BitterSweet

No, these are not plastic replicas and no, this is not stock photography- These pictures come straight from my dad, who was in France last week and decided to pay a visit to the catacombs. Follow the link to get the full story, since I feel like just another shocked and awed foreigner who can’t even begin to understand it. So in honor of Halloween, check out this true ghost tale, and I hope you feel just a little bit less scared on the streets tonight amongst the fake facades of skeletons!

Happy Halloween, everyone!

The most interesting new book came in the mail the other day…

I can’t believe it’s really real, and I’m actually holding it in my hands. But… It’s true!

[My apologies to everybody for my sluggish responses- I'll get back to you guys asap, I just need to get enough time away from classes and homework!]

Making seasonal baked goods doesn’t need to be a complicated or difficult ordeal- Forget the intricate designs, because with just basic shapes and a bit of whimsy, I can bet that anyone can appreciate the effort just as much. Take for instance these pumpkin cakes! All you need to do is mix up your favorite pumpkin cupcake recipe and instead of using muffin tins, just pour it into mini-bundt pans. (A recipe that yields one dozen cupcakes will give you approximately six mini-bundts, depending on the size of your pans) The stems and leaves are simply molded out of marzipan and colored with either food dye, or for a more natural approach cocoa and matcha make good brown and green colorings, too. Now I know that I’ve clearly designated my pumpkin cakes here as another Halloween treat, but I’ve just got goblins on the brain is all. Of course this same idea would be great to use all throughout fall, and could possibly make a fun addition to your Thanksgiving dinner table just as well!

To the sugar-crazed youth of America, Halloween must be one of the most highly anticipated days of the year. After all, what could be better than dressing in some crazy garb, going out in the dark of night (or mid-afternoon), and getting free candy from any house you stop at? Kids have all the luck on this one magical evening, and the world is their oyster… But once you hit a certain age, this sort of parading about becomes unacceptable, and you are forced to hang up your treat bag for good. I for one am particularly nostalgic about the ritual of trick-or-treating, but now that I am past that age and also unable to eat 95% of the dairy- and egg-laden morsels that are bound to be collected, there’s simply no turning back.

However, even in my prime as an avid candy hunter, there was something about this whole trick-or-treating business that just didn’t sit right with me. After all, who made these rules about only using hermetically sealed, vacuum packed treats made from giant machines that ended up being about as tasty as chemically-treated plastic? Wouldn’t it be even better if these treats were actually… Well… A treat to receive, not just another brand name product found in every supermarket and gas station around? How I begged to hand out homemade candy to the youngsters in costumes in later years, watching them come and go while I remained home. But no, that simply wouldn’t be safe; We all know about the “dangers” of adulterated Halloween candy already, so attempting to pass out something homemade, with real ingredients?! Simply reprehensible!

So perhaps it’s the trick-or-treaters who are missing out, because I’ve decided that I’ll still make my own simple sweets this year, but I’ll only be treating my friends- You know, for the sake of “safety.” And the labor involved in making them is certainly nothing to fear, as these chocolate morsels are so quick and easy, you could decide to make them only an hour before guests arrive for a Halloween soirée.

Who doesn’t love the combination of peanut butter and chocolate? A great classic, based on a classic candy but reinvented with quality ingredients. Besides, when you make them yourself, they can be dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, and gluten-free. Don’t feel you need to stop there though, because any sort of nut butter would work just as well and perhaps even raise the bar in terms of sophistication. Think of almonds, hazelnuts, or pistachios instead, and this childhood favorite can morph into grown-up indulgence. But let’s say you have some picky guests coming over, or have to cater to someone with severe nut allergies. Never fear, because there are other options…

Simply rework the filling and you’ve got yourself a peppermint patty instead, containing absolutely no common allergens! An intensely minty center enrobed in a dark, decadent chocolate shell should satisfy even the most discerning chocolate or candy connoisseur.  But if chocolate’s not your thing for one reason or another, no need to fret- You can also substitute carob chips instead!

This recipe will make one dozen peppermint patties and one dozen peanut butter cups, so if you only want one of the two for your party, go ahead and double the recipe for that filling.

Chocolate Candy Cups

1 Cup Chocolate Chips

Peanut Butter:
1/2 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
1/4 Cup Confectioner’s Sugar
Splash Vanilla Extract

Peppermint:
1/3 Cup Vegetable Shortening
2/3 Cup Confectioner’s Sugar
1/2 - 3/4 Teaspoon Peppermint Extract (depending on desired intensity)
Splash Vanilla Extract

For both treats, begin by melting you chocolate in the microwave 30 - 60 seconds at a time, and stir thoroughly until completely smooth. Use a spoon, thin spatula, or paint brush to brush the melted chocolate over the insides of paper mini muffin cups, making sure to leave no holes and spread it as evenly as possible. No need to go crazy though, because even if the walls are too thin and break when removed from the wrapper, I doubt anyone will mind after they take a bite! You will only use about 1/2 - 3/4 of the chocolate, so set the rest aside for later. Place the chocolate-covered papers into mini muffin tins so that they retain their shape, and let them cool and set completely. You can speed up this process by placing the tins in your refrigerator (or on the windowsill like I did- It suddenly got cold out!)

To make the peanut butter filling, just stir together the peanut butter, sugar, and vanilla until completely homogeneous and toss the mixture into the microwave for 30 - 45, just to warm it through and liquefy slightly. Give it another good stir to combine everything again, and drop dollops of the filling into your prepared chocolate cups. Be careful not to rub the sides too much so as not to melt the chocolate, and fill each up to about 2 - 3 mm from the top. Let the filling cool completely.

To make the peppermint filling, place the shortening into a bowl and microwave it briefly until just melted. Add in the sugar and both extracts and stir everything together until smooth. Drop the mixture into the cups as described above for the peanut butter cups, and let cool.

Finally, take out the remaining chocolate and melt it back down into a liquid state. Spoon the chocolate onto each of the filled cups and spread it out to the edges to fill in any gaps. Let it cool once again until set, and enjoy your ghoulish goodies with friends!

Every single year, whether we chose to go trick-or-treating or just stay home and watch scary movies, there was always one required activity for Halloween: Pumpkin picking, and inevitably, pumpkin carving. Some of my fondest memories of the holiday involve gooey handfuls of cold pumpkin mush and seeds smeared all the way up my elbows, chunks of pumpkin flesh on the floor, and my dog going wild trying to “clean up.” More often than not, the carvings would end up as crude interpretations of the original sketch since I have never been skilled in carving, sculpture, or anything of the sort, but no matter- On to the front porch they would go, and come Halloween, we would light them up and display their wacky designs all the same. I suppose that this tradition has contributed to my love of all things pumpkin around this time of year, but here at school, the craving is more like an itch that I can’t scratch. Without transportation to the local farms or even supermarkets, there’s just no way to get a nice, round, orange globe, much less carry it back to the dorm and up 3 flights of stairs.

Still, the desire continues to flicker at every opportunity. Soon I found myself with a tiny little baby pumpkin in my basket while shopping for my standard pantry items, and I swear it must have simply jumped in on it’s own. Too small to eat or carve, this was simply a cute little friend to perch upon my desk. But then, out of the blue one day, I was bombarded by a whole pile of medium sized gourds, strewn about on the ground on the campus green, free for the taking. Well, you certainly don’t need to ask me twice, so stooping down to examine these lovely spheres, I scooped up the biggest one I could carry and paraded it right back to my room. And so my collection grew.

Now I have four pumpkins to keep me company; Still too small to carve, but charming decorations all the same. Looking at them all now, crowded onto my small desk top, I can’t help but wonder if these lovely squashes are really as innocent as they appear… Truly, I think that they must have cast a spell on me, because who in their right mind would just start collecting pumpkins, and especially those that can’t even be eaten or turned into jack-o-lanterns? Plus, that first little guy is starting to look a bit suspicious to me… Perhaps he has something to do with this whole obsession…

In case you’re pressed for spirited decorating options like I am, it’s easy to just draw or paint on pumpkins instead and perhaps whip up a cute little hat or two. This particular witch’s hat is a snap to make, and you could even use it to adorn a few bewitching stuffed animals as well!

Using an F hook and black worsted weight yarn…

[For the top cone]
Sc3 sts in a circle
Sc even
Sc2 into each st (6 sts)
Sc even
Sc1, sc2 into next st* around (9 sts)
Sc even
Sc2, sc2 into next st* around (12 sts)
Sc even
Sc3, sc2 into next st* around (15 sts)
Sc even
Break yarn, leaving a long tail to sew with.

[For the bottom]
Sc5 sts in a circle
Sc2 into each st (10 sts)
sc1, sc2 into next st* around (15 sts)
sc2, sc2 into next st* around (20 sts)
sc3, sc2 into next st* around (25 sts)
sc4, sc2 into next st* around (30 sts)
Break yarn, and weave in ends.

To assemble, simply sew the cone onto the circle so that it’s centered, tie off, and weave in ends. Have a hauntingly fun holiday!

How cruel fate can be, stacking the cards against you right at the time when you need a helping hand, if anything. Thrilled to leap right into the weekend as soon as my feet hit the pavement on Friday morning, I found myself feeling progressively worse and worse. Soon the pain began pounding on the walls of my stomach, and then radiating upwards to my head, where it chose to take up residence for a good long while. By the time night fell, I knew that my fun plans had a snowball’s chance in hell if I was feeling so wrecked this soon in the game. No more Boston Vegetarian Food Festival, no more Wachusett Mountain Apple Fest, and to make matters insufferable, there was also to be no more baking until I could be certain I wasn’t contagious. What agony! Perhaps the worst part of falling ill isn’t the symptoms of sickness themselves, but the limitations they present when others would rather quarantine you than have you potentially infect them, too.

Hoping desperately that there was an easy way out of this weekend-killing malady, I bundled myself up like a mummy and dashed over to the health clinic, seeking answers that perhaps could rescue my plans.

Conferring first with the kind nurse about the potential to shake this off in an hour or two, I could see a sad but knowing look in her eyes, despite the warm smile she donned to ease my worries. It was all but a foregone conclusion, but since I had come this far, I still proceeded to see the doctor and get the final word on my condition.

Examining me carefully from afar, it seems as though he had hastily made up his mind on a diagnosis before I even had time to sit down. Of course, I’m certain that the blood-shot eyes, crazily tousled hair and bright red nose made things pretty obvious, but I was disappointed to receive so little attention in my time of need. Asking quietly and as sweetly as I could muster, I asked about the possibility of going out this weekend, maybe seeing some people… Or a couple hundred people… But it was no use. Advised immediately to stay in bed, sleep it off, and get lots of warm fluids, this girl got a one-way ticket back to her dorm room. No, it was nothing particularly serious, but it simply wouldn’t do to have me running around town and potentially making things worse, for myself and for others.

And so I missed out on all of the fun happenings I had so looked forward to and I’m sorry to everyone I didn’t get a chance to meet up with. There will be other times, as I keep reassuring myself, so I just hope that I can shake off the last of this cold and start running at 100% again. At least I know that even if I didn’t get the magical cure I was hoping for, the clinic staff here are quite friendly!

At long last, the mercury has finally begun its reluctant recession back down the thermometer, and more bearable temperatures have come again. I, for one, could not be more thrilled. There’s just something about the crispness of the air, that chilly bite of the wind first thing in the morning, that really makes me want to jump out of bed and start the day early. After enduring such a brutal summer, even 65 degrees feels like winter is just around the corner, and it seems that everyone is taking notice in their own ways. Fewer pairs of shorts sandals can be seen around campus these days, replaced by long pants, thick socks, and perhaps even sturdy boots, in anticipation of what’s to sure to come. As always, it’s not just clothing that’s changing; Tastes are slowly evolving and leaning more towards hot, filling, hearty options, no longer satisfied by the cool and refreshing offerings of summer. For me, the first change isn’t what I’m eating, but instead what I’m drinking.

As an avid tea-lover, I’m so happy to return to a cup of the stuff piping hot whenever the time feels right. Sure, tea can be iced and often is in my household, but with the time involved in waiting for it to steep, cool, and be ready for drinking… It’s just not the same, not nearly as easy and instantly comforting as hot tea. Now I’m stocking up again, and the choices, oh, the choices! Green tea will always win my heart, although even then there are so many choices. Green tea with lemon, chai, mint… The list goes on, and I want to sip, slurp, and guzzle every variant out there. All I need now is my seasonal favorite of gingersnap tea to come back around Christmas time, and since I plan to buy them out the first chance I get, I’ll make sure there will be enough to last for another year.

So what’s your favorite tea, and are you more partial to it cold, or hot like me?

[Mrs. Green Tea Bag pattern from Softies]

Okay, you got me- So I’m a day late in celebrating World Bread Day which was designated as October 16th, but as any baker will tell you, good bread takes time. Of course, I did end up making a quick bread, but it was the planning that took the most time and set me behind schedule. Seeing practically every foodie in the blogosphere talking about this date for weeks, surely it would be hard to miss it, you might argue, but truly it was just an unfortunate chain of coincidences that postponed the party. If I finally had time to turn on the oven, the sun wouldn’t be out [to capture the best pictures, lest I fail you dear readers with sub-par food porn!] If the sun decided to come out, I wouldn’t have enough ingredients on hand. If I had enough ingredients… And so it went, that nothing was happening in the kitchen except for defrosting the occasional frozen waffle under the broiler.

Just as the window of opportunity seemed to be closing, the sun emerged from behind the clouds and incredibly, everything I needed to make a delicious, easy bread was right there, waiting to be combined and baked! Finding a box of instant butterscotch pudding with no animal products on that bright, early morning was truly the catalyst, an incredible treat in and of itself. While I had originally snatched up a package just for a quick snack, inspiration struck and that sweet, powdery mixture found it’s way into a quick bread instead.

Soft, delightfully chewy around the edges, and hinting of caramel undertones, I don’t know if you even need the chocolate chips to make this easy treat irresistible. Of course, it certainly didn’t hurt to include it, either.

Butterscotch Pudding Bread

1 Cup Soymilk
1 Teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
1/4 Cup Canola Oil
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1 3.5-Ounce Package Instant Butterscotch Pudding
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and liberally grease a medium loaf pan.

Combine the soymilk and vinegar and let the mixture stand for a few minutes to curdle. Use your stand or hand mixer to mix it on a high speed, until it becomes nice and frothy. Then add in your sugar and oil, mixing again to combine.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, pudding mix, baking soda and powder, and salt. Slowly incorporate these dry ingredients into the wet, pausing so that the mixer can process everything. Finally, toss in your chocolate chips and stir to distribute.

Pour your batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 45 - 50 minutes, until golden brown on the outside and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the loaf rest for at least 15 minutes before moving it to a cooling rack. Tempting as it may be, try to resist cutting it until it has fully cooled, and do use a serrated knife!

Briefly toasted to just barely re-melt chips and warm a thick slice through, there are few other breakfasts [or lunches, or snacks, or desserts] that can compare.

Forget the cherry on top- What really counts is that fluffy cloud of sweet whipped cream below. Topping off sundaes, cakes, and pies perfectly, cutting through even the densest desserts, and adding that ephemeral kiss of sweetness that leaves you wanting more, there’s simply nothing like whipped cream. I for one missed that lovely white matrix of milk fat and bubbles dearly when I first went vegan, as it has proven to be one of those mysterious substances that doesn’t easily convert into a vegan alternative. Of course, great progress has been made in recent years, bringing us Hip Whip (although it seems that the company has since gone under, sadly) and Soyatoo, my current guilty pleasure. Still, there’s empty space on the grocery store shelves for a product that can actually be whipped, not just extruded from a can. If it were possible to whip vegan creme from the start, then the culinary possibilities would be endless…

Thankfully, I’m not the only one who thinks so, and First Foods from the UK has taken the initiative to create Oat Supreme, the very first heavy cream substitute that I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing for myself. Upon first exhuming the carton from that unassuming brown, cardboard packing box, I could scarcely contain my excitement, and quickly moved both it and my mixing bowl into the fridge so that my experimentation could begin asap. Of course, nowhere on the carton did it explicit say that it could be whipped, but with anxious optimism, I hoped against hope that this would be the answer to my whipped cream prayers.

Shaking up that little blue box a few hours later, I cut open the tab and unleashed a flood of thick, creamy white liquid, pouring it quickly into my chilled bowl. Having abstained from using heavy cream for so many years, I was actually quite surprised at how viscous it really was- Practically a ready-made sauce, it reminded me instantly of coconut milk, which might explain how coconut whipped creme is possible.

Getting right down to work, I cranked up my trusty mixer to its highest setting and let it rip. Barely five minutes had elapsed before I was staring straight into a bowl full of pillow soft whipped topping, at least doubled or tripled in volume!

Deceptively rich and heavy for such a light and fluffy composition, it was certainly a decadent way to top of any dessert. Tasting almost exactly like my beloved Soyatoo, it was the most I could do to restrain myself from eating it plain by the spoonful! After getting my fill of this delicious, creamy fluff, I decided to store it in the fridge overnight and see how it would hold up. Come daytime, there it all was, still perfectly whipped, and without even the slightest sign of separating! Not one to let this opportunity go to waste, I used to remnants to make a delightful mint chocolate chip semifreddo, which was eaten just as soon as it had solidified enough to be considered “semi-frozen.”

Of course, such a versatile product could also be used for countless other savory applications, such as cream sauces and gravies… Truly, I don’t think that there’s anything that Oat Supreme can’t do! If only I had more than one carton to play around with, and if only it were more readily available in the states… but alas, for now we must hope that American markets clear some shelf space for this miraculous product, and soon!

[Written for Go Dairy Free]