Easy Unbaked Apple Not-Quite-Crisp

September 5, 2013October 12, 2018 / Kelly / 3 Comments

There are a few foods that I will always and forever associate with my childhood. Somewhere near the tippy-top of that list is apple crisp. My mom took my siblings and I on near-annual outings to the apple orchard every fall, and I always knew that the bounty we brought home would soon find its way into dozens of delicious recipes. My favorite was apple crisp. I liked helping Mom bake it, if only because I could swipe the occasional spoonful of topping. After Mom put it in the oven, the crisp’s warm cinnamon-y smell wafted through the house as I waited anxiously for the oven timer to ding. Then, when it did, we all dug in. With five people in the family, we were lucky to get more than one serving. “Seconds” usually meant a few paltry slices of apple and maybe a crumble or two of topping. And that was with Mom making a double batch!

These days, S and I have lots of crisp to share when I make it. But when the weather’s warm and I don’t feel like turning on the oven, I opt for an unbaked stand-in that captures all the flavors of traditional apple crisp with none of the heat. It’s a little less rich, too, because you don’t bake the apples. And that means it comes together in no time—no more waiting for the oven timer!

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Easy Unbaked Apple Not-Quite-Crisp
Makes one large serving or two small

2 T Earth Balance or coconut oil (you can substitute applesauce for one tablespoon if you want to keep the fat content down)
2 T spelt flour or other flour of your choice
3 T rolled or quick oats
1.5 T dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
Dash cloves
Dash salt
1 large apple, peeled and cut into thin slices OR diced into cubes

In a small bowl, melt the Earth Balance or coconut oil. Add all other ingredients (except the apples!) and mix with a fork until it forms large crumbles. Move your diced or sliced apples into a second bowl, top with crumbles, and enjoy.

Note: I prefer Earth Balance in this recipe, but it’s not bad with coconut oil! Half and half would probably work well, too.

What’s your favorite quick dessert recipe?

Lemon-Glazed Blackberry Spelt Scones

September 4, 2013October 12, 2018 / Kelly / 4 Comments

The astute among you might notice that this second MoFo blackberry recipe uses the same accompanying flavor as my previous one: lemon. I couldn’t resist! The two fruits are just so complementary. Blackberries are the stars here, though, studded sparingly throughout a simple spelt scone that begs to be savored with a cup of hot tea.

Working with this tender dough requires care and attention so as to avoid crushing the large yet delicate berries. Don’t be afraid to use your hands when you fold them in, gently tucking them into their doughy cushion. The results are worth the extra work.

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Blackberry Spelt Scones
Makes six large or eight medium

1 C spelt flour
1 1/2 C unbleached all-purpose flour
½ C sugar
1 T baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 C coconut milk
¼ C vegetable oil
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ C fresh or frozen blackberries (I used fresh, but I think frozen would work well here!)

Lemon Glaze

1 T Earth Balance or other margarine of choice
1 T + 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 T non-dairy creamer (non-dairy milk works fine too)
2/3 C confectioner’s sugar

Preheat oven to 375˚ and prepare a baking sheet by lightly oiling or lining with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients (except the blackberries!) and mix until combined. Make a well in the center of bowl and add the wet ingredients. Mix gently until a soft dough forms. If it’s too tacky, add an additional 1-2 TB all-purpose flour. Add the blackberries, gently folding the dough over them.

Turn dough out onto a well-floured, clean surface. Flour your hands and gently give the dough a few kneads. Pat dough into a circle about an inch high. Using a floured bread knife, cut the circle into sixths or eighths, depending on how large you like your scones. (I did sixths and they were quite large!) Transfer scones to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 17-20 minutes or until the edges are slightly brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool.

To make the glaze, melt the Earth Balance in a small bowl, then whisk together all the ingredients until a thick yet runny paste forms. Drizzle on cooled scones and let set a bit before eating.

Lemon Pudding with Blackberries

September 2, 2013October 12, 2018 / Kelly / 5 Comments

Pudding is one of those desserts that always fascinated me as a kid. The transformation from a straight-up liquid to a thick goop more akin to a solid seemed magical—at what point did it happen? I knew it had to be a gradual state change, but my young self knew there had to be a turning point that triggered it, probably related to its temperature. And the care that went into preventing the pudding from sticking—the constant whisking and diligent scraping of the saucepan’s bottom—lent an additional air of glamour to the endeavor. Pudding was not something to, ahem, trifle with.

Perhaps I haven’t quite mastered the art of perfect pudding. I wanted to make a luscious lemon pudding to serve as the vehicle for a topping of big, ripe blackberries, but my pudding came out a little… funky. It tasted just fine, but its aesthetic appeal was diminished by ubiquitous tiny white dots suspended throughout its gelatinous form. Although improperly mixed cornstarch seems the likely culprit, I think I’m pointing the finger at my almond milk. I’ve been disappointed with Almond Breeze recently; their milk seems to separate at the drop of a hat, and the little white dots look suspiciously like separated almond milk.

But no matter. The pudding works just fine as a base for a topping of gorgeous blackberries, dots or no dots. Next time, though, perhaps I’ll opt for a pudding base of silken tofu… ;)

Lemon Pudding
(serves three; adapted from this recipe)

5 T cornstarch
5 T cold water
Juice of two lemons (about ½ cup)
2 C almond milk
Scant ½ t vanilla extract
⅔ C sugar
¼ t salt
Dash turmeric, for color
1 C fresh raspberries, divided

In a small tightly-lidded jar, combine cornstarch and water and shake vigorously to combine. Set aside, preferably in the refrigerator.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the lemon juice, almond milk, vanilla extract, and sugar. Whisk to combine and heat for a couple of minutes. If the mixture separates, that’s okay–just give it a whisk.

Add the salt and turmeric. Stream in the cornstarch mixture slowly while constantly whisking. Continue to whisk until the pudding starts slowly boiling, then turn the heat down to low and continue whisking as the pudding thickens, for about 5 minutes.

Turn off the heat and remove the pan from the stove. Pour into serving dishes and let cool to room temperature before placing in the fridge. Cool for three hours or overnight. Top with fresh raspberries and serve.

Note: If using organic lemons, feel free to add a tablespoon of lemon zest. Mine weren’t organic, so I didn’t want to use the rinds.

Sunday Sundae: Banana-Raspberry Soft Serve

October 15, 2012October 15, 2012 / Kelly / 3 Comments

Orange rectangle with the white fist-shaped Vegan MoFo logo and the text "Vegan Month of Food 2012."

Yesterday was a cold, rainy, grey day. I spent most of it curled up on the couch, either with a book or my iPad, and always with my pup. My hair was an absolute terror, I never changed out of my flannel pajama pants, and I had zero intention of leaving (except when I took Moria out to go potty). So when a big ol’ craving for fresh fruit hit, I was stymied. Should I give up my day of utter laziness and journey forth in the rain to procure fruit? Or should I ignore my craving and hope to satisfy it with the last of the Raspberry Truffle Brownies? As I unhappily contemplated my choices, another option popped into my sleepy head – banana soft serve. I might not have had any fresh fruit, but I most certainly did have a whole bunch of bananas in the freezer, just waiting to be processed into a sweet, creamy treat.

When I opened the freezer to retrieve my bananas, I spied a half-full bag of raspberries, left over from the brownies. I knew they’d make the perfect addition to my soft serve, so into the processor they went, turning my treat a gorgeous shade of fuschia-pink. I topped off my concoction with a small handful of mini chocolate chips and a few whole raspberries and called it a sundae.

Close-up of a bowl of pink soft serve with mini chocolate chips and frozen raspberries on top. The bowl is placed on a blue cloth and there's a small silver spoon to the left of the bowl.

Almost as good as plain fruit!

If you’ve never made banana soft serve, you’re really missing out. It’s incredibly simple and incredibly rewarding. All you need are frozen bananas, really, but you can add additional flavors if you’d like. For this batch, I used about two frozen bananas (which I’d broken into chunks before freezing), half a cup or so of frozen raspberries, about a teaspoon of vanilla extract, and maybe a tablespoon of maple syrup. After a couple of minutes in the food processor, the soft serve was a perfect creamy consistency.

Happily, the bright, fresh flavors totally satisfied my craving and tickled my taste buds. I never even had to take off my pajama pants. ;)

Similar photo to the previous one, but this one is taken from a bit further away.

A sundae on Sunday.

How do you feel about banana soft serve? How do you satisfy inconvenient cravings?

Quick Hit: Sweet Treats at the Green Owl

June 26, 2012 / Kelly / 2 Comments

Yikes, y’all. I’m sorry for the silence – I started off strong this month, but then packing and planning and a month’s worth of deadlines at work got in the way. I’ve got a couple big posts up my sleeves, but in the meantime, allow me to rave about some delicious treats from the Green Owl.

I don’t talk about the Green Owl often enough – it’s Madison’s only vegetarian restaurant, and it’s extremely vegan friendly. It’s my go-to eatery when veg-curious friends and family visit, both for its tasty entrees and its consistently delicious desserts. The Green Owl always has droolworthy vegan sweets available, and although they’re a little pricy, they’re rich, decadent, and well worth the occasional indulgence.

This past Friday S and I enjoyed post-dinner snacks (kale crisps for me, a cup of chili for S) and dessert after a busy week. My mango cheesecake was perfect – creamy but not too sweet and topped with a mango puree that made my mango-lovin’ self go nuts. Even the crust was special, a ginger-coconut blend that hit all the right tropical notes.

A thin sliver, but oh-so-filling!

S enjoyed the coconut cream pie, a Green Owl staple that doesn’t skimp on the coconut and is, quite frankly, almost too rich for me. But I definitely swiped a few bites from his piece. ;)

Coconutty!

Do you have a go-to veg-friendly eatery, or is your town rife with vegan options?

Thanksgiving Testing: Apple Caramel Upside-Down Cake

November 9, 2011November 9, 2011 / Kelly / 2 Comments

Every major holiday, I’m always amazed at my capacity for eating dessert. Even if I shoveled spoonful after spoonful of gravy-saturated mashed potatoes into my greedy trap, even if I ate a plate’s worth of chewy-crunchy stuffing, even if I’ve been at the sauce and never want to see a single cranberry again, all I need is an hour to make room for sweets. My “I’m so fulls!” quickly morph into “Another slice, please!” as I unashamedly fill my plate with as much dessert as I possibly can, being sure to try every vegan-friendly option I can find.

This Thanksgiving promises to be no different. Planning and executing a Thanksgiving dinner is a little daunting to me (my obsessive-compulsive side is begging for a spreadsheet of ingredients, a cooking/timing schedule, and beautifully printed menus, and it will get them soon enough!), but the thought of all the delicious food S and I will serve up keeps me from getting too worried. Even if the dinner lacks luster (which it won’t!), I know we’ll have some kick-ass desserts to fill our guests’ stomachs post-dinner and leave them with full, happy tummies. I’ve already tried a Double-Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake (which, I’ll admit, grew on me since writing that post and might make its way onto my dessert table), and this weekend I made the Gluttonous Vegan’s Apple Caramel Upside-Down Cake.

Now, this cake does not feature actual!caramel. However, it does feature a top layer of nearly caramelized sugar that’s buttery, sweet and just as delicious as caramel. Paired with tender, sweet apples, it’s a winning combination. The cake itself is surprising in its lack of overt sweetness – it’s a tamer flavor, with hints of cinnamon but not much else. That lack of sweetness surprised me at first, but I soon began to appreciate it – it’s a great contrast with the sticky-sweet top layer. On the whole, this is a sophisticated, adult cake, and I’m looking forward to serving it with my other Thanksgiving desserts. I think it’ll provide a great counterpoint to the more traditional (and more sugary!) desserts I intend to serve, and it’ll pair nicely with a hot cup of post-dinner coffee. When I make it again, though, I’ll likely use some brown sugar in the cake itself and add a bit of nutmeg to enhance the cake’s flavor – it’s just the teeniest bit flat as written.

I’m so sorry for the picture-less post (my first in ages!), but I made this cake on Sunday and neglected to photograph it, and it’s looking really sorry right now – the few remaining pieces feature shriveled apple slices and stale edges. I won’t insult you with a photo of that, so just use your imagination or check out the original recipe post for some pretty pictures.

What dessert should I test out next? Do you always have room for dessert, or is your sweet tooth a little smaller than mine?

Thanksgiving Testing: Double-Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake

November 4, 2011November 9, 2011 / Kelly / 7 Comments

Oops! I did it again. Every year after MoFo ends, my blog goes silent. Instead of keeping up the blogging momentum gained during a month of steady posting, I put a full stop on my posts and return to my lazy ways. My readers abandon me, I feel ashamed of my slothdom, and it’s bad news all around.

However, I’m going to resist the temptation of not posting for “just one more day…” because, hey, I’ve got stuff to say! I’ll recap my Italy trip soon, but first – cheesecake.

This year, I’m hosting Thanksgiving at my place. This is both exciting and terrifying. S and I will be cooking for our families, and I want to create a delicious meat-free meal that everyone will enjoy. I’m planning my crafty decorations, stocking up on sale-priced Soyatoo, and generally attempting to be the perfect hostess if it kills me! For the past few months I’ve been gathering promising Thanksgiving recipes, with the idea that I’ll try many of them out, weed out the weak ones, and find the stellar ones to serve for dinner. Or, after dinner, in the case of my first trial.

A piece of layered cheesecake on a plate; the bottom layer is white and the top is orange. In the background is another plated slice as well as a pumpkin.

Cheesecakes have layers!

I made Susan‘s Double-Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake, a decidedly non-fat-free recipe on an otherwise fat-free blog. Although I try to keep my diet low in fat because it just makes me feel all-around healthier, I am a firm believer in enjoying myself to the fullest on holidays. So this recipe seemed like an obvious choice, as Susan’s recipes have always turned out really well.

Unfortunately, this one missed the mark a bit for me. There was nothing wrong with the cheesecake, really, but it just lacked a certain oomph that I want from my holiday desserts. The pumpkin flavor got lost somewhere, and it tasted a bit bland overall. That’s not to say that I didn’t eat nearly the entire thing in the course of a week and fully enjoy it. :) But it’s back to my Google Doc as I search for a similar cheesecake-type dessert to serve at Thanksgiving.

What’s your favorite dessert to serve at holidays? What tips do you have for entertaining and prepping a big meal? Have you tried and loved any great pumpkin cheesecake recipes? :)

Chocolate Overload?!

September 11, 2010September 18, 2011 / Kelly / 6 Comments

My last post focused on fresh, local, organic, simple, and healthy produce, the kind of food that makes you feel nothin’ but wonderful after finishing a meal. My body craves whole foods; I feel my absolute best after eating a nutrient-rich meal that’s abundant with veggies, veggies, and more veggies. I know this to be true; my body and I have been pals for 23 years now, and I understand what she likes and what keeps her going strong.

And yet.

And yet, once in a while I crave something that is in no way, shape, or form whole. I crave something rich and decadent and – let’s face it – unabashedly unhealthy. Being the chocolate lover I am, more often than not this craving manifests in a lusty desire for some sweet, rich, dark chocolaty treat. Like, perhaps, brownies, possibly the oddest named dessert when you really think about it. So you say brownies, and I’ll say “fudgy, dense, craving-fulfilling squares of delight.” Or maybe “chunks o’ heaven.” ‘Cause that one’s really elegant, y’know?

Anyway, when my craving for fudgy-squares-of-heaven struck about a month or so ago, I turned to my modern-day, lazy-girl equivalent of a recipe file: a Pages document called “Crap I Want To Make,” my repository for links to recipes that catch my fancy. A quick search revealed a promisingly-titled – and appropriately unhealthy – recipe for “The Best Vegan Brownies Ever.” Oh baby.

Retro brownie?

Now, here’s the thing about these brownies. Although you mightn’t be able to tell from that photo, they *looked* a little strange, sort of flat and sandy. But right out of the pan, they satisfied the exact desire I had set out to fulfill – I wanted to recreate that feeling of intense chocolate satisfaction I used to get as a child when my mom made brownies and I ate a piping hot square right out of the oven and was overwhelmed with waves of chocolate bliss. And, dear reader, I felt that joy once more. Unfortunately, it was followed by the aftermath – a heavy, rather disgusting feeling in my stomach, a vague urge to vomit, and the solemn vow that I’d never, ever, ever do that again! …the same set of feelings, of course, I’d experienced every.single.time. I ate brownies as a child. Chocolate overload for the lose!

When I finally recovered from my chocolate coma the next day and tentatively tried a small bite of another brownie, I have to admit that I was disappointed. Once they’d cooled, the magic seemed to disappear – they were chewy and dense, but oddly unsatisfying. Disappointed, I threw the remainders in a container and popped them in the freezer, shoring up for days of a chocolate dearth. And then I promptly forgot about them.

Until a couple of weeks ago when I rediscovered the brownies in my freezer as I rooted around for a snack. With a little trepidation – given the disappointment with my last encounter – I tried a bite of the still mostly-frozen treat. And – by God! – it was magical again! The frozen brownies are ridiculously delicious, chewy and intense and the absolute perfect summertime treat. I’ve savored one every week or so, and now – sadly – there’s only a solitary square left in my freezer. Ah well – so it goes.

Any favorite brownie recipes out there? I think I’ll go for one of those trendy black bean varieties next, because Lord knows I’ve fulfilled my cHoCoLaTe OvErLoAd!1!!!11! quota for at least another month or two, and I could go for a healthier brownie variety until I (inevitably) crave that painfully pleasurable experience yet again. :)

Macros and Medjools

February 2, 2010 / Kelly / 3 Comments

Did you ever read Highlights magazine when you were a kid? I’m pretty sure I had a subscription to it for a few years… and it was almost always included in that ubiquitous stack of dog-eared, food-smeared magazines at the pediatrician’s office. I always loved that section at the end where they included a picture taken with a macro lens and you had to guess what object it was. It was usually something like a pencil or a flower, but the focus on some small part of it always made it seem otherworldly and mysterious, and I thought that was so darn cool.

Anyway, I had a bit of Highlights nostalgia while attempting to photograph my dessert last night. See, the thing is, as delicious as Medjool dates are, they just don’t photograph well. It’s probably because dates are inherently funny looking, but slicing ’em open, filling their cavities with peanut butter and dark chocolate, and then microwaving the heck outta those suckers doesn’t really do anything for their aesthetics. So I present to you a somewhat mind-boggling photo of one of the most delicious and easy desserts known to womankind.

Medjool madness!

Okay, maybe they’re not so freakish looking, but I bet that non-food bloggers would be all, “What the heck is that?!” when presented with this photo. Lucky for us foodie folk, we’re mostly familiar with the wonder that is the candy-like Medjool date. I seriously consider these guys to be Mama Nature’s gift to our tastebuds… they’re just so soft and sweet and gorram delicious. Adding peanut butter and chocolate takes things over the edge, especially if you heat the mess ’til the dates start to smell like they’re caramelizing and the chocolate is gooey and the whole thing is just heavenly.

All I need is a new camera and a macro lens and then I can fill my blog with even more photos of my Medjool lovelies… up close and personal. ;)

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