Late Blooms

Ok, I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that you've given up on me- the spontaneous blogger who has way to many ideas choose form and can never choose one to write about. Okay, so that's all true- but I'm also a student with a busy life. But know one thing readers, you are on my mind.

So, amidst all the piles of homework, recipes awaiting conversion to be made for a soup-kitchen crowd, and endless ideas that are limited by my financial and experiential status- I am pausing my life for a few moments to share some culinary inspiration with you.

Since I've come back to Providence (very very, very sadly and begrudgingly), I've missed the variety of ways that Portland has to satisfy a vegan's palate. So, for better or worse, I've had to turn to my own culinary devices and creativity. Meanwhile, my sweet-mates are wondering what all the clatter is and why I can possibly be baking something new nearly every day. Oh and they are probably also wondering how I got peaches from a farmer's market in October. Yes, I said peaches. Sweet, juicy, overripe peaches. Blame my mother for that one. Alas, despite my sincere efforts to buy locally- the peaches for my latest creation did not come form a Providence farmer's market, but from Stew Leonards. Though I guess that's better than getting them frozen or even form Stop & Shop.

So, what did I do with a hankering for dessert, a basketful of bruised peaches, and a brain chock full of ideas? I made pie. Not cupcakes, not cookies, but pie. Well, ok, a tart, but close enough (and maybe next time I'll make a pie crust anyway- I think that might have a better texture). And, ok, I did make mini versions, in the form of cookies, afterwards. But the idea itself, purely pie.

For some reason, I have been craving a vegan lemon meringue pie lately. But I had several problems:
1) I don't have enough lemons to make an extra lemony lemon filling for said pie
2) I haven't been able to successfully make a vegan lemon curd that is rich enough to taste like the real thing
3) I wanted something unique
4) I had 5 peaches that got a little too bumped around and needed to be used fast
5) Ever since I'd had a taste of one great peach pie made by a certain sweet-mate (not vegan by the way)- I've been craving it (and yes, I did consider that the few pies I've made in my life are pretty much limited to Pie & Tarts lab freshman year).

Oh, and I did have one more nagging reason.... I wanted to satisfy another spot in the "State Cookie Lineup" that I could post on my new and growing Etsy page (please check it out!!!!!) - I'm trying to post the most unique, fresh, flavorful products first. Ok, so I guess there were ulterior motives....

Anyway, I set about constructing this pie. I knew I wanted something a bit risky... hence the vegan meringue topping instead of a second pie crust (I've had ups and down getting good quality vegan meringue- this time I succeeded!) I also knew I wanted to keep the filling simple- peaches, brown sugar, some sort of starch... maybe a flavoring or two, and that's it.

The last piece of the puzzle was the crust. I wasn't quite in the mood for waiting for pie dough to chill (because then I'd have to wait all the way until tomorrow to roll it out- who wants that?)... and the sugar addict that I am didn't want to savory quality of a traditional pie crust. And then there's my conscience, which wanted some sort of excuse to think this dessert was healthy.

So, I opted for a simple, press-in pie/tart crust, with a blend of almond flour, whole wheat flour, and a hint of sugar for just the right flavor balance.

Put all the components together, add some heat, a bit of broiling to give the camp-fire, "toasted marshmallow" appeal, and you have one great dessert everyone, vegan or not will be raving about. Just be sure not to forget you pie is under the broiler!

Vegan Peach Meringue Pie (and Alabama Cookies)

Yield: 1 9” tart or pie (for pie, make twice as much peach filling)

Crust

(Based off “Samoa Tart” recipe from Vegan Desserts: Scrumptious Sweets for Every Season by Hannah Kaminsky)

140 g. whole-wheat flour

40 g. almond meal

10 g, granulated sugar

Pinch of salt

50 g. (¼ cup) canola oil

57 g. (¼ cup) non-dairy milk (preferably almond milk)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ tsp. almond extract

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9” tart shell with removable bottom of a heavily grease a 9” pie plate.

2.  Sift dry ingredients.

3.  Add wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. Knead gently if necessary to help dough come together.

4.  Press dough into greased pan, starting by making an even layer of crust on the bottom, then working it about an inch up the side.

5.  Poke the bottom of the crust several times with a fork to prevent puffing. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until set. Meanwhile, prepare peach filling.

Peach Filling

5 medium peaches, sliced thinly (peeled or unpeeled - your choice)

100 g. (1/2 cup) brown sugar

48 g. (6 tbsp.) tapioca starch or cornstarch

1 tbsp. fresh lemon or orange juice

1 tsp. vanilla extract

6.    Toss the peaches gently with all other filling ingredients, coating evenly.

7.    Dump filling into baked crust, evening out the top.

8.    Bake 30-40 minutes, or until filling is reduced and thickened. Cool to room temperature.

“Meringue”

(Based off “Meringue Kisses” recipe from Vegan Desserts: Scrumptious Sweets for Every Season by Hannah Kaminski

¼ cup EnerG Egg Replacer

½ cup plus 1 tbsp. hot water

75 g. (6 tbsp.) granulated sugar

½ tsp. vanilla

½ tsp. almond extract or 1/4 tsp. amaretto flavoring

9.    Combine EnerG Egg and water in the bowl of an electric mixer (make sure it’s clean!), fitted with a whip attachment. Once incorporated, increase speed to high, and beat for 5 minutes, or until tripled in volume and peaks have formed.

10.With mixer still on high speed, slowly stream in the sugar, letting it incorporate fully. The entire process of adding sugar will take about 5 additional minutes.

11.Remove form mixer and fold in extracts.

12.Pipe or mound meringue on top of peach filling, covering all of the filling but only the inner edge of the crust (otherwise the meringue may droop over the edge of the tart).

13.Broil the pie for 1.5 to 2 minutes. Be careful, the meringue burns fast! (I had mine in for 2.5 minutes the first time and the entire top burned. I was able to peel it off and add a little more meringue and broil again. That time I only did it 1.5 minutes and it was slightly droopy, so I would go another 15-20 seconds next time).

14.Cool back to room temperature and then serve. Can be stored at room temperature for a couple of days. I don’t think the refrigerator would be kind to this dessert.

 

Cake Explorations

So it's been goodbye Portland nad hello again Connecticut. And I'm not that happy about it, though not as unhappy as I expected (despite hte fact that my door blew shut one time a couple weeks ago; leaving me in my room for a few hours, and the fact that I can't go as I please; I don't think there is even a bus running through Niantic) Days on the beach and daily swinms in hte bay have been nice, but I definitely miss the diversity, the hustle and bustle, and the easy-to navigate streets of Portland; going whereever, whenever I wanted!

So, in an effort ot relive a little of portland, I decided to make my Mom's favorite cupcake- at least of the ones we sold at the bakeshop- Mocha. But I couldn't just leave them plain, of course, I had to add my own little flair. A little mroe punch, some great Oregon coffee, and salted caraeml. Yum!

Well, at least I htink they were yummy. I didn't get to have one because they're not vegan. But then smelled great and the caramel was tasty (its vegan... shhh!) And the ones I saved for my family are half gone so, that's always a good sign.

So with the summer heat kicking in and everyone wishing for a great, sweet treat, here's a different way ot have you caramel frappochino and eat it too! Sorry, the recipe is a secret, for now!

But, if you are a baking nut like me, I'm sure you can't wait to get into the kitchen and bake something, so here's some more inspiration! Get yourself a copy of Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Bakery + Cafe by Joanne Chang.

Got the book? Ok, now find the recipe for "Vegan, Low-fat Chocolate Cake".

What? You're not vegan? You're not dieting? I don't care, cause i'm sure you know someone who is. And I'm also sure that if you don't tell anyone it's vegan, they won't care or notice a difference. I mean whoever created this recipe was some kind of genius. No egg replacer required!

So, now whip yourself up a triple batch - that's enoug for 2 9" pans (that's the only flaw with this recipe- apparently Flour Bakery has a much smaller appetite than me- Joanne's version only makes one 6" cake).

When the cake are baked and cooled, remove from pans and prpeare to frost. i frosted mine with raspberry jam and a bit of vegan ganache. Then I put the other layer on (please remember ot flip it upside down if you're not going to level off the top; it makes frosting a lot easier; trust me!) And frosted with a creamy vegan chocolate frosting (sorry, that's a secret too, a happy mouse-making accident that too many people love for me to share- I do have a bakery in the works after all!). Of course, just about any frosting would work on this cake- vegan or not!

Now serve it at your favorite Bunco Night nad let everyone ooh and ah and compliment on that "long hours of hard work" it took you to make this!

Actually, maybe you should make a 4x recipe so you have a bit leftover.......

Cause then you can make cake balls!!!!!!! Or should I say cake truffles!

But of course I didn't have any leftover cake- I was going to eat all the leftovers thank you very much!
So I whipped out another 1.5 recipes of this delicous cake batter, poured it into a parchment-lined half-sheet pan, and let it bake for 25 minutes. Like magic!

Once cooled, I crumbled the cake (yes, I'm sorry, you do have to destroy all the moist layers- this is probably why you should use leftover cake- but I don't think I could ever have enough cause I would jsut snack on hte scraps). Anyway, once you have the entire cake crumpled into fine crumbs in a large bowl, add a small amount (1/2 to 3/4 cup) frosting and mush with your hands until the frosting is evenly distributed and teh crumbs comes together like a dough.

Form into balls (mine were the size  of  small plums and the recipe made about 25) and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.

Let the balls sit a bit, then dipped in melted (preferably tempered) chocolate. Make sure you have enough- I was using a big bowl with only about 8 or 9 ounces of chocolate in it, and it was hard to get an even coat. I coated mine with the help of a fork (don't stick the fork into the cake ball, just use the flat part of it to help roll the ball around and pick it up once it coated. You should also tap off some of the excess chocolate while the ball is still on the fork. Sprinkle the top of each ball with chocolate sprinkles- or whatever you like. Serve on a decorative platter, and surprise everyone!

Luscious Love and a Lazy Morning

If there's one thing I've learned over the past few months, it's that i am definitely not ready to jump into the workforce. While I still can't see myself being anything but a baker, there's still plenty to wish for in the pastry world. Why can't people appreciate the time, thought and overall energy that goes into a single baked good. Baking is definitely not as fun in a bakery as it is at home- where you can take as much time to indulge in the process and experiment with ingredients as you like. What it all comes down to is that working in a bakeshop is stressful and, unfortunately, does not allow for much creativity.

And that is why days off are a saving grace. And yet they are never enough.

So, I decided to give myself a real break today. As usual, there was lots of cleaning to do (another reality check of this 5 month Portland excursion- keeping up my own apartment). But, as usual I put it off. Despite the nagging in the back of my brain, I stayed in pajamas until 1 pm. Yes, I said 1 pm. Why? I have no idea, and it bothered me. And yet, it was great.

Oh and did I mention the great breakfast I made?

I might not have started cleaning until around 2 pm, or went grocery shopping until 5, or made use of the day that has now put several less hours between me and my return to work, but at least I made use of one of the thousands of delicious ideas that are bursting in my head. Cherry Almond French Toast. Yes, vegan French Toast. Thanks to the newly discovered wonders of EnerG Egg, which is one idea that I wish I'd come up with myself!

Speaking of ideas, can someone please  buy me a food truck so I can put these ideas into real products so they don't burst my brain into a thousand pieces? Cooking for one just doesn't do the trick! Oh and a driver would be good too. Thanks- I'm not a Portland girl for nothing!

And now to the yumminess.


Vegan French Toast for One

1 1/2 tsp. EnerG Egg Replacer
2 tbsp. warm water
1/2 cup soy milk
1/4 tsp. almond extract, or to taste (I just streamed some in)
1 tbsp. brown sugar (or however much you feel like putting)
4 (1/2" thick) slices bread (any bread will do, mine was homemade)

Spray a large fry pan with non-stick spray. Heat over medium heat.
Combine all ingredients except the bread in a shallow bowl. Dredge the bread, one slice at a time, turning the slices to fully soak them. The softer the bread, the less soaking time it will need (sandwich bread needs only a quick dredge, while sourdough will need to soak for several minutes.
Place the bread slices in the hot pan, arranging them to fit as many pieces (in a single layer) as possible. Don't move the slices for a few moments once they are settled in the pan.
After 2-3 minutes, check the brownness of bottom side of the toast. If golden, flip and cook 2-3 more minutes. Remove onto a serving plate and keep warm. Keep the pan hot to cook the sauce.

Bursting Cherry Sauce

Put about 1/2 cup frozen cherries in a bowl. Sprinkle with 1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar, then toss to coat all cherries fully in sugar.
Pour cherries into the hot pan that you cooked the toast in. They should be in an even layer and should sizzle as they hit the pan. Let the cherries cook for a minute or so, they gently toss or stir them to heat on the other side. With your spoon, squash the cherries slightly to let out some of the juices. Cook until cherries are softened to your liking. Pour over the French toast, then serve.

Whether you were out of ingredients (most importantly maple syrup), feeling lazy or self indulgent, craving a taste of home, or all of the above (me), this will be just the thing any sweet tooth needs!

And to continue your day of vegan comfort food, head on over to Pastelitos for Amy's African Peanut Soup!

Cake That's Worth It

It's 2 Days before i turn 19 and 4 dyas before my "new life"  begins in Oregon. So why have I spent the last 6 hours baking and not pakcing? For one thing, it's nearly impossible for me to go a day without baking something. For another, i had a cake to bake for my grandma's birthday today.
Unfortunately,m today was the second time I made the vanilla cake layers. Lesson learned: no more double recipes!
I went for a flower theme; frosting the cupcakes in yello9w, lemony frosting (which unfortunately looks curdled, but it adds to the natural appeal), and the layer cake in rich, fudgy frosting.
I took it seriously; this is probably the last time I will make a cake at home, at least before i start making them in high production at Bliss Bakeshop. I even went all-out; with modeling chocolate roses that required some creativity to color. The only unfortunate thing is that I never made a ckae this good during my practical. But then, it's just as well; at least I know who gets to enjoy it this time.
Here's to my last weekend at home; last weekend of meat, and last weekend of being 18. A pretty good way to do it! Now, if only I would get an email from Scharfeen Berger...

Anticipation in Numbers

It's not easy being a pastry student. I'm not talking about the work, the stress, the exhaustion, though those can be tough too. I'm talking about all the food; the inspiration, the cravings, the antsy feeling you get at future opportunities, dreams and creations that are close to bursting your head open!

That's me right now. In three weeks, I'll be 19. In 21 days I'll be flying to Portland. In 28 days I'll be starting my internship in Portland. In 28 days I'll be starting a vegan adventure.

Whew! So you see why I might be a little jittery right now! On one hand; I'm ready for something new; something that is not sitting in a classroom and listening to lectures that have very little to do with my future; something that will teach me real-world techniques and get my body immersed in commercial baking. I'm excited to get a feel for living on my own and to hopefully start a regiment that might actually work to keep me healthy. Excited to explore a new city and be close to one of my bff's.

On the other hand there is all the "what if's"... need I say more?

And in the meantime, I have papers to write, plans to make, housing to find and so much hunger and longing in my mind.

My sweet tooth isn't helping!

Last weekend, I bought a great book, by the same author of a vegan cookie book I love, and have literally had to keep myself from flipping through every delicious page. Instead, I looked at the picture section and tried to remind myself that I plan to save it for the plane; the flight on which my new life will start. We'll see how long that lasts!

That leads me to this recipe; not one that I've created, since the kitchen I wanted has still not appeared inside my dorm room; but one by Isa and Terry, who wrote Veganomicon, my newest bookshelf addition.

If you're like me, you will want to run to your fridge and figure out what you can do to satisfy your sudden sweet craving!

Berry Creme Tart