orange pecan bread

Two weeks ago my dear friend Galit (pictured left) had a lovely Shabbat celebration at her house. For those who are not familiar with Shabbat, it is the day of rest in Judaism, observed every Friday at sundown. Candles are light, challah is eaten and prayers are said. This was quite a relaxed Shabbat though, so don't go reading about it on Wikipedia and think you know it all, because that's what I did and I was way off. This party was a reinvented celebration of sorts incorporating a Middle Eastern potluck, PBR in a can (red wine too, of course), the gathering of -likeminded, 'why were we not friends before this party?'- people, and was accompanied mostly by Devendra Bernhardt. Galit knew all the lovely prayers to say before and during the lighting of the candles and then we passed beautiful bread around and each said some wonderful words of enlightenment and thankfulness and then ate mounds of falafel, couscous tabuoli and stuffed grape leaves.



When Galit invited me she mentioned that it was a potluck and said if I wanted to bring something to eat, loosely based on a Middle Eastern theme, I could but that it was not necessary. I took this to mean that I needed to check out all the Jewish baking books from the library, scour the internet and magazine databases to find the most traditional Shabbat recipe that I could find; speaking strictly of sweets, of course. Then I would take lovely pictures, blog all about it and be all the smarter for it. But what I found out upon my recent reference adventure was that Jewish bakery books are mainly composed of wonderful recipes, most of which are pretty normal though. Hence the orange pecan bread you see here. A lot of recipes were written with parve directions, meaning it did not contain 'dairy', however, the Jewish rules state that both eggs and honey (neither of which are vegan) can be used. So of course I had to modify, but I had a lot of excellent nerdy baking moments looking through the recipes trying to decide what to bake. I decided upon this recipe for many reasons. It was fast, I had most of the ingredients already, and it was super low maintenance but sounded kind of fancy. Two hours later, including a trip to the grocery, my house was filled with the sweet smells of orange and spice and everything nice. Although I used a bundt pan to make my bread that is not what the recipe suggested; it asked for 2 loaf pans. Either will work fine.

The book I liked the most was "Secrets of a Jewish Baker: 125 Breads from Around the World", by George Greenstein. There is a nice combination of sweet, yeast, quick and easy recipes, all of which are fabulous. His introductions are straightforward as are his recipes and descriptions for executing them properly. He even made the seemingly frightening challa bread easy to make. There were not enough pictures, but that's not saying much coming from me because there are never enough pictures for me in cookbooks....ever. But I read it and enjoyed it all the same and should you, my friend, ever be invited to a Shabbat party, I highly recommend this book for all your baking needs.

The bread went over wonderfully, in case you were wondering. With all the fuss of making falafels, chatting, consuming tasty feta, drinking lots of wine and beer, and all of the above mentioned festivities, by the time we got around to dessert it was a little late. Some people were pulling out their coats and there was a definate end of party feel going on. Determined to serve my bread (I think at that point I was calling it cake...), I asked that everyone please humour me and eat a piece. My most favorite response was from the girl who reluctanly took a piece explaining how she did not really like cake but would try it...she didn't have much choice as I was shoving a piece in her hand then immediately regretting it because I was in no mood for rejection. I sliced a couple more pieces for everyone then turned to see how my reluctant cake eater was doing...well, half the cake was gone and she was genuinly giving compliments to the chef. By the time she was out the door her cake/bread was gone and everyone left was sitting around eating it and finishing their last sips of wine. The bread seemed to please everyone without being over-the-top extravagnat. And the cashew pecan butter that I made on the spot seemed to give it that extra special somthing; lucky for me it took all of 2 mintues to make. And speaking personally, it made an excellent breakfast the next morning.

The recipe as follows is exactly how it appears in the book except for the substitutions, but I have quoted the original beside it just in case you are not in it for the vegan aspects, or were considering making snide remarks about plagiarism. I have also included the recipe for homemade pecan cashew butter that tastes excellent when smeared across a warm slice of this delicious orange pecan goodness. Shabbat Shalom!

you will need these:
large mixing bowl (or mixer)
wooden spoon


Orange Pecan Bread

2 T neutral tasting vegetable oil (or 2 T unsalted butter or margarine, softened)
1/2 C agave nectar or maple syrup (or brown sugar)
1/2 turbinado sugar (or regular works fine too)
juice and grated zest of 1 orange plus enough water to make 3/4 C
2 T apple cider vinegar (1 egg beaten)
1 1/2 C unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 C whole wheat flour, preferable stone ground
11/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 C coarsly chopped pecans
6 pecan halves, for topping (optional)

pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

in a large bowl cream together the oil (butter) and sugars/sweetners

beat the juice mixture and vinegar (egg) until smooth

add the flours, baking powder, soda and salt and mix throughly

fold in the pecans

grease 2 8 or 9 inch leaf pans (or bundt pan) and line them with parchment or waxed paper

grease the bottoms again and dust them with four

turn the batter into the prepared pans

place pecan halves decoratively on top

bake until browned and the center feels firm when gently pressed with your fingertips- 50-60 minutes

let cool for 5-10 minutes in the pans, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely



Homemade Pecan Cashew butter: (amounts can vary here....it will be tasty no matter what)

1/2 C raw cashews
1/3 C raw pecans
seeds of 1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp alcohol-free vanilla
1 T maple syrup
pinch of sea salt

*could even add some orange zest if you were feeling saucy...

pulse this together in a food processor until it forms a nice creamy butter-like consistency. spread across anything and everything or simply eat it straight from the bowl with a spoon.

Flapjacks from a small island....

How honoured I am to be making a guest entry into this treasure trove of vegan baking delights! I can only hope the following recipe lives up to Alexandra's high standards. Before I tell you about the food perhaps I should explain how my love affair with Alexandra began?

It's really quite simple.

Wherever I go, I seem to get into conversations with people. Those who know me would confirm that I don't always invite it, but I can never rebuff the advances of a chat. This means in every aspect of my life I am a collector of people. I guess some might say I am friendly? And this is what often gets me into trouble. This 'friendliness' can often be mistaken for 'friendship' and quite often I can tie myself in knots trying to 'dispose' of unwanted individuals I have managed to become entwined with. None of those worries with Alexandra. Oh no. From the beginning I knew she was a keeper. We have so much in common. Pretty much the same name; big brown eyes; love to dance and LOVE to bake. Not just the occasional cookie or muffin from a Betty Crocker mix. And not just on special occasions. But you know this. You read this blog. We are baking nerds.

So we meet at dance class start chatting (surprise!) and both shyly admit that we believe that Nigella Lawson is actually a best friend although we've only read her books (also big brown eyes and love of baking mmmm?...Go ahead, call us narcissists we don't care!) After a while I feel safe sharing the fact that I am planning an enormous Christmas baking session and gently ask Alexandra if she would consider joining me in my mixing days preparing fresh mince meat (see recipe on this very blog) and mince pies and Christmas Cake (not at all vegan I'm afraid). Rather than laughing in my face and suggesting rudely that I am stuck in some bygone era when women spent their free-time in the kitchen, Alexandra's eye's lit up and she agreed to join me for an afternoon of baking delight....imagine my joy when I realised I had a real-life baking buddy?! So one chilly afternoon in early November 2006 we bonded over the mixing bowl - or was it the Kitchen Aid? Truly bonded. We realised that this was no infatuation. This was true love running deep in the blood (or that could have been the cider pulsing through our veins?!) Anyway. It began in a shared love of cake in my friend's idyllic little kitchen. In the months that followed, she taught me how to replace refined sugar with agave nectar and what to use in place of eggs and saturated fats. Not that they don't have a place in sweet treats. Just not every day and certainly not on this blog. And here, nearly 18 months later, is my first vegan recipe for you to share and indulge in. I hope you enjoy....and just thank Alexandra when you're done.

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This is a recipe for flapjacks. I think this is an English dish. Like an enormous oatmeal cookie baked in the bottom of an ovenproof dish or tray, left to cool then cut into individual pieces to nibble on. I made them for Damian as he has started cycling to work and needs something healthy to feed the constant hunger brought on by the extra exercise.

You'll need 45 minutes and a blindfold (it's really so simple that anyone can make these delicious morsels without looking).

Ingredients:
About 14oz oats
3 1/2 oz chopped hazlenuts
3 1/2 oz cranberries
3 1/2 oz raisins
3 1/2 oz honey
3 1/2 oz agave nectar
3 1/2 fl oz canola oil
2 oz dessicated coconut
2 oz sunflower seeds
1 x chopped apple
1 x chopped banana


Instructions:
Gently heat the oil and honey in a pan over the stove. Once its warm and very very liquidy add the apple and banana. Cook gently till the fruit is soft. Add the oats. The liquid should cover the oats to make a nice paste-y kind of mixture. If it's looking a bit dry add a drop of oil and drop more honey until it can be stirred nice and easily. Add the remaining ingredients, mixing thoroughly. Don't be shy about adding more liquid if you need it. Keep the heat low. You don't want those oats sticking to the bottom of the pan, they're a pig to scrub off.

When you're done set aside the pan, pre-heat the oven to 350 deg and lightly oil a normal sized baking tray or oven proof dish. The one I used was around 12' x 8'. Tip out the gooey mixture and - making sure you have lovely clean hands - press it out into the bottom of the pan. You want it to be between 1/2 and 1 inch thick - though really there are no rules here - as fat or thin as your dish/mixture ratio allows you.

Pop it in the oven for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Let the tray cool completely and tip it out on a wire rack until it's cold. Corners can be nipped off and smuggled into one's mouth at this point. It's allowed. And irresistible!

Once it's cool chop it into squares and scoff away to your heart's content!

chocolate date truffles

This recipe spawned from an intense craving for chocolate cake. However, I'm afraid that holiday eating has extended into the New Year for me and the last thing I need is a chocolate cake all to myself. So the wheels in my little head started turning as to how to have my cake and eat it too.



I was first reminded of the chocolate cake that I ate at Pure Food and Wine in New York earlier this year. This place is the pinnacle of raw food cuisine offering the most extravagantly delicious food. Everything I ordered was exceptional and when my chocolate craving hit just the other day, I was reminded of this little cake I had eaten for dessert. It was a dense little cake with dates (I think) as the base. It was served with orange sauce and caramel-orange ice cream, with little miniature orange segments as garnish. I would certainly not be creating this dish, not even close, but I wanted to experiment with dates and chocolate turning into a cake-like creation. I pulled out my food processor and got to work and after just a few minutes of blitzing together the ingredients I thought would go good together, I was left with an intense something-or-other batter that I was content to just eat with a spoon straight from the bowl. After a few minutes I realized I was going to have to do something with this, but I was not willing to change anything about it. Now it just needed a shape. Try as I might this batter will not turn into anything cake-like. My attempt at this was to press the batter into a muffin tin and stick it in the freezer. However, this proved to be useless as it is so sticky and dense that it will not un-mold in a uniform shape. My only option was to roll them up, dredge them in more tastiness and call it a day. But the main question is, was my chocolate cake craving taken care of? Yes. And is it healthier than all the crap I've been consuming lately? Yes. Check and check. This makes me a happy little baker...and I didn't even have to turn on my oven!

Of course I thought it was tasty, but sometimes I am skeptical of my taste buds because I find things like juiced cilantro and grapefruit good. This is nice when I'm trying new foods or trying to be healthy. But since I'm making sweets, I sometimes value a second and third opinion. This is where my research and development team come into play. Also known as Carrie and Kyle, my friends and co-workers who are willing to try my food, but don't necessarily like juiced cilantro and grapefruit.

Scenario: Sunday afternoon in the workroom before starting our shifts.

Me: "Hey research and development team, I've got something for you to try"

Carrie: -eyes light up- "Awesome!"

Kyle: "Cool, what is it?"

Me: "Well, they are chocolate date truffles, see what you think"

Kyle: "Mmmmm. OK let me tell you what I like about them"

Me: "OK"

Kyle: "I like that it's like I'm eating raw cookie dough."

Carrie: "Yeah and it's not too sweet, like the aftertaste is not overpowering."

Kyle: "If you had a shop you could totally sell these. Wait, dates, you said? Is this going to make me go to the bathroom....a lot?"

Carrie: laugh....

Me: "Well, I think dates have a lot of fiber in them...but it's not like you ate a ton of them or anything"

Carrie: "I don't even like dates really, but I like these a lot."

Kyle: "Yeah, me neither, but these are great."

Well, there you go. Straight from the meat eaters mouths. And for the record, dates do have a lot of fiber. Around 7 grams per 1/2 C, along with many other wonderful nutrients but not a lot of fats. The truffles do contain fat from the coconut oil, but those are mostly good fats and when eaten in moderation actually benefit your health. And make sure to rub the excess coconut butter into your hands as it makes a wonderful moisturizer. As for the type of date used, I found medjool dates but any variety would be fine; just make sure to pit them if they haven't been already. And feel free to dredge them in anything you like. I used coconut flakes, pulverized almond and cacao nib and cocoa powder. But something like chopped nuts or dried fruits would be good too. I guess you could wrap these up and give them to your valentine...but you could also do something nice for yourself and keep them in the fridge; hidden. Because it's always nice to do something sweet for yourself- no matter the season.

you will need these:
food processor (maybe a high powered blender would work...but this dough is super sticky and dense- probably best to stick with the big guns here)
rubber spatula
wax paper

ingredients:

10 oz or approximately 2 C pitted dates
1/4 C coconut butter
1/4 C agave nectar
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 C cocoa powder
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp ginger powder
pinch of salt

Just put everything into the processor and let it blitz for a couple of minutes until the batter is very smooth and thick.

Place in the refrigerator until the dough is cold throughout. Approximately 30 minutes or overnight.

Using a spoon, take out about a tablespoon of dough and roll it between your palms until it's nice and round. Dredge it in toppings or just put it on wax paper to set. Once rolled, store in the refrigerator or freezer.

Makes 2-3 dozen, depending on how much dough you eat beforehand. Or don't even worry about the truffles and keep the dough in the bowl with a spoon in it ready to go at all times. This stuff is definitely worth keeping around. I hope you enjoy!

citrus macadamia scones

When searching for something to bake, not only for me- but for you, dear sweet-tempered reader, I wanted to come up with something that would facilitate a way for me to tell you about my recent visit to London. Really, this was a very hard challenge. Everything I ate tasted wonderful and there are so many things I want to try and re-create. I especially like that a lot of their desserts are loaded with booze. And occasionally light on fire- as was the Christmas pudding after Christmas day dinner. Booze or no, every bite I ate was just as delicious as the next. That's mainly due to the fact that my gorgeous tour guides (special shout out to Alex and Damian) always knew exactly where to go or what to cook. However, we will be here all day if I try and tell you about ALL of it.

One of my favorite parts about my trip to London was when Alex and I rented a car and drove down to Canterbury and then spent the night in Whitstable. While in Canterbury, musing around the town, I saw it from afar. Hotel Chocolate. The store was immaculate; boxes of truffles lined the walls while little displays of different sized chocolate bars sat very content in the middle of the store. In the corner a display with champagne and chocolate sparkled- looking refined. Immediately Alex picked up a package labeled "citrus puddles", raved about it, and then put it down remarking how we already had packed chocolate with us for the trip. I picked it back up and said, probably my favorite thing to say, "I'm on holiday". Done and done. I ended up buying a couple other things (amazingly they have actually been given as gifts) and spent approximately $30 on chocolate. Thinking back to the store, that number is really low compared to the damage I could have done.

The citrus puddles came to be very close friends of ours over the next couple of days. While standing in Canterbury Cathedral looking up in awe at the insanely tall ceilings and incredibly old statues, one of us would lean to the other and say, "Can I have one of those citrus puddles?”. We would ask while walking past the pubs and sea side gift shops, we would ask while waiting for fish and chips to arrive on our plates, we would ask after tea and before coffee. They got us through some rough sugar lows and I will forever be indebted to their tastiness. Now that I'm home, sans Alex and citrus puddles, I am forced (no, delighted) to come up with a version of my very own. The original puddle was about the size of a quarter and was pure white chocolate infused with lime oil with bits of tangerine zest poking about. It snapped like good chocolate should and coated my mouth with creamy goodness, only to be washed away in seconds by the intense citrus burst. The only aftertaste was a bit of citrus and the hopeful imagination of another puddle being eaten.

I certainly chose a challenging "inspiration" food because frankly, vegan white chocolate sucks. And there is no way getting around it. Now, I did notice that on the Hotel Chocolate website that they actually sell vegan white chocolate, and I would be willing to say that is probably good stuff; the regular health food store run of the mill vegan white chocolate is nothing but a bunch of sugar, vanilla and additives making it not worth eating, really. Perhaps when tucking it into a nice cookie or muffin batter it's OK, but alone it would certainly not steal the show, not even close.

After tinkering with several ideas I finally came upon this and knew it was a winner. The light appearance of the white chocolate was replaced with a nice scone and the snap from the chocolate comes from the buttery macadamia nuts. The flecks of zest are added and the whole batter is bound by the juice from the tangerines giving it an extra citrus burst. Little bits of turbinado sugar nestle in the tops giving a little crunch to each bite. It's almost like eating the puddles, except there is the warming sensation that comes from eating a wonderfully homemade scone, kind of like the warming sensation one gets when walking around Canterbury with a best friend having the time of your life.




These scones are easier than most because they do not require cutting in butter and shortening to make them fluffy. The orange juice that is just barely mixed in gives them their tender dough that is easily comparable to other scones that are laden with fat. There is only 1/4 cup oil in the entire mixture and not much more but a little zest and flour is needed to make these. It's even a one bowl project! So if you are not vegan, or do not feel like buying potentially expensive ingredients for just one baking project, this recipe is for you. It's very loosely adapted off a recipe from the post punk kitchen team. I used their ginger chocolate scone recipe to make what you see below, but really, it's completely different. Just saying.


you will need these:
1 large mixing bowl
mixing spoon (or electric mixer)
greased cookie sheet

dry ingredients:
3 C all-purpose unbleached flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 C turbinado sugar, plus more for the tops
1 tsp salt
1 C coarsely chopped macadamia nuts

wet ingredients:
zest and juice of 2 tangerines and 1 lime
*you will need 1 cup of juice for the mixture. Either juice some more tangerines and save the zest, or justify with a small amount of store bought OJ.
1/4 C mild flavor oil (I used olive oil because that's all I had and it worked fine. Canola or safflower would work too)


putting it together:

pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees

mix together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt until well incorporated

make a well in the middle of the flour and pour in the juice and start mixing

slowly mix in the oil and zest; ending with the macadamia nuts. make sure to only stir the necessary amount- over mixing will cause your scones to be rubbery

plop little balls of dough onto your greased cookie sheet, making them about the size of a golf ball. sprinkle them with the additional sugar and they are ready to bake

bake for 10-15 minutes or until nice and golden on top

will make approximately 2 dozen

it's a wrap!

molasses cookies

My first memory of molasses is from childhood when my mom used to actually drink blackstrap molasses. She would have her cup of black motor oil looking goo, while I so dutifully practiced piano in the basement of our house. My mother was always there, telling me when I messed up and then would take a small, painful looking sip of her black goo. This was when she was pregnant with my sister and opted to go the natural route and give birth at home. Her midwife prescribed blackstrap molasses to help with her low iron levels. So there was little me hunched over the piano in our cold basement pounding out Mozart and Bach while my mother, big belly and all, drank molasses out of her coffee cup reading, "All that Jazz". Being a particular sort of child, I was always off in my own world daydreaming of Barbie, permed hair and anything glittery. To get me out of my daydream and onto what I was doing, my mother would often shout at me, "You're moving slow as molasses...hurry it up!". I imagine some of you heard similar things, hopefully not conditioning you to loathe molasses (or treacle depending on where you are from)

Many years later I encountered molasses again in a fruit cake recipe. I bought it, used it all and did not give a second thought to molasses. Until....my friend Carrie (pumpkin doughnuts partner in crime) saw some molasses cookies in a coffee shop the other day and asked me to make her some. I thought it was the most brilliant idea of something for me to bake in a long, long time.

I consulted many recipes for this one you see here, but not one suited me just right so I made my very own. Upon doing some research on molasses I found it's one of the most nutritional sweetners out there. High in potassium, calcium, vitamin B6 and as mentioned earlier, iron, it makes a perfect addition to sweets. It's slightly acidic and too much will over power your food, but just the right amount can add a wonderful depth to baked goods, not to mention good nutrition to boot!

Let me give you a little warning here, this dough it majorly sticky. Like, gorilla glue dough. I found it impossible to roll, cut into shapes, or do really anything but pry off a spoon and mold into a little ball. That being said, the taste and texture is absolutely right on and I refuse to change anything about the recipe just to make it more malleable. Besides, it's really fun to roll up your sleeves, grab some spoons and roll out little mounds of joy. Roll the edges on the greased pan so they are rounded, but it's OK to leave the tops a little spiky for a homemade effect. If you desire a more perfect looking smooth, rounded cookie, roll both the sides and top and bake with the greased side up. Sprinke a little turbinado sugar on the tops right after baking for a sparkling effect. Grab a cup of tea and you are set to go; especially if you are sitting on a comfy couch and a nice thunderstorm is roaring outside.



















flour mixture:
5 C all-purpose flour
1 T aluminum free baking powder
1 T baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground mace (optional. could add some cinnamon too)

a handfull or so of turbinado sugar for sprinkling after baking (optional)

liquid mixture:
1 C organic unsulphered molasses
1 C vegan brown sugar
1/4 C coconut butter
scant 1 C vegan milk subsitute or water

sift together the flour mixture in a separate bowl and set aside

beat together coconut butter and brown sugar, about 1-2 minutes. add molasses slowly (slow as molasses...)mixture will turn into a nice shinny brown and will smell absolutely wonderful

slowly incorporate flour mixture into the liquid mixture, alternating flour and vegan milk to form a nice sticky dough

refrigerate the dough for at least an hour, up to a day

pre-heat oven to 375 degrees

plop the dough onto a greased cookie sheet making sure you round off the edges. i simply rolled the edges on the greased sheet and left the tops a little spiky

bake in pre-heated oven for 10 minutes

eat absolutely at once! will stay good in a covered container for a few days...if they last that long.

makes about 2-3 dozen, depending on size of cookie

mincemeat pies

Frist off, I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving and was able to eat, eat and eat and drink and be merry. 'Tis the season whether you like it or not. I have mixed feelings about the holidays, part nostolgia, part hating the stress that comes with this time of year. However, rather than just sit and wallow in my own holiday hating attitude, I have resolved to make it better this year, perhaps better than ever. This resolution came about the day after Thanksgiving when I was taking it easy at my house, drinking a glass of wine and reading a book. All of the sudden I was aware of the looming dark cloud of Christmas off in the distance and had the sudden urge to run and hide under the covers. Instead, with a great deal energy, I pulled myself off the couch, poured another glass of wine and set off to my kitchen for some baking therapy.

I wanted to make something Christmasy, but not over the top. Nothing with sparkles or glitters or extravagant frostings. Something simple that evoked a feeling of comfort. Rumaging through cookbooks and random printed recipes I found exactly what I had been looking for in mincemeat pies. I say pies, plural, because I made them in a muffin tin to creat cute little pies, however, you of course could make one big mincemeat pie and it would be delicious all the same. I made these last year for a party with my friend Alex, who remembers mincemeat pie from growing up in Britian, and I have conveniently made them my own tradition to be excited about!

Traditional mincemeat pie has meat in it and traditional pasty crust has dairy in it; but here, you will find none of that. Extra apples in the filling make for a dense, rich mixture without using suet (a hard, saturated fat used a lot for those birdseed thingys). Vegan shortening and butter is available in health food stores but I actually found mine at Kroger in the health food section. I considered using a whole wheat crust like the one for my sweet potato pie, but I thought that the color and texture of one with white flour and vegan shortening would go much better, despite the fact that it is less nutritious. (Sorry)

So into the kicthen to whip up some mincemeat pies and combat the holiday blues. It's my new tradition- all my own. Nothing to do with childhood memories, ex-boyfriend memories, feeling alone while everyone else is wearing puff paint sweatshirts and singing carrols...all gone thanks to mincemeat! OK, I'm sort of kidding, and sort of not. It's important to have a tradition all your own if the holidays get you down. These things are super easy and cheap to make, it makes a lot and stores for a long time and it makes your house smell absolutely wonderful! Like one of those Christmas spice candles from Target, only better! It's the cheapest therapy I know.

I adapted this recipe from "How to be a Domestic Goddess" by Nigella Lawson. The filling I made straight from the book, but the pastry I adapted to be vegan using a few different ingredients. I hope you try these this year and enjoy sharing and nibbling on these tasty little unassuming creations. If you live in the South like I do, people may look at you a little funny when you present mincemeat pie, but once they taste it, all of that weirdness is forgotten. Once the filling is made it stores in the fridge for a couple of weeks, and the pastry can be stored in the freezer for a couple of months. This is handy to have stored away to make fresh baked goods for guests or a spur of the moment party. Once the mincemeat is cooked and pastry pulled together, the rest is a breeze. Making you look and feel stress free. Here's to a happy holiday season without the pressure and stress- just enjoy what you cook and eat and all will be well!

you will need these:
large sauce pan
large mixing bowl
wooden spoon
2 muffin tins (or 3 small tart pans)
biscuit cutter about 2 inches in diatmeter
rolling pin (or an empty wine bottle)

Nigella's suet-free mincemeat recipe as it appears in her book:

1 C plus 2 T dark brown sugar
1 C plus 2 T medium-dry hard cider
2 1/4 pounds tart cooking apples, peeled, halved, and quartered
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 C plus 2 T currants
1 C plue 2 T raisins
1/3 C natural-colored glace cherries, roughly chopped (I used unsweetend dried cherries)
1/3 C blanched almonds, fairly finely choppped
rind and juice of 1/2 lemon
6 T brandy or rum
1-pint or 2 1-quart canning jars (my note:if not using all within a couple of weeks, there is no need to can this)

In a large saucepan, dissolve the sugar in the cider over a gentle heat. Roughly chop the apples, and add them to the saucepan. Then add all the other ingredients except the brandy or rum, and simmer for 30 minutes or until everything looks pulpy. Take off heat and when it had cooled a little, srit in the brandy or rum. Spoon into sterilized jars (my note: or make little mincemeat pies!)

makes 4 pounds













Pastry crust (veganized by me) adapted from Nigella's book

1 2/3 C cake flour
1/4 C vegan non-trans fat vegetable shortening
1/4 C cold vegan butter such as Earth Balance brand
juice of 1 orange
pinch of salt

Not Nigella's instructions......

Put flour and salt into a large mixing bowl and work in shortening and "butter" small bits a time until it creates pea size crumbles. Work fast making sure to keep the ingrdients cold. Add the juice of an orange and mix until it comes together into a dough. Knead a couple of time and put it in the fridge to rest for at least 30 minutes.

Now, how to assemble all of these words and paragraphs into a sensible recipe and ultimatley into little tasty mince pies:

Make the pastry dough as decribed above and let rest in the fridge

Make the mincemeat as explained above and let it simmer and fill your house with wonderful smells for at least 30 minutes.

While the mincemeat is stewing:
Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees

Pull pastry out of the fridge and roll out until fairly thin, but still durable. Perhaps 1/8 inch thick. Using your cookie/biscuit cutter (or jar, coffee cup...what gets the job done) cut out circles and press them into your muffin or tart pan. You might want to experiment with differnt sizes to make sure there is enough of a lip to creat small pies. The bigger the better.

Next, fill the little pies with the mincemeat (about a teaspoon- i love to go all out here and put lots of filling in, which always results in messy little pies----which is no good)

Bake in the pre-heated oven for 10-15 minutes or until browned on the edges.

Alternative assembling procedure:

Roll out pastry and cut circles with larger cutter, then make smaller circles to create little "hats" for the pies. So it's like mincemeat is just barely showing from underneath. OR, get creative with little stars (like Nigella) or any other top you can think of. But don't wear yourself out with this, making plain pies is still just as enjoyable!

Serve with a light dusting of powdered sugar (totally optional) and mulled wine (not quite as optinal)

Cheers to a wonderful holiday season and creating new, wonderful traditions!

sweet potato pie

I always forget that sweet potatoes are really good for me. In fact, they are the most nutrient packed vegetable around. This strange little oblong tuber contains complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins A and C, iron, calcium and fiber. And the darker the interior, the more beta carotene it has. Not to mention it is absolutely necessary when speaking of southern food culture and cuisine. No proper southern meal served in the months of October to December is complete without a big pile sweet potates. Unfortunatley, a lot people insult this vegetable's integrity by smothering it in marshmellows, butter, brown sugar....OK, maybe not insult- because these things are pretty tasty, but they certianly compromise the nutritional benefits. However, if left to speak for themselves, sweet potates make quite a good argument as to why they should be left alone, or adorned in a more wholesome way. The sweet potates I have been getting with my weekly CSA basket are so low maintenance that all it takes for them to be ready is to be sliced with a knife and simply boiled or baked. They carmelize all on their own when baked and when paired with savory dishes, they almost overpower the dish with their sweetness. I saw this as their cry to be mashed and put in a pie crust.

Pie crust. Of course, you can buy pie crust, even natural whole wheat pie crust and make a tasty pie that everyone will love. But why? If you are going to make pie, go all out and commit to the whole shebang. Dawn your apron, roll up your sleves and turn on some pie-making music. I promise it will fill a void in your soul that would otherwise be left empty by using a pre-made crust. Being the complete baking dork that I am, nothing gives me greater pleasure in the kithen than waking up early on a fall morning and making pastry crust in a cool, dimly lit kitchen. I'm guessing you do not share this desire (if you do, please get in touch with me...) and want something a little more practical. I found practical for you and even found it with nutritional components to boot!

The filling used in this pie is just simple, quality ingredients. Organic sweet potates, vegan milk, agar (sea vegetable used to thicken) and pure maple syrup. Spices are optional. I chose to bake the potatoes for a sweeter, roasted, flavor and left the skins on in the finished product, creating a more rustic filling with nice texture. If using organic potatoes eating the skins is not bad, in fact, it's more nutritious and tasty. If you are not using organic potatoes, maybe consider peeling them to try and lower the pesticide intake...oh, just buy organic! The idea behind this pie is to let the sweet potato shine- this is its solo and should be respected as such. Choose the best quality potatoes you can find. The better your potato, the better you pie will be. The crust is a recipe taken from one of my favorite cookbooks, "The Balanced Plate", by Renee Loux. It's a great crust that requires little maintenance. Just mix the ingredients and press the crust directly into the pie pan. No resting, chilling or dealing with annoying sticky plastic wrap. I have typed the recipe for you exaclty as it appears in the book (minus her introduction and nutritional facts). I hope you enjoy making this pie as much as you enjoy eating it and sharing it. Simple, honest and tasty is the motto here.

you will need these:
aluminum foil
baking sheet
mixing bowl
small sauce pan
9 or 10 inch pie or tart pan
potato masher or a large spoon

for the filling:
1 1/2- 2 pounds organic sweet potatoes
2/3 C vegan milk of choice (i used plain soy milk)
1 1/2 T *agar flakes (found in natural health food stores in the seaweed section)
3/4 C pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp sea salt (optional)
1/2 tsp all spice (optional)

*agar can also be used to make vegan "jell-o" and pudding. however, if seaweed scares you, or if you don't want to splurge because it can be kind of pricey, use 1 T arrowroot powder instead. just warm the milk, don't boil it and dissolve the arrowroot at the same time during the directions you would prepare the agar. (no simmering necessary, just put it in a bowl) the pie might not be as firm, but i'm sure it will be just as tasty.














the crust as it appears in "The Balanced Plate": (extra detail and description are left out for the purpose of maintaining a somewhat short post, however, i have included everything necessary to make the crust and have kept it word for word)

"Flaky Pie Crust" (pg. 341)

1 C unbleached whole wheat pastry flour
1 C spelt flour or additional whole wheat pastry flour
2 T organic granulated sweetener, such as organic evaporated cane juice, organic sugar or brown sugar, Sucant, or maple sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp finely gound sea salt
8 T cold-pressed coconut butter, palm oil, or organic vegetable oil, such as grapeseed oil or safflower oil
1 T maple syrup
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
3-6 T filtered water

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

sift the flours, granulated sweetener, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.

mix in the coconut butter or oil, maple syrup, vinegar, and 3 tablespoons of the filtered water, first with a wooden spoon, then with your hands until dough forms. If the dough is too dry, add another tablesppon or two of water.

press evenly into a 9 or 10 inch pie plate.

if you want to roll, flatten the dough into a disk on a piece of waxed paper large enough to wrap the dough in and refigerate for at least 30 minutes. roll the dough between two sheets of waxed paper. transfer the rolled dough to a pie plate. lightly flouring the surface of the dough and folding it in half makes the transfer easier. press the dough into the corners of the pie plate or tart pan. trim any excess dough from the rim of the plate or pan. prebake the crust or fill and bake pie as directed.

note: the dough will keep fresh in the fridge for 2 days, or sealed in a bag or container and frozen for a month or two. if fressing, thaw in the fridge for a few hours before pressing or rolling.

to assembe the pie in an efficient and timely fashion:

pre-heat oven to 425 degrees

wash the sweet potatoes really thoroughly and poke each one several times with a fork

wrap them all together in a piece of tin foil and bake until extremely soft. this could take and hour or so

meanwhile, make the crust from the recipe above and store (in the pan) in the fridge

once the potates are nice and mushy, unwrap them and place them in a bowl to let them cool. lower the oven temperature to 400 degrees

at this point, you may start pre-baking your crust if that is what you choose. pre-baking it will give it more of a nutty flavor, but is not necessary

pour milk and agar into saucepan and bring to a boil

lower temperature to simmer and stir continuously for about 10 minutes or until all the agar is disolved

pour the milk into the bowl with the potatoes along with the maple syrup and spice and mash until nice and smooth (you could also put this mixture into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. my blender sucks and did not blend properly, so i ended up mashing. the end result of an un-blended mixture is more rustic with a bit more texture from the soft skins. i highly recommend mashing to blending)

plop mixture into pie crust and bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees

lower the temperature and bake for another 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees

cool completely before slicing

stores in the refrigerator for a couple of days

serves 6-8

pairs well with dark rum, a brisk fall evening and a couple of best friends