As I introduce today’s recipe, I think it’s important that I give credit where credit is due and that’s to my boyfriend Andrew. This recipe would not have been born without his sweet tooth and his constant flow of dessert ideas he wants me to try. The cycle of recipe development in our house is that I have a master list of ideas that strike me usually in the car, and I’ll ask for Andrew’s input and he’ll throw out some kind of dessert he wants me to try instead. Usually I resist merely to avoid having sweets in my house, but he won out on this one and as a consequence of that we all win because these Easy Old Fashion Doughnuts are delicious!

I had actually been curious about making my own doughnuts for a while but Andrew’s suggestion was the final push I needed. As you all know, I like taking things that people spend money on getting out, and seeing if I can recreate them at home. Then there’s the important questions which are (1) are they better? (2) are they cheaper to make than to buy; and (3) is it worth it?

With this recipe I think the answer has to be yes to all three! Unlike making your own bagels which are delicious but time consuming, making your own doughnuts really doesn’t take much time and is super easy! There’s no proofing or resting of the dough required, you just make it, shape them, and fry them, I swear if it didn’t end up being so easy, I wouldn’t be sharing the recipe.

When I made these for the house, we saved them and ate them as snacks all week, but they’re so good fresh so I highly recommend making them if you’re having a brunch party or need something to bring to the office and want to impress people with your cooking skills!

Now, most recipes online will tell you to get a doughnut cutter for this recipe, and that would certainly make it easier, but I got very creative and used a pint glass to cut the bigger piece and a wine bottle opening to cut out the middle hole and it worked like a charm. That being said, if you try this recipe and are like OMG I’m making doughnuts all the time now, investing in the special cutter might be for the best.

These doughnuts are relatively simple so I’ve already promised myself to attempt more challenging ones in the future, stay tuned!

Lots of Love,

Jackie

Easy Old Fashioned Doughnuts

 

Print

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Put away those 7-11 powdered doughnuts, you can now make your very own easy and delicious Old Fashion Doughnuts. A great breakfast treat for your Easter brunches.

Author: Jackie DeSana

Recipe type: Desserts, Breakfast

Cuisine: Vegetarian

Serves: 8-12 doughnuts

Ingredients

• 2 cups Cake Flour
• ½ cup all purpose flour, plus more if necessary
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ¾ tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ cup cane sugar
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 egg yolks
• ⅔ cup greek yogurt
• 2-3 cups of vegetable oil, enough for frying
• powdered sugar for garnish

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk the cake flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, sea salt, nutmeg and cinnamon until combined.
   
   
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or other large bowl, whip the sugar and butter together until mixed. Add in the egg yolks and continue whisking. Finally add in the Greek yogurt and continue whisking until the mixture is smooth.
   
   
3. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and fold until it forms a dough. Empty the dough onto a clean, lightly floured surface. If the dough is too sticky to handle, continue adding flour about ¼ cup at a time until it forms a firm, slightly sticky dough. I think by the end I likely added another ½ cup of flour in. For this step, I prefer to use all purpose flour because adding more cake flour makes the dough too sweet.
   
   
4. Using a rolling pin (or a wine bottle if you're me) roll out the dough into a square. It should still be about an inch thick. Cut the doughnuts out using a doughnut cutter, or, if you don't have one, you can use a pint glass to cut the big circle and the opening of a wine or other similar bottle to cut out the middle. Set the cut doughnuts aside to prepare for frying. Continue kneading the leftover dough back into itself and cutting out doughnuts until you have no dough left. You can choose to work the middle circles back in, or you can set them aside as well and fry as doughnut holes. You should have 8-12 doughnuts by the end.
   
   
5. In a large, heavy bottomed pot, heat the oil until it reaches 375 degrees. If you don't have a thermometer, you'll know it's ready if flour sizzles in it. You can also test it with one doughnut hole and see if it floats when dropped in.
   
   
6. Fry the doughnuts no more than two at a time for about 1 minute on each side until they turn a golden brown color. Remove the doughnuts from the oil and place onto a drying rack. Sprinkle powdered sugar over the doughnuts and you're done!

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This recipe is part of a backlog of recipes I plan on unleashing over the course of the next month or so, basically the holidays knocked me on my ass along with my regular job, and wedding planning (I recently got engaged! Ay-Yo) and it’s lead to me being excruciatingly behind on my recipes. I have had time to cook but not a whole lot of time to write up recipes and present them to the people!

These cookies, despite being originally made for the blog, have become kind of a staple in our house. They started as just a healthy-ish chocolate chip cookie, and evolved through testing into more of a trail mix vibe with rich, flavorful peanut butter, and a variety of fillings.

I find one of the biggest food dilemmas I have on a weekly basis is figuring out snacks. I don’t know about anyone else, but I legit can’t make it through the day without snacks, I mean I work a 10 hour day so honestly I could probably be eating multiple meals. Andrew and I often default to hard boiled eggs in this regard, but every once and a while I come up with something amazing and perfect for that mid morning time when it’s still too early to be socially appropriate to eat lunch. These cookies are IT!

Seriously, these cookies are all of the things, they are sweet, spiced and salty and loaded with your personal favorite trail mix fixings! Our personal favorites here are dark chocolate chips, walnuts and pumpkin seeds but seriously, it’s yours to play with! They’re just the right amount of filling and are so loaded with fiber and healthy fats that they actual keep you kind of full!

Toss those power bars in the trash, you know you never really liked them anyway. It’s time to switch to cookies for second breakfast, thank me later

Love,

Jackie

Loaded Peanut Butter Breakfast Cookies

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

These breakfast cookies are officially coffee's new best friend! Sweet, salty and loaded with all of your personal favorite trail mix fixings.

Author: Jackie DeSana

Recipe type: Dessert, Breakfast, Snacks

Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten-Free

Serves: 12 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup rolled oats
• ¼ cup brown rice flour
• ½ cup almond flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 tbs ground flax seed
• 5 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup of a mix of your choice of filling:
• chocolate chips, coconut flakes, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
   
   
2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, brown rice flour, almond flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt and baking soda and toss until combined.
   
   
3. Add the maple syrup, peanut butter, flax seed, melted coconut oil and vanilla to a food processor and blend on high until smooth.
   
   
4. Pour the wet mix into the dry mix and mix with a spoon until its fully incorporated and starts to form a dough. You should be able to pick it up and roll it into a ball with your fingers. Add in any toppings that you choose but be sure not to put too much otherwise the cookies won't stay together. Scoop the cookies out 2 tbsp at a time and flatten into large cookies on the baking sheet. You should end up with 10-12 cookies.
   
   
5. Bake for 15 minutes and test to see if they're done. To test it stick a toothpick in the middle of the cookies and see if it comes out clean. Place them on a cooling rack and let cool. These cookies can keep in the fridge all week.

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Okay so this is our last pre-thanksgiving party post but it is a doozy because and I am so excited because I have been trying to nail this one for so long now and I finally did it. Ladies and Gentleman I present you The Perfect Vegan Pumpkin Roll. Literally don’t search the internet anymore, you found it, it’s right here. 

So I had been trying to perfect this one for a long time and eventually just called it a day on this idea last year, so I’m extra excited that I was able to bring it back this year and actually make it work. To be honest I would not have even tried except I fell into a long instagram rabbit hole one day, and noticed a ton of people requesting dairy free desserts for the holidays. So yes, one good thing has come of social media. Also I learned there must be a ton of people like me who diary doesn’t agree with but who aren’t “vegan” per se.

Pumpkin roll has a special place in my heart because my Aunt makes it every year for the holidays and let me tell you her pumpkin roll is the best! It’s moist, creamy, sweet, and just legit perfect. When I first started testing this last year I was using her recipe and just trying to make switches to veganize it and it didn’t work. But, as I’ve gotten older and wiser, I’ve finally been able to make a recipe that is dairy free, vegan and delicious.

Obviously we all know pumpkin pie is a must for every Thanksgiving, so I’d never suggest you skip it, this pumpkin roll though is going to be your new favorite. Plus you can make even more of it and freeze it. When I was in college my aunt used to send me home with multiple frozen loaves and I’m telling you, it’s probably one of the reasons thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. You’re going to love it.

I included notes here in case you’re not vegan for how to just make a basic pumpkin roll but I’m telling you, nobody in your family will be able to even tell this recipe is vegan. Let them devour it and blow their freaking minds.

Love,

Jackie

The Perfect Vegan Pumpkin Roll

 

Print

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

A perfect thanksgiving dessert to accompany your pecan and pumpkin pies. Spiced apple cake, rich vegan cream cheese sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Author: Jackie DeSana

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: Holiday, Vegan

Serves: 1 roll

Ingredients

• Cream Cheese Filling
• 1 package extra firm tofu (see notes)
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp vinegar
• 2 tsp salt
• ¾ cup refined coconut oil, melted
• ¾ cup powdered sugar (make sure you buy a vegan brand)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 tbsp vegan butter
  
  
• Pumpkin Roll Cake
• 3 tbsp flax seed
• 3 tbsp water
• ¾ cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 cup cane sugar
• ⅔ cup canned pumpkin
• Parchment paper

Directions

1. Make your cream cheese for the filling. Using a clear flour sack towel, or cheese cloth, squeeze the liquid out of the tofu. Once the tofu is dry, transfer it to a high speed blender. Add the lemon juice, vinegar, salt and melted coconut oil. Blend on high until smooth, you'll likely need to use the stir stick on you blender to keep pushing the tofu down.
   
   
2. Remove the cream cheese from the blender and chill in the fridge for at least an hour while you prepare the cake.
   
   
3. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Combine the flax seed and water in a small bowl and set aside for 10 minutes until it thickens.
   
   
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt.
   
   
5. Once the flaxseed has thickened, transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer, or any other large bowl if you're using a hand mixer or beating it by hand with a whisk. Add the cane sugar to the flax mix and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Then add the pumpkin puree and beat until it becomes creamy. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and lightly mix with a spatula until fully combined and smooth. It will be a little thick.
   
   
6. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper and sprinkling the parchment paper lightly with powdered sugar. I also lightly greased the parchment paper with cooking spray just for extra assurance.
   
   
7. Pour the batter onto the parchment paper and spread with the spatula until it is even and covering the sheet.
   
   
8. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes until the cake springs back when touched. Lay down a clean flour sack towel and lightly sprinkle it with more powdered sugar. Carefully transfer to the cake, parchment paper side up, the the towel and slowly remove the parchment paper. I found the easiest way to do this is to either line a cooking rack or cutting board with the towel, place it over the cake and then flip the baking sheet upside down.
   
   
9. After you peel back the parchment paper, very carefully roll the cake up into the towel. Place the roll on a wire rack to cool.
   
   
10. Now, prepare your frosting. Transfer the cream cheese to a large bowl (again use a stand mixer if you have one). Add the powdered sugar and vegan butter and beat until smooth. Place back in fridge until the cake is cooled.
    
    
11. Once the cake has cooled enough to handle. Unroll it from the towel. Carefully spread the frosting across the top of the cake evenly, leaving above one inch from the sides so it doesn't ooze out.
12. 
    
    
13. Then, roll the cake back up (not in the the towel this time) so that the frosting is now in the middle. Wrap the whole roll in a towel, or in a plastic wrap and place in the fridge to cool. Cool for at least one hour before serving though the longer you let it cool the better off you'll be.

Notes

If you're not vegan, substitute an 8oz block of cream cheese for the tofu, vinegar, lemon juice and the coconut oil, and substitute 3 eggs for the flax eggs.

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So I’m going to get real with you guys, I’ve been having a major creative struggle lately. Not really with cooking or coming up with the recipes but more with the journal part of the recipe, yes you’re in the middle of my creative struggle now, welcome to the darkness. The fact is that just writing about the food you make can start to get repetitive. It’s like okay is everything delicious and flavorful orrrr are you hiding something?? The answer is yes it is and no I’m not, don’t worry about it … 

I digress though, the point is, I want to give everyone warning that I’m going to just start talking about different and random things in my posts in hopes that you guys all get a glimpse into the real me. Don’t worry, I’ll still keep talking about the recipes and try my best to find a tie in, but if the tie in is a stretch, don’t worry about it. Alright? Let’s get into the recipe!

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread is the pick of the day and I’ll have you know that before I published this, I tested it 4 times until it got the Andrew Mahar seal of approval. I also tested it vegan twice so my vegan recommendations in the notes are real and not just a guess.

The reason it’s so important that this recipe got the approval from Andrew is because actually the first time I had zucchini bread was when we first started dating and he had a bunch saved in his freezer that his mom made.

It was clearly amazing, and that’s why I decided I need to learn to make it. If you can’t tell from many of my other posts, I’m often just trying to recreate Andrew’s childhood in my kitchen. This one has, after several rounds of testing, been approved.

I also tried this recipe once with less sugar and I’ll be honest with you guys, it was not great.  Seriously, please use the sugar, without it it’s just not as good, even with all the extra flavoring I added from the ginger, cinnamon and cardomom.

So the lesson today is that while cutting back on sugar is always a good thing, if you’re making a dessert, it doesn’t always work. So hey, go ahead and enjoy this vegetable baked in flour and sugar and tossed with chocolate, it’s your world baby! Life is about balance after all

Lots of Love,

Jackie

Dark Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

1 hour

 

Fluffy, moist and sweet zucchini bread with an extra burst of flavor from spices like cinnamon, ginger and a touch of cardomom. A great holiday dessert or before dinner snack.

Author: Jackie DeSana

Recipe type: Desserts, Breakfast

Cuisine: Vegan, Vegetarian

Serves: 2 loaves

Ingredients

• 3 medium zucchini, shredded
• 2½ cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup almond flour
• 4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp ground cardomom (optional)
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 5 large eggs, whisked (see notes for vegan)
• ¾ cup coconut oil, melted
• ¾ cup cane sugar
• ½ cup almond milk (or other dairy/non-dairy milk)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup dark chocolate chips (I buy the 63% stuff)
• Extra oil or non-stick cooking spray

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease two 8 x 4 bread pans either with cooking spray or vegetable oil.
   
   
2. You want to get the water out of the zucchini, do this by lining a plate with two sheets of paper towel, placing the zucchini on top then placing two more sheets of paper towel on top. I place a book on top as well to get extra moisture out. If you have a nut milk bag, you could just squeeze it out yourself.
   
   
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, almond flour, cinnamon, ginger, cardomom, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt until combined. In a separate, larger bowl, whisk together the eggs, melted coconut oil, sugar, almond milk and vanilla extract. I do this in my stand mixture but you can do it by hand whisking vigorously. Add the zucchini to the wet mixture and whisk until it's mixed in.
   
   
4. Add the dry ingredients directly into the wet ingredients and fold to combine. Do not use your stand mixer for this, you might overmix it on accident, just use a spatula and fold until combined. Once fully mixed into a batter, add the chocolate chips and fold.
   
   
5. Pour the batter into a greased pan and bake for 50 minutes. If you're baking both at the same time, it might take a little longer. Check to see if they're done by sticking a toothpick into the bread, if it comes out clean you're all done!
   
   
6. Carefully remove from the pan and transfer to a cooling rack. I loosen it in the pan but running a knife gently around the edge then flipping it onto a rack.

Notes

Vegan - Make flax eggs by mixing 5 tbsp of flax seeds with ½ cup water. When making these vegan, I also add 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar to the almond milk ahead of time and giving it 7 minutes to start curdling. Also add an extra teaspoon of baking soda to help it rise.

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Chocolate Dipped Peppermint Shortbread Cookies

 

Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Fun, festive and delicious, these Chocolate Dipped Peppermint Shortbread Cookies are the perfect easy yet still pretty Christmas Cookies.

Author: Jackie DeSana

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: Vegetarian, Vegan, Holiday

Serves: 18 cookies

Ingredients

• Cookies
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp peppermint extract
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ½ cup cane sugar
• ½ powdered sugar
• 1 cup butter, softened (*see notes for vegan)
• 2 eggs* (see notes for vegan)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
  
  
• Topping
• 1 cup dark chocolate
• 2 tbs coconut oil or butter
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp peppermint extract
• 2 cups peppermint candy or candy cane, crushed

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
   
   
2. In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, butter, both types of sugar, vanilla extract and peppermint extract until it becomes creamy. Sift the flour and baking soda into another large bowl, add the apple cider vinegar and whisk until combined.
   
   
3. Now, start adding the dry ingredients into the sugar and butter mix stirring as you go to incorporate it. This is easiest with a paddle attachment on a stand mixer but you can also do it with a spoon or spatula, just takes a little more muscle. Continue until all the dry ingredients are gone and this becomes a dough. It will be very thick.
   
   
4. Remove the dough from the bowl, cut the dough ball in half and you're going to roll each half into two logs about 1 inch around and 6 inches long. It will look like those cookie dough rolls you get from a store. You're then going to take the dough and slice the cookies off it, go slow so as not to mash them. Slice the cookies about ½ thick and place them onto the baking sheet, they will spread quite a bit so make sure they're separated.
   
   
5. Bake at 350 for ten minutes or until they start to slightly brown on the bottom. Set the cookies aside on a cooling rack and allow them to cool for about 10 minutes.
   
   
6. While the cookies are cooling, prepare your dipping ingredients. Melt the coconut oil or butter, whatever you're using, in a small pot over medium-low heat. Add the chocolate and sea salt into the pan. Melt the chocolate whisking frequently so that it doesn't burn. When the chocolate is melted, add the peppermint extract. In a small bowl, crush the candy cane or mint candies. It's okay if there's some chunks but it should generally be a powder.
   
   
7. When the cookies are cooled, dip half of them into the melted chocolate and then sprinkle the peppermint candies over it. Set them back onto the parchment paper. After dipping the cookies, place them into the fridge and cool for several hours until the chocolate hardens. Enjoy!

Notes

*For vegan, make two flax eggs by mixing 2 tbs of flax seed with 2 tbs and water and allowing it to thicken.
*If you're vegan I recommend substituting vegan butter for the cookies instead of coconut oil so they have that buttery flavor. But for the chocolate sauce I actually like the coconut oil best.

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Irish Cream Cheesecake - Vegan Optional

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

1 hour

 

Vegan and non-Vegan version of this extra rich, creamy and sweet Irish Cream cheesecake complete with a homemade Vegan Irish Cream. The perfect holiday dessert recipe.

Author: Jackie DeSana

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: Holiday, Vegan

Serves: 12 servings

Ingredients

• Non-Vegan
• 1¾ cups chocolate graham crackers
• 6 tbs butter
• 3 8oz bricks of cream cheese, softened
• 4 eggs
• ¼ cup Irish cream
• ¾ cup semi sweet mini chocolate chips
• 1 tsp flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
  
  
• Vegan
• 2½ cups chocolate graham crackers** (see notes)
• 6 tbs coconut oil
• 2 8 oz tubs vegan cream cheese (I used almond cream cheese by Kite Hill)
• 12 oz silken tofu
• ¾ cup vegan mini chocolate chips
• 1 tbs vanilla extract
• ½ cup flour
• 1 tsp potato starch** (see notes)
• 1 cup sugar
• ¼ cup vegan Irish cream** (see notes)
  
  
• Homemade Vegan Irish Cream (optional)
• 2 cans full fat coconut milk
• 1 tsp salt
• ¾ cup strong coffee or espresso
• 1 cup Jameson or other Irish whiskey
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ½ cup brown sugar

Directions

1. First, lets go over making the homemade Irish cream. You want to heat the coconut milk, sugar and vanilla on the stove and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and stir until the coconut milk cooks down and begins to thicken. Next stir in the coffee and salt and whisk briefly. Remove it from the heat then pour in the whiskey and stir to combine. You want to place this in the fridge and let it cool before baking with it.
   
   
2. On to the cheesecakes. First preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Make the crust by placing the graham crackers and either the butter or the coconut oil, depending on whether you're doing regular to vegan, into a food processor and whirl until its combine. If you're using butter, you'll want to microwave it briefly to soften it before doing this. The non-vegan crust will have a kind of crumbly consistency. The vegan crust needs to be more like a dough that you can kind of roll between your fingers, it will also seem more oily than the non vegan crust. Please note, you will need more graham crackers for the vegan crust.
   
   
3. Lightly grease a springform pan and pour the crust ingredients into it. You want to smash the crust down until it is fully spread and covering the bottom of the pan. Set it aside while you make the insides.
   
   
4. For the non-vegan filling, you want to start by mixing the cream cheese and the sugar together. This is easiest if you use the paddle attachment on a stand mixer but you can also use a whisk or a hand mixer. Mix until creamy. Then you are going to add in the eggs cracking one egg at a time while mixing continuously. Allow the first egg to be fully absorbed and mixed before cracking the second egg and mix until all four eggs have been used and are fully incorporated. Be careful not to overbeat the mixture here. Add in the Irish cream and mix. In a small bowl, toss the chocolate chips in flour and then fold them into the cream cheese mix. Pour the whole mixture on top of the crust in the pan and sprinkle the top with some more chocolate chips. Bake for 45 minutes at 350.
   
   
5. For the vegan filling, combine the vegan cream cheese, silken tofu, sugar, Irish cream, potato starch, vanilla, and flour in a food processor and pulse on low until the mixture is fully combined. This mix will be thicker than the non-vegan mix and should be very creamy. Transfer to a bowl and fold in the vegan chocolate chips. Pour the mix over the crust and sprinkle a few more chocolate chips on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
   
   
6. When the cheesecake is done, remove it from the oven and set it aside to cool for about 15 minutes. After that, take a knife and run it along the edge of the pan to break the cake away from the pan. Note, the top will be cracked, that's normal and okay! Place the cheesecake in the fridge and let it cool, the non-vegan will have to cool a minimum of 3 hours, the vegan a minimum of 5 but preferably overnight. It takes a while to fully set. Happy cooking!

Notes

*If you cannot find vegan chocolate graham crackers, any vegan chocolate cookie will be find or you can take vegan graham crackers and mix it with the coconut oil and cocoa powder.
*I use potato starch here but corn starch or arrowroot starch will work just find.
*I made my own vegan Irish cream but that's not necessary because they sell almond milk baileys in the grocery store!

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Creamy Vegan Lemon Dream Bars

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

1 hour 15 mins

 

Sweet, creamy and full of lemony goodness, these Creamy Vegan Lemon Dream Bars are the perfect light summer dessert.

Author: Jackie DeSana

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: Vegan, Vegetarian

Serves: 12 bars

Ingredients

• Lemon Filling
• 2 cups silken tofu
• ½ cup lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
• 1½ tbs lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
• 2 tbs cornstarch
• ¼ cup coconut cream*
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup powdered sugar
  
  
• Crust
• 1 cup oats
• 1 cup almonds**
• 2 tbs brown sugar
• 2 tbs maple syrup
• 5 tbs coconut oil, melted

Directions

1. Begin by making the crust. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a food processor combine the oats, almonds and brown sugar until they form a crumble. Next, add the coconut oil and maple syrup to the mixture and pulse until it forms a dough. You should be able to pick it up and mold pieces in your hand into a dough. If it crumbles in your hand, add a little more coconut oil. It doesn't have to be a perfect mold, it just shouldn't be crumbly.
   
   
2. Line an 8x8 baking sheet with parchment paper and transfer the mixture to it. Gently pat the mixture to flatten it until it covers the bottom of the pan. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until it slightly browns. Then remove the crust from the oven and let it cool for 15 minutes.
   
   
3. While the crust is cooling, prepare the filling. Add all the ingredients for the Lemon Filling to a high speed blender and blend until fully combined. It should be a relatively thin liquid. Taste and adjust adding extra sugar or lemon if needed. Place the mixture in the fridge until the crust is finished cooling.
   
   
4. When the crust is done cooling, pour the lemon filling over it and use a spoon to ensure it is evenly set. Sprinkle the top with a little cane sugar so it slightly browns in the oven. Place back in the oven and bake for 25 more minutes.
   
   
5. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool completely before placing them in the fridge. Chill in the fridge for at least three hours. I highly recommend though that you make these the day before you need them and let them cool overnight in the fridge. This helps solidify the crust, the first time I made them I pulled them out of the fridge early and the crust was very crumbly. Garnish with a little powdered sugar and enjoy!

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Vegan Strawberry Shortcake Sandwiches

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Sweet, fluffy and delicious strawberry shortcakes sandwiched with fresh berries and a light, creamy strawberry vanilla frosting. The perfect dessert to kick off summer!

Author: Jackie DeSana

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: Vegetarian, Vegan

Serves: 8 servings

Ingredients

• Vegan Shortcake
• 1 cup almond milk
• ⅓ cup coconut oil, melted
• 1½ cup all purpose flour
• 1 tbs arrowroot starch*
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup cane sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• ½ tsp sea salt
  
  
• Strawberry Vanilla Frosting
• ½ cup strawberries, blended
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ⅓ cup coconut oil

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8x8 baking sheet with coconut oil. Add the vinegar to the almond milk and set aside for about 5 minutes until it starts to curdle.
   
   
2. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and arrowroot starch. Whisk together until mixed.
   
   
3. Take a large bowl or the bowl from your stand mixer if you're using one and add the melted coconut oil, vanilla extract and sugar together. Beat it with a hand or stand mixer until it becomes fluffy.
   
   
4. Add in the almond milk and then the flour mixture a little of each at a time mixing between batches. You want to mix this slowly and stop as soon as all of the ingredients are incorporated. Pour the mixture into the greased baking sheet and smooth out with a spatula. Bake for 25 minutes and check it. The cake is done when the edges are just starting to brown and you can stick a toothpick through it and it comes out clean!
   
   
5. While the cake is baking, make the frosting. Whisk together the coconut oil, blended strawberries and vanilla extract until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar and beat until it becomes fluffy and creamy.
   
   
6. Serve this cake as a strawberry shortcake sandwich. Cut the cake into 2 inch square pieces. Take one piece and place frosting and extra slices strawberries on top. Then stack it with another piece of cake and more frosting and strawberries! This cake was really good with coconut cream on top as well or ice cream if you want be extra unhealthy and delicious.

Notes

*You can also make these gluten free by using any gluten free flour and a little extra almond milk.
**If you're not vegan, try the frosting with butter instead of coconut oil!
***If you don't have arrowroot starch, use corn starch

3.5.3226

The post Vegan Strawberry Shortcake Sandwiches appeared first on Almost Like Mom's.

Healthy(ish) Apple Crisp

 

Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

This recipe is a healthier take on my favorite dessert Apple Crisp! It is made with Almond Meal and Oats so it is gluten free and I cut back on the sugar. This recipe is sweet, delicious easy to make and healthy! The perfect dessert to take to a party or keep all for yourself.

Author: Jackie DeSana

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten Free

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 6 apples of your choice chopped into chunks (I use green for baking)
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup almond meal
• ¼ coconut sugar*
• ¼ cup lite brown sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp cardomom (ground)
• ½ coconut oil (and more for pan)

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. While the oven is preheating, grease a cake pan with coconut oil and chop the apples into bite sized pieces. Add the apples to the pan and spread out evenly.
   
   
2. Chop the walnuts in a food processor lightly, you want them to still have chunks. Add the oats into the food processor and pulse a few more times. Transfer the walnut and oats mixture to a large bowl and add in the other dry ingredients: almond meal, coconut sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and cardomom. Mix all dry ingredients together.
   
   
3. When fully mixed, add in melted coconut oil and mix. At this point I used my kitchen aid mixer but you can just whip the mixture with a fork or hand-mixer until the coconut oil is fully incorporated and the ingredients form almost a paste or batter-like texture.
   
   
4. Take half of the mix and toss the apples in it. Add to the oven and cook for 15 minutes or until the apples start to soften. When the 15 minutes are up, add the rest of the mixture flattened on top as one layer.
   
   Bake for 10 more minutes. Check after 10 and if the top isn't browning slightly you may need to throw it in the broiler for 1-2 minutes. If you use the broiler, keep an eye on it so it does not burn.
   
   
5. Serve with Ice Cream! The crisp itself is vegan and gluten free so if you wish to keep it vegan just get vegan ice cream.

Notes

*If you cannot find coconut sugar, just double the amount of brown sugar
**Make entirely Vegan by using Vegan Ice Cream!

3.5.3226

The post Healthy(ish) Apple Crisp appeared first on Almost Like Mom's.