DESSERTS AND SWEET THINGS
Vegan Caramel Easter Eggs
Makes about 15 eggs.
This recipes is the same as the turtles below, but just in a different shape. Lots of fun to try.
Hazelnuts (30 nuts)
2 organic, fair trade chocolate bars (2 x 85 g/3 oz)
Caramel Filling
1 cup pine nuts
1 cup pitted, tightly dates
½ tsp vanilla
- If using hard dates, pour boiling water over dates and let sit for about 15 minutes. Drain well before use. Place dates, pine nuts and vanilla into a processor and process until very smooth. It should look like caramel. You will have to stop the processor and stir with a spatula a few times.
- Freeze the caramel to make it easy to handle.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicon sheet.
- Take a heaping tablespoon of caramel and mold into an egg, placing the hazelnuts inside the caramel. Place on cookie sheet and freeze overnight or until completely solid.
- Put the chocolate bars in a small pot over low heat until the chocolate is entirely melted. Stir to make it smooth.
- Coat each egg in melted chocolate. Place back on tray and put into freezer until chocolate is solid – this happens quickly.
- Decorate if desired. Use your imagination.
- Place in an airtight container and store them in the freezer. They test best right from the freezer!
Decoration ideas:
1. Melt some rice milk chocolate and drizzle over the dark chocolate or make designs with the chocolate.
2. Put a layer of chocolate (dark or light) around the middle of the egg and roll in finely chopped nuts.
Brenda's Turtles
Makes about 30 turtles.
It is amazing how delicious such a healthy treat can be! The caramel was the creation of Cherie Soria. Enjoy.
Ingredients
Pecans (60 halves)
2 organic, fair trade chocolate bars (2 x 85 g/3 oz)
Caramel Filling
1 cup pine nuts
1 cup pitted, tightly packed medjool dates or other dates
½ tsp vanilla
If using hard dates, pour boiling water over dates and let sit for about 15 minutes. Drain well before use. Place dates, pine nuts and vanilla into a processor and process until very smooth. It should look like caramel. You will have to stop the processor and stir with a spatula a few times. Put the caramel in the refrigerator or freezer until it firms up - this makes the assembly much easier.
Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicon sheets. Place pecans on the cookie sheets, with 2 pecan halves for each turtle, in 5 rows of 3 turtles each.
Spoon about 2-3 teaspoons of the caramel on top of each of the sets of pecans. Shape in a circle like a turtle.
Freeze the caramel overnight or until completely solid.
Put the chocolate bars in a small pot over low heat until the chocolate is entirely melted. Stir to make it smooth.
Take one pan of turtles out of the freezer.
Lift each turtle off the parchment paper or silicon mat and brush or spoon chocolate to cover the bottom. Place back on cookie sheet and brush or spoon the chocolate over the top of the turtle. Do this for each turtle, then return tray to the freezer. Remove second tray and repeat.
Let the chocolate set completely before removing the turtles from the trays.
Place in an airtight container and store them in the freezer. They test best right from the freezer!
Variations:
1. For vegan milk chocolate turtles, use rice milk chocolate bars.
2. For a beautifully decorated turtle, melt some rice milk chocolate and drizzle over the dark chocolate.
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Golden Macaroons
These cookies are a wonderful treat. They are best eaten within a couple of days of preparation.
Ingredients
1 cup finely grated carrots, packed
2 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup whole wheat flour or oat flour (grind oats in blender)
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
Preparation
Mix all ingredients together. Drop by teaspoon onto an oiled cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool and serve.
Makes 2 dozen cookies.
Nutty Date Cookies
These cookies are sweetened only with dates. They are moist and absolutely delicious.
Ingredients
1 cup mashed banana or 1 cup grated apple
2 cups dates
3/4 cup water
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup oil
2 Tbsp ground flaxseed
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup walnuts, halves or chopped
1/4 tsp salt
Preparation
Cook dates in water. Mash and cool slightly.
Stir the dates, banana or apple, flaxseed, lemon juice, oil and vanilla together in a large bowl.
Mix the whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Pour the flour mixture into the banana mixture and stir until just blended. Do not over beat.
Fold in walnuts.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Drop dough by the teaspoonful onto oiled non-stick baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom. Remove from the oven and let sit 1 to 2 minutes on the baking sheet.
Remove the cookies to a wire rack, and cool completely.
Makes 2 dozen cookies.
Walnut Maple Cookies
These delicious omega-3-rich cookies were passed on to me from my dear friend Margie Colclough who adapted them from Dr. Neal Nedley’s book – Depression, the Way Out (2001).
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups walnuts, ground in food processor
2/3 cup whole wheat flour or oat flour (grind oats in blender)
1/3 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tsp. vanilla
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a bowl, mix together all ingredients in given order. Stir well.
Spray large cookie sheet/or use a non-stick pan.
Drop dough on cookie sheet with a spoon and flatten with a fork. Bake about 15-20 minutes* or until slightly golden on edges. Check often to prevent burning.
Remove immediately from the pan so they don’t stick.
Makes about 2 dozen.
Carob or Chocolate Cake
This is a moist, tasty, and healthy cake that can be enjoyed for celebrations.
Ingredients
2 cups dates
1/2 cup water
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup carob or cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp baking powder
2 Tbsp ground flaxseed
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup succanat or raw sugar
1 3/4 cup soymilk or coconut milk
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook dates in water and mash.
Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Stir together soymilk and vinegar. Stir dates and soymilk mixture into dry ingredient until just blended.
Turn into a lightly oiled 9 x 13” cake pan. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool and ice with carob/peanut butter or chocolate frosting.
Makes 24 servings.
Carob/Peanut Butter Frosting
1/4 cup carob powder
2 cups dates
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
Cook dates in water. Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Use as frosting for carob cake.
Chocolate Frosting
1/2 package chocolate chips
1 package silken tofu
1 tsp vanilla
Melt chocolate chips. Mix all in blender on high speed. Use as frosting for chocolate cake.
Brownie Bars
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups dates, packed
1 cup water
1/2 cup peanut butter or almond butter
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp ground flaxseed
3 Tbsp carob or cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cook dates and water in a pot until dates are soft. Mash well.
Stir together peanut butter, vanilla, canola oil, flaxseed and dates in a large bowl.
Combine whole wheat flour, baking powder and salt. Stir flour mixture into wet ingredients. Add walnuts stirring just until blended.
Spread into a sprayed 8 x 8 baking pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes.
Variation: To make cookies instead of bars, drop by heaping teaspoon onto a sprayed cookie sheet. Press tops, if desired.
Makes 24 squares.
Berry Good Frozen Dessert
3 medium bananas
1 cup frozen berries
1 cup soymilk or other non-dairy milk
1 Tbsp pure, unsweetened juice concentrate (e.g. pineapple) (optional)
Peel bananas and freeze in a zip loc bag. Chill soymilk and. Chop frozen bananas and blend with frozen berries, soymilk and juice concentrate on high speed. You may need to use a spatula around the edge of the blender to blend.
Serve immediately with a few peanuts or walnuts sprinkled on top, if desired.
Variation: Replace berries with frozen mango pieces.
Notes: Add extra soymilk if your blender is working too hard. Add 2 more cups of soymilk to make a smoothie.
Makes 3 servings.
Applesauce Spice Cake
Ingredients
2 cups unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup organic canola oil
1 cup soymilk or other non-dairy milk
1 Tbsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
2 cups dates
1/2 cup water
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp allspice
1 cup walnuts, chopped
Preparation
In a medium sized saucepan, cook dates and water over medium heat. Remove from heat and mash dates.
Mix applesauce, oil, soymilk, lemon juice, vanilla, ground flaxseed and cooked dates in a large bowl.
In a medium sized bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and allspice.
Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients and stir until just blended. Do not over-mix. Fold in walnuts.
Spray or lightly oil a 9 x 13” baking pan. Pour batter into pan and bake at 350 degrees F. for about 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Serve with pear cream, if desired.
Note: Spices can be omitted, if desired.
Makes 24 servings.
Nutty Apple Crisp
Ingredients
5-6 large apples
1 tsp lime or lemon juice
1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
2 Tbsp ground flaxseed
2 Tbsp wheat germ (optional)
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup almonds, chopped
3 Tbsp organic canola oil
3 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
Preparation
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Cut apples into small slices and coat with lime or lemon juice. Place apples in a lightly oiled casserole dish.
In a medium sized bowl, combine oats, ground flaxseed, wheat germ, walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, cinnamon, agave syrup and canola oil.
Sprinkle oat mixture over apples. Cover casserole dish with lid.
Bake apple crisp for about 45 minutes. Uncover and bake another 20 minutes or until top is golden brown.
Serve hot or cold with pear cream, if desired.
Banana/Mango Cream Pie
Crust Ingredients
1 cup soft pitted dates
1 cup almonds
1/4 cup coconut
Preparation
Place ingredients in a food processor. Pat into a pie pan (preferably glass). Put pie crust in refrigerator.
Fresh Fruit Layer Ingredients
2 mangos, chopped
3 bananas, sliced
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Preparation
Slice bananas and chop mangos. Coat with fresh lemon juice. Pour fruit on pie crust and pat evenly to cover bottom of pie.
Cream Filling Ingredients
3/4 cup raw cashew pieces
1 cup almond or coconut milk
3 ripe bananas, broken into pieces
2 ripe mangos, sliced (or 1 cup strawberries)
1 Tbsp agar powder
1/2 cup boiling water
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (juice of 1 large
lemon)
1 tsp vanilla
3 Tbsp agave syrup (or 1/3 cup soaked dates)
Nuts and/or coconut or fresh fruit for decoration
Cover cashews with water and soak for an hour or more. Drain. Blend cashews, almond or coconut milk, liquid sweetener and vanilla until very smooth. Add bananas and mangos. Blend until smooth.
Stir agar with boiling water until dissolved. Add agar or gel to the filling. Blend until well mixed. Pour immediately over fruit into pie shell.
Sprinkle with pecans, walnuts, coconut.
Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours until firm. Serve cold.
Makes 6 large or 8 small servings.
