Review and Giveaway: Hannah Kaminsky's Vegan Desserts

If you have been reading my blog since the title ordinary vegetarian actually fit me, you might remember my first vegan baking experience. Armed with a copy of Hannah Kaminky's My Sweet Vegan, I was well equipped for my task. Since then I became vegan, and my interest in vegan baking immediately followed. Hannah has been a favorite source for vegan dessert recipes through both her blog and e-books ever since, so you can imagine how excited I was to learn about the release of her second cookbook, Vegan Desserts!

A worthy collection of sophisticated yet approachable desserts, conveniently divided by season. The book features over 100 recipes, each accompanied by the most tempting full color image photographed by Hannah herself. I have had my copy for two months now, and have already enjoyed several recipes.

Irish Crème Squares

I cheated and baked from the winter section first since I had all of the ingredients for the Irish Crème Squares on hand. This is definitely a grown up dessert, unless your young ones enjoy the flavors of coffee and whiskey. As for myself, I couldn't resist! The coffee and whiskey infused cream layer is perfectly complimented by the cocoa almond crust. Hear, hear for boozy desserts!

Marbled Chocolate and Zucchini Bread

For my first springtime selection I went with the Marbled Chocolate and Zucchini Bread. This dessert bread is a real treat. It is sweet, moist, and cakey--sweeter than more traditional zucchini breads I have tried. This was my first marbled baked good, and I was so pleased with the way that the beautiful swirls of chocolate turned out. I am anticipating having too many zucchinis on my hands soon, and looking forward to putting them to good use in more loaves of this bread!

Coco-Nut Macaroons

I sampled a second dessert from the spring section -- the Coco-Nut Macaroons. Coco-Nut is hyphenated because the Nut is actually crunchy peanut butter. The peanut butter flavor is second to coconut, but is undoubtedly the oomph that pushes these macaroons over the edge. That and the chocolate dipped bases! These were perfectly dense, chewy, and rich--honestly the only coconut macaroon recipe I'll ever need. I mean, coco-nut! 

Mango Tango Cupcakes

Moving on from springtime delights to a perfect summery treat (and the cutest name in the book!), Mango Tango Cupcakes. This inventive cupcake has two pureed mangoes in the batter, along with a helping of chopped macadamia nuts. If you aren't sold on that alone, then the rum cream cheese frosting should convince you! Oh yes, that's perfection.

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I am sorry for teasing you with all of these amazing treats, but I have a peace offering. After receiving a copy of this book, the opportunity for a signed copy from Hannah presented itself and I couldn't turn it down. As much as I love this book, I don't need two copies and would love to offer my first copy to one of you. I will ship the winner this copy personally, anywhere in the world you might be. That's right, a no-restriction giveaway, hooray! As always, several ways to enter, leave 1 comment for each entry:

1. Leave a comment, any comment!
2. Follow me on twitter.
3. Like me on facebook.
4. Follow my blog here or by email (see sidebar)
5. Tweet "Enter to win a copy of Hannah Kaminsky's Vegan Desserts from @ordinaryveg! http://t.co/6z9IZxt"

Good luck! Winner to be announced the first day of summer--Tuesday, June 21 (just in time to make the Peaches and Crème Breakfast Buns, what what!)!

Vegan MoFo #11: The Vegan Cookie Connoisseur

I set a goal to post at least 20 times in the month of November, so with this post I am officially past the halfway mark! Who knows, at this rate I may even surpass my goal. Participating in Vegan MoFo has been wonderfully challenging so far. I was pretty tired the first week, staying up too late to write every night, but I have gotten into my groove now. My writing process tends to be lengthy, but it seems that this is improving with daily practice. I plan to keep up the habit of frequent posting even when Vegan MoFo is over. The best part of this month of food by far has been connecting with so many vegan bloggers. You all inspire me, and I thank you for that!




I am not sure if I should credit MoFo or the cooler weather, but I have been on a major baking kick, first with Isa and Terry, then with Fran, now with Kelly. Kelly Peloza is the newest vegan dessert cookbook author to hit the scene. Her book, The Vegan Cookie Connoisseur, is loaded with over 140 cookie recipes, with gorgeous full color pictures throughout. Some of the sections found within are Cookies Inspired by Drinks, Blissfully Chocolate Cookies, DIY Versions of Mass-Produced Cookies, Bar Cookies, A Take on Tradition, and several more.

Bakery-Style Crispy Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Where to start when you are faced with over 140 choices? I figured the best way to get to know this author's style would be to start with something classic, and it doesn't get more classic than chocolate chip cookies. Then I discovered that she has FIVE chocolate chip cookie recipe options, and that doesn't even include the gluten-free chocolate chip cookies and the candy cane chocolate chip cookies! Crisp, chewy chocolate chip cookies are my preference, so the obvious choice was the Bakery-Style Crispy Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies. My batch were chewy, in a really awesome way, but not crisp. The recipe doesn't call for any non-dairy milk at all, but it does suggest to add some if the dough is too dry. I had to add some and was careful to only add enough to get the dough to hold together. I am thinking that the texture of the finished cookie could have benefited from a little more soy milk. This recipe is definitely good, but not the perfect chocolate chip cookie for me. I plan to try some of her other chocolate chip cookie recipes as I continue my quest to find the perfect chocolate chip cookie!

Peanut Butter Chocolate-Covered Pretzel Bars

My boyfriend's favorite sweet-salty snack is a toss up between chocolate-covered pretzels and chocolate-covered peanuts. Kelly came up with a bar cookie that involves these two very things, so of course I had to make these for Steve. The Peanut Butter Chocolate-Covered Pretzel Bars are made up of a peanut butter cookie base piled high with hand dipped chocolate-covered peanuts and pretzels. The base was my favorite part, reminding me of a peanut butter blondie. Hand-dipping the pretzels and peanuts in chocolate was a lot of fun, and I appreciated the awesome makeshift double boiler tips for melting the chocolate (up until now I've been a microwave-melter)! If your fresh-dipped peanuts and pretzels behave like mine and don't want to harden all the way at room temperature, just toss them in the fridge for 10 minutes to finish the hardening process. I also opted to chop my chocolate dipped goodies rather than breaking apart by hand. Steve's reaction to this bar cookie was exactly what I hoped for! Rich peanut-buttery base, with a chocolate-covered salty/sweet crunchy top, this is the perfect cookie for him.

Almond Cloud Kisses

My favorite cookies so far are the Almond Cloud Kisses. Mine turned out pretty clumsy looking in comparison to Kelly's, but that didn't take away from the taste. Dense, not too sweet, shortbread-like almond cookies come together with a smear of melted chocolate, for a (potentially) adorable cookie. I had the same issue that I did with the chocolate chip cookies, needing to add more soy milk than the recipe calls for in order for the dough to hold together. This time I was a little bit more generous with the additional soy milk, and the result was great.

Autumn Cloud Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

For the last cookie that I sampled I went for the Autumn Cloud Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. This was the first time pumpkin and chocolate crossed paths in my kitchen, and I was very pleased with the flavor combination. The cookie itself was an odd texture, more fluffy and spongy like a muffin. I would be very curious to see how the dough would behave in a muffin pan. If you have been searching for the perfect cookie-muffin hybrid (muffin tops anyone?), this cookie is for you!


Whew, that's a lot of cookies, and I have barely scratched the surface of the cookie options in The Vegan Cookie Connoisseur! Sooner than later I plan to try several more (I am looking at you Puppy Chow Cookies).

So, what will you be baking this weekend?

Vegan MoFo #3: More Great Good Dairy-Free Desserts Naturally

One of the newest cookbooks to grace my book shelf is Fran Costigan's More Great Good Dairy-Free Desserts Naturally. I have spent the last month baking through several recipes, and this cookbook is rapidly becoming my favorite dessert cookbook. Fran uses natural, organic, minimally processed ingredients in her baking, and that is something I feel good about. Her recipes are healthier than the average dessert, but they certainly don't taste like health food. There is absolutely no sacrifice in taste in these delicious desserts.

Banana Walnut Bread

The first recipe that I tried is the Banana Walnut Bread. It grabbed my attention because it is 100% maple sweetened and there is only 3 tablespoons of oil in a loaf. The results were fantastic, this bread certainly isn't missing anything without the sugar and extra fat. I have tried other vegan banana breads, but this is the first one I really love.

Pumpkin Pecan Bread

After the pleasing results with the Banana Walnut Bread, I decided to try another bread. My next choice was the very season-appropriate, Pumpkin Pecan Bread. This recipe again is low on oil and sugar. There is a bit of natural cane sugar in this recipe, but it is mostly sweetened by maple. This bread is over the top delicious. I shared this loaf with friends and everyone was totally gaga over it. As far as I am concerned the search for my favorite vegan pumpkin bread is over.

Famous Jam Dots and Peanut Butter Cookies

Trying out a few of Fran's cookie recipes was definitely in order, seeing that I am a cookie monster addict and all. Her low-fat Peanut Butter Cookies were up first. The typical peanut butter cookie recipe has a couple of sticks of butter in it, but Fran realized that with the fat content of peanut butter there is actually very little added fat needed. I was skeptical, but the proof is in the cookie! This cookie has the perfect chewy texture and great rich flavor, all without that kick-in-the-gut feeling that often comes from eating super buttery cookies. I am starting to feel like a broken record by saying so, but this is now my go-to recipe for peanut butter cookies, another winner!

Next up, Famous Jam Dots. These cookies are Fran's adaptation of the recipe made famous by the Natural Gourmet Institute of Food and Health. Apparently people have been known to enroll for classes there after one taste of this cookie! How about that for an endorsement? I noticed right away that this recipe is yet another that is 100% maple sweetened. It is a bit heavier on oil than the rest of her cookie recipes, but even still they are not overly rich. The cookie is nutty and oatty with a nice firm bite, finished off with a sweet 100% fruit jam center. I chose apricot and raspberry for this batch, which were both excellent. Now for the best part, by permission of the publisher I am able to share this awesome recipe with you. I hope you try these soon!

Famous Jam dots

Famous Jam Dots
from More Great Good Dairy Free Desserts Naturally by Fran Costigan
(published by permission of BookPubCo.)

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup pecans
1-1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/3 cup all-fruit jam (any flavor)

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and another rack above it. Preheat to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Spread the oats on one of the prepared sheets and the pecans on the other. Toast each pan in the oven for 6 minutes. Cool completely, leaving the parchment on the baking sheets for baking the cookies. Raise the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Put the oats in a blender or food processor, and process until fine. Add the pecans and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Pour into a medium bowl and add the pastry flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

Whisk the oil, maple syrup, and vanilla and almond extracts in a small bowl until well blended. Pour into the dry mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until the dough holds together when squeezed.

Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and place 1 inch apart on prepared sheets. Use your little finger to make an indentation in the center of each cookie. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon jam in each indentation.

Bake for 15 to 16 minutes, or until the cookies are light brown on the bottom. Set the baking sheets on racks and cool for 3 minutes, until the cookies are firm enough to move. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool. Keep the cookies at room temperature in a covered container or a zipper-lock plastic bag for two days.

What are your favorite More Great Good Dairy Free Desserts Naturally recipes? I have loved everything I have made, and I'm having a hard time deciding what to make next!

BookPubCo is giving away vegan dessert cookbooks during the month of November, click the logo below to enter!

Fun with Uncheese and Vegan Care Package Swapping

Over the past few weeks I have been cooking up recipes from the newest cookbook in my collection, The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook by Jo Stepaniak. The word on the street is that this cookbook lives up to its name, so this recovering cheese-o-holic had to see for herself.

Not too long ago I was a vegan cheese newbie (January to be exact). Since then I have tried a few other dairy-free cheese recipes, and have occasionally enjoyed a couple store-bought varieties. After 6 months of vegan cheese experimentation I was ready for The Ultimate Uncheese experience.





This book offers everything cheesy under the sun, including dips, sauces, soups, fondues, casseroles, sweets, and more. The section that grabbed my attention first was block uncheeses. That's right block uncheeses, as in smooth, firm, slice-able, shred-able vegan cheese. I had never heard of such a thing! This section includes vegan versions of Swiss, Gouda, Colby, buffalo mozzarella, muenster, Monterey Jack, and brie. The obvious first choice to me was Colby, a mild tangy cheese, with that classic yellow-orange color shared by many popular American cheeses. As you can see the color was spot on!

Many of the ingredients in the Colby recipe are the usual suspects in vegan cheeses, including nutritional yeast, cashews, tahini, onion powder, roasted red pepper, and lemon juice. However, there was one ingredient that I had never used making vegan cheese: agar flakes. Agar is a sea vegetable available in dried flakes or powder, which I found in the Asian section by the other sea vegetables at my local Whole Foods. This ingredient is responsible for turning this recipe from a liquid uncheese to a block uncheese. Agar is the vegetarian alternative to gelatin (which is made from animal products). When it is heated in water it creates a thick gel, which becomes more solid as it cools. I had first purchased agar flakes for a vegan lemon bar recipe, so knowing what it is capable of I was excited to see how it worked on vegan cheese. I was very pleased with the results! While it isn't quite as hard as the real deal, this cheese has a nice firm texture that is smooth and creamy to the bite. The flavor is light and tangy, with added depth from the hints of roasted red pepper, and the garlic and onion powders. A+ for flavor!

 

I enjoyed the Colby recipe so much that I decided to try another block cheese. This time I wanted to try a bolder flavor so I made the pepper jack variation of the Monterey Jack recipe. It turned out to be a pretty mild cheese as well because I was too shy with the hot peppers. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this recipe immensely. I served both cheeses sliced on top of crackers and sandwiches, and shredded over steamed veggies, tofu scrambles, and burritos.

Moving away from the block uncheeses I decided to try out a recipe from the "Casserole and Dinner Pie" section. I love broccoli and I love any dish involving phyllo dough, so I had to try the Broccoli Strudel. Light crispy phyllo dough over a savory crumbled tofu and broccoli filling. Perfect! This was a simple and satisfying meal, easy to whip together on weeknight.

I must say that The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook does live up to its name! I have so many other recipes bookmarked to try. So far the Colby block uncheese was my favorite--it is definitely going to make regular appearances in my kitchen. I'm excited to be able to share this recipe with you by permission of the publisher, Book Publishing Co.. Enjoy!

Colby Cheez
from The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook by Jo Stepaniak
(published by permission of BookPubCo.)

1-1/2 cups water
5 tbsp agar flakes, or 1-1/2 tbps agar powder
1/2 cup roasted red peppers (skin and seeds removed), or pimento pieces
1/2 cup raw cashews or skinless Brazil nuts
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp tahini
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp mustard powder

Lightly oil a 3-cup plastic storage container and set aside. Combine the water and agar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring often, until dissolved, about 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a blender and add the remaining ingredients. Process several minutes until completely smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender jar as necessary. Pour into the prepared container and cool uncovered in the refrigerator. When completely cool, cover and chill several hours or overnight. To serve, turn out of the container and slice. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator. Will keep 5 to 7 days.

Variations: In place of the red peppers, use 1/2 cup cooked chopped carrots, 2 to 3 teaspoons paprika, or 2 tablespoons unsalted tomato paste. For Chedda Cheez add 2 tablespoons light or chickpea miso prior to blending. For Olive Cheez replace dry mustard with 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard. After blending, stir in 3/4 cup chopped black olives or sliced pimento-stuffed green olives.

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In other news, I participated in a vegan care package swap hosted by Cook.Vegan.Lover. I was paired up with none other than the lovely Ricki Heller of Diet, Dessert and Dogs. Check out the amazing goodies that she sent me!

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Ricki lives in Toronto, the most multicultural city in the world, so she went with a multicultural theme, including several local Canadian goods.

Can you believe how much she spoiled me?! This is what I got:

• Chana Masala spice mix. How cool is that? Chana Masala is one of my favorite Indian dishes, and the next time I make some I won't have to measure out 10+ different spices!
• "All in One" rice flakes and chickpea mix. Oh my goodness this Indian snack is so spicy, crunchy and delicious!
• Onion Rings. These remind me of funions, except way crunchier, way tastier, and way less questionable ingredients :)
• Dried mangoes from the Phillipines. 
• Milano mille feuilles. These crisp flaky Italian pastries are way too good!
• Roasted fava beans. This was the most intriguing item in the package, so I had to try it first. These beans are crunchy and salty, and actually kind of remind me of salted peanuts, but crunchier. Yum!
• New Moon Kitchen Mo' Mints. Organic fair trade cookies made in Toronto, so so delicious, my absolute favorite item so far.
• Empower Glo Bar. I have always wanted to try Glo Bars! They are made by Canadian blogger, Angela, of Oh, She Glows. Can't wait to try!
• Creamy dill dip mix. This will be great for parties.
• Two Girls Looking Kale Chips - spicy, cheesy, perfect!
• Cinnamon chocolate bar from the French choclatiers in Montreal. Oh-la-la, tucking away this beauty for a rainy day!
• Theobroma almond cranberry chocolate bar - more local chocolate, poor me!! ;)
• President's Choice organic popcorn - little did Ricki know that popcorn is my ultimate snacking weakness, good choice!
• Last but not least, some non-food items: 2 cute new dishtowels and Windmill Hill handmade pear and vanilla soap (which I must have accidently cut out of the picture). This soap smells amazing!

Thanks again, Ricki! It was so fun care package swapping with you, and all of your selections are most excellent! (Here is Ricki's post about the swap, which also includes a giveaway for some Amy's brand goods!).

Now I am going to disappear again for a couple of weeks. I am leaving for a 3 part trip including New York City, Spain, and Amsterdam. I look forward to sharing my adventures and my vegan dining experiences with you when I return. I may even try to blog while traveling, but we'll see how that goes ;)

My Sweet Vegan Christmas Eve

'Twas the night before Christmas Eve
when all through the house
not a creature was stirring..
No wait, I was stirring.. stirring, blending, and baking like mad!

Well, I should not make it sound like such a ravenous affair. It was actually a nice, relaxing evening of baking. It was a great way to pass the time as I anxiously awaited the two days of festivities that would begin the next morning. It was also a great opportunity to try out some of the recipes from my shiny new copy of My Sweet Vegan by Hannah Kaminsky. The book boasts 184 gorgeous full color glossy pages of one tempting dairy-free dessert after another. I had far too many recipes bookmarked, but I managed to narrow it down to four very Christmas-party-appropriate desserts.

My first choice was the Pumpkin Pecan Pie. I love pumpkin pies, and I love pecan pies, and I've even tried a few pumpkin pecan pies and loved those too. There are several things that make this version special and different from any I have tried in the past. First, of course, it is dairy-free. This recipe utilizes vegan margarine and soy creamer, and you would never miss their dairy counterparts in the finished product.

Another unique and important part of this pie is the crust, which is made with whole wheat pastry flour. Here is where I should let you know that I am a crust girl, it has always been my favorite part of the pie. I just don't understand why some people eat the fillings from a slice of pie and leave the crust behind.. especially the rim, that is the perfect ending to a good slice of pie! All that being said, I believe that I am qualified to declare this pie crust delicious. I plan on borrowing this crust recipe and trying other fillings in the future.

Finally, the icing on the cake, so to speak, the pumpkin creme! This is the most visually enticing aspect of photo that appears in the book, displayed in small dollops around the edge of the pie. My creme did not firm up enough to pipe it around the edge, so I drizzled it instead. Not nearly as pretty, but just as delicious. The flavor is the finishing touch that really ties it all together.

Up next, and the favorite of the bunch, Five-Minute Coconut Fudge. It's no wonder this one was my personal favorite, it doesn't involve the oven, it has a short list of ingredients (which includes both shredded coconut and coconut milk!), and it comes together in no time. Based on it getting snatched up the quickest it was the favorite of everyone else as well. I am already working on a plan to justify making another batch. I could have a whole pan of fudge at home just for me, no?

I also made the Cherry Chocolate Truffles. You may notice a theme forming: no baking involved, short list of ingredients, and quick to make! And you thought that making four desserts in one evening was awfully ambitious, didn't you? I was able to make these truffles and the fudge in between the baking of the two main desserts. The truffles were a welcome addition to the lot. They were creamy, rich, and a little bit tart. I've never made truffles before, so this was a lot of fun!

So right about now you might have a toothache just looking at all of these sweet yummies. Enter: Apple Spice Cake. This cake has no added sugar, it is completely sweetened by the fruit within. This low-guilt dessert features all sorts of good things like apples, raisins, walnuts, oats, and whole wheat pastry flour. The cake is assembled with a generous helping of apple butter spread between the two layers in place of frosting. This dessert was well received at Christmas Eve dinner, and the leftovers were great at breakfast Christmas morning. I enjoyed it so much at breakfast that I am thinking about adapting this recipe into a muffin version.

Hannah came up with this cake for her Grandmother, who is diabetic, so that they could celebrate her birthday without sacrificing the dessert. (What a sweety!) I should mention, too, that in the book each recipe is preceded by a paragraph introducing it, and this is where you get to know Hannah better, and learn about the things that inspired each recipe. And since Hannah is so darn charming, naturally her cookbook is as well.

I would say that my first crack at My Sweet Vegan was a successful one. Did I mention that I've never done any vegan baking before? It is very encouraging to know that giving up dairy doesn't mean giving up tasty desserts!

Here are some of the other desserts from My Sweet Vegan that I bookmarked for future baking:

Graham Flour Fig Scones

Strawberry Love Muffins

Black and Whites

Black Bottom Blondies

Maple Pistachio Cremes

Peanut Butter Bombs

Bananas Foster Cake

Lemon-Lime Sunshine Bundt

Poppyseed Cupcakes with Lemon Curd Filling

Root Beer Float Cupcakes

Cashew Creme Pear Tart

Orangettes

Sesame Chews

Hope you and yours had as sweet of a Christmas as mine!