Favorites by Icanvegan

Absolutely Apple Butter

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 02:40:00 -0400

Apple butter varies from apple sauce in that apple sauce is just puréed apples with some spice and sweetener optionally added. Apple butter has a bit of a cult following because it more accurately captures the essence of the apple. It consists of a spiced apple sauce that's cooked down for several hours so the sugars caramelize, preserving the mixture in the process. Cooking the mixture also produces more complex flavor compounds, activates naturally occurring pectin so it gels and reduces it so it's more concentrated. The result is rich, creamy apple heaven. Fall apple perfection captured in a jar. You can make a large batch from this recipe and can it for future use or spread it immediately on toast, pancakes or use for anything where you would use fruit preserves.

Apple Pecan Coffee Cake

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 04:30:52 -0500

This Apple Pecan Coffee Cake recipe is great for those afternoon tea sessions with your extremely friendly next door neighbors. No friendly next door neighbors? More for you then. This vegan coffee cake uses pecans, cinnamon, allspice and a touch of non-dairy yogurt to really let the apples shine.

Blueberry Muffins or Bread

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 05:39:32 -0500

These vegan Blueberry Muffins feature a buttery flavor and smooth texture thanks to the combined efforts of non-dairy milk, lemon juice and lemon extract. This compliments the tartness of the blueberries, making a delectable snack for breakfast or any other occasion. The combination of lemon juice and lemon extract in this recipe is so the lemon flavor can be brought up to tasty levels without excessive acidity, which in large amounts can negatively affect gluten's ability to bind.

Bunny Approved Carrot Cake (8 inch)

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 04:58:36 -0500

This Carrot Cake recipe is similar to the one here but it's designed for 8 inch cake pans. It's loaded with carrot-forward spices such as pineapple, molasses, cinnamon and cardamom. A touch of raisins and walnuts give this vegan cake a slightly more complex flavor and texture that is sure to please. Try it slathered with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 05:38:48 -0500

These Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies are no nonsense soft, chewy chocolate chip cookies like your vegan grandma used to make. Over the years I've learned a lot about the art of cookie making and these are simple to make but still pack lots of flavor into a chewy, chocolatey chippity package. The secret to this cookie recipe is having just the right ratio of fat, water and golden flax meal. The molasses also adds chewiness and the cinnamon adds a touch of flavor complexity. Finally, the way the cookies are formed results in just the right shape. These cookies are also great for ice cream sandwiches.

Chocolate Cake

Fri, 25 May 2012 02:59:53 -0400

Ok so I found this Vegan Chocolate Cake recipe online and it was a HUGE hit with my family and friends. It was quite easy to make as well! I've never really been a cake person, in fact I detest the stuff for the most part; but this cake made even me nod in approval. The blend of coffee that I put in the recipe adds to the chocolaty goodness and taste. It's very moist as well. There is a glaze that goes with the cake, but I personally never use it. I think the cake is just fine alone. However, I will add the directions for the glaze in case you guys want to try it.... Enjoy!

Condensed Soy, Rice, Nut or Coconut Non-Dairy Milk

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 05:15:00 -0500

Almost any non-dairy milk can be condensed with this recipe. Making vegan condensed non-dairy milk involves adding sugar and reducing it to about half it's original volume. This can take several hours and can be inconvenient if you need it for a recipe. In this case be sure to make this beforehand and store it in the fridge so you have it handy on bake day. The effort is well worth it, especially if you're making Chocolate Coconut Magic Bars or Dulce de Leche.

Easy Pizza Crust

Mon, 23 May 2011 05:00:00 -0400

I haven't yet met anyone who isn't a raging pizza fan. It was one of the hardest foods for me to give up when I lit the vegan torch. Luckily, I've developed a vegan pizza crust recipe that's easy to make and features a rich flavor with a crispy exterior and chewy interior. This has come at a price. The uneven road leading to this crust has made past girlfriends almost dump me over failed pizza prospects. I've lost many highly anticipated meals and wasted lots of time. Yes, the lowly pizza crust depends on some fundamental ingredients and methods that are to be mastered in order to bake itself to crispy perfection.

Easy Rye Bread

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 12:08:29 -0400

Initially I was intrigued by the flavor of rye breads but intimidated by baking them. How was I supposed to bake flavorful, crusty loafs with most of the leavening-enhancing gluten out of the picture? A little research found that although rye flour contains about the same amount of protein than regular flour, most of this protein isn't from glutenin and gliadin, the two protein compounds that unravel and combine to create gluten when water is added and the mixture is kneaded. What rye flour does contain though are natural gums called pentosans which absorb about 16 times their weight in water. This is the puzzle piece of how these breads are crafted.

Easy Wheat Bread

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 06:02:33 -0500

There's nothing quite like home made bread. This hearty Easy Wheat Bread recipe is easy to whip up if you have a few hours and it's really simple. In bread baking, longer rise cycles at lower temperatures usually result in more flavor compounds that are generated due to the yeast extracting and break down more starches in the flour and converting them into sugars which will then get caramelized during baking. Some doughs call for an overnight rise in the refrigerator so optimum flavor can be developed. In this vegan loaf you have the option of doing an overnight slow rise in the refrigerator or a regular rise. The two first rise cycle is for the main fermentation of the dough where the yeast eats the most sugars and rises the bread with CO2. The last rise is called 'proofing' in where the dough rises after it's been molded into it's desired shape or placed in it's specific mold.

Everything Bagels

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 12:05:29 -0400

I know that one day I won't have access to my favorite bagel place on Bedford ave in Brooklyn on my way home from the bars to grab a late night snack. This Everything Bagel recipe will hopefully keep me content in those times. Enjoy these vegan bagels with Tofutti cream cheese, Creamy Cashew Cream Cheese, my more involved Vegan Cashew Cream Cheese or whatever else floats your fancy. I've designed these bagels in the authentic NY style which uses barley malt, also known as malted barley. Barley malt is highly recommended but if you don't have it just use an additional one-half Tablespoon sugar in it's place. Be sure to allow ample time for this recipe- it takes about two hours. If you live further than two hours away from New York City, this recipe will be easier than flying there for the flavor.

Flourless Sprouted Whole Wheat Bread

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 05:00:00 -0500

Traditional flour is ground endosperm powder which is the result of the flour mill removing most of the hard pieces and hence, nutrition from the wheat berry. I'm a huge fan of whole sprouted grains because they're more flavorful and contain significantly more nutrients than bread made with traditional flour. This Flourless Sprouted Whole Wheat Bread recipe utilizes sprouted wheat berries that are then ground into a purée. This requires a substantially hardy food processor. If you're not sure if your food processor is powerful enough, look on the bottom. It should say at least 6.5 Amps or "6.5 A".

This bread was difficult to design due to the nature of the wheat berry. This hardy seed contains the germ which is the heart and soul of the seed. The germ is the embryo of the plant in its dormant state. It's accompanied by the starchy endosperm which acts as fuel for the germ when it sprouts or germinates. This package is encased in a firm fibrous shell called the bran. This protects the seed kind of like an egg shell protects an egg.

Ginger Snap Cookie Ice Cream

Sun, 04 Sep 2011 21:03:30 -0400

Trying cake batter ice cream recently I was intrigued of the concept of blending two completely different types of desserts. I loved how the ice cream takes on the unexpected flavor of cake batter but still has the consistency of ice cream. What could I get away with in an attempt to blend flavors and textures that would contrast but also compliment each other? I have a flavor experience burned in my memory from some point in my life where I had vanilla ice cream oozing over a ginger snap cookie. I realized that this was what I must try. Should I grind the ginger snaps and steep them in non-dairy milk or just blend them in the ice cream recipe before processing in the ice cream maker? Would I still need to add the same ratios of ingredients as my Vanilla Ice Cream recipe?

How To Make Pumpkin Puree

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:00:00 -0400

During the Fall there are few things better than pumpkin infused treats like pumpkin pie, pumpkin muffins and pumpkin cookies. Probably the least understood part of making these treats is getting the pumpkin purée out of the pumpkin. There are lots of different ways to make pumpkin purée. Some methods use boiling pumpkin chunks in water, others use baking the pumpkin in the oven. Still other methods detail using the microwave. Each method has it's pros and cons. Read on to find out how to select the best pumpkin and recommended steps for making good quality pumpkin purée.

How to Make Vegan Butter - Regular Vegan Butter

Sat, 16 Apr 2011 05:00:00 -0400

Butter is one of those ingredients that can be so central to baking that as soon as some people hear the term vegan baking they wonder aloud almost in a panic, “what about the butter?!” Many vegan baked items get along great with fats like canola, coconut oil or even olive oil. These types of fats work wonders for cakes, cookies, bars and breads. When designing recipes where we need something to act like butter, things start to get complicated. Solid fats like butter and margarine are integral to things like puff pastry, pie crust, shortbread, croissants, danish dough and certain cakes. This is because in these cases the fat is used to coat the flour so gluten doesn't develop too much and also trap air bubbles to enhance leavening and texture. The only option in these instances is to turn to a margarine or similar vegan butter that is solid at room temperature and gets soft as it melts so it blends to one cohesive mass of dough. I make Vegan Butter in large batches and store it in my freezer.