Vibrant Plant Based Recipes
Raspberry Coconut Flax Waffles – light and fluffy waffles with a perfectly crispy exterior, these fruit flavored stacks are great for brunch or weekend breakfast!
errryday I’m wafflein’
All right, not every day. Special days, birthdays.
Jason had a birthday last weekend, and …
this vegan Brownie Bottom Cheesecake is the most requested cheesecake we make! A rich brownie base topped with a traditional New York Cheesecake.
For my birthday, Jason brought home tasty cupcakes from one of our favorite vegan/gluten free bakeries.
I also had an amazing dessert with my birthday dinner, which I still need to tell you all about. Soon.
Oh, and then I made cupcakes for my birthday party with the family.
Even with all the desserts, I still wanted to make a birthday cake. This year I combined two of my all time favorite desserts – brownies and cheesecake – into one glorious and decadent treat, a Brownie Bottom Cheesecake.
Jason describes this as ‘tangy, not too sweet’ which is how we both love cheesecake. The …
When I asked Jason what kind of cake he wanted for his birthday this year, his immediate answer was a big mall cookie.
He requested this back in April. Yep, I start planning things that far ahead.
Then in early May, we went to dinner at one of my favorite restaurants that I used to frequent. Jason’s go to restaurant dessert is sorbet, or a simple vanilla bean ice cream. Looking at the menu, he saw an affogato – a scoop of vanilla ice cream (or gelato, generally) with a shot of espresso poured over.
This was his first affogato, and now he looks for it on every restaurant menu. If he cannot find it he asks for it.
I was so intent on the giant mall cookie, I made it for his birthday. This cookie is chewy and has just the flavor I was look for – a subtle sweet cookie studded with melty chocolate. I need to test whether this would make actual free form cookies, but as a large cookie or in whoopie pie molds, it works great!
and for Jason’s birthday, I had to include the mall frosting decoration.
We had affogato as well.
adapted from Butter Toffee Blondies
soy, dairy, egg and gluten free, vegan
makes one large cookie (standard 9 1/2 inch tart pan)
1/4 cup applesauce
2 teaspoons ground flax
3/4 cup butter (Earth Balance soy free)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup gluten free flour (Bob’s Red Mill all purpose)
1/2 cup almond meal
1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup chocolate chips (Enjoy Life mega chunks)
Combine applesauce and flax in a small bowl, set aside. In large mixing bowl, cream together butter, sugar and vanilla; add flax applesauce. Add flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, and chocolate chips – combine together then fold into wet ingredients.
Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Allow to cool slightly if you want to eat it warm with melty ice cream. Cool completely if you want to decorate it mall style.
Happy Birthday, Jason.
Raw Caramel Apple Cobbler – a delicious and fun dessert that is easy and quick to make! Figs and dates bring natural sweetness and cashews add crunch to this fresh twist on cobbler.
Do those letters mean anything to you?
My favorite game show is Wheel of Fortune (those are the free letters filled in for the final puzzle). Sitting at home, I’m pretty good at it too. When I was younger, my Hawaii Grandpa insist I’d “seen this episode on the mainland already” when I was visiting Hawaii and would solve the puzzles before him.
Two years ago, the Wheel Mobile was here in Oregon, and I went to audition. On my birthday. Now there may be some skill involved, but the majority of what gets you on the show is personality. I kept this in mind as I filled out my information card at the audition, and under “interests” I wrote…
Last week was Jason’s birthday. I wanted to make cupcakes so they could easily be shared, and who doesn’t love the classic pairing of chocolate and peanut butter? I adapted my brownie recipe into one that is more cake like, but with the chewy dense brownie characteristic. I like that in a cupcake.
You know what else I like in a cupcake? A surprise middle.
makes 12 cupcakes
1/2 cup agave
1 can pumpkin (15oz)
2 eggs (Ener-G egg replacer)
3 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup ap flour (gluten free)
3/4 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
peanut butter for cupcake filling
Combine agave and pumpkin – add egg and vanilla. Combine flour, cocoa, and baking powder, add to sugar mixture. Fill muffin cups half way, place 1/2 tablespoon peanut butter in center, fill muffins with remaining batter.
Bake @ 350 for 30-35 minutes* or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
*These cooked in 30 minutes in my oven; a reader made them and while they turned out well, it took 50 minutes in his oven.
Cool completely before frosting.
peanut butter
powdered sugar
water
I started out with 1 cup peanut butter and 2 cups powdered sugar. Added water to thin slightly, whip by hand until completely smooth. Add powdered sugar to desired consistency – I wanted the frosting to hold a swirl.
While these cupcakes were for Jason’s birthday, something exciting is happening today that just may need it’s own dessert.
I am honored and excited to be a contributor with gojee – a new recipe site launching today! Gojee, named for the Himalayan berry, is a cooking site showcasing recipes from home cooks. Gojee can recommend recipes based on food you already have, and you can link to a grocery market loyalty card.
I am thrilled to be among amazing company – gojee has hand picked many great recipes from exceptionally talented people! I already have many saved as favorites, and have met some new friends as well. I hope you will visit – we are all very excited today!
We recently bought an ice cream maker… they’re on sale now for end of season!!
This was my first time making ice cream since… Uncle Dudley with salt and ice! 😀
So… I went with a classic recipe, just so I knew it would turn out. However, I have not had whole milk or heavy cream in my house since…
well, anyway, after this I’ll be experimenting!
1 cup cashew milk
3/4 turbinado sugar
2 cups coconut cream
1-2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup vegan chocolate sandwich cookies, crumbled
1/2 cup peanut butter
Action shot of my fun new toy:
Adding cookies!
All together now:
Add a dachshund cookie!
This is so amazing. Think of cookies and creme ice cream, then add peanut butter.
I will not even apologize for the amount of ice cream, fro yo and sorbet you are about to see.
It is going to be epic.
What’s team are you… ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet or gelato?
What is your favorite flavor?
