Hey everybody, what’s up?! This year is quickly coming to a close and I’m still back a few months trying to reach the present… My holiday cookie baking intentions are simmering somewhere in outer space (well, except for a few batches I managed to whip up last weekend). I mentioned in a previous post that I would be reviewing My Sweet Vegan by the lovely Hannah Kaminsky and this post is dedicated to that decadently yummy book.
Lately I have been trying to reduce my sugar intake so this review was a test of my will power against sweets. Don’t misunderstand, I do love treats, but my body responds much differently than my taste buds. Anyways, Hannah’s book is impressive from the start. An extensive ingredient guide will familiarize you with items you may not know much about. There is a color photograph accompanying each recipe (taken by Hannah herself!) so you know how the final treat should look. The recipes range from muffins, scones, cakes, pies, tarts, crumbles, and even parfaits!!! There is definitely a recipe for everybody (and a food allergy index at the back of the book to help you choose appropriately) and every season. I have made a handful of wonderful recipes from My Sweet Vegan: Whoopie Pies, Rootbeer Float Cupcakes, Power Hungry Granola, and Orange Hazelnut Biscotti. Several recipes are marked for future baking binges: Strawberry Spirals, Sweet & Simple French Toast, and Dried Fruit Focaccia. While the ingredients for the recipes can be expensive to purchase and are not always in your pantry, it is fun to whip up some seriously indulgent desserts once in awhile. I keep my copy on hand for special occasions and have found that you can make them a bit healthier by substituting different flours, milks, sweeteners, etc. But, it is a dessert book, so don’t expect low fat recipes!!! Treat yourself, friends, family, and co-workers!!!! Yes indeed.
Orange Hazelnut Biscotti – pretty addictive and perfectly enhanced with orange zest and juice. Have some with a cup of tea, why don’t you?
And here comes the best part – I am giving away one copy of My Sweet Vegan to a lucky reader (thanks to Alisa from Go Dairy Free for providing the copy)!!!!! Woohoo! I meant to have the giveaway earlier so I could mail the book out before the holidays, but we bake all year, so I guess it doesn’t matter much, right? Good! To enter the drawing, just leave a comment telling me your favorite baked treat (recipe links would be awesome!!!). I will happily ship overseas so don’t let that stop you from trying to win!!! I will choose a winner on Wednesday, December 30th. Hurry up already and leave a comment!!!! Get excited to bake up some seriously sweet treats!!!! Good luck!
I hope everybody enjoys the remainder of 2009. I am partial to even numbers, so I am mighty happy about the approach of 2010. Best wishes to each of you in 2010.
Dreena Burton’s chocolate chip cookies!! I just made them last night, too.
http://viveleveganrecipes.blogspot.com/2006/01/homestyle-chocolate-chip-cookies.html
Hmmm, I think my favourite baked treat might just be the raspberry chocolate cake from Vegan with a Vengeance – hard to say, we bake so many desserts! :) Instead of putting the raspberries on their own layer, we just put them into the cake mix like chocolate chips. Mmmm….
I love baking and really love too many things to choose just one. I do have to say I’m not a big chocolate cake fan, I’m more partial to vanilla, or pretty much anything else.
I will say though that at this exact moment I’m drooling over this: http://veggout.blogspot.com/2008/04/my-best-attempt-at-replicating-old.html and really contemplating going out to buy tons of soymilk to make sweetened condensed soymilk for it.
I prefer even numbers too haha, but I thought I was weird for having a preference as to how numbers “feel” to me.
Happy Holidays !
I love this bread!
http://healthy-delicious.com/2009/09/fat-free-pumpkin-gingerbread/
I like to make my own version of banana bread that requires no added sweetness (no sugar, no honey, etc) but lots of bananas and also yogurt and eggs to make it super moist and tasty! Ok ok… sometimes I add chocolate chips!
These are always a crowd-pleaser, my family loves them:
http://theppk.com/recipes/dbrecipes/index.php?RecipeID=111
I have too many to list. But since it’s Christmas it has got to be mince pies. I’ve modified Nigella Lawson’s recipes for this Christmas and have eaten many of them!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/startoppedmincepies_90618.shtml
for the dough and
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/cranberrystuddedminc_90619.shtml
for the filling.
Lizzie.
I have too many favorite recipes to name them all, but I always love a good chocolate chip cookie. Great giveaway!
I think my favourite are my mother’s brownies. The recipe (veganized) is as follows:
1.5 cups flour
1.5 cups sugar
½ tsp salt
12 oz chocolate chips
2 egg replacers
½ tsp baking soda
2/3 cup vegan butter
4 T. water
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup nuts (optional)
Combine sugar, water, and butter over medium heat. Add 6 oz chocolate chips and vanilla. Stir. Add egg replacer. Mix dry ingredients and add to batter. Add remaining chocolate chips and nuts. Bake at 325 for 30-35 minutes.
I top these with a peanut butter/vegan cream cheese swirl, a dusting of powdered sugar, or vegan ice cream.
I love granola with soy yogurt, but only those with big clumps – like the hemp-anola from Dreena Burton (recipe from Eat, Drink and be Vegan and now also available on her blog).
One of my favorite baked good is cranberry pumpkin bread, found at http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/specialty/libbys-detail-pcb.aspx, which I veganize with egg replacer, and cut down on the oil & sugar. Definitely use the frozen or fresh cranberries. It’s yummy all year round, but seems appropriate during the winter. It’s great for potlucks, to give as gifts, etc.
I like the basic scone recipe from Vegan with a Vengeance. When I’m feeling extra crazy, I’ll add some chocolate to it. But I think they are the best plain with some tasty homemade jam from a super rad friend.
my favorite baked treat that is non-vegan is pistachio biscotti, but for a vegan treat, mine is defnitely the peanut butter and jelly bread that i baked!! Check out the link here:
http://luckytastebuds.wordpress.com/2009/12/12/peanut-butter-jelly-banana-bread/
I hope i win!!! I love vegan treats though i’m not vegan. :) Strictly speaking.
Mm that biscotti looks divine! Perfect for my morning coffee :) Favorite baked treat (at the moment) is a slice of chocolate cherry cheesecake (vegan of course!). But I think that changes daily :)
Lately I can’t keep these in the house:
http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=6391.0
I leave out the cinnamon and add pecans. Yum!
i know i’m just saying it’s my favorite because i made it last week, but…
my favorite baked dessert is a version of this tart (recipe by hannah kaminsky!):
http://www.godairyfree.org/Recipes/Dairy-Free-Desserts/Cashew-Creme-Pear-Tart-Vegan-Gluten-Free-Soy-Free.html
i make something similar, but with no spices, and with soy yogurt, fresh mint, and lemon zest mixed into the cashew cream. maybe i’ll try her version next!
i’ve been making ginger coconut cookies lately that have been amazing! they are perfect with a cup of tea. i use dreena burton’s homestyle choc chip cookies recipe but reduce the sugar and instead of choc chips add dried coconut and little chunks of ginger. Hope someone else can enjoy this~ Happy Holidays! and thanks for the giveaway!!
http://madcapcupcake.wordpress.com/2009/10/30/best-chocolate-chip-cookies-ever/
favorite chocolate chip cookie ever…so much so that i avoid making them as best as i can!
My current favorite baked good is Snickerdoodles. I am on a search for the absolute perfect recipe. I think I’ve tried around four different recipes in the last couple of months…all come close, but none are perfect just yet. The search continues… :)
My favorite holiday baked good is struffoli and my vegetarian mom just made me a vegan version; the first time I’ve had it in TEN YEARS!
http://a-soy-bean.blogspot.com/2009/12/vegan-struffoli.html
I love orange and chocolate biscotti!
not like i can really pick a favorite. but i’ll go with cake, and today it’s red velvet cake from vctotw, yum. hannah’s cookbook is at the top of my list, i really hope i win! thanks.
I’ve only entered the vegan baking club not long ago and it’s still searching for a good double chocolate chip cookie recipe.
I absolutely love the Tiramisu from Urban Vegan.
Thanks for your thoughtful review, I’m so happy you liked the book! Awesome of you to do a giveaway too… Can’t wait to see who wins. :)
Happy holidays!
favorite baked good? well, they’re not baked, but the raw carrot cake bites at soap & chocolate are scrumptious!
Would love to try this book out. My favorite baked dessert of the moment was the veganized mincemeat (actually apples and raisins, for those who don’t know) pie that I had Christmas Eve.
From “The Joy of Vegan Baking”….cinnamon coffee cake. So incredibly delicious, I could eat it all day!
Hey there!
My girlfriend is a vegan, so I am learning to eat with her and to cook for her!
This would be perfect!
This is the first vegan/gluten free dessert recipe I tried and they were out of this world rich and delicious. ..
http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2007/10/vegan-chocolate-chip-cookies-and.html#ixzz0LMU4osKu&C
Oh, I forgot my favorite treat!
It’s a Plantain Omelet I got from this book: Vegan Fusion World Cuisine.
My mom’s orange bread, which includes an entire pulverized orange. Such a mess to make, but incredibly delicious!
my favorite treat is my grandma’s banana nut bread.
My mom used to make a toffee that was out of this world. She first tasted it at her friend’s home, but that person would not give her the recipe, just the ingredients. My mom experimented for years to get it right, and I remember how thrilled she was when she got it nailed. My mom died unexpectedly a few years ago; my sister and I never wrote down the recipe, so that toffee will forever remain just a sweet memory.
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