Cinnamon Banana Blueberry Pancakes

Wow, what a weekend.

Saturday’s game was definitely the most intense I’ve ever witnessed. We weren’t favored to win but somehow managed to maintain the lead over U of O, largely thanks to Toby Gerhart. 51-42, baby.  And we have a shot at a bowl game. It’s quite an exciting time for Cardinal football.

After the game I went out for a celebratory birthday dinner with my brother and grandparents. Our first pick of Italian restaurants was booked, but thanks to Urban Spoon we found another one nearby called Trellis.  The food was pretty decent.  I went with the capellini with tomatoes, basil and garlic because it seemed like the most vegan option.

I made these pancakes Sunday morning because I’ve found that brunch, out of all the meals, has the least number of vegan-friendly options. They were the perfect way to round out a good weekend.

Recipe (adapted from Colleen Patrick-Goudreau’s pancake recipe in The Joy of Vegan Baking):

• 1 C all purpose flour
• 1 T baking powder
• 1 t cinnamon
• 1/4 t salt
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 C nondairy milk
• 2 T canola oil
• 1 1/2 T agave nectar
• 1 C blueberries

Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine the bananas, milk, oil and agave.

Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and mix just until moistened; a few lumps are okay. Fold in blueberries.

Heat a nonstick griddle or pan over medium-high heat. Oil lightly if needed. Pour batter onto the griddle to form circles about 3-4 inches in diameter. Cook the pancakes for a couple of minutes on one side until bubbles appear on the surface. Slide a spatula underneath and carefully flip over. Let cook for another couple minutes.

Yields about 10-12 pancakes.

Vanilla Cupcakes w/ Chocolate “Buttercream” Frosting

How is it already week seven?! I know I’ve complained about this before, but even though it’s my second year I’m still not used to how fast-paced the quarter system is.

On the bright side, since I had a midterm and a paper due this past week my work load for the weekend is looking pretty light. I’ve been craving pie lately (these dining hall desserts just don’t cut it…and they’re not vegan), so I’ll see what I can pull together on Sunday (tomorrow is a football game – always an all-day affair).  I’m feelin’ like some apple because of the fall weather.  Once I get a blender I’m for sure going to test out a tofu pumpkin pie recipe I’ve had my eye on.

Anyways, I made these cupcakes for my brother’s birthday. He’s 22! Ay, que viejo!

The cake was delicious, but the frosting was incredible. Honestly I’m pretty sure it was better than any non-vegan chocolate frosting I’ve ever had. Why even my anti-vegan brother had to admit it was one of the best frostings I’ve ever made. The trick is to be patient with it; at first it will seem like it won’t come together but trust me – just keep beating and you will end up with a bowl full of chocolatey goodness.

Cupcake Recipe (from Colleen Patrick-Goudreau’s The Joy of Vegan Baking):

• 1 1/2 t Ener-G egg replacer
• 2 T water
• 1 3/4 C nondairy milk
• 1/2 C water, divided
• 1/2 C nondairy butter, melted
• 1 1/2 C granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 t vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 C all purpose flour
• 2 1/2 t baking powder
• 1/2 salt

Preheat oven to 375F. Line a muffin tin with liners.

In a food processor or by hand, whip the Ener-G and 2 T water until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the nondairy milk and 1/4 C water.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and the remaining 1/4 C water, beating until thoroughly combined.

In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add this, along with the liquid mixture to the butter mixture. Beat until combined.

Fill muffin cups (pretty much all the way because they don’t rise that much) and bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

Yields about 20 cupcakes.

Frosting Recipe (from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero):

• 1/4 C nondairy butter, softened
• 1/4 C vegetable shortening
• 1/2 C unsweetened cocoa powder (sifted if there are clumps)
• 2 1/2 C powdered sugar, sifted
• 3 T soymilk (use chocolate, if you have it)
• 1 1/2 t vanilla extract

Cream together butter and shortening until well combined. Add the cocoa powder and incorporate well. Add the powdered sugar, about 1/2 C at a time, and beat well, adding a little splash of soymilk after each addition. When all ingredients have been well incorporated, add the vanilla and beat until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes with a hand mixer).

Yields enough to generously frost a dozen cupcakes.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cupcakes

(I made these yesterday for my dorm’s Halloween progressive, but since I was too lazy to make frosting I passed them off as muffins).

I hope you all had as an exciting a Halloween as I did.  Our progressive was a smashing success – so much so that apparently it had to get broken up by the dorm staff.  At my school the highlight of Halloween is the Mausoleum Party, which is held at, you guessed it, the burial site of the school’s founders.  An irreverent tradition, yes, but nonetheless epic.  It was pretty chilly though so I didn’t stay too long.  I was sad when the night was over and the reality of imminent papers and midterms came crashing down Sunday morning (a weekly tradition, it seems).

Recipe (adapted from the Sweet Autumn Pumpkin Cake courtesy of Recipezaar):

• 1 C cane sugar
• 1/2 C vegetable oil
• 1/2 C maple syrup
• 2 1/2 C all purpose flour
• 1 t baking soda
• 1 t baking powder
• 1 t ground cinnamon
• 1/2 t ground cloves
• 1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 1/2 t salt

Preheat oven to 375F. Line a muffin tin with liners.

Combine dry ingredients in medium bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together oil, syrup, and sugar until well combined. Add pumpkin puree and dry ingredients a little at a time, alternating between each, and beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Fold in vanilla.

Fill liners 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Yields about 18 cupcakes.

Peanut Butter Cookies

I got an interesting start to my Halloween weekend last night with a sneak preview of The Fourth Kind.  Going into it I had only the vaguest sense of what it was about, and afterward my first reaction was one of relief that the tickets were complimentary. To be fair, I guess it wasn’t all that bad; it’s just that aliens and docu-dramas aren’t really my scene.

I won’t delve too much into the plot, but the reason why it’s being hyped up so much is that it self-referentially combines dramatized reenactments of seemingly paranormal activity in Nome, Alaska, with [purportedly] actual footage from the archive of the real Dr. Tyler who was investigating said activity circa 2000. I was pretty skeptical of the whole thing, mostly because I simply don’t believe in extraterrestrials, and also due to the reality of the fact that doctoring “real” footage is pretty easy to do these days.  Aside from the film’s completely anticlimactic ending (I can’t even call it a conclusion), I felt that the dramatized portions were way over-the-top.  The viewing experience was highly reminiscent of sitting through a 2-hour ghost hunter special on the Travel Channel. Like I said – not my thing. But when the screenplay wasn’t being totally laughable, I do owe the director some credit for successfully building up considerable suspense and intensity – perhaps too much because the ending was such a let-down.

Anyways, I actually made these a few days ago for my RA’s birthday, but then I got caught up with homework (hence the late post).  Two of my tasters proclaimed them the “perfect cookie,” and I kind of have to agree.  They’re just sweet enough and have a nice, soft consistency that’s quite simply, well, perfect.

Recipe (credit to The Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau):

• 1 1/4 C all purpose flour, sifted
• 3/4 t baking soda
• 3/4 t salt
• 1 1/2 t Ener-G egg replacer
• 2 T water
• 1 1/4 C light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 3/4 C natural peanut butter, smooth or crunchy
• 1/2 C nondairy butter
• 3 T nondairy milk
• 1 T vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Whip the egg replacer and water together in a blender or food processor, until thick and creamy.

In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, peanut butter, butter, milk, and vanilla. Beat at medium speed with an electric hand mixer until well blended. Add the egg replacer mixture. Bea until just blended. Add the flour. Do not overmix.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Flatten slightly in a criss-cross pattern with a fork. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until set and just beginning to brown. Do not overbake. Let cool on baking sheet for several minutes before removing to wire rack.

Yields about 2 dozen cookies.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I’m happy to report that the weather here is finally beginning to cool down to an appreciable temperature.

Don’t get me wrong; I enjoy summery weather and all but seeing as it is now October I’m simply over it. All I want to do these days is sip hot tea, watch the leaves change, and wear layers, coats, and (most of all) rain boots.  So far there has only been one real bout of rain, which I find somewhat disappointing.

Anyways, to me pumpkin is the culinary hallmark of autumn.  And considering how much I love to use it in baking (pumpkin pie, pumpkin scones, pumpkin bread, etc.), I was shocked to find a complete lack of pumpkin cookies in my archives. Originally, I had intended to ship these off to a friend for her birthday, but they turned out so soft and cakey I decided that they probably wouldn’t survive the journey.  So while the birthday girl may be a little dismayed to have to make due with a belated gift, my friends here were pretty happy; together we consumed all 4 dozen in less than 24 hours.

The following recipe is adapted from one I found on All Recipes; at the suggestion of those who commented on the recipe, I added some additional spices. (I also doubled the recipe, but what you see below is the original). To make these vegan, just replace the egg with Ener-G and the milk with a non-dairy alternative.

Recipe (adapted from Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies III submitted by Jennifer):

• 1 C canned pumpkin
• 1 C cane sugar
• 1/2 C vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 2 C all purpose flour
• 2 t baking powder
• 2 t ground cinnamon
• 1 t ground nutmeg
• 1/2 t ground cloves
• 1/2 t allspice
• 1/4 t ground ginger
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 t baking soda
• 1 t milk
• 1 T vanilla extract
• 2 C semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In  a large bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, oil and egg.  In a separate bowl, stir together all the dry ingredients except for the baking soda.

Dissolve the baking soda in the milk and add to flour mixture. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and stir well.

Fold in vanilla and chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cookies are firm and lightly browned. Let cool on baking sheet for several minutes before removing to wire rack.