hunt!) 

Vegan Chocolate Raspberry Cake

A cake can make any day brighter. It can set the tone for a special meal. And it can make a dramatic statement at a dinner party. I love cake. There, I said it. I love to see a pretty cake sitting on a platter in my kitchen. Plus I love sneaking a thin slice every time I walk by.

This delicious recipe comes from “Vegan…Made Simple” – a new cookbook from my mom (Thanks, Mom!) I modified it by adding almond extract along with the vanilla. I reduced the sugar also. My changes are included here.

I hope you try this simple and delicious cake: very tender and moist and full of raspberry flavor.

Here’s what you need:

2 1/3 C all-purpose flour

½ C unsweetened cocoa powder

1 t baking powder

1 t baking soda

½ t salt

1 C sugar

1 ½ C almond or soy milk

½ C canola oil

½ C raspberry preserves, warmed and strained

½ t vanilla extract

½ t almond extract

For the frosting:

3 T non-dairy milk

½ C chocolate chips (vegan if possible)

½ C powdered sugar

1 T maple sugar

Fresh raspberries to decorate

OR

Create a simple raspberry sauce by warming and straining more raspberry preserves

 You might notice in the photo above that I used a 10 inch spring form pan and baked it for about 30 minutes. Why it sunk in the middle I can’t say – it was cooked all the way through….I guess I should have put a bunch of raspberries in the middle to hide the ugly crater!

Here’s what you do:

Grease a 9 inch cake pan and line with parchment paper. Mix the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Whisk the milk, oil, preserved and extracts well. Add the dry to the wet and mix gently, just until everything is moist. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting: heat the milk over low heat until just reaches the boiling point. Add the chocolate and stir until melted. Remove from heat. Add the sugar and syrup. Mix well. Cool for a bit before frosting the cake.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles from Post Punk Kitchen

V is for Variety and A is for Aztec

Welcome to the Vegan Month of Food (VeganMoFo)  I intend to post 20 times during the month of September – all about vegan food. Check out the gals who organize the project here, and search out other fantastic vegan bloggers. I decided on the theme of “V is for Variety” because, honestly, once I quit the chicken breast – my food choices exploded! Join me!

Ok, so I want everyone to think way, way back to their 6^th grade geography teacher blathering on and on and on about Hernando Cortez and the conquest of the Aztec Indians way, way back in 1519. Remember any of it? (Probably that the Aztecs performed human sacrifice and ate the beating hearts of those whom they conquered, but I digress.)

Actually, historians (of which I am one) would call the meeting between the native Aztecs and the conquering Spanish one of the most dramatic and caustic clashes of culture ever experienced, anywhere, at any time, in all of world history. I believe I once read that Cortez remained atop a horse in the presence of Montezuma to instill fear and awe. Can you imagine how Montezuma, who was actually awaiting the arrival of a great god, felt when he saw those Spanish ships drawing near his shore? No wonder he gave Cortez so much gold! And speaking of gold, did you know that many Spaniards actually drowned while trying to escape Teotihuacan, which was up in flames? The reason? Their pockets were stuffed with gold and it weighed them down.

Of course we know how it all played out: Aztecs – zero …. Spaniards – one.  

I never tire of learning more about the Aztec culture. I have been to Mexico City to see the ruins and museums and the floating gardens of Chapultepec Park. I look forward every year to teaching a long Aztec unit to my own 6^th graders and seeing how they learn to love this ancient culture, from its language, its art, its architecture and not least to its food!

I bet some of your favorite food is Aztec in origin: tortilla, avocado, tomatoes, corn, beans, CHILIS and CHOCOLATE!

Aztec dudes eating spicy Snickerdoodles. 

You can find this excellent recipe here at the Post Punk Kitchen. I followed it to the letter. 

Caution: these little Mexican Snickerdoodles pack quite a punch; they are not for your toddler’s lunch box. There is a serious cayenne kick in these, but the Aztecs often mixed chili with chocolate, so let’s just call these authentic. Take them to work and watch the faces of your co-workers! I love them and I hope you do also. 

Chilled Double Chocolate Torte

Look at this glorious dessert! It tasted as incredible as it looks, believe me; we scarfed it down in about two days. The mousse topping was so creamy and ridiculously chocolaty.  This was actually a ‘practice’ dessert for my St. Patrick’s Day party. (You may recall that I served small finger sized desserts instead of something fancy.)

Cabby says, "May the luck of the Irish be with you." Of course, that was after she got into the Baileys  Irish Cream.... no comment.

Confession: I was afraid to serve this because it’s…. shhh….  don’t tell…. Vegan.  No eggs, no cream, no cream cheese, no butter. But there is a super secret ingredient. Read on, dear blog friend, to discover my delicious secret.

Another confession: I am kinda kicking myself for chickening out and not making this for my party…. Oh, well, next time! 

On the near horizon is a fantastic vegan luncheon, and this frozen beauty just might make it to the menu.

To see the recipe click over to Oh She Glows and follow the directions to a 'T' :) ....and here's a hint about the secret ingredient:

Crazy, right? 

And speaking of things that make my heart go 'thump'.... I saw the first robin of the year today! 

Won't be long now!

And more heart thumping than a robin, there was a mature bald eagle eating his lunch on our ice earlier this week. Lucky me!

Saturday and a Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

One last ice fisherman.... will winter ever end? 

What a busy day! #saturdaysarethebest    We spent the day working in the house, barely making it out of our PJs and that felt so, so good! The kitchen is spotless. The bathrooms are gleaming. Dinner is on the stove (Spiced Potatoes with Lentils and Barley). Deck furniture is out of storage even though there is still some snow on the ground. #westmichigan.

And the most impressive announcement….. the laundry is all done!!! My hubby spent the day in the basement with basketball blaring on the TV #goblue AND #goMSU and he patiently washed, dried and folded every thread of clothing. I am blessed. (Not that the laundry is done, but because my guy loves our family and home that much – thanks, babe!) #besthusbandonearth

I did run a quick errand to the grocery store looking for red lentils, but no luck. I want to make a coconut curry red lentil soup just like the one I had at Seva Restaurant in  Ann Arbor a few weeks ago…spicy, sweet, creamy, hearty. #iliveinasmalltown

Speaking of great food, I made these little lovelies for my party last week, and as much as I want to share the recipe….. I must admit that I have lost it. (the recipe, not my mind) #gettingoverwhelmedwithclutter. Luckily, you can google “Lemon Tassies” and choose whichever recipe suits your fancy. They were excellent!

I also made my famous Bourbon Brownies. #cantgowrongwithboozeydesserts , but the best dessert on the tray were the chocolate chip cookies from The Joy of Vegan Baking. #donttellmyfriendstheywerevegan. Dawn, over at Vegan Fazool, suggested the recipe to me and I send her zillions of thanks! #killerrecipe It’s better than ANY other chocolate chip cookie recipe. #idareyoutotryitt

Chocolate Chip Cookies (from The Joy of Vegan Baking, by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

Here’s what you need:

4 ½ t Ener-G Egg Replacer (equivalent of 3 eggs)

6 T water

1 C non-hydrogenated, nondairy butter, softened (Earth Balance brand is the BEST)

¾ C granulated sugar

¾ C light brown sugar

2 t vanilla extract (use the good stuff, you are worth it!)

2 ¼  C flour

1 t baking soda

1 t salt

1-2 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 C chopped nuts (pecans are the BEST)

Here’s what you do:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Whip the egg replacer until it’s thick and creamy. (Colleen suggests using a food processor, but I did it by hand.) Set it aside.

Cream the butter, sugars and vanilla. Add the egg replacer and mix thoroughly.

Combine the flour, soda, salt and gradually add the dry mixture to the wet mixture. When it’s almost all combined, add the chips and nuts.

Bake for 8-10  minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes and remove to wire rack to cool.

(printable recipe)

Brownie Bottom Cheesecake - It's all about love

It’s almost Valentine’s Day. It’s that time of year when the grocery shelves are filled with ghastly neon pink candy and those sickeningly sweet candy hearts. Me, I’m more a chocolate person than a candy person, so Brownie on the Bottom Cheesecake is the perfect way for me to say “I love you.”

I did just learn though that the conversation hearts go way, way back to the 1860’s – so I guess I shouldn’t be too hard on them. The manufacture makes 8 billion of them a year! That’s a lot of love! I notice every year that some of the sayings are updated and I always have fun searching through the little boxes reading all the messages.

Some fun new ones: LOL, You Rock, U Go Girl and Get Real. Supposedly there’s one out there that says, Fax Me. I think if my husband included this in a love letter to me…. Well, let’s just say, I would not be swept off my feet.

  

Something that does sweep me off my feet is cheesecake, especially if chocolate is involved. This one is not difficult to make. You might even have everything you need already in your pantry. The only special equipment needed for a great cheesecake is a springform pan. This Valentine’s Day, surprise someone you love with a totally romantic dessert and see if you get a ‘Kiss Me’ in return!

Brownie on the Bottom Cheesecake:

1 package brownie mix

¾ C semi-sweet chocolate chips

3 x 8 ounce packages of cream cheese – room temperature

¾ C sugar

1 t vanilla

½ C sour cream

3 eggs

Prepare the brownie mix according to the package and add the chocolate chips. Pour in a well greased springform pan and bake in a 325 degree oven for 20 minutes. 

In the meantime, whip the cream cheese and sugar until very smooth. Add the vanilla, sour cream and eggs and continue to mix until very smooth.

Pour cheese mixture over warm brownie bottom and bake for another 50-60 minutes or until the top of the cake is set. Don’t over bake it!

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Run knife carefully around the edge of the cake and carefully remove the rim of the pan. Beautiful!

I’d love to hear what your best romantic desserts are. How do you say “I love you?”

(printable recipe) 

(In full disclosure, I must tell you that I first published these words and this recipe on my other, now defunct, blog. See the original post here, if interested.) 

One Year Ago: Black Bean Burgers 

One Year Ago : Venison Burgers

Outrageous Brownies: Ina Garten

Have you seen this recipe? It’s killer. I mean, really….one pound of butter? While I was melting the butter and chocolate together, I was thinking that there must be some sort of mistake….one pound of butter. … and cups and cups full of chocolate chips. Ina’s unique addition of a small bit of coffee to everything chocolate is not omitted here, she recommends 2 full tablespoons of instant coffee….I only added 1 tablespoon and that’s plenty. This recipe makes an entire sheet pan overflowing with the most decadent and delicious brownies…plenty to share, plenty to store in the freezer and plenty to munch on straight from the oven.

On a personal note: it is very ironic that I am posting a recipe that calls for one pound of butter today because I am actually toying with the idea of joining VeganMoFo for the month of October. Check it out here. Crazy, right? I would LOVE if any of my readers would like to join with me (and 700 other vegan bloggers from all over the world) – what an eating adventure it could be!

The downside for me is that the entire month must be vegan only posts (ahhh,,,, good-bye, my beloved cheese). According to the rules you can’t even sneak in an egg. The other really tough thing for me is that they encourage 20 different posts! That’s a lot of cooking, photos, eating, blogging, posting….. hey, some of us have to work for a living!

Anyway, I am seriously thinking of trying it for the month of October…..I have mentioned that I am constantly on the lookout for the perfect veggie burger and this would force me to narrow that search down a bit.

Your thoughts? Would you discontinue reading my recipes if I took a vegan holiday? Does the thought of Red Lentil Enchiladas make your finger hover over the ‘delete’ button?  Would you be curious to see what I come up with for my 20 posts? Do you want me to find that perfect veggie burger, once and for all?

GTG… brownies await! (and then probably grilled cheese for lunch….I have a hunk of gouda from the Netherlands lurking in the fridge….hubby brought it home from his recent trip. How he loves me!)

Christmas in July

             

I’ve only experienced Black Friday one time – and one time is enough to last me for the rest of all eternity. What’s Black Friday, some of you might be asking? It’s that awful day when the stores open up at the crack of dawn and the blessed season of Christmas is officially in full swing. Maybe it’s just me and maybe I have offended some of you who love the shopping frenzy. All I know is that the shopping thing does nothing for me…. makes me kinda sick in my tummy, in fact. 

I don’t like the whole “Christmas in July” thing either….. what’s that all about?

"Why July?" asks my son.

"It makes Christmas come sooner," responds my husband, "it's like going out to dinner on Wednesday."

I much prefer this AWESOME Mocha Chocolate Layer Cake. I served it to my family for Christmas dinner last December. You must admit it’s a beauty….. next to Tres Leches Cake, this is my favorite. Skip the commercialism, make a cake, enjoy your family and brace yourself – Black Friday is only a few months away.

Mocha Chocolate Layer Cake

Here’s what you need:

1 C butter

3 C packed brown sugar

4 eggs

3 t vanilla extract

3 C flour

¾ C cocoa

3 t baking soda

½ t salt

1 ½ C brewed coffee, cooled

1 1/3 C sour cream

For the frosting:

2 packages cream cheese (8 ounces each) – softened

½ C butter – softened

8 squared unsweetened chocolate, melted (1 ounce each)

½ C brewed coffee, cooled

3 t vanilla extract

6 C powdered sugar

Here’s what you do:

Cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Also, whisk together the coffee and sour cream. Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar alternating with the sour cream mixture. Pour into three greased and floured 9-inch cake pans. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

To make the frosting: Cream the cheese and butter together. Add the chocolate , coffee and vanilla. Gradually beat in the sugar. Spread between the layers and over the top and sides of the cake.

Some notes: This cake will serve lots and lots of people…..maybe 20! It’s really rich and gloriously decadent. There is plenty of frosting to be generous – don’t skimp between the layers. Store it in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving. Don’t wait till Christmas to make this one!

Christmas 2011 - Beef Burgundy, Buttered Noodles, Roasted Tomatoes, Roasted Brussels Sprouts

(printable recipe)

Marry Me Chocolate Chip Cookies

Let’s play a matching game today. Can you name the person who said these love quotes? You may choose from the following people:

A. Elizabeth Barrette Browning

B.   God

C.  J. Geils

D. Plato

E.  Robert Frost

F. Ryan O’Neal  (in that corny old movie)

1. “At the touch of love everyone becomes a poet.”

2.”How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach.”

3. “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”

4. “Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired.”

5. “Love means not ever having to say you're sorry.”

6. “Love stinks.”

How did you do? Click here to see the answers.

If you need to propose marriage to someone in the near future, then you might be interested in making these cookies. Or if you’re like me and happily married (almost 27 years!), maybe you just want to make them for your sweetheart.

Supposedly, you bake them and you get a marriage proposal…..hmmmm…..anyone willing to try it? J They’re mighty good.

Here’s what you need: (I tweaked the recipe found on Cooking Channel website.)

1 C butter

1 ¼ C dark brown sugar

½ C sugar

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1 t pure vanilla

2 C flour

1 C oats

½ t baking soda

½ t salt

¼ cinnamon

2 C chocolate chips (original recipe called for a mix of both white and dark chips, but you will never find a white chip in this house.)

Here’s what you do: There are a lot of strange steps, so read carefully!

Melt the butter over medium heat. Remove from heat and add the sugars. Stir until well blended. Chill for 10 minutes in the fridge.  There’s something so, so great about the aroma of melted butter and brown sugar, am I right?

Remove from fridge and add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla.

Add the flour, oats, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Mix well.

Living dangerously up here in Michigan - cold enough to cool my cookie dough in the garage next to my hubby's tennis shoes. See the bike and the broom? Those are not actually needed to make these. And actually, neither is that boot.  

Stir in the chocolate chips. Roll by hand into 24 medium size balls. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Chill for 30 minutes.

Bake at 325 degrees for about 12-14 minutes

(printable recipe)

One Year Ago: Baked Beans

One Year Ago : Sesame-Ginger Tilapia en Papillote