Chow Vegan

Ever heard of a black and blue cookie? Me neither.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, I got one when I was down south visiting family. It’s from Eclair Bakery, a cute little place in the downtown village of Arroyo Grande (a small Central Coast town about halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles).

I stopped in to see what they had in way of vegan treats and on that day it was a cupcake (I don’t remember the flavor) or a black and blue cookie. Deciding between the two, the cookie sounded much more interesting than the cupcake. The black part is a chocolate chocolate chip cookie; the blue part is blueberries. Together, it’s a black and blue cookie (I love the name).

I enjoyed every last crumb of it. The edges were a little on the crisp side but soft in the center. I’ve always liked the combo of blueberry and chocolate. It reminds me of my blueberry brownies but in a yummy cookie form.

It’s so nice to know I can pop in for a vegan treat whenever I’m in town visiting. If you ever find yourself cruising up or down the Central Coast, it’s an easy exit off of the 101. And if you give them advance notice, they can whip up other vegan treats too. I can’t wait to be back later this month.

Banana cream pie, another must-try recipe from the cookbook, Raw for Dessert by Jennifer Cornbleet. It’s the same cookbook that I’ve reviewed before when I made the Chocolate Candy Cups.

Banana cream is the pie of choice for our family gatherings, I was thrilled to find a version that’s 1. healthier than the average pie and 2. it’s simple enough for a baking idiot like me to make (no baking involved).

Instead of the more commonly used tofu in such pies, young coconut meat is called for to achieve that creaminess. I’ve seen young Thai coconuts at Whole Foods and at Asian supermarkets (where it’s a little cheaper). But up until this point, I’ve never gave them a second thought, let alone try to open one up. Fortunately, the cookbook gives excellent directions on how to do it.

After cracking open the coconuts, it’s smooth sailing. The graham crust is just a quick blend, as is the filling, just blend the ingredients together and that’s it. Assemble the pie and then stick it in the fridge to chill. Just before serving, I added a ring of freshly cut bananas to the top.

I’m really starting to love raw desserts. They’re easy enough for me to make, don’t have to be baked and I’m learning about all sorts of new ingredients. Best of all, they taste amazing.

For a chance to win your own copy, click on the Luscious Vegan Desserts button to sign up for Book Publishing Company’s monthly drawings for free books and to receive their newsletter.

Disclosure: I received the cookbook free of charge from the publisher to review. This post also contains an Amazon link, I get a few coins tossed my way if you click on the link and make a purchase of anything.

Related Links
Chocolate Candy Cups From Raw For Dessert

Just in time for Halloween, rice krispy treats! I used the recipe from the cookbook, Simple Treats by Ellen Abraham, which I received from the publisher for review.

The brown rice krispy treats are a natural food version of the classic treat, using a concoction of various syrups to replace the usual marshmallows. I also added a topping of raisins and shredded coconut.

It’s been many moons since I’ve last eaten a rice krispy treat, but I thought these were good. They tasted a bit on the healthy side and aren’t super sweet. I haven’t tried making any with vegan marshmallows so I can’t compare the two.

The rest of the cookbook covers everything from muffins and breads to cookies and cakes to cremes, frostings and glazes, all dairy-free and wheat-free (but not gluten-free, as some recipes call for barley flour).

Share a square of rice krispy treats with a little friend today. To facilitate the sharing, I’m giving away a copy of Simple Treats. For a chance in a different giveaway, click on the above Luscious Vegan Desserts button to enter at the publisher’s website, Book Publishing Company.

To enter the giveaway:
Leave a comment in this post with your favorite Halloween treat, homemade or store-bought. Comment must be made by midnight PST on Friday, October 29th; one entry per person. No purchase is necessary to enter or win.

One winner will be randomly selected (using random.org) from the comments received and announced in a new post on Saturday, October 30th. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be randomly chosen. Prize awarded is the cookbook that I received from the publisher (approximate retail value $14.95). I did not drool on it.

Official Rules:
Open only to U.S. residents age 18 and over. Odds of winning depend on the number of entries received. Void where prohibited by law. Any tax is the sole responsibility of the winner. Winner releases Chow Vegan from any liability arising out of participation in this giveaway or the acceptance, use or misuse of the prize.

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon links, I get a few coins tossed my way if you click on any of the links and make a purchase of anything.

With the holidays right around the corner, I’ve got candy on my brain. Having recently received from the publisher a review copy of Raw for Dessert by Jennifer Cornbleet, I just had to try the Chocolate Candy Cups.

The great thing about making raw candy is there’s no cooking involved, no melting, no fancy candy thermometer necessary. Just a little soaking, blending, then pour into a baking cup. Top with nuts, raisins or fruit. I also tried a couple of pretzels, obviously that’s not raw but it’s such a great combo.

So chocolatey and decadent, I liked the nut ones the best. They remind me of family holidays with white gift boxes of See’s Candies. The chocolates with nuts were always the first ones to go, woe to you if you got to the box late in the game. Who knew they were so easy to just make yourself? Vegan, gluten-free and healthier too.

The cookbook begins with an overview of ingredients, equipment and basics. Recipes range from sorbets and ice cream to cakes, cookies and pies, all with no cooking or baking involved. Perfect for those deficient in dessert baking such as myself.

For a chance to win your own copy, click on the Luscious Vegan Desserts button (it goes to the publisher’s website) to sign up for BookPubCo monthly drawings for free books and to receive their newsletter.

Disclosure: I received the cookbook free of charge directly from the publisher. I was not influenced in any way, my bumbling attempts at making desserts are my own. I was not required to mention the book giveaway signup, but thought some readers may be interested in it.

This post also contains an Amazon link, I get a few coins tossed my way if you click on the link and make a purchase of anything.

Related Links
Mini Raw Mixed Berries Cheesecake
Dreamy Nut Bars

Another recipe spotted on dreaminitvegan.blogspot.com that I absolutely had to try – raw strawberry cheesecake. Perfect for a 4th of July celebration, it’s a cool, easy, no-bake dessert.

Typical me, I made a few tweaks to the recipe. Mixed berries instead of just strawberries – with the bounty of berries available at the farmers market nowadays, I just had to use them all.

For the crust, I replaced the pecans called for in the recipe with almonds since I already had almonds. Besides I’m too lazy to go to the store for a single item. The recipe makes enough crust (sides and bottom) for two 4″ mini pans.

I like my crust to be on the thick side. If thinner, there’s probably enough for three pans or more if the crust was only on the bottom. I used quiche style pans since I didn’t have mini springform ones.

I made half of the original filling recipe and I still had some left over. I used the rest to make a crust-less cheesecake. The filling came out really purple. I ended up using more of the blackberries as they got a little smashed on the way home from the market.

Mini Raw Mixed Berries Cheesecake
Makes 2-3 mini cheesecakes
Adapted from dreaminitvegan.blogspot.com

Crust
1/2 cup raw almonds
2 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
1/4 cup shredded coconut
Pinch of salt

Place almonds in a food processor and pulse until crumbly. Add the dates, coconut and salt, continue to pulse the mixture into fine crumbs.

Coat the pans with raw coconut oil. Press the mixture into two 4-inch diameter mini pans, going up the sides and bottom, packing it well into the pans. Set aside.

Filling
1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight
1 cup mixed berries, any combination of blackberries, blueberries and/or strawberries
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1/2 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon raw coconut oil, melted

Pulse the cashews in a food processor until crumbly. Add the rest of the ingredients except the coconut oil and pulse until smooth.

While pulsing the food processor, slowly add the coconut oil until blended in. Spoon the filling into the prepared crusts.

Place in the freezer until firm. To serve, defrost in the refrigerator for about an hour. Top with additional berries.

Related Post
Dreamy Nut Bars

I’ve been interested in raw food for awhile now, but I haven’t really gotten around to trying any raw recipes. Then I saw the most awesome chocolate covered raw treats on dreaminitvegan.blogspot.com.

There’s no baking involved, so it’s totally my speed (seeing as I’m no baker by any stretch of the imagination). There’s only 4 ingredients – medjool dates, raw almonds, shredded coconut and vanilla, plus melted chocolate for covering, if you like that sort of thing.

And it taste kinda like an Almond Joy. Oh man, I couldn’t get a hold of the ingredients fast enough.

Super easy to make, just toss into a food processor and hit the button. Instead of a round shape called for in the recipe, I shaped mine into bars. You know, like the candy bar, complete with a couple of almonds on top.

I only had half a chocolate bar to melt, so I just drizzled it over the top, but it’s still good and more than enough. It’s sweet even without the chocolate. I’ll definitely be making these again and again.

Update: I’m happy to report that the nut bars (without the chocolate) freeze well. I stuck a couple of test bars in a tupperware lined with wax paper into the freezer. Basically what I had in the fridge, got popped into the freezer.

Just take out and eat, it doesn’t freeze solid. It’s just a little colder than the refrigerated ones.

I’ve been dying to make something with the Vietnamese Extra Fancy Cinnamon I picked up from Penzeys Spices. Every time I get a whiff of it, I want to bake something. Something easy but healthy, I decided to try a baked version of banana tempura.

I used the batter-baked method from The 30-Minute Vegan. Dipping and breading each individual slice is definitely the way to go, I got a lot more crumb coverage on each piece.

Baked banana tempura isn’t exactly like regular tempura – it’s a lot lighter and there’s not a ton of batter. The bananas come out warm and a little melty inside with a bit of a crunch on the outside. You’ll have to eat it right away otherwise you’ll lose the crunch (it’s still good just not crunchy). Dusted with cinnamon, it’s heaven on a plate.

Baked Banana Tempura
Serves 2

2 small to medium size bananas
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
Ground cinnamon for dusting

Batter
1 1/2 tablespoons ground flax meal
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly oil a baking sheet.

Combine batter ingredients in a bowl and blend well with a whisk. Set aside. Place bread crumbs in a bowl or plate and set near the batter bowl and baking sheet.

Peel and cut the bananas crosswise into 3/4″ slices. Give the batter a quick stir and then place a banana slice into the batter, coating well. Then into the bread crumbs, making sure it’s totally covered. Place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with each banana slice.

Bake for 4 minutes, flip over and bake another 4 minutes. Arrange on a serving dish and dust with cinnamon. Serve immediately.

Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar Giveaway!
Don’t forget there’s only a few more days to enter the giveaway here, it closes on Saturday, December 12, 2009.

I can’t bake. I know it. You know it. Even the oven knows it. But after I received a review copy of Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero, I just had to give my favorite cookie, oatmeal raisin, a try.

It didn’t start off well. I bought the wrong kind of quick-cooking oats, somehow I missed the smaller “steel cut” type on the package. Of course, I didn’t notice until I had already mixed up all of the wet ingredients and just poured in the oats and started mixing.

After recovering from flashbacks of other ill-fated attempts at baking. I dumped everything into the garbage and headed back to the store.

I got the correct ingredients this time, after double-checking the labels on everything. Mixed up a batch and started plopping them on the baking sheet. Shoved the whole thing in the oven and prayed the entire 10 minutes that they were in there, that all would be well when they came back out.

Lo and behold, I actually made a cookie! Thank goodness for small miracles. It’s been ages since I enjoyed a freshly baked cookie hot out of the oven. It’s so good!

To celebrate, I’m giving away a copy of Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar so you too may enjoy freshly baked goodies, with or without noobie drama.

The cookbook includes 100 recipes organized by type – from drop, wholesome, bar, fancy to sliced and rolled cookies. There’s also a very handy section in the beginning covering ingredients, tools, substitutions and troubleshooting.

To enter, complete the following:

1. Subscribe to chowvegan.com via RSS reader or email.

2. Leave a comment in this post that you’ve done so and tell me what is your favorite cookie. Comment must be made by midnight PST on Saturday, December 12th; one entry per person. Giveaway is open to US mailing addresses only.

One winner will be randomly selected from the comments received and announced on Monday, December 14th. Good luck!