I know I’m quite behind on posting, and this isn’t really helping much. But, I have too many pictures on my computer, and, in an attempt to clean up my hard drive, I have to post and delete. So, although there are no recipes at the moment (and although I have yet to post many of the recipes from past posts), I’m going to post these pictures anyway. And maybe (if I somehow find a break between the craziness that will ensue for the next five days…20 relatives, a couple friends, a research paper due the following Tuesday…did I mention cooking Thanksgiving dinner?), maybe I will post them soon.

This week’s BAKE MY DAY was inspired by the wonderful performance of so many of my friends at ACU’s Culture Show. The international students worked so hard choreographing amazing dances and songs with outstanding costumes (hooray Haruka!). I wish I had some pictures of that! So, to celebrate their hard work (and their return to BMD now that Culture Show rehearsals are over), I decided to try to make some traditional(ish) Asian desserts.

yakgwa (korean)

manju stuffed with anko (japan)

almond cookies (china)

kaju katli (india)

mi gao (china)

bite-sized dorayaki (japan)

At least Shiwon approves…

spiced apple cake with chili de arbol caramel

cayenne persimmon tart

sugar-free chocolate chili truffles

chocolate chili truffles

anaheim lime coconut pie

poblano almond chocolate cupcakes

For this week’s BAKE MY DAY* I decided to use chilis to heat things up a bit. I wanted to try to use a variety of peppers from the Capsicum genus to provide different flavors and different levels of heat.

*BAKE MY DAY is a weekly event I host where I choose an ingredient or a theme and try to make several baked goods, accordingly. It gives me a great excuse to try a lot of new things!

Spiced Apple Cake with Chili de Arbol Caramel Sauce:I started off with this Holiday Bundt Apple Cake from Dessert, Diet and Dogs. I was happy to find a recipe that was using whole grain flours and agave and brown rice syrup for most of the sweetness. Unfortunately, I didn’t have barley flour, so I substituted with whole wheat flour. The only other difference was that I added 1/4 teaspoon cayenne to the apples. When I mixed up the batter, it seemed a bit dry, but I baked it anyway. Perhaps I messed up somewhere (but I really couldn’t figure out how), or perhaps I just slightly overbaked the cake, but it seemed the slightest bit dry. I’m taking full responsibility for that, though, and, otherwise, it was such a lovely cake, that I still recommend it.

I only added 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne because I didn’t want the cake to be too spicy (only some like it hot, and I wanted to make sure everyone could enjoy the desserts). So, I chose to put most of the spice in the caramel sauce.

For the caramel sauce, I used this recipe because I wanted to use up my maple syrup. It tasted good, but it wasn’t quite like caramel. I’ve used another recipe in the past that looked much more like caramel, although now I can’t remember what recipe that was. (Does anyone have a caramel sauce recipe that you absolutely love?) I did add 2 dried chili de arbols (stems removed, but I added the seeds), chopped into little pieces. The sauce was spicy and delicious, and poured over lightly toasted spiced walnuts, it really made the cake (and totally made up for any dryness).

Cayenne Persimmon Tart:
When I was thinking about foods that chilis would go well with, one of the first things that came to my mind was mangoes. I love a mango with a little kick. Unfortunately, the mangoes this time of year just aren’t good enough to cut it, so I decided to try something with persimmons, which have a similar flavor and happen to be in season now. I found Delicious Coma’s recipe for a persimmon tart and decided to give it a try.

I used cold shortening in place of the butter and added cayenne to the spices to be sprinkled on top of the persimmons. The crust turned out quite good; however, the persimmons were not so good. My persimmons weren’t ripe enough (and if you’ve ever had an unripe persimmon, you know how bad they are). I thought they might take on a sweet flavor when baked (much like a quince), but they remained incredibly astringent. But, the tart looked lovely and it would have been great had my fruit been better (and that’s the easiest thing to fix, so I’m alright with that).

Chocolate Chili Truffles & Sugar-free Truffles:
recipe here

Anaheim Lime Coconut Pie:
recipe coming soon

Poblano Almond Chocolate Cupcakes:
recipe coming soon

the good, the bad and the ugly

For BAKE MY DAY this week, I decided to work with chili peppers (any member of the Capsicum genus). I guess I liked the idea so much, that I decided to get started a little early, and it seems like the past few days have been all about chilis. And what better to pair it with than chocolate? So, here they are: The Good, The Bad (well, at least the “not great”), and The Ugly.

chocolate chili truffle

THE GOOD
Chocolate Chili Truffles:
After making my Chocolate Matcha Truffles several weeks ago for the first time, and realizing how simple and wonderful it is to make truffles, I decided to try again, this time using cayenne, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt to flavor my truffles. The result was delicious! It takes a couple seconds for the spice of the cayenne to hit, but it provides a nice “after spice,” as one of my friends called it. Just as you’ve realized the flavor of the chocolate, your brain is suddenly hit by the heat, providing quite a pleasant sensation. I used this basic recipe from RecipeZaar and added 1 teaspoon of cayenne, one teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of salt. I also rolled them in cocoa powder mixed with a little bit of cinnamon, and then, using a drop of melted chocolate, stuck on thinly sliced pieces of (mild) dried chili peppers.

sugar-free truffles, ready to be delivered

THE BAD
Sugar-free chocolate chili truffles:
Well, they actually weren’t too bad, but they aren’t nearly as good as truffles with a little sugar. My friend is on a sugar-restricted diet and she also has an allergy to soy, so she’s definitely been wanting something a little sweet in her life. I used the same basic recipe for my truffles, but instead of using my regular bittersweet chocolate chips, which contain sugar and soy lecithin, I melted a bar of 100% cacao. I was hoping that the natural sweetness of the cashews would at least kind of help to counter the bitterness, but unfortunately, the cocoa was still too strong. My friend said that she can use small amounts of stevia on occasion, so I added a couple of teaspoons. I’d never used stevia before, and perhaps I used a little too much (a little of it goes a long way), because it seemed to have a slightly off flavor, something I’d usually associate with artificial sweetners. I also lightly toasted some coconut shavings to bring out their natural sweetness and rolled the truffles in the coconut to (hopefully) add a little sweetness. The stevia flavor wasn’t too noticeable, and the taste was less bitter, so it did help a bit.

The result: not great. But not terrible.

I do think this recipe is worth experimenting with, especially if you have soy allergies of if you would like to use more natural sugars. If you aren’t on such a sugar-restricted diet, I think it could still be worthwhile to make these with agave nectar; that way you are using a sugar that won’t spike your blood sugar as much, and you can control the sweetness of the truffles to your liking.

THE UGLY
Chocolate Chili:
After putting some chili in my chocolate, I decided it was time to put a little chocolate in my chili. I remembered this post from The Urban Vegan and threw in a couple handfuls into my chili recipe. It may not look very pretty, but it sure was a delicious way to end the past few chilly nights.

good ole pumpkin pie

A couple weeks since my last attempt at Pumpkin Pie, I knew I was ready to try again; but this time, I wanted to keep it simple. Although I enjoyed the flavors of the ginger and ceylon tea, I decided to cut back on the spices in this recipe to allow the pumpkin flavor to shine. I can see an advertisement for this pie reading:

Or something like that…

Once again, I based my pie filling recipe off Bryanna’s Pumpkin Pie Recipe, but I made a few changes. Instead of a non-dairy milk, I used cashew cream (recipe below) to make the pie thicker and creamier. I like making my own milk because I know there are not preservatives or additives, and I can control the consistency. I also added a little more tapioca flour than the recipe calls for. I’m not sure whether it was both of these or the combination, but my pie set up much better this time. For the crust, I made up a new recipe (very loosely based on the one I used before). This one uses light spelt flour, which still has nutritious qualities but a much lighter taste and feel (I would have like to have tried the crust without any all purpose flour, but I ran out of spelt). I also used vinegar and baking soda to help make the crust flakier. This crust turned out much better than any of my previous crusts, although I know it still probably could use some work (if you know of any great vegan crust recipes, especially ones that incorporate whole grains, please let me know!). Here are my recipes:

Part Spelt Crust:
makes one 9-inch single pie crust

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 cup light spelt flour
1/3 cup cold shortening
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 tablespoon vinegar
3-4 tablespoons cold water

Mix together dry ingredients. Cut in shortening, careful not to over mix. Add vinegar and slowly add water, about a tablespoon at a time, until dough comes together. Roll dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper until it is a circle about 14″ in diameter. Using the parchment paper to gently lift the dough, place it inside a 9″ pie pan. Trim overhanging edges to 1″ and fold under, using fingers to create decorative edge.

Pumpkin Pie Filling:
makes one 9-inch pie

2 cup solid-pack canned pumpkin (I used a little more than one 14.5 oz. can, but you could probably get away with one can)

1 cup cashew cream (recipe below)

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup tapioca starch

1 teaspoon blackstrap molasses

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Pour the filling into the pastry and bake 60 minutes, covering the edges with foil if they begin to brown too quickly. Cool on a rack, then refrigerate overnight before serving.

The cashew cream recipe below is a great addition to so many recipes. It worked wonderfully in my chocolate matcha truffles, and also in my quince and chestnut bread pudding. Although you can probably get away with soymilk in the above recipe, I think the richness of the cashews is really important. If you want to make a lower fat version, try replacing the water with the non-dairy milk of your choice and adding about 1/4 cashews. The result will still be creamy and delicious.

Cashew Cream:

makes one cup

3/4 cup raw cashews

3/4 cup cold water

Blend ingredients in a blender on high until completely smooth and creamy.

the blended result

the creamy consistency

quince and chestnut bread pudding with orange cranberry sauce

I’ve never made bread pudding before, but I was knew that this needed to be rich. I figured omitting eggs, butter and cream and subbing low-fat plant-based alternatives (although that would make it healthier), would drastically reduce the quality. So, I decided to use rich alternatives (although still plant-based and still healthy). I did use 2 T margarine to cook the quince, but I think that could be easily substituted with coconut oil or apple juice without effecting the result.

Quince and Chestnut Bread Pudding:
1 (9 oz) baguette, cut into 1″ cubes (about 7 cups)
1 cup cashews*
1/3 cup hempseeds*
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons margarine
2 quinces, cut into 1/2″ dice (about 3 1/2 – 4 cups)
7-8 fresh chestnuts, or 1/2 cup roasted, peeled and chopped

*I used this combination of nuts and seeds to give a creamy taste and consistency with only a slightly nutty flavor. Feel free to use other nuts or seeds as you feel suits your recipe.

To roast chestnuts, use a sharp knife to cut an X through the shell of the chestnut to allow steam to escape. Place on a baking sheet and roast at 425F for about 20 minutes. The shells will pull apart at the X and should be able to peel off easily. Remove all of the shells and chop the insides; set aside.

roasted chestnuts

Place cubed bread in 2 quart baking dish and set aside.

In medium/large saucepan, melt margarine over medium heat and stir in quince, sauteing for a couple of minutes. Meanwhile, in a blender, combine cashews, hemp seeds and water and blend until completely smooth (this may take a couple of minutes). Add the next 6 ingredients (maple syrup through nutmeg) to blender and process. Pour contents of blender over quince and add sultanas. Cook for a couple of minutes and then pour over diced bread. Sprinkle with chestnuts and gently stir to combine. While the oven is preheating to 325 F, allow the bread to soak up some of the liquid for about 15 minutes. Bake for about 45 minutes until center is set and top is golden. Alternatively, bake individual-sized portions in lined muffin tins for about 30 minutes. Serve with Orange Cranberry Sauce (recipe below).

orange cranberry sauce

Cranberry Sauce:
12 oz fresh cranberries
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon orange zest

Combine all of the ingredients in a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until cranberries begin popping. Continue cooking for about 20 minutes. The sauce will still be a little runny, but it will thicken more as it cools.

Although I missed the ACTUAL harvest moon, the name for this week’s BMD sounded a lot better than “hunter’s moon” and it also better depicts the idea of this week’s theme (plus, I don’t support hunting, of course…).

I really just wanted to make everything pumpkin, but, for the sake of variety and in case there are any non-pumpkin eaters out there (although that’s really beyond my comprehension), I also tried to use other seasonably appropriate veg, such as carrots, parsnips, pears, cranberries, and quince. Paired with hearty nuts and warming spices, this is the most autumnal spread yet:

quince and chestnut bread pudding with orange cranberry sauce

harvest loaf

pumpkin pie with spelt crust

pumpkin cinnamon rolls

More info and recipes coming soon, PLUS: lael’s lovely pear and parsnip galette!

A sampling of some of the flower-flavored food from the Oct. 16th BMD:
*recipes and more info coming soon*

olive oil and herbes de provence bread

rose-scented baklava

rose ginger cookies

chamomile scones with clotted cream and hibiscus syrup

and coming soon: lavender biscotti…

Now that I’m back in town, I’m about to unload an arsenal of backed-up posts (oh, it’s so good to be at home with my computer!)
First, a post to display all of the desserts at the Oct. 9 “i like coffee, i like tea” BMD event:

chai cupcakes with buttercream frosting and cinnamon

oolong currant scones with darjeeling jam and clotted cream

ceylon pumpkin pie

chocolate matcha truffles

chocolate espresso biscotti

Oolong Currant Scones with Darjeeling Apple
Ginger Jam and Clotted Cream

As part of the “i like coffee, i like tea” BAKE MY DAY, I decided to make scones with oolong tea and currants. I based this recipe off of Vegan Yum Yum’s Lemon Maple Scones, but I wanted it to be whole grain. I love the taste of wholemeal scones–they’ve got a heartier flavor, and they’re healthier, too! I used a mix of light spelt flour, whole wheat flour, and oats that I ground into a coarse flour. The light spelt flour helps to keep it from becoming too heavy or too wheaty (they are SCONES, afterall) and the oats provide a little bit of nice texture with a mild flavor.

I’m reprinting Lolo’s recipe here, with my changes.

Oolong Currant Scones
1/2 cup oat flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup light spelt flour
2 & 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
the contents of 2 bags of oolong tea
1/3 cup margarine
3 T agave
1/2 cup soymilk
2 T lemon juice
1/3 cup dried currants

Preheat oven to 400º F.

Combine dry ingredients (flours, salt, bp, oolong) in a mixing bowl. In another bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients. Using a pastry cutter or a fork, blend the margarine into the dry ingredients until there are no chunks of margarine left and the mixture looks like damp sand.

Pour in the wet ingredients and mix with your hands to form a soft dough. Only mix until just combined, adding more flour if the mixture is too wet. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and roll out to a slab 1.5? thick. Using a biscuit cutter or a glass with about a 2? diameter, cut out your scones. Press the scraps of dough together, roll out again, and continue cutting scones until you’ve used up your dough.

Transfer scones to a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper, or a non-stick mat. Brush the tops with a mixture of agave and lemon juice.

Bake at 400º F for 12-15 minutes. If the scones aren’t lightly brown after 15 minutes, transfer to the broiler for 1-2 minutes, watching carefully, to brown the tops if desired. Remove to a cooling rack.

Split and serve with clotted cream and Apple Ginger Darjeeling Jam, or another jam of your choice.

Oolong Currant Scones with Darjeeling Apple
Ginger Jam and Clotted Cream

As part of the “i like coffee, i like tea” BAKE MY DAY, I decided to make scones with oolong tea and currants. I based this recipe off of Vegan Yum Yum’s Lemon Maple Scones, but I wanted it to be whole grain. I love the taste of wholemeal scones–they’ve got a heartier flavor, and they’re healthier, too! I used a mix of light spelt flour, whole wheat flour, and oats that I ground into a coarse flour. The light spelt flour helps to keep it from becoming too heavy or too wheaty (they are SCONES, afterall) and the oats provide a little bit of nice texture with a mild flavor.

I’m reprinting Lolo’s recipe here, with my changes.

Oolong Currant Scones
1/2 cup oat flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup light spelt flour
2 & 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
the contents of 2 bags of oolong tea
1/3 cup margarine
3 T agave
1/2 cup soymilk
2 T lemon juice
1/3 cup dried currants

Preheat oven to 400º F.

Combine dry ingredients (flours, salt, bp, oolong) in a mixing bowl. In another bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients. Using a pastry cutter or a fork, blend the margarine into the dry ingredients until there are no chunks of margarine left and the mixture looks like damp sand.

Pour in the wet ingredients and mix with your hands to form a soft dough. Only mix until just combined, adding more flour if the mixture is too wet. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and roll out to a slab 1.5? thick. Using a biscuit cutter or a glass with about a 2? diameter, cut out your scones. Press the scraps of dough together, roll out again, and continue cutting scones until you’ve used up your dough.

Transfer scones to a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper, or a non-stick mat. Brush the tops with a mixture of agave and lemon juice.

Bake at 400º F for 12-15 minutes. If the scones aren’t lightly brown after 15 minutes, transfer to the broiler for 1-2 minutes, watching carefully, to brown the tops if desired. Remove to a cooling rack.

Split and serve with clotted cream and Apple Ginger Darjeeling Jam, or another jam of your choice.