Recipe: Glutenfree Pumpkin Tart with Pecan Praline

Thanksgiving is all about celebrating the fall harvest with family and friends, and what better way than with a decadent dessert? This recipe features traditional flavors of pumpkin and warming spices but with a healthy vegan twist.  The luscious and creamy filling is lighter than the dairy version, yet equally delicious.   

When I think of Thanksgiving I think of pies, and this recipe tastes like holidays to me.  Sweet scents waft through the air when this tart is baking in the oven.  The aromatic spices have a warming effect on the body which is perfect for when there's a chill in the air.

It's a three-step process, so you'll need to do a little planning for this recipe.  Start by preparing the crust, and chill it in the freezer for a few minutes before popping it in the oven.  While it's baking, pulse together the pecan praline topping.  When the tart crust is finished baking and has cooled, pour in the pumpkin filling.  Sprinkle with the pecan praline, then pop it back into the oven to finish baking.

Watch me demonstrate how to make this recipe here. 

This is a heavenly treat that guests will not believe is vegan or gluten-free.  With only 2 tablespoons of coconut oil, it's low fat as well, but it tastes decadent nonetheless.

Add this winning dessert to your ThanksLiving menu!

Crust

1 cup almonds

1/2 cup dried shredded coconut

1/2 cup rice flour

2 Tbl coconut oil, softened

1/4 cup agave syrup

1 pinch of sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Oil bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform pan.  Line with a circle of parchment paper and oil both sides of the parchment.  

Pulse nuts and coconut in food processor to form “flour” consistency.  Add flour, coconut oil agave syrup and a pinch of salt and pulse until a ball forms.  Transfer dough to pan and carefully spread evenly, making sure to press it into the sides.  Lightly prick holes into bottom with a fork and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.  Place pan on baking sheet and bake 15-20 minutes or until crust is golden brown and firm.  Remove from oven and set aside while preparing filling and pecan praline topping.

Pecan Praline

1/4 cup vegan sugar

1/4 cup rice flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup pecans 

2 Tbl coconut oil

1/8 tsp sea salt

Pulse together all ingredients in a food processor until pecans are roughly chopped.  

Filling

14 oz. can pumpkin puree

1/2 cup almond milk

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup vegan sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger powder

1/4 tsp allspice

Blend filling ingredients in a food processor until smooth.  Pour into prepared crust and sprinkle with pecan praline topping.  Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes, or until top is firm. Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack.  Chill in refrigerator several hours before serving,  To serve, slice the tart using a thin, sharp knife dipped in cold water.

Recipe: Gluten-free Vegan Blueberry Streusel Muffins

If your freezer is filled with bags of pick-your-own blueberries, this is the recipe you'll want to make when the weather starts getting cooler and you're missing the dog days of summer.  It's the perfect amount of sweetness that makes for a light dessert or yummy breakfast with a cup of hot coffee or chai tea.  The added crunch of toasted almond coconut streusel contrasts with the moist crumble of the cake, giving a very satisfying chew.

I returned to the set of WWLP-TV's "Mass Appeal" in Springfield, MA to demonstrate how to make this delicious recipe. You can see how easy it is to make this recipe by clicking on this link.

With just a 1/2 cup of oil, these muffins are low in fat and their sweetness comes in part from apple sauce mixed into the wet ingredients.  You can probably substitute more applesauce and make them entirely fat-free.

Enjoy some today!

Gluten-free Vegan Blueberry Muffins with Toasted Coconut Almond Streusel

For the Muffins:
1 1/4 cups brown rice flour
1/2 cup garbanzo bean flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1 cup organic cane sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 Tbl ground flax seed mixed with 5 Tbl water
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 Tbl vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
1 cup frozen blueberries

For the Streusel:
1/4 cup slivered almonds
3 Tbl organic cane sugar
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup shredded coconut
pinch of sea salt
1-2 Tbl melted coconut oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine Streusel ingredients in a small bowl then set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together brown rice flour, garbanzo flour, tapioca starch, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, sea salt and cinnamon. Add oil, applesauce, flax seed mixture, almond milk, vanilla and almond extracts and whisk together until combined. The batter should be thick but spoonable. Carefully fold in frozen blueberries. Line muffin tins with papers. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop batter into the papers. Sprinkle about 1 tsp of streusel topping over each muffin and lightly press down to ensure topping adheres to batter. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until tops are springy and sides of muffins are lightly browned. Cool for 5-10 minutes in the pans, then transfer to cooling rack to continue cooling completely. Sprinkle with a pinch of sugar before serving.

 

Vegan Ice Cream Social

Summer is here, and what better way to kick it off than with a good old fashioned ice cream social!  Eleven of us gathered together at Well on Wheels headquarters to learn how to make icecream and feast on a menu featuring strawberry shortcake, four flavors of vegan icecream, double chocolate brownies and coconut whipped cream. I feel like I ate a house. 

 I'm really happy to be able to share delicious food with everyone, and I loved the positive response.

"So delicious, Mary!!!"

"That was quite a treat today!"

"Karen and I had such a wonderful time, and felt so at home with everyone. Thank you so much for hosting such an amazing afternoon, Mary...you're fantastic!!! ...and for the chance to meet such awesome people."

Preparations began nearly a week ahead as I transformed the kitchen into an ice cream production facility.  Recipes were tested and tweaked and flavor combinations invented to create a Five Course Dessert Tasting Menu of pure decadence.  

We started off with a seasonal favorite, Strawberry Shortcake.  This version was made with a spongey, gluten free cake layered in a parfait cup with gorgeous, sweet local strawberries and topped with a luscious coconut whipped cream and mint sprig from my garden.

Then we got into the ice cream.  The next course was a Hot Fudge Sundae made with Maple Bourbon Butter Pecan and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk ice cream.  The scoops sat atop a dense double chocolate gluten free brownie and were topped with a stream of chocolate sauce.    

I think the unanimous favorite was the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk which had a rich and creamy base of full fat coconut milk and was sweetened with coconut sugar which added a hint of caramel flavor, loads of natural peanut butter, and chunks and swirls of chocolate embedded throughout.   

The next course was a Blueberry Streusel ice cream topped with a fresh blueberry sauce, date nut granola, and a dollop of coconut whipped cream.  It was light by comparison, but still super dreamy delicious.  This one would've made Violet Beauregard deliriously happy.

We finished with a demonstration of how to make ice cream.  For this I chose a simple tropical flavor combination of mango and coconut.  I explained the process of incorporating the sugar into the coconut milk, chilling, preparing the ice cream maker, cutting a mango, and starting the churning process.  

After twenty minutes, we had a silky soft serve treat to savor.  Once we cleaned out the container, the real socializing began as we dug our spoons into the remaining ice cream I had prepared.  Seconds?  Thirds?  Who's counting!  

Thank you everyone for making this such a fabulous event. I look forward to hosting more events like this over the summer.  Stay tuned!

Back to Eden Bakery

I'm in Portland this week for the Vida Vegan Con, but I had two days before the festivities begin to explore the city solo.  The first morning was spent wandering around the Rose Test Garden, Japanese Garden, and Arboretum at Washington Park.  Even in the incessant cold rain, it was sublime.

Afternoon hunger pangs lead me to consult my list of vegan restaurants I had compiled prior to leaving for my trip.  The one that drew me in was buckwheat crepes... with vegan nutella.  It seemed like it would be the perfect light lunch that was almost breakfast since I hadn't had my morning sweet fix, aside from an apple.

So I headed to NE Alberta for Suzette Creperie, one of many French themed restaurants in the city, but this one had a vegan section on their menu and came highly recommended on Happy Cow.  I drove through pouring rain and bumper to bumper traffic, then pulled up in front with a sense of victory, only to find that the spot was no longer a creperie, but instead a Middle Eastern cafe.  UG!!  (Note to Happy Cow: please update your site!  Note to self:  Always call ahead!).

Fortunately for me, this section of the city had 2 other vegan options:  a food cart and a gluten-free vegan bakery.  I chose the latter because I needed to sit inside somewhere warm.

And I was glad for the rain.  And the mixup in plans.  Because Back to Eden Bakery was an oasis of sweet and savory treats that were welcome to this weary traveler.

It was difficult to decide what to start with when I searched the array of wraps, tarts, salads, and mini quiches in the display, and there was also soup and biscuits & gravy (yikes!!).  I chose the mini cashew asparagus tart, which was perfectly satisfying.  The filling of creamy cashew had a cheesy, bacony undertone and it sat nicely in a light and flaky crust.  This was a lovely lunch.

Then came the desserts.... I wanted to take the whole case to go, but I restrained myself to just the Rocky Road Mini Cake and the Almond Strawberry Whoopie Pie.  Both were outstanding.

The cake had a moist, dense, yet tender crumb.  It was enrobed in a bittersweet chocolate ganache that was the ideal accompaniment to the super sweet cake. Inside there was a filling of creamy marshmallowy goodness.

For breakfast the next morning, I enjoyed the Whoopie Pie.  This was like two soft almond macaroons filled with a sweet and fruity frosting.  It was quite a sugar shock to the tastebuds first thing in the morning... but I'm not complaining.  It was fabulous.

Back to Eden was a happy accident that I stumbled upon.  And I'm definitely going to plan a return visit for some goodies to take back on the plane home.

Gluten-free Vegan Apple Cider Donut Muffins

Every fall I look forward to the first batch of apple cider produced by a local farm near me.  And every fall I think to myself, "mmm... apple cider donuts."  Back in my pre-vegan days I was addicted to these sweet treats, and when this time of year rolled around, I would always scoop up at least a dozen from the bake shop at Lyman Orchard, "Connecticut's sweet spot."  I've been missing this tradition for years and decided to do something about it when I found myself with a free afternoon on my hands and a quart of cider in my fridge.

I looked for recipes on-line and found one on the Bon Appetit website pulled from Erin McKenna's Babycakes Covers the Classics cookbook (Babycakes Covers the Classics By McKenna, Erin/ Donne, Tara (PHT).  I scoured my cupboard for ingredients and with a few modifications, I was able to pull together the gluten-free recipe.  The only thing missing was the cute donut pan. 

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Instead, I decided to make the recipe in a muffin pan using cupcake liners and a slice of apple in the center to represent the donut hole.  For a first attempt, I think it worked pretty well.  I ended up with a dozen moist and dense donut muffins suitable for dunking.  And they successfully satisfied my apple cider donut craving.  For now.

Next week, I think I'll have to revisit my Grandma's Lithuanian Apple Cake recipe for some more seasonal goodness.  

Apple Cider Donuts

(modified from Erin McKenna's Babycakes Covers the Classics recipe for Plain Cake Donuts)

1/3 cup melted refined coconut oil
1 cup vegan sugar
3/4 cup white rice flour
1/3 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup Ener-G tapioca starch
1/4 cup arrowroot
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. baking soda
6 Tbsp. unsweetened applesauce
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup hot apple cider

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with muffin papers and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, both flours, tapioca starch, arrowroot, baking powder, xanthan gum, salt, and baking soda. Melt the coconut oil with the hot apple cider, and combine with applesauce and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula just to combine. Using a tablespoon, fill each muffin cup about halfway, spreading the batter evenly.  Place an apple slice in the middle of each muffin. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until firm and golden. Let cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes and sprinkle with toppings such as cinnamon sugar or icing, then remove to a cooling rack.

Start by mixing the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, mix together hot cider, coconut oil, applesauce, and vanilla.

Combine with dry ingredients, then pour batter into muffin cups.  Add a slice of apple to the center.

Bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until firm and golden.

Top with cinnamon sugar.

Enjoy!

yummmm...

Ed note:  These are also super-awesome after being frozen and then microwaved for a few seconds to return them to their fresh-from-the oven warm and spicy glory.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

On Mother's Day, I experimented with a recipe for a gluten-free strawberry rhubarb crisp.  I had made a crisp previously with apples but wanted to do something seasonal for this occasion, and when I found fresh red rhubarb at my local market, I decided this would be the perfect filling.

I cut up a quart of fresh strawberries and mixed them with the rhubarb and maple syrup, lemon juice, cinnamon, corn starch, and a pinch of sea salt.  

While the strawberries and rhubarb were macerating, I mixed up the crumble topping in the food processor.  I started by pulsing 1/2 cup of almonds into finely ground almond meal, then added 1/2 cup quinoa flakes, 1/3 cup organic sugar, 1/3 cup coconut oil, 1 tsp cinnamon, and a pinch of sea salt.

Then I sprinkled the crumbly topping over the strawberry rhubarb mixture.

I spread the topping evenly over the surface and patted it lightly into place.

Then I baked it at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until the topping was crisp and browned and the strawberries were bubbling.  I really wanted to dive into it as soon as I pulled it out of the oven, but I waited until it cooled and had set up a bit.

Although the fruit got a little mushier than I'd like, the crumble topping more than made up for it.  This was delicious served with a scoop of So Delicious Turtle Trails coconut ice cream.

Mother's Day Menu

I treated my mom to a home cooked dinner for Mother's Day this weekend, and I think she was happy to not have to lift a finger for a change.  For all that she has done for me over the years, for her love and support, this was just a small token of appreciation.  Thank you, mom, for everything you do!

It was a lovely spring afternoon, the garden was blooming with flowers, and the kitchen was bubbling with delicious flavors.  The plan was for Pasta Primavera as the main course, and when I found a basket of fiddleheads at my local market, I excitedly grabbed a bunch to go into the mix along with asparagus, broccoli, carrots, zucchini, and snap peas.  What a perfect combination!

The colors, tastes, and textures contrasted nicely on the plate.  The pasta was tossed with a creamy basil and arugula pesto, then topped with arugula blossoms.

Dessert featured another seasonal favorite:  rhubarb.  I decided to make a Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp topped with So Delicious Turtle Trails coconut milk ice cream.  Talk about decadent!

As if this wasn't the best part, the highlight came later when we went to see The Beach Boys' 50th reunion concert at the Mohegan Sun Arena.  That was a once in a lifetime experience, and the perfect ending to a fabulous day.

Give Easter a tropical flare with this Mango Tango Flan

Several years ago I was on a quest for the perfect vegan flan recipe, and I decided to take a shot at creating it myself. I was striving for authentic creamy lusciousness, albeit without all the eggs and condensed milk. I think I came pretty close. The key was to cook that caramel syrup almost to the point where you think you've gone too far (I stopped a little too soon and ended up with a soupy syrup in the end), and to heat the soy milk mixture just long enough to melt the agar agar, but not overboil it (lest you want a wedge of rubber on your plate). I made the flan with soy milk, and have since tried modifying the recipe with extra rich Silk creamer and some Tofutti cream cheese for extra creaminess.  I've even done it with coconut milk, which changes the flavor to something more tropical.

Recently I was reminded of my original inspiration for this dessert, a Mango Tango Flan which was more like a loose cheesecake with a nut crust than a custardy flan with caramel top, though nonetheless delicious.  As Easter approaches, I was thinking this would be a festive centerpiece for the dessert table since it's so colorful and flavorful.  This recipe can be found in the Friends of Animals cookbook, The Best of Vegan Cooking by Priscilla Feral (2009), and my original version follows below.

Mango Tango Flan

Crust:

1 cup finely ground walnuts

1/3 cup finely ground rolled oats

1 Tbl corn starch or arrowroot

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup rice flour

1/4 cup maple syrup or agave syrup

1 tsp vanilla

1 Tbl coconut oil, melted

In a food processor, pulse walnuts and oats until they are finely ground.  Pour into a bowl and mix with other dry ingredients.  Stir in maple syrup, vanilla, and oil.  Spread batter into a oiled 8” spring form pan.  This is a sticky batter, so use a spatula (and you may need to wet your fingers to press it into place).  Prick batter with a fork, then bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Set aside to cool.

Filling:

1 cup mango papaya juice

1/2 cup water

1 ripe mango, peeled and diced

1 ripe banana, peeled and diced

2 Tbl agar agar flakes (or 1 1/2 tsp agar powder)

1 12 oz. container firm silken tofu (Mori Nu)

1/2 cup maple syrup or agave syrup

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp turmeric

In a small pot, simmer mango, juice and water on medium high heat for about 1 minute.  Remove from heat and set mango aside in a blender.  Return pot of juice to burner and dissolve agar agar in it.  Bring to a slow boil over medium heat, then simmer for approximately 5 to 10 minutes.  Pour thickened liquid into blender with mango, banana, tofu, syrup, vanilla, salt and turmeric.  Puree until smooth (you may need to do this in batches).  Pour filling into springform pan with cooled crust and refrigerate for several hours before serving.

Glaze:

3 Tbl apricot preserves

2 Tbl water

Heat preserves and water in a small sauce pot until it becomes a liquid.  Bring to a boil for about a minute.  Once filling has set, pour glaze over the top and garnish with “half moon” slices of lime.  

(modified from “Apricot Crème Pie with Caramel Crust,” The Ultimate Un-Cheese Cookbook by Joanne Stepaniak)

Old fashioned Peach "Slump"

I know, I know, it's not a particularly appealing name, but this dessert is heavenly, and even better when it's made with fresh local peaches.  I was fortunate to snag a bunch at the Edgewood Park Farmers Market this weekend and since they were perfectly ripe today, I decided they were ready to transform into something sweet and luscious.

I cut up the gorgeous peaches into wedges, then laid them in an 8" x 8" baking dish and sprinkled with some cinnamon.

I topped the peaches with the slump mixture, which was kinda like a runny muffin recipe, the batter filling in the crevices between the peaches.

When it cooks in the oven, the juice releases from the peaches and melds with the batter, creating an oozy, creamy pudding-like cake that tastes more decadent than it is (there's only about 2 Tbl of oil and 1/2 cup of sugar in there).

The end result is a sweet and comforting dessert perfect for a chilly late summer evening.

And it will probably make a pretty yummy breakfast tomorrow morning, I'm guessing.