Thank you Cupcakes

Remember how last week a colleague of mine moved in up the street and I brought Ethiopian food and cupcakes? Well, yesterday she returned all the food containers and baked us these thank you cupcakes. How awesome is that? It looks like vegan cupcakes truly are taking over the world.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pudding Cake

If chocolate makes you happy, then this dessert will make you very happy indeed. I made this earlier in the week, but I should have made it again today because I was pretty bummed out. Check out this pic of today's weather. Gah! The only thing to say is, "what the deuce?!" Anyway, this is a variation of the lemon pudding cake that relies on chocolate chips to make a smooth and rich pudding that you can spoon over the tender cake.

INGREDIENTS

- 1 cup flour

- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar

- 1/2 cup white sugar

- 2 tsp baking powder

- 1/2 tsp baking soda

- 1/4 tsp salt

- 1/2 cup soy milk

- 2 tbsp oil

- 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips

- 1/2 cup white sugar

- 1/2 cup unpacked brown sugar

- 1/4 cup cocoa powder

- 1 1/2 cup boiling water

- 1 tbsp vanilla

METHOD

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Get a few cups of water boiling in your kettle.

1. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate small bowl, whisk together milk and oil. Add to flour and mix with a spoon. Stir in chocolate chips, then spread into a 8x8 pan.

2. Whisk together white and brown sugar with cocoa powder and sprinkle evenly over batter. Gently pour boiling water over top (do not mix) and then add vanilla.

3. Bake for 40-45 mins, until top is dry and firm. Let cool a bit before serving. Cut into pieces and spoon pudding over top.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

Another tasty treat from Veganomicon. The special thing about these cookies is that my boys made them for me while I was at work. How great to come home and have the house smelling like chocolate!

Vegan Bacon (and Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich)

Tonight's self-imposed mission was to make vegan bacon (for a BLT) that tasted good but also had the chewy texture of "real" bacon. I have made tempeh bacon before from Vegan With a Vengeance, which was quite good, but I had no tempeh. Plus, while tempeh has a firm texture, it does not have a chewy texture. I thought seitan would fit the bill. I am not sure what I thought of the end result, but the kids loved it. As you can see, the colour is all wrong--these look more like chicken strips. The taste, however, was quite good. The jury is still out on the texture--it was chewy and crisp, but maybe a bit too chewy. I am going to post the recipe for those who want to play around with it, as I will be doing.

INGREDIENTS

- 1/2 cup of chickpeas

- 2 tbsp olive oil

- 1/2 cup water

- 2 tbsp Bragg's soy seasoning

- 1 tbsp HP Sauce (or BBQ sauce)

- 1 tsp liquid smoke

- 1 tbsp maple syrup

- 1 tsp sage

- few drops of browning sauce

- 1 cup vital wheat gluten

METHOD

1. Finely mash chickpeas with a fork in a bowl. Add everything else in but the wheat gluten and mix well. Add in wheat gluten and mix with a fork, then knead by hand for a few mins.

2. Heat a thin layer of oil in a frying pan over med-lo heat. While pan is heating, flatten dough out with the heel of your hand on a cutting board. Get as flat as possible.

3. Cut dough into thin strips resembling bacon (only thinner). Flatten each strip even more before placing in the pan. The thinner the better. Place in pan and cook for about 4-5 mins per side, until crispy and no longer "squishy." Add a little more oil to the pan, if necessary, when flipping bacon strips.

Making a Difference

You will all recall yesterday's whiny post about trying to get vegan food at an upscale restaurant. The comments and commiseration starting coming almost immediately, but I was really challenged by Natjenn's observation that "I don't think improvement can happen if we don't speak up." Natjenn was right, of course. Although a good cry fest about about veganophobia certainly is cathartic, it does not create change. So, I emailed the restaurant asking for the addition of a vegan entree to the menu, and providing some links to recipes on my blog. The owner responded today saying, and I quote, "I think it is time that we make room on our menu for at least one fantastic vegan dish." And, in the short term, if I give them a bit of notice that I am coming, they will "come up with a creative vegan dish" just for me. This is great news!