Vegan Lemon Meringue Pie (& a pep talk)

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Hello friends,

I have a confession. A kitchen nightmare confession. Over the past year, vegan blogs have been exploding with “aquafaba” recipes.  This is a nickname given to “bean” water that comes from a can of chick peas, cannelini, or great northern beans that usually goes down the drain. It can easily replace an egg in many vegan culinary dishes. By far, the greatest aquafaba achievement has been the discovery that it can be used to make vegan meringue. How cool is that?

I decided that I wanted to see what all the internet fuss was about and start out with something “easy.” I chose vegan meringue cookies. Boy was I wrong. Continue reading “Vegan Lemon Meringue Pie (& a pep talk)”

Traditional, but vegan, Pizzelles

Hello everyone,

FullSizeRender_5You may have guessed that my kitchen is rather small based on my photos and crafty use of angles. That means I am a strong advocate against kitchen appliances that are single use. I can justify a Vitamix Blender because I use it all the time – for soups, for chopping nuts, for baking, etc. However, I do not own a toaster because all it does is toast, and I can do that on my 2-Burner Reversible Griddle. (Side note, at first I was deeply opposed to getting a griddle, but I have to say, we use it all the time. I love it! It makes sautéing veggies a breeze, and is perfect for grilling sandwiches, too).

Well, all that didn’t stop me from finally cracking and purchasing my very own pizzelle iron, specifically the Cuisinart WM-PZ2 Pizzelle Press (which I highly recommend! It’s non-stick, works well, and is cost effective!).

I come from an Italian family so when I think about cookies that are a staple at every wedding, holiday event, graduation party, etc., I think of the pizzelle. I can still smell the anise oil cooking out of the pizzelles at my grandma’s house. Continue reading “Traditional, but vegan, Pizzelles”

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Hello friends,

It seems like almost every weekend I feel the intense need to bake cookies or cupcakes, even when I probably shouldn’t. This was one of those weekends. Am I alone? I suspect not. What’s better on a snowy, cold day than a warm, fresh-baked treat? Nothing. Continue reading

Recipe: Vegan Salted Sesame Cookies

Hello everyone,

A friend sent me a recipe for Salty Sesame and Dark Chocolate Chip cookies from Joy the Baker. It certainly wasn’t the easiest recipe to ‘veganize’ considering if called for quite a bit of butter and an egg, plus an extra egg yolk. However, it was worth the hassle!

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These are the perfect cookies for anyone who likes things sweet and salty. They came out of the oven warm and chewy. Honestly, these had a consistency rarely found in vegan cookies. Plus, they taste even better! The sesame seeds add a unique twist on a salty chocolate chip cookie.

So here it goes, below is my highly modified version of the Salty Sesame and Dark Chocolate Chip cookies from Joy the Baker. Give them a try. Your tastebuds will thank you!

Cheers!

Jocelyn Continue reading “Recipe: Vegan Salted Sesame Cookies”

Recipe: Vegan Carrot Cake

Hello friends,

This weekend I traveled back to West Virginia to celebrate my parents’ birthdays. Yes, that’s right – they have the same one! Born the same day, just two years apart. In honor of this occasion, I thought I’d make my dad’s favorite cake, the always moist and creamy, carrot cake.
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I had never tried to make a carrot cake before so I decided to look at a few recipes online. I wasn’t in love with what I saw – a lot of recipes with a ton of ingredients, most of which were not in my cupboards. Rather than move onto a different cake, I decided to look at a carrot cake cupcake recipe from Vegan Cupcakes Takeover the World. If you don’t have this book, you should snatch a copy ASAP. It’s my #1 goto recipe book.

What follows is a highly modified version of the cupcake recipe. I added in almond milk, tweaked the ingredient amounts, and added crystalized ginger instead of powder. Everyone seemed to enjoy the end result, and they said it was quite moist and creamy. I will admit, it’s a bit rich, so if you don’t have a real sweet tooth, beware! Please give this recipe a try and let me know what you think.

Cheers!

Jocelyn

Continue reading “Recipe: Vegan Carrot Cake”