Vegan Baking

I glanced over at my fruit basket yesterday and found four moldy looking apples at the bottom. They had been languishing there for over a week, with no one paying them any attention. Now, I'm a bit of a purist with my apples. I only like them tart and crunchy with faint green veins running through their flesh. Bruised apples with brown spots go straight on my list of foods I most hate to eat. Still, something had to be done with those apples, and without much of a plan, I peeled, cored, and chopped them up. 

Then I spied a jar full of demerara sugar that I'd bought recently, and inspiration took form. I decided I'd bake an apple bread. The principle would be the same as banana bread, only since apple has a higher water content, I could consider lowering the amount of fat in my recipe, and under bake slightly, so my cake would remain moist. A small quantity of vinegar provides just enough acid for leavening, and the baking soda helps it rise. This bread bakes up dense. 

Modified from an oat bread recipe, this recipe is my own creation! This bread has no added sugar, is whole wheat, delicious, soft, and filling! Made with Bob's Red Mill Muesli (which does have 5 grams of sugar- if you choose to go completely sugar-free, or do not have access to Bob's Muesli, I have provided an alternate option below) this bread is plain enough to use for lunch sandwiches, but just sweet enough from the raisins to eat as a snack. It only takes about 40 minutes to prepare, uses no yeast, and only 6 ingredients. Enjoy!

Have you ever noticed how some pastries, cakes or breads seem to transgress cultures? Such as banana loaf? Growing up in South Africa, it was one of my favorite breads. Having moved to the United States, I now realize that Americans too have sort of a love affair with this beloved treat. And why not. The combination of sweet, ripe bananas; creamy butter; sugar and more creates a luscious and tender treat that is irresistible. And there are as many recipes for it than there are bakers who love to bake it.

I vegan-ized this Oatmeal Whole Wheat Quick Bread from a recipe found here. All I can say is WOW! Moist, full of texture, earthy and oh so delicious.

This vegan Golden Corn Bread Recipe takes advantage of nutritional yeast flakes and a touch of maple syrup which gives it a rich, buttery flavor while corn kernels enhance its hearty texture. It's a Northern style corn bread so it features a mixture of corn flour and all-purpose flour. It's baked in a square baking pan instead of a cast iron skillet and it's designed to be a little sweeter and more moist than it's Southern counterpart.

This vegan Buttermilk Biscuit recipe makes great vegan dinner rolls that pair well with American feast-style dinners on holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. They feature just the right amount of tahini and lemon juice to accurately impart buttermilk flavors.These biscuits are also great served as a snack with a smear of margarine or almond butter. Serve them warm.