BitterSweet

The Same, But Different

Classic cakes are fool-proof options to turn to in a moment of need- The standard yellow cake is always agreeable when slathered in a rich and creamy frosting, and that tried-and-true chocolate layer cake has gotten me out of many sticky spots. Always well-received and definitely delicious, I still am reluctant to revisit them, because after so many double or triple batches and repeat performances, they just seem so… Well… Unimaginative. Safe. Dare I say, boring. Happy to take dessert requests from all sides of the family but reluctant to do the same old, same old, it takes a bit of careful creativity to keep myself interested in these projects.

Approaching the issue not from a flavor perspective this time, what’s left that can be played around with? How about the shape?

A deceptively difficult-looking creation, a triangle cake is guaranteed to impress, and maintain the integrity of any flavors desired! The example above is a coconut cake, filled with raspberry preserves and covered with toasted coconut flakes. Just slightly more fuss than a typical layer cake, it was a fun way to add some interest to an otherwise visually dull cake.

To make your very own triangle layer cake, bake any cake you like in two jelly roll pans, and let cool completely. Spread one sheet of cake with jam or filling, and place the second on top. Cut that in half lengthwise, spread more filling or jam on one, and then stack the other half on top of that one. Here’s the trickiest part: Slice that whole thing diagonally, to make two triangles. A visual reference definitely helps here, so check out this helpful tutorial and note that this would be about the fourth picture down after the line.

Stand up the two triangles so that the layers are vertical, spread filling between the tallest layers, and squish the two halves together. Cover the top with frosting like usual (it will hide a multitude of errors, so don’t worry about some less than perfect cuts) and decorate as desired. Present with great fanfare, sit back, and soak in the praise!

(Beware that slices need to be somewhat thick for this type of cake, as you can probably see in the above picture, they do tend to lean/topple over more easily.)

Simplicity in Salad-Form

Unlike some vegans who feel compelled to go against the age-old stereotype that herbivores subsist entirely on twigs and leaves, I’m not afraid to say that I love salads.  Think what you may, but in my eyes, a “salad” can be just about anything, and rarely involves lettuce when I’m in charge.  Truly, how would this most basic and yet complex term be defined?  Anything chilled and mixed with a dressing?  Think about fruit salad- A sweet twist on the concept that everyone should be quite familiar with.  And then there are bean salads, grain salads, and some bewildering “salads” from down south that involve mayo, pineapple, and bacon.  They don’t always make sense, they aren’t always healthy, and I certainly don’t endorse them across the board, but it pains me to think that most people still imagine a sad bowl of limp, pale iceberg and maybe some tired old tomato wedges when I say the word “salad.”

On that note, I have come bearing salad, but not one of those obligatory, unwanted side salads that must be choked down in order to get to dessert.  This salad here is comprised mainly of toothsome barley, making it a more wholesome interpretation of pasta salad, in a sense.  Fresh, sweet peas take advantage of the season’s bounty, although frozen and thawed can absolutely work in a pinch. Add in a generous glug of vinegar for a pleasant acidic bite, a handful of chives, and you’re practically done. Simple almost to the point of brainlessly easy, it’s the perfect quick dish for a hot summer day, or lazy picnic any time.  Just pack it up into little jars, and you’re good to go.  It keeps well, both refrigerated and not, so you don’t have to worry about it spoiling while you go play outside.

Barley and Fresh Pea Salad

2 Cups Cooked Barley
1 Cup Shelled Peas, Blanched, or Frozen and Thawed
3 Ounces Vegan “Feta”
2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Umeboshi Vinegar
1 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Fresh Chopped Chives
2 Tablespoons Fresh Chopped Parsley
Salt and Pepper, to Taste

A salad like this hardly needs instructions, but here goes: Toss the cooked barley and peas in a bowl, crumble in the “feta,” drizzle in both vinegars and oil. Add the chopped herbs and toss well. Taste, and add salt and pepper as desired. Serve immediately, or cover and chill for up to three days.

Serves 4 – 6 as a Side Dish

Printable Recipe

Down the Rabbit Hole

Catching everyone by surprise, the wild raspberries are early bloomers this year, springing forth in clusters of ruby red jewels, dripping from vines heavy with their bounty. There’s not a moment to lose when it’s first come, first serve, and the birds tend to have a more flexible schedule for picking. Ready or not, here I come, but this year has already been somewhat of a disappointment. With my dad overseas on work, it’s not nearly such a joyous event to trudge out into the thorns and mosquitoes in search of a few small berries. Needless to say, yields have suffered tremendously as well, and there’s no chance that I’ll even come close to our record.

But, as they say, the show must go on, and it would be a shame to let all of that edible plunder out there go to waste. Doing my best to reach the farthest branches the treasure deeply buried within the wilderness of suburban Connecticut, I donned long sleeves and pants, braving the oppressive heat, and gave it my all. Before long, a neat little pile of still-warm raspberries sat heaped in my basket. Mother nature waits for no one, so it was a relief to have made it to my favorite picking spot seemingly just in time. All was right with the world again.

Lulled into a false sense of safety, despite being temporarily jolted into high alert after shaking a tennis ball-sized beetle off my hand, I was feeling pretty good about this first solo venture. Moving a bit further into the woods, I was now venturing into unknown territory… And that’s when the ground went out beneath me.

Suddenly I was falling, down, down, down, shockingly far into the earth. When I finally got my footing again, my painstakingly gathered berries were scattered and smashed all over the moldy forest floor, and I was literally knee-deep in some mysterious hole! Completely covered with vines, like some fiendish trap, I hadn’t seen any hint or warning of what I was stepping into, despite having checked my footing beforehand. Unhurt but as crushed as those wasted berries, the fruits of my labor sent to rot, I quickly pulled myself up and high-tailed it out of there. There’s no telling what sort of creature (or monster, perhaps) created a trench of such a size, but let’s just say it was a rabbit, for comfort’s sake. Yes, a cute, fuzzy rabbit that certainly would not have eaten me. I feel much better about that.

Returning on a separate occasion to gather a conservative punnet of raspberries, carefully staying far away from the booby-trap hidden within the woods, I still couldn’t stop thinking about that bizarre rabbit hole. Even after finally securing my berries and returning home, the image of perhaps a giant rabbit the size of an SUV danced through my mind… Or maybe they had mistaken me for Alice, perhaps. So I did the only logical thing I could think of, as an offering of sorts to this mystical and mysterious rabbit: Make carrot cake.

That would be raspberry carrot cake, of course! Dotted with tiny, crunchy clusters of wild berries, it’s more or less a standard carrot cake, but I felt compelled to share the recipe. After bringing a batch to both friends and family, at different events, I’ve been blown away by the rave reviews they received. My perpetually skeptical aunt was amazed that they were vegan, and even my grandma, a seasoned baker, seemed curious about the recipe. What really makes them special, however, is the frosting. Though I was planning to go the traditional cream cheese route, there was none at the grocery store to be found. Reaching instead for the sour cream, it was a happy accident that lead to perhaps the best frosting I’ve ever made, and a new personal favorite.

Light and fluffy, less heavy than a standard buttercream and yet more substantial than airy whipped cream, it’s the Goldilocks of frostings; Just right. Flecked with real vanilla bean, it’s delicately flavored and a treat for the eyes as well. Even if you don’t care for carrot cake, or have fears of a demonic bunny looming in your mind that must be assuaged, I insist that you still try the frosting. You don’t even have to go foraging in the woods for it.

Raspberry Carrot Cake

1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
2 Cups Shredded Carrot
1 Cup Fresh Raspberries
1/2 Cup Canola Oil
3/4 Cup Plain Non-Dairy Milk
1 Teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 Cup Dark Brown Sugar, Firmly Packed

Sour Cream Frosting

1/2 Cup Non-Dairy Margarine, at Room Temperature.
1/2 Cup Vegan “Sour Cream”
1/2 Vanilla Bean, Seeds Scraped
3 – 4 Cups Confectioner’s Sugar

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line 12 standard muffin tins with cupcake papers.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and soda, spices, and salt so that all of the dry goods are evenly distributed. Add in the shredded carrot and raspberries, and toss to coat in flour. Set aside.

Separately, whisk together the oil, non-dairy milk of choice, vinegar, and brown sugar. Once the sugar is more or less dissolved, pour the whole mixture into your bowl of dry ingredients. Stir gently with a wide spatula so as not to smash the berries, just until the batter comes together. A few lumps are just fine, as long as you don’t over-mix.

Evenly dose out the batter between your prepared muffin tins. These bake up to be fairly large cupcakes, so don’t be afraid to mound that batter up in the center. Bake for 26 – 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cupcake comes out dry. Let cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, first soften the margarine in the stand mixer by briefly beating it alone. Add in the “sour cream,” scrapped vanilla bean, and 2 cups of the confectioner’s sugar. Start the mixer on a low speed until the sugar is mostly incorporated, and then pause, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add in another cup of sugar. Start slowly again, and then once everything is assimilated, turn up the mixer to high and whip the frosting for about 4 minutes. Pause, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and if it is too loose for your liking, add the remaining cup of sugar. Get that final addition mixed in as well, and whip for another 4 – 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. The key to the texture is patience; You must allow a good amount of time for the mixer to work its magic. Once it’s at the consistency you desire, frost away!

Makes 12 Cupcakes

Printable Recipe

Shaken, Not Stirred

Call it a mere craving, but such a word feels insufficient to describe the intense desire- No, urgent need- for a milkshake at times like these. Silly as it may sound, come midday when the mercury surges up past 100, not a single thing on this planet sounds more appealing. Forget cooking, “uncooking“, or even chopping; I just want to be fed, and I want something sweet and refreshing. A direct order coming straight from my id, there is no reasoning with this forceful thought, and absolutely no talking it down. This New England snow bunny here is positively melting in the summer sun.

That’s why I ultimately braved turning up the oven to 350 on such a sweltering day. Yes, there are many easier ways to make a simple milkshake that don’t involve the oven in the least bit, especially if you have some good ice cream on hand. But despite my raging subconscious impulses, it was still irresistible to take the more difficult route. And let me tell you, that small sacrifice was utterly worth it.

Cookies and creme, arguably one of my favorite ice cream flavors, was the only thing that would really fit the bill. You see, I was always that weird kid who loved making creamy powdered drink mixes because they never fully blended in and left lumps floating on top- Using a spoon, I ate my powdery shakes like a bowl of dessert cereal. Those bits and pieces add so much more than just sweetness and flavor to an otherwise smooth treat like this. It’s that texture that makes this creamy offering so irresistible, so crave-worthy, and so memorable. Finding cookies and creme shakes as a teen was a godsend, filling that need for a milkshake with a bit of crunch and chew without looking like a completely freak.

My version uses a homemade sheet of cookies, broken up into tiny pieces to fulfill that cookie-riddled effect. Best of all, no ice cream is needed for the shake, and thanks to the addition of chia seeds, it’s far and away healthier than the original inspiration. Just try to plan ahead and bake the cookies when it’s cooler- You’ll thank yourself when the craving strikes!

Cookies ‘n Creme Milkshakes

Chocolate Cookie Bits:

1/2 Cup Teff Flour
1/4 Cup Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder
1/4 Cup Roasted Carob Powder
2 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
Pinch Salt
Pinch Ground Cinnamon
2 1/2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Water

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the teff flour, cocoa and carob powder, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Add in the oil and water, and stir to combine. Once the liquids have been fully incorporated, you should have a fairly stiff, thick cookie dough. Transfer that dough to your prepared sheet, and use lightly moistened hands to press it out as thinly as possible. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes, until the top is dry and slightly crackled. Let cool completely before building your milkshake.

Makes enough for 4 milkshakes

For Each Milkshake:

1 Cup Almond Milk
1 Tablespoon Light Agave Nectar
2 Tablespoons Chia Seeds
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
9 – 10 Ice Cubes
1/4 Recipe Chocolate Cookie Bits (See Above)

Take your almond milk, agave, chia seeds, and vanilla, and add them all into your blender. It helps to have a high-powered blender to make this, especially to grind down the ice cubes into a smooth texture, but you can probably get away without it. Turn the blender on low, just to combine everything, and let the mixture sit for about 15 – 30 minutes to allow the chia seeds to hydrate and form a gel.

Once thickened, turn the blender on high, and thoroughly puree until entirely smooth, about 2 minutes for a Vitamix. Add in your ice cubes, and start on low, moving up to high once they’re mostly broken up, until creamy and the mixture looks like slightly melted ice cream. Break up 1/4 of the prepared cookie sheet, and blend just until it’s in small enough pieces to fit in a straw without blocking it. Serve immediately.

Makes 1 shake; Can be multiplied to accommodate up to 4 if your blender has a large enough capacity.

Printable Recipe

Green Grilling

The 4th of July is a holiday of many hats, and stands for a wide range of things to many people: Independence, the birth of a nation, family togetherness, parades, fireworks, and of course, grilling. It just wouldn’t be a celebration without someone whipping out one of those half-round furnaces and incinerating big hunks of meat. Now that sounds like a party, no? …Um, no. I’ve never gotten into the great annual tradition of setting the backyard on fire, and you’d better believe there’s been no meat on my menu for quite a few years now. Typically, I’m the one who provides a side dish for this sort of affair, like samosa potato salad, pesto quinoa salad, or bean dip, but am them relegated to some lame, bland soy pucks that someone scrapped out of the back of their freezer. Well, in the spirit of Independence Day, I’m here to say “no more!” and this time, I’m making my own veggie patties.

More interesting than your average mish-mash of random vegetables and textured soy protein, I went the route of taking the flavors of a crave-worthy salad dressing, green goddess, and translated them into burger form.

If you can operate a food processor, you can make these babies, so there’s no excuse for going the store-bought route yet again this year. Wonderfully flexible and customizable as well, feel free to swap out any herbs you’d like or have on hand, or try using another leafy green vegetable for the spinach; I’m thinking that kale might make an especially tasty substitute.

Though I do bake my burgers in the oven, you can make them in advance as written, keep them in the fridge, and then toss them on a well-oiled grill when you’d like to serve them up. Just be gentle, as they’re a bit more fragile than most mass-produced patties.

Green Goddess Burgers

1/2 Cup Rolled Oats
2 Cloves Garlic
2 Scallions
1 14-Ounce Package Firm Tofu, Drained and Patted Dry
7 Ounces Fresh Baby Spinach
1/4 Cup Fresh Tarragon
1/2 Cup Fresh Chives
1/2 Cup Fresh Parsley
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
Pinch Cayenne Pepper
1/4 Teaspoon Salt

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.

In your blender or food processor, combine the oats, garlic and scallions, and pulse to combine. Once finely minced and no large chunks of raw garlic remain, crumble in the tofu, and follow with the spinach and fresh herbs. Blend briefly to break down all of the greens (it may seem like a lot when you put them in the machine, but they’ll puree down pretty fast.) Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add in the mustard, lemon juice, cumin, cayenne, and salt, and processor one final time. When the mixture is thoroughly combined but still just a little bit chunky, it’s ready to go.

Scoop out 1/3 – 1/2 cup of the mixture onto your prepared sheet for each burger. It will be very wet, so you can’t really “shape” them, but use a spatula to spread the blobs out into as even circles as possible. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes, until darkened in color and they no longer appear wet. They should remain plenty moist on the inside. Let cool for at least 10 minutes on the sheet before serving as desired.

Makes 6 – 8 Burgers

Printable Recipe