Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Crust

There's something about Fall weather that just makes me crave pumpkin... And with Thanksgiving coming next weekend there's really no better reason for breaking out a yummy pumpkin pie recipe! I found this one online a few years back and therefore can't credit the author, but if I could, I'd tell them that this recipe is one of my favorites of the season!

The recipe itself is very quick and easy to make. I especially like the pecan crust as I haven't had luck with traditional crusts in the past so I tend to avoid them. I've made it a few times now and each time the pie sets really nicely, making a thick and smooth texture. Because the pie is only sweetened with a half cup of maple syrup, it's not too sweet, allowing the flavour of the pumpkin and other seasonal spices shine!!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with your friends and family...and don't forget good food too!!

Ingredients

Pecan Crust
3/4 cup pecan halves
3/4 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons real maple syrup

Pie Filling
1 cup soy milk (or other non-dairy milk)
1/4 cup arrowroot powder or cornstarch
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup real maple syrup
1/2 - 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (add to your taste)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions

Set rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly oil a 9 inch pie plate. Set aside.

Spread nuts over a baking pan. Toast for 7 to 10 minutes, or until the smell of nuts fills the kitchen. Set aside 16 pecan halves for garnish.

Combine oats, flour, remaining pecans, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt in a food processor bowl. Pulse until mixture becomes a coarse meal. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Whisk together oil and maple syrup and mix into dry ingredients to form a soft dough. Press mixture into prepared pie plate. Crimp edges. Bake for 10 minutes, and set aside to cool.

Blend soymilk and arrowroot/cornstarch in the food processor until the arrowroot is completely dissolved and the mixture is smooth, about 15 seconds. Add pumpkin, maple syrup, ginger, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and cloves; process until thoroughly blended. Pour filling into baked crust, and smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake for about 35-40 minutes, or until the crust is lightly browned and the outside inch of the filling is set. Don't worry if the center is still soft; it firms up as the pie cools. Transfer pie to a wire the rack. Gently press toasted pecan halves into hot filling in 2 concentric circles. Cool to room temperature, and then chill until set, at least 3 hours to overnight. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Maple Banana Loaf

FRUIT FLIES!! Arg!! Is anyone else dealing with this mid-summer pest? Over the past few days they've declared war over our kitchen and so far, they're winning! Isn't it amazing how fast they reproduce?! I mean seriously!! I realized quickly that the super-ripe bananas sitting in the fruit bowl was not helping our cause. Hmmm, alright, if I have to...I'll make banana bread...twist my rubber arm!

This loaf is my go-to recipe for banana bread. It's a Dreena Burton recipe, and as always, it's low in sweetener, uses whole grain flour, and turns out perfectly moist and delicious every time! The bread is spiced just right and is complemented so nicely with the sweetness from the maple syrup and banana. Oh, and you may have noticed the little bits of chocolate in the picture...yeah, chocolate and bananas are a match made in heaven if you ask me! Also try adding nuts like pecans or walnuts, they all work really well with this recipe.

Sliced bread freezes really nicely, as do muffins*...they're great to have on hand in the freezer when you want a nice treat.

Now you too have a strategy to conquer the fruit flies in your kitchen! You're welcome! ;)

Maple Banana Loaf

Ingredients
1 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp fresh nutmeg, grated (or ground nutmeg)
couple pinches of salt
1/4 cup chocolate chips and/or nuts of your choice (optional)
1 cup very ripe bananas, mashed (usually about 2-4 bananas)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp vanilla or plain non-dairy milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp canola oil

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients (including chocolate chips and nuts), sifting in baking powder and baking soda. Mix well. In a separate bowl, combine mashed banana with maple syrup, soy milk, vanilla extract and oil. Mix until just combined (do not overmix).

Pour into a lightly oiled 9"x5" loaf pan and bake for 45-50 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

*For muffins, bake at 375 degrees for 19-23 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

Enjoy!

This recipe is from Dreena Burton's The Everyday Vegan

B-raw-nies

Every Spring I get the urge to do a bit of a diet cleanse...meaning for three weeks I tighten up my diet by eating more veggies and completely avoiding all caffeine, alcohol, sugar and anything processed. This helps realign my diet after a long winter of maybe not the best eating habits...and it doesn't hurt with the upcoming tank top and bikini season either!!

Anyway, we started this cleanse last week and all was going great...until yesterday - it was my and my husband's fourth wedding anniversary! We wanted to have a special dinner at home while sticking to our cleanse. We decided to have one of our favorites, pasta dinner - but we still needed a dessert! I remembered a recipe I had recently seen on my favorite vegan chef, Dreena Burton's blog, that met the criteria... Hallelujah, it was a hit, a big hit!

This brownie recipe is brilliant! It's completely raw, has no flour, sugar or added oils, and is very easy! Believe me people, I know my chocolate brownies, I consider myself an expert in this area...and these can compete with your best cooked version any day of the week! They are moist, nutty, and super chocolatey! And the icing has the slightest hint of coconut that pairs so perfectly with the brownie base. Now, for those of you on a real diet, keep in mind, these are not calorie free...not even close...but they are a completely whole food, raw, gluten free and healthy alternative. I highly recommend trying them!!!

Brownie base:
1 cup raw almonds (see note)
1/4 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup raw walnuts
1 3/4 cups (packed) pitted medjool dates (see note)
1/4 cup dried organic pitted cherries (OR more dates, i.e. can use 2 cups dates in whole - omit almond extract if not using cherries)
1/3 cup raw cocoa powder (or regular cocoa if you prefer)
1 vanilla bean (or regular vanilla extract, see note)
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)

Frosting:
1/2 cup coconut butter (not coconut oil; I used Artisana coconut butter found at my local health food store or Farmboy)
1/4 cup agave nectar
2 tbsp raw cocoa powder (or regular if you prefer)
pinch sea salt

Directions:
In a food processor, first add almonds and cashews and process until very fine (the almonds are the hardest, and need to be worked until crumbly). Then add walnuts, dates and cherries and pulse/process until mixture is quite crumbly, but not yet coming together. Then, add cocoa powder, salt, and almond extract, and pulse through.

If using vanilla bean - with a sharp tip knife, slice the vanilla bean down the outer side to open up the bean. Using a blunt (butter) knife, scrape out all the tiny seeds from the bean on both sides, and add them to the processor (or add vanilla extract). Process again, along with the almond extract if using.

Process until the mixture starts to come together but do not overmix so that the nuts release their oils (see note). Then remove the mixture and press into a brownie pan (8” x 8”) lined with parchment paper. Use a small piece of the parchment to help press and flatten the mixture evenly into the pan.

For the frosting, in a mini-food processor, first combine the coconut butter and agave nectar until smooth. Then add the cocoa powder and salt, and pulse through again until just combined. Do not overprocess or the frosting will begin to separate with the heat of the churning and become oily. (If you don’t have a mini-processor, you can follow the same steps stirring by hand in a bowl). Smooth frosting over base, and refrigerate for an hour or more until set.

Cut into squares and serve! You can also freeze the squares after cutting, and enjoy them out of the freezer!

(Note: A combination of ¾ cup almonds and ½ cup cashews also works well.)

(Note: You can substitute 1 – 1 ½ tsp of pure vanilla extract for the vanilla bean seeds.)

(Note: If your dates are on the dry side, you can add 1-2 tbsp of water to the mixture to help assist the pureeing and the mixture easily coming together.)

(Note: If you process the mixture too long, the heat generated by the food processor will bring the oils out of the nuts. If this happens, the brownies won’t be ruined necessarily, but they will have an oily appearance and be oily to the touch. So, process minimally to begin, rather than over processing the nuts at the outset.)

I got this recipe from Dreena Burton's blog, Eat, Drink and be Vegan. It's such a great resource, so I highly recommend you check it out.

Who wants Brownies?

If you're anything like me...brownies are one of those treats that are perfect for just about any occasion! My favorite way to eat them is slightly warmed up with a big scoop of ice cream on top (try this brand!).

These brownies are just the way I like them, slightly crispy on top and ooey gooey fudgy in the middle! They taste sinful, but really, compared to other recipes, they're not all that bad! I'm not saying you should eat them for breakfast of course, but everyone needs to indulge in a nice decadent treat every now and then. Are you with me?? Thought so!!

So go ahead, make these tonight...it's Monday, and nothing makes Mondays slightly more tolerable than a nice warm fudgy brownie! Here's the recipe!

Ingredients

3/4 cup all-purpose flour*
1/3 cup more all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour*
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp unrefined sugar
1/3 cup ground chocolate chips (grind in a food processor)
1/2 tsp sea salt (a little generous)
1 Tbsp arrowroot powder OR cornstarch
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp plain soy milk or other plain non-dairy milk
3 Tbsp pure maple syrup
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, sift together the flours, cocoa powder and baking powder. Add the sugar, chocolate chips, and salt, and stir until well combined.

In a separate bowl, combine the arrowroot with several tablespoons of the milk, stirring through until smooth, then add the remaining milk and other wet ingredients and stir until well combined.

Add the wet mixture to the dry, and stir through for about 1/2 minute or so (the batter will be quite thick). Pour evenly into a lightly oiled (or lined with parchment paper) 8x8 inch baking pan.

Bake for 23-25 minutes, then remove from oven and let cool in the pan, running a spatula around the outer edge to loosen. Once cooled, cut into squares.

Makes 12-16 brownies
* For wheat-free brownies, use white spelt flour, but add an extra 2-
3 Tbsp (in addition to the 3/4 cup + 1/3 cup)
Enjoy!

This recipe is from Dreena Burton's Vive le Vegan

Coconut Cake

In the past, when it came to cake, I would usually go for the standards, chocolate, vanilla, or to spice it up, marble! But on one occasion I was looking for something with a little hint of the tropics for a dinner I was making - alas I found this Coconut Cake! It has since become one of my favorites!

As always, I love it because it's so easy and always turns out perfect! And it works really well without any icing, so you save yourself a couple steps there. Instead of icing, I make a really simple lemon glaze and pour it on top of the cake once it cools. The sweet lemony flavour perfectly complements the delicate coconut, and as a bonus, it adds extra moisture to the cake (but it's certainly not necessary). You can serve it just like this, or sometimes, I like to top the slice with some warm blueberry compote - again, pairing perfectly with the coconut and lemon flavours!! All these recipes are included below - mix and match, or even try it with your favourite icing!


Ingredients
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup unrefined sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 cups plain non-dairy milk
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 - 1/2 tsp almond extract (or 1/4 tsp each of almond and coconut extracts)
1 1/2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup canola oil

Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In large bowl, combine dry ingredients, including coconut, sifting in flour, baking powder, and baking soda, and mix until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine non-dairy milk, applesauce, vanilla and almond extracts, lemon juice, and oil.
- Add wet mixture to dry, and stir until well-combined (do not overmix).
- Lightly oil a bundt pan, angel food cake pan, or 2 round cake pans. Pour batter evenly into cake pan(s).
- If using a bundt or angel food cake pan, cook for 35-40 min (until toothpick comes out clean). If using two round cake pans, cook for 23-26 minutes.


Lemon Glaze
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice

Combine and mix well until there are no lumps. Prick all around cake with long skewer and drizzle glaze over the whole cake.

Warm Blueberry Compote
1 cup frozen or fresh blueberries
1/4 cup maple syrup

Combine in a small saucepan. Gently heat at a medium temperature and mash blueberries as it heats. Bring to a gentle boil and remove from heat. Spoon over slices of cake immediately.

Enjoy!

This cake recipe is from Dreena Burton's Eat, Drink and be Vegan!

Chocolate Chip and Peanut Butter Cookies

Finding that perfect cookie recipe can lead to a lifelong search. I know I've never been completely content with most recipes I've tried...they were always too thin, too sweet, too hard or too dry. And when I removed the eggs and dairy components, I figured it would be even harder to find the perfect cookie!

Well, wasn't I surprised when these unsuspecting recipes resulted in perfect cookies! Really, it's true! They both have the perfect texture - thick and chewy; and taste amazing - not too sweet but with a lot of peanut butter and chocolaty flavour!

Although I wouldn't call these cookies "healthy", they are a "healthier" version of the standard cookie recipe, using only minimal sugar and maple syrup :) Both cookies will work well with whole wheat flour...and if you'd like to make a wheat-free version, you can substitute spelt flower - just add an extra 1/4 cup!

What else can I say to convince you to try these babies!? I mean, they're cookies!! But if you need an extra vote of confidence - I'll tell you that I'm currently on vacation right now, visiting family out East. We arrived here on Sunday evening with a double batch of both cookies, since then I've made another two double batches of the chocolate chip cookies...it's only Friday people!! Believe me, you (and your guests) will love them!!

TIP! - Once your cookies have cooled, tear up a couple pieces of bread and put them in the container with your cookies. This will guarantee soft and chewy cookies everytime!!

Peanut "Better" Cookies



Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup + 1-2 tbsp natural peanut butter
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 tsp blackstrap molasses (adds a buttery flavour, but not critical)
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp canola oil

Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a bowl, sift in the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add the sugar and salt, stir until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine the 1/2 cup peanut butter with maple syrup, molasses, and vanilla, then stir in the oil until well combined.
- Add the wet mixture to the dry, stir through, as it is coming together, stir in the remaining peanut butter (leaving bits of peanut butter throughout the batter).
- Lightly roll spoonfuls of the batter into a ball and place on a baking sheet (lined with parchment or lightly greased), press with the tines of a fork.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes, until just golden (I usually only need 9 minutes). Immediately (to prevent overcooking) remove from baking tray and place on a cooling rack.


Homestyle Chocolate Chip Cookies


Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 tsp blackstrap molasses
1 - 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup canola oil (a little generous)
1/3 cup non-dairy chocolate chips (most are non-dairy actually!)

Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a bowl, sift in the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add the sugar and salt, stir until well combined. Add chocolate chips and stir well.
- In a separate bowl, combine the maple syrup, molasses, and vanilla, then stir in the oil until well combined.
- Add the wet mixture to the dry, stir through until just well combined (do not overmix).
- Place spoonfuls of the batter on a baking sheet (lined with parchment or lightly greased) - you may need to lightly roll the batter so that it sticks together well, then lightly flatten.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes, until just golden (I usually only need 9 minutes). Immediately (to prevent overcooking) remove from baking tray on to a cooling rack.

Enjoy!


Both recipes are from Dreena Burton's Vive le Vegan!

Double Layer Chocolate Cake with Creamy Chocolate Frosting

Ok people, who doesn't like chocolate cake? Right, just as I expected...no one! Good! Let's get on with this post then...

There's a common misconception that vegan baking is similar to eating cardboard...bland and dry. Well, as a lover of all things sweet and dessert-like, I'll be the first to tell you that that's completely untrue. I've made countless desserts using no eggs, butter, or milk and they always turn out fantastic!

This double layer chocolate cake with chocolate frosting is moist, flavourful, and very easy to make! It's one of my all-time favourites! And there's a fun secret about the frosting that will shock anyone who tastes it...it's made with tofu!! Yup, the frosting is the best part of the cake and it's simply tofu and melted chocolate! Your party guests will NEVER believe you! Make sure you get the SILKEN tofu though, rather than the usual block tofu you might fry up in a stir-fry, this stuff is soft and creamy when blended, and it's specially made for desserts! You can usually find this stuff on the shelf at your grocery store and natural food store, just ask if you're unsure.

Ingredients:

Cake Batter
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups unrefined sugar
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 3/4 cups water
2 tbsp rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup canola oil

Frosting
2 pckgs (349-g) SILKEN extra-firm tofu, patted dry
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups (generous) non-dairy chocolate chips

Directions:
For the cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda, then add in sugar and salt and mix well. In another bowl, combine water, vinegar, extracts, and oil. Add wet mixture to the dry, and stir until well combined. Pour into 2 lightly oiled round cake pans, distributing batter as evenly as possible. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool on a cooling rack.

For the frosting
In a food processor (don't use a mixer, it won't smooth out the tofu), combine tofu with maple syrup and vanilla, and puree until very, very smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Meanwhile, melt chocolate in a bowl fitted over a pot with simmering (not boiling) water. Pour melted chocolate into food processor with tofu mixture, and puree again until well incorporated (again, scraping down sides of bowl). Transfer to a container and refrigerate until cool (will thicken as it cools). Once cool, spread frosting on cake layers, then refrigerate cake for a couple of hours to set.

This recipe is from Dreena Burton's The Everyday Vegan.

Super-Charge Me! Cookies

These cookies have become a daily staple in my house. They replace all those “fake healthy” granola bars that we used to take to work as snacks. They’re packed with nutrition with natural peanut butter, flax meal and oatmeal! You’ll notice that there’s no refined white sugar, flour or tons of added fat in these babies; they’re better than that – and so are YOU!

Tip: These cookies freeze really well, so they're great to make in big batches for the whole week!

Makes 11–12 cookies

Dry Ingredients
2/3 cup spelt flour (you can use whole wheat flour, just reduce the total amount by about 3 tbsp)
1 cup quick oats or rolled oats (I use half rolled and half quick)
1/4 tsp (rounded) sea salt
1/4 – 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 –1/3 cup raisins or chopped dried fruit (optional)
3–4 tbsp chocolate chips (optional)
1 tsp baking powder

Wet Ingredients
1/3 cup flax meal (not flax seed)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup or agave
3 tbsp peanut butter (may use cashew, almond, or hemp seed butter)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp organic canola oil

Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- In a bowl, combine oats, flour, salt, cinnamon, coconut, raisins, and chocolate chips, sift in baking powder, and stir until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine flax meal, syrup, almond butter, and vanilla and stir until well combined. Then stir in oil.
- Add wet mixture to dry, and stir until just well combined (try not to overmix).
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease lightly.
- Spoon batter onto baking sheet evenly space apart, and lightly flatten.
- Bake for 11-12 minutes (no longer, or they will dry out).
- Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for 1 minute (no longer), then transfer to a cooling rack.

Enjoy!!

This recipe is taken from Eat, Drink and be Vegan by Dreena Burton