Photo courtesy of Thrill Jockey
Today’s Hive Five comes to us from indie electro-pop band High Places‘ Mary Pearson. Not only does she know her way around a catchy tune, she’s a baking whiz. Here’s her five favorite vegan dessert recipes, just in time for fall.
High Places new album, Original Colors, is out now on Thrill Jockey.
Vegan desserts have come a long way since Rob and I started following vegan diets many years ago. Back in the day, if I wanted a sweet, I had to suffer through cement-like cakes or crumbly, bland cookies. But these days, I have encountered dairy-free, egg-free versions of most common (and plenty of not-so-common) confections. I love eating healthy, simple foods throughout the day, but after dinner, I have a mean sweet tooth. If I’m going to eat dessert, I’m going to eat dessert, y’know? Here’s my top five vegan dessert recipes that don’t taste like vegan desserts.
1. Homemade Oreos
I should begin by mentioning that Oreos are technically vegan. But these guys are homemade, and although calorie-packed, not chemical-packed. One year ago The Los Angeles Times shared the recipe for The Farm of Beverly Hills’ chocolate sandwich cookie. I substitute the eggs with flaxseeds, and the butter with Earth Balance (dairy-free margarine).
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons Earth Balance
2 1/4 cups sugar
2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds blended with 6 tablespoons water (I grind the
flaxseeds in my coffee bean grinder, and then blend the ground flaxseeds with
the water until whipped)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Filling and assembly:
1 1/4 cups non-dairy margarine
6 cups powdered sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon plus ≤ teaspoon water
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg mixture and stir until fully incorporated. Beat in the vanilla.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
3. Beat in the dry ingredients, a spoonful at a time, until incorporated to form the cookie dough. Scrape the bowl partway through to make sure the ingredients are fully mixed. Cover and refrigerate the dough until chilled.4. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Scoop the dough into tablespoon-sized pieces, and place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Flatten each cookie slightly, and bake each sheet until the cookies are set, 10 to 12 minutes.
5. Remove and cool before filling. This makes about 5 dozen individual cookies.
2. Pistachio Rose Water Cookies
I love Persian flavors. I created this recipe based on my favorite chocolate chip recipe. I keep meaning to add cardamom, so feel free to add 3/4 teaspoon of the spice if you like.
2 1/4 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup non-dairy margarine (room temp)
1 tablespoon rose water
2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds blended with 6 tablespoons water
1/4 cup chopped pistachio meat
Preheat oven to 375. Combine flour, salt and baking soda (and ground cardamom if using) in a bowl and set aside. Combine margarine, sugars, and rose water and beat until creamy. Add egg mixture. Add dry ingredients. Stir in pistachio meat. Bake 8-10 min.
3. German Apple Cake
This recipe comes from The Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. It is a very easy recipe to follow, and the result is a delicious, autumnal cake.
3 apples peeled and cut into slices
1/2 cup non-dairy margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 unsweetened applesauce
2 tbsp non dairy milk
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
Topping:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cinnnamon
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 9 inch round pan. Mix margarine and sugar. Add applesauce and milk. Add flour and baking powder. Stir until just combined.
Add the batter to pan and arrange apple slices in a circle on the top of cake. Mix together the topping ingredients and sprinkle over cake.
Bake 30-40 minutes, wait 15 minutes before removing from cake pan.
4. Wacky Cake
This is a cake that Rob’s mom and my mom both love to make us when we visit them. I’ve heard this recipe originated in Victorian times, and it saw a surge of popularity in the 70s when healthy eating became a fad. It’s light and moist, and the ingredients are all very basic baking essentials .
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon vinegar
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup cold water
In a large mixing bowl, mix flour, sugar, cocoa, soda and salt. Make three wells in the flour mixture. In one put vanilla; in another the vinegar, and in the third the oil. Pour the cold water over the mixture and stir until moistened. Pour into 8 x 8-inch pan. Bake at 350°F. oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it springs back when touched lightly.
5. ANZAC Biscuits
These Australian cookies were once made for soldiers to take along with them to battle because they are firm and not highly perishable. The only adjustment necessary to “vegan-ize” them is to swap the butter for dairy-free margarine.
1 cup quick cooking oats
3/4 cup flaked coconut
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup non-dairy margarine
1 tablespoon Lyle’s Golden Syrup (can be found at World Market or Whole Foods Market)
2 tablespoons boiling water
Mix oats, flour, sugar and coconut together. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the syrup and margarine together. Mix the baking soda and the boiling water and add to the melted margarine and syrup. Add margarine mixture to the dry ingredients. Drop by teaspoons on greased cookie sheets (or baking paper). Bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes.
