Desserts

I came up with this Vegan Pistachio Biscotti recipe because of my father-in-law. Roberto was Roman and it is largely due to him that I started baking at all. He baked massive blueberry muffins (hence my obsession with jumbo muffins) and cherry pies. But he was probably most well-known for his little biscotti. I say “little” because his were never those obscenely large batons masquerading as Italian cookies inside coffee shops. Not only are store bought biscotti too big, they are often times dry and hard enough to damage your teeth.

Roberto’s biscotti were sufficiently petite to enjoy in one sitting. While they always possessed the characteristic “crunch” of a cookie, their centers were chewy enough to transmit both flavor and depth—two things often lacking in mass produced biscotti. In other words, if you want the kind of biscotti that will break your window, these Vegan Pistachio Biscotti are not for you.

Now, I could never quite master his trick for making them exactly the right balance of crunch to chew. Something in the drying process. But I have to say, these Vegan Pistachio Biscotti are the only ones I’ll eat—not only because they’re vegan, but now that Roberto is no longer with us, these are truly the next best thing.

This Vegan Strawberry Shortcake is straight out of my childhood. When I was little, my mother used to buy me a strawberries and cream birthday cake from a famous Chicago bakery, Lutz. To my mom, there was no greater proof that we had “made it” in America than picking up a perfectly crafted cake, topped with gilded strawberries and whipped cream for her daughter’s birthday. The thing is, It was ok, but, the cake was often dry and the strawberries were too big. And the creamy filling was, well, too sugary, while the strawberries weren’t sweet enough. You feel me?? So, for this birthday, I decided to come up with my own cake—with everything just the way I like it and the BEST part is—it’s a LOT cheaper than some fancy shmancy cake from a ritzy bakery. My cake was moist (not dense). My creamy filling was thick but not overly sweet. And my strawberries were cut up into bite sized pieces and stewed with a little balsamic and maple syrup for just the right amount of tarty deliciousness. And voila—the perfect strawberry and cream cake was born.

Lutz isn’t open anymore. Like many family owned bakeries, it gave way to the massive bakery chains that have swept the world over (for better or worse). But, I know my mom would love this cake if I could cut her a slice (we are both in quarantine, still). If your mom is within arm’s reach, make this for her. If the mother of your children is nearby, make this for her. If you are a mom, make this for yourself.

Or, if you just like cake, make this Vegan Strawberry Shortcake Cake just for the hell of it. You won’t regret it!

Vegan Strawberry Shortcake Cake

This Vegan Strawberry Shortcake is straight out of my childhood. When I was little, my mother used to buy me a strawberries and cream birthday cake from a famous Chicago bakery, Lutz.

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9 Slices

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 cup plant milk
• 1 Tablespoon vegan sour cream
• 1 teaspoon white wine
• 66.6 grams sugar
• 3 Tablespoons vegan butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 187 grams flour
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 package instant vanilla pudding powder
• 1 cup plant milk
• 9 ounces vegan whipped cream
• 4 cups vegan wafers or shortbread cookies
• 3 cups strawberries cut into quarters
• 1 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon orange juice
• 1 Tablespoon sugar or maple syrup
• 1 Tablespoon potato starch
• 4 Tablespoons water

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray cake pan (I used a square 9x9 brownie pan) with cooking spray.
• Add vinegar to 1 cup plant milk and set aside.
• Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a large bowl. Whisk together ingredients to remove clumps.
• Using stand mixer on medium low (with whisk attachment) or hand mixer, whisk butter, vegan sour cream, and sugar until fluffy. Next add plant milk + vinegar mixture and vanilla and almond extract.
• In two parts, add flour mixture and mix until fully incorporated.
• Pour patter into greased baking pan and place in the center rack of preheated oven for ~18-20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
• While cake is baking, make pudding following instructions on the box but with half the amount of plant milk (e.g., if the instructions require 2 cups of milk, use only 1 cup of milk).
• Once pudding is thick and creamy, fold in vegan shipping cream and mix until fully incorporated. Set aside in fridge.
• Next, make strawberry layer. Start by making slurry, but adding 1 tbsp of potato starch to 4 tbsp water. Stir together until starch dissolves.
• In a small pot, add strawberries, together with balsamic vinegar, orange juice, and sweetener over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until strawberries soften (3-4 minutes).
• Remove from heat altogether. Add slurry and begin stirring immediately to create sauce. Place in fridge to cool, while cake continues to bake.
• When cake is done, set aside and allow it to cool for ~15 minutes.
• When cake and strawberry filling are both cooled, add a layer of wafers/cookies over the top of the cake.
• Next, top the cookie layer with pudding/cream layer.
• Next, top the pudding/cream layer with the strawberries.
• Add another layer of cookies.
• Top the cake one final time with pudding/cream layer.
• Place in fridge for at least 4 hours before serving. Best served one day after.

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I came up with this Vegan Apple Donuts recipe using only pantry only ingredients because, let’s face it, getting fresh stuff can be a challenge these days.  I was worried that the lack of fresh apples would make a dent in my original donut recipe, but I was pleased to discover that these donuts tasted JUST AS FREAKING AMAZING. This recipe is also so simple to make. Even if you’ve never made donuts in your life, this is the best recipe to pop your donut making cherry, trust me.

The other nice thing about these Vegan Apple Donuts (other than being dairy and egg free, of course!) is that they are baked, not fried. In fact, I prefer baking these donuts as opposed to frying them. They are fluffy, light, and pair perfectly with your morning coffee.  The rich cinnamon sugar will satisfy your sweet without decaying it, and you won’t feel quite as badly about eating 4 of them in one sitting (this is very possible, especially shortly after they are dusted with the aforementioned cinnamon sugar…). 

I actually made a version of these donuts a local restaurant here in Chicago (they liked my desserts a lot!).  They were sold out in 3 hours, so… you do the math.  Make Vegan Apple Donuts for yourself and your family this weekend and be the star of your kitchen!

Vegan Apple Donuts with Pantry Only Ingredients!

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12 Donuts

Ingredients

  

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Donuts

• 1 1/2 cup apple cider or juice
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/6 cup vegan butter halfway melted
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup non-dairy milk
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

Topping

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 3 tbsp vegan butter melted
• 3 tbsp vegan butter melted

Instructions

 

• Pour apple cider/juice into small pot over high heat until it boils. Then reduce heat to simmer until you have about 1/2 cup of cider/juice left (~20 mins).
• Set reduced cider/juice aside to cool.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease baking pan with vegan butter, oil, non-stick spray.
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
• In a separate large bowl, whisk together butter, sugar, non-dairy milk, apple cider vinegar, applesauce, and vanilla extract.
• Pour wet ingredients into bowl of dry ingredients. Add cooled apple cider/juice. Whisk everything together.
• Spoon or pipe batter into baking pan. Place the pan in the oven for about 10-12 minutes.
• While donuts are cooling, mix together sugar and cinnamon for topping.
• Dip donuts in melted butter and then in cinnamon sugar on both sides.

Notes

Equipment Small pot 2 large bowls Whisk Spatula Donut baking pan Spoon Optional: Piping bag or large plastic baggie Optional: Standmixer or handmixer

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One of the first things I learned to veganize was chocolate cake for my husband—who has a sweet tooth—and this Chocolate Cake with Strawberry Frosting is a recipe I developed for him this year. In lieu of filling this space with SEO driving drivel, here’s a short little snippet I wrote about him the other day:

At some point, I grew so disenchanted with “real life,” I slipped into that blue-grey space between everyday and the skeins of Frank O’Hara’s grit without thinking. I’d crawl out of bed at 3 in the morning and sit on our couch with Daisy pressed against my outer thigh, her rhythmic breathing still easy and hypnotic. We had floor to ceiling windows in our living room and I always marveled at how rapidly daylight–grim or blushing–would steal over the hardwood floors. I think I dreamt then, even while wide awake, of a different life, of Central Park and her as yet untested womb and thawing ice rink, the lurid glow and buzz of a neon sign wheezing through the thickest parts of darkness, and a fire-escape dangling from the eaves like a gypsy’s earrings. I was in love with a man from New York, then, but in retrospect, I think I fell in love with New York. All the promise it trembled with, the future caked into the curbs and sewer grates and the smell of autonomy underlying the decay of last night’s regret.

These days, my life with A has made it almost impossible to slip into the blue-grey space again. A loves the color red and my day-to-day is plastered over with primary colors leaving little room for shadows and day dream. No, not leaving little room, but bearing no need for day dreams… The union between my computer screen and reality reminds me of our trips to New York, including our first one. When we were still on unsure footing and I wondered whether I could ever grow to be the woman he thought I was as he slid a bagel across the counter at Isadora’s.

Last night, while walking his mother to her car, I turned around and lifted my hand in his direction, “I’ll wait for you,” I said, sweetly, as the streetlamps cast a halo around us. He took my fingers, and I wondered, then, whether this would be one of those things he would remember loving me for when the lights flickered and night yawned beyond what we could bear.

In conclusion, you should make this Chocolate Cake with Strawberry Jam Frosting, because it is good Chocolate Cake with Strawberry Jam Frosting and you will like this Chocolate Cake with Strawberry Jam Frosting.

Chocolate Cake with Strawberry Jam Frosting

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Ingredients

  

Ingredients for cake

• 3 1/2 cups self rising flour sifted
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 cups plant milk
• 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• 1 1/3 cup vegan butter partially melted
• 2 Tablespoons vanilla extract

Ingredients for frosting

• 1 1/2 cups vegan butter
• 1 cup vegan cream cheese
• 1/2 cup strawberry preserves
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon vegan pink food coloring

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and line 3 7” round cake pans with parchment.
• Mix vinegar with plant milk and set aside until it curdles
• In a large bowl, sift together all dry ingredients. In stand mixer, add plant milk + vinegar mixture, together with vanilla extract and butter and mix on low until well combined.
• Slowly add dry ingredients and continue mixing on medium low speed until no dry ingredients remain.
• Measure cake batter out evenly into three cake pans (I used a scale) and tap them gently to pop air bubbles before placing them on the center rack of your oven.
• Bake for ~28 minutes until the sides are pulling away from the edge of the cake pans and the centers spring back to the touch.
• Remove from oven and allow cakes to cool completely before frosting.
• For frosting, make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature. Add sugar to stand mixer with paddle attachment.
• Drop in butter, cream cheese, and jam and begin mixing on medium high until thick and creamy.
• Add teensy drops of food coloring (I use a toothpick) until you achieve desired color.

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