World Wide Vegan

In June I spent three and a half weeks with my daughter-in-law and granddaughters while she recovered from surgery. After 2 weeks she was feeling well enough to do some cooking and she decided to make vegan cupcakes. I don't do much baking so I suppose she and my granddaughters were feeling deprived of some down-home sugar confections.

She came up with just the right recipe, Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting. The cakes were fluffy and light while providing just the right amount of peanut butter flavor. The chocolate frosting was the perfect compliment creating a blissful blending of classic flavors. Our whole family enjoyed the summer treat - even our non-vegan family members. Before the week was out we made 2 more batches just to keep up with the demand.

Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

Cupcakes:
3/4 c. vanilla soy milk
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
1/3 cup canola oil
2/3 cup raw sugar
2 Tbs. pure maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir vinegar into soy milk and set aside. In mixing bowl, mix together peanut butter, oil, sugar, maple syrup and vanilla. Add milk-vinegar mixture and blend it in. Sift in the flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Stir together until just combined. Don't over blend.

Fill lined muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool on racks before frosting.

Frosting:
1/2 cup margarine, softened
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3 Tbs. vanilla soy milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Blend together margarine and cocoa powder until creamy. Add soy milk. Add powdered sugar in small batches and blend well until you reach desired consistency. Add vanilla and beat about three minutes until light and fluffy.

For fun you can clip the corner of a plastic, zip-lock bag, filled with frosting and swirl frosting onto cupcakes.

Labels: chocolate, frosting, peanut butter, vegan cupcakes, Vegetarian

Paris is a city that truly lives up to its reputation. It is beautiful, romantic and the food is fresh and fabulous. Hotels however have had a long time reputation for being small, expensive and often without private facilities. I haven't had trouble finding a hotel in Paris with private facilities. And because I am willing to spend a little more to have a large room and bath in a great location my only complaint is the lack of a hot plate.

Consequently nearly all of our meals have to be eaten out. Luckily there are places all over the city to buy fresh fruit and bread that can be taken back to your hotel and eaten for breakfast or as a light snack.

One thing that most tourists want to indulge in as soon as they walk off the plane is an authentic French chocolate crepe. Unfortunately for vegans, the crepes are made with milk and eggs and the chocolate filling is simply Nutella which is made with milk and whey. So, you may choose not to eat a chocolate crepe in Paris, but don't despair, I have put together the best French, chocolate crepe recipe for vegans that you can make at home.

Tip: I recommend getting your fill a day or two before leaving for Paris so that you don't feel deprived once you get there.


Vegan Crepes

1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup melted margarine
1 1/2 tablespoon turbinado sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Blend together all ingredients. Cover and chill the mixture for 2 hours. (I make it in the evening and chill it until morning.)

Use non stick spray on a large skillet. Heat the skillet. Pour batter into skillet and swirl it to make a thin round crepe. Cook until golden, then loosen edges and flip.

Vegan Nutella-Style Chocolate filling:

2 cups whole raw hazelnuts
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup vegetable oil more or less
1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat toaster oven to 350 degrees.
Toast nuts in a single layer on baking pan until the skins are almost black and the meat is dark brown, about 15 minutes. Stir the nuts halfway through baking so ensure an even color.

Wrap the cooled hazelnuts in a kitchen towel or paper towel, and rub until most of the bitter skins have come off.

Process nuts in a food processor, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally, until they have liquefied, about 5 minutes. At first, you will get coarsely chopped nuts, and then it will turn into a fine meal. After a little while, the nuts will form a ball around the blade, and you have a solid mass. Keep processing. The heat and friction will extract the natural oils creating hazelnut butter.

Add in the sugar, cocoa and vanilla. Slowly drizzle in enough oil to make a spreadable consistency. The chocolate will thicken as it cools.

Creating the French Crepe:

Spread a thin layer of chocolate filling on one half of the crepe. Fold the crepe over the filling creating a half circle shape. Fold the crepe in half again creating a quarter circle. Then roll the folded crepe into a funnel shape. Eat immediately.

Labels: chocolate, filling, French Crepe, Paris, Vegan, Vegetarian