Torta Sbrisolona

Back in 2011, I made a Torta Sbrisolona, and we really liked it. It was supposedly a dessert, but we treated it more like a sweet bread - one that you might eat for breakfast or with tea or in a cafe. Again, it was another recipe that used animal products, so I no longer could eat it. Given that the remaining child at home had the same exact complaints (it has nuts and is crunchy), but the adults loved it, I'd say my vegan version is a success!

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp ground flax meal
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 cups whole wheat flour
2/3 cup medium yellow cornmeal (I used Bob's Red Mill medium cornmeal)
2/3 cup fine yellow cornmeal (I used Alber's cornmeal)
1 cup chopped almonds
1 cup caster sugar or baker's sugar
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 cup vegan butter, cubed, plus extra for greasing
sifted icing or powdered sugar for dusting


Directions:

1. Whisk the 3 tablespoons flax meal with 1/2 cup water and 1 tablespoon vanilla. Place in refrigerator for 15 minutes.
2. Heat the oven to 350ºF and grease a 10 in round or square cake pan. 
3. In a very large mixing bowl (minimum 6 quarts, bigger is better), combine the plain wheat flour, the two cornmeals, plus the almonds, sugar and lemon zest.
4. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
5. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the flax and vanilla mixture. 
6. Give it a brief stir, then quickly finish working the dry ingredients into the wet using your hands to give a solid, pastry-like dough. Do not knead the dough; work it until it only just comes together.
7. Press the dough into the prepared pan to no more than 1" - 1 1/2" depth. Smooth the surface over a little but leave it dimpled as this will enhance the crumbly texture. 
8. Bake for 35-45 minutes until the top is just starting to brown. 
9. Leave the cake to cool in the pan. 
10. Dust with sifted icing sugar and break into chunks to serve.

Other details:

• Serves 8-12.
• This cake is traditionally smashed in the center to be devoured in crumbling chunks with sticky wines or grappa.
• Hazelnuts are sometimes used in place of, or in conjunction with, the almonds.

Ebelskiver (Danish Filled Pancake)

We've been having Aebelskivers for a long, long time. On the theme of making things I loved prior to becoming vegan something I will eat now, I found a vegan Ebelskiver recipe. 

The top photo shows some of the fillings I used this time around: strawberry jam, peanut butter, blueberries, dark chocolate chips, and the pumpkin cream cheese filling from the recipe linked above. I topped with powdered sugar, maple syrup, and soy whip.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp ground flax seed 
3 Tbsp water
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups vanilla almond milk 
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp agave
4 Tbsp vegan butter, melted
1 Tbsp vanilla
cooking spray

Directions:
Making Batter

1. Prepare the flax egg by whisking the ground flax seed in the water and set aside in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
2. Warm your Ebelskivar pan over medium or medium-low heat.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
4. In another bowl, whisk together the milk and lemon juice. Let sit for a few minutes. Whisk again, add the agave, butter, and vanilla, and combine.
5. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Add the flax egg, whisking to combine.

Making and Cooking the Ebelskivers

1. Spray the pan with cooking spray. If it turns brown, your pan is too hot. Lower the heat if need be.
2. Fill each well half-full with batter.
3. Add 1 teaspoon to 1 Tablespoon of filling to the batter, then fill remaining well with batter. Be quick!
4. Cook until the sides are golden brown and the top is bubbling (like regular pancakes.) It takes a couple minutes.
5. Turn the ebeskivers over using special turning tools, two spoons, two chopsticks, or another device. Cook through. 
6. Remove from pan, cover with toppings, and serve!

Notes:

• Makes about 27 (just shy of 3 servings in my house).
• You need an Ebelskiver pan to make these. 

Peanut Butter Cookies

Looking for very peanut buttery peanut butter cookies? Look no farther. I modified these from a recipe we've been making since we were married. It's a very easy recipe. 

Ingredients:
½ cup softened Earth Balance butter
½ cup peanut butter (only nuts, no other ingredients)
½ cup white sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 Ener-G egg or flax egg (1 Tbsp flax meal)
water
1 ¼ cup flour
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Soften butter as long as necessary.
2. Make the Ener-G egg or flax egg.
3. Preheat oven to 350º.
4. Cream butter, sugars, peanut butter, and Ener-G egg together.
5. Stir in dry ingredients. 
6. Roll into balls and distribute on cookie sheet. 
7. Dip fork in four and crisscross over each cookie ball. 
8. Bake at 350º for 10 to 12 minutes. 
9. Watch! These go from not-quite-done to overdone in less than 1 minute!

Note:

• Both the Ener-G egg and flax egg work. However, the Ener-G egg lets the peanut butter flavor shine through more.

Spicy Walnut Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp ground flax meal
6 Tbsp water
1 1/3 cup sugar 
1/3 cup vegetable oil 
2 cups flour 
1 tsp. baking soda 
1/2 tsp. baking powder 
Dash salt 
1/2 tsp. cinnamon 
1/2 tsp. ginger 
1/2 tsp. ground cloves 
1 grated zucchini (grocery store size)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions: 

1. Add flax meal to water, whisk, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350.
3. Beat sugar into flax meal. 
4. Add oil and mix well. 
5. Sift together dry ingredients. 
6. Stir dry ingredients to wet.
7. Stir in zucchini. 
8. Beat until batter is very smooth.
9. Stir in walnuts.
10. Pour into greased 9x5 loaf pan. 
11. Bake for 60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into middle turns out clean. 
12. Turn out onto wire rack to cool.

Notes:

If you have home grown zucchinis, use 1 cup grated zucchini.

Chocolate Chunk Buckwheat Cookies (Vegan)

I made a version of these before. These are a vegan adaptation of them. I think these turned out better. The top photo is of the dough on the pan, and the bottom is of finished cookies cooling on the rack. They are yummy warm or cooled. They are yummy two days later. 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vegan stick butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp ground flax seed
3 tbsp water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buckwheat groats
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped into 1/2 inch chucks

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 375°F.
2. Make flax egg by mixing 1 tbsp ground flax seed with 3 tbsp water in a small bowl. Put into fridge for 15 minutes. It should then have an egg consistency.
3. In a stand mixer or bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla, and almond extract until well mixed.
4. In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, salt and buckwheat, and add to the butter mixture, beating to incorporate. When the flour is mixed in, add the chocolate and stir until combined.
5. Drop 2-tablespoon-size balls of dough onto ungreased sheet pans, leaving 3 inches of space between the balls. The cookies will spread while baking.
6. Bake for 6 minutes, reverse the position of the pans in the oven, then bake for 4 to 6 minutes more. A pale, soft center surrounded by golden brown cookie is the desired result.
7. Let the cookie cool on the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks with a spatula. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container for up to a week.

Other Details:

• Makes a dozen cookies 
• Although I got a baker's dozen