Vegan Yum Yum (7 page)

“My rings
don't come off
easily.”

Lemon Cranberry Muffins

T
hese muffins are light and fluffy. The lemon isn't overwhelming and goes great with the delicate almond flavor. You could substitute soy milk, but the almond milk makes for a delicious soy-free baked good.

Lemon Cranberry Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

step 1
Preheat the oven to 400 ºF.

step 2
Place the cranberries and water in a small saucepan and heat until simmering. Let them simmer for 3 minutes, then turn off the heat and let them stand.

step 3
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cornstarch, and lemon zest.

step 4
In a separate bowl (or a 2-cup liquid measuring cup), mix together the almond milk, lemon juice, vegetable oil, and the vanilla and almond extracts.

step 5
Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry until almost combined. Drain the cranberries and fold into the batter, mixing until just combined.

step 6
Fill lined muffin tins nearly full with the batter, using as much of it as you can. (Optional: sprinkle tops with sugar. Pink muffin cups are optional, but highly recommended. )

step 7
Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Mine were perfect at 18 minutes. Allow to cool before serving.

Ingredients

½ rounded cup dried cranberries in ½ cup of water

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot powder

Zest from 1 lemon

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

Juice from 1 lemon
*
(see note below)

cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

Muffin tin lined with muffin cups

Sugar for dusting muffin tops

*
Note: Lemons will vary in the amount of juice they yield. A “dry” lemon will give about 2 tablespoons and a juicy one about ¼ cup. I've made the recipe with both dry and juicy and like the result either way. If you want a light lemon taste, 2 tablespoons will work; if you want a tangier lemon muffin, use ¼ cup. Or do what I do: leave it to fate and use however much the lemon will give.

Strawberry Rhubarb Coffee Cake

W
hoa, Mama. This coffee cake ain't messin' around. It's sweet, tangy, and moist, and the perfect way to take advantage of the bumper spring crop of strawberries and rhubarb. This makes a large 9 x 13-inch baking dish full of goodness, so invite a bunch of friends over for tea or have a luxurious Sunday brunch.

I don't peel my rhubarb when I use it, but you're more than welcome to if you want. The rhubarb cooks down in the oven, so don't worry about a chunky/crunchy end product.

One last thing: let it cool completely before trying it. I know, I know—what baked dessert tastes better at room temperature? This one. And my testers agree with me, so I'm not completely crazy.

Strawberry Rhubarb Coffee Cake

Makes 16 servings

step 1
Begin by making the filling. Hull and roughly slice the strawberries. Chop the rhubarb into ¼-inch to ½-inch slices (you don't need to be precise).

step 2
Add the strawberries and rhubarb to a large pot. Add the sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla, and turn heat on low. Stir well.

step 3
Mix the cornstarch, lemon juice, and water together in a small bowl and add it to the strawberry-rhubarb mixture, which should be very liquid by now, and turn the heat up to medium.

step 4
Stir constantly: do not step away from the pot. The mixture should be milky and light pink at first, but eventually it will become thick, transparent, and dark red. After this transformation, cook for 1 minute more, then taste. It should not be gritty. If it is, cook for a bit longer to fully dissolve the cornstarch. If it tastes smooth, remove it from the heat and set aside to cool.

To Make the Cake:

step 1
Preheat the oven to 350 ºF and oil a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.

step 2
Whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together in a large bowl.

step 3
Measure the soy milk and add the apple cider vinegar to it and set it aside for a few minutes to curdle.

Ingredients

Strawberry Rhubarb Filling:

3 heaping cups of organic strawberries
(about 1 pound)

6 stalks of rhubarb, chopped into 2 inch pieces
(about 3 cups)

1 cup sugar

Zest from 1 lemon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup cornstarch

2 tablespoons lemon juice

¼ cup water

Cake Batter:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1½ cups soy milk plus 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

¼ cup Earth Balance margarine

¼ cup shortening

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons Ener-G Egg Replacer mixed with 2 tablespoons water

Crumb Topping:

cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup Earth Balance margarine

cup sugar

¼ teaspoon cinnamon
(optional)

step 4
In another bowl, cream together the margarine, shortening, and sugar until well combined.

step 5
Add the curdled soy milk, vanilla, egg substitute, and water to the creamed sugar and whisk together (it'll look totally gross!).

step 6
Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and combine until fully incorporated, being careful not to overwork.

step 7
Scrape the cake batter into the greased baking dish, reserving 1 cup. Spread the strawberry-rhubarb mixture over the top. Use a large spoon to dollop the remaining batter on top of the filling.

step 8
Make the crumb topping by mixing together the flour, margarine, sugar, and cinnamon, using your hands, a fork, or a pastry cutter to combine until it is a crumbly texture. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the top of the cake batter and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool completely before serving.

Stuffed Banana Berry French Toast

F
rench toast was by far my favorite breakfast meal before I went vegan. I thought it would be impossible to make a vegan version that stood up to my memories, but it turns out it wasn't difficult at all. This recipe works equally well with unstuffed French toast, but the stuffed version sure is pretty and only slightly more of a pain in the butt. You can store any extra batter in the fridge for nearly instant French toast for a couple of days. (If you want to make this with presliced sandwich bread, feel free. I recommend mashing up the bananas and using them as a spread to keep the two slices of bread stuck together while cooking. Just be careful while flipping and it should work just fine!)

Stuffed Banana Berry French Toast

Makes 6 servings

step 1
Whisk the soy milk, flour, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, sugar, and salt together in an 8 x 8-inch brownie pan (or other wide pan with high sides) until frothy. Set aside.