Vegan Baking

If pirates ate brittle (and you know they did) this would be the flavor and this is how they'd describe it:

Yaaar ya kitchen dwellin' landlubber! Coconut, caramelized sugar and macadamia nuts be tied together with a splash o' rum t' make this t' brittle o' t' pirate seas, matey! So whip up a batch and hand 'er over before ya be plank walkin'!

They might also marvel in the fact that this brittle uses coconut milk, coconut oil and shredded coconut for maximum coconut flavor, except it would be hard to hear yowled in that thick pirate accent.

Ever since the eighties when two people were walking down the street in opposite directions, one eating a chocolate bar, the other eating peanut butter out of a jar, we've known that the two go together really well. We know this because the two people collided exclaiming, “hey you're chocolate's in my peanut butter!” “My peanut butter's in your chocolate!” This has been documented as a true occurrence because I saw it in a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup commercial once. I'm so thankful they had TV camera's rolling to get that on film. But what was up with the peanut butter in those things? It always tasted like it was the leftover peanut butter at the factory that was too low quality to actually be put in jars. And the chocolate is typical mass produced American chocolate fare, over-sweetened and chalky which barely qualifies as chocolate to this chocolate snob.

With Peanut Butter Bombs I captured the essence of fine, natural peanut butter, combined it with some caramelized sugar and margarine, then covered it in a dark chocolate exterior.

Pistachios paired with cardamom then kissed with rum makes this brittle stand out. Cover it in melted dark chocolate to transform it into pistachio chocolate bark if you want to give it another flavor dimension.

One of the reason marzipan goes back ages is because it's extremely versatile. It can be used for anything from  cake decorations, fillings in cookies and pastries or in this case, a center in these truffles. A touch of almond extract brings out some extra flavor so it can compete on the same level as the chocolate. This recipe uses a truffle mold. If you don't have one, place the marzipan balls in the freezer for an hour or so, roll them in melted chocolate, then place them on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet before returning them to the freezer for about another hour.

These truffles pack a seductive orange one two punch: They involve candied orange peel pureed with a kiss of Grand Marnier, mixed together with chocolate, then enrobed in a chocolate shell. This is a great truffle to have on hand when assembling your own box of chocolates for a special occasion.

Marzipan is almond meal that's been added to caramelized sugar which makes it similar to frosting in consistency. It's origins come from present day Iran or Spain according to theory but it's true origins, as well as where the term 'marzipan' originated from are shrouded in mystery. It's extremely versatile, making a fantastic filling for cookies and pastries, a center for chocolates or rolled into stollen. It can be colored, flavored and formed into candies or used in cake decorating. You can even use other nuts besides almonds like macadamia nuts, cashews or brazil nuts. Marzipan can also be mixed with fruit and served in squares. In the recipe below I didn't remove the skins of the almonds so it came out a light brown.

Hazelnuts, also known as filberts, are toasted to give this bark a great crunch. Frangelico, a hazelnut liqueur, ups the ante with the hazelnuts for a flavor that just won't stop. It's further enhanced with orange zest and smothered in chocolate.

I used to get so grossed out at the mere thought of accidentally eating orange peel while eating an orange. Then I had candied orange peels and I thought it was candy. Candied orange peels are a very versatile delicacy. Use them in Panettone, Stollen, Hot Cross Buns, pair them with almonds and cover them with chocolate or mince them and use them for topping on ice cream. Just be sure to use organic orange peels because non-organic ones often have high concentrations of pesticide residues.

Don't know what to do with all those pumpkin seeds from pumpkin carving? Take those little pepitas and dress them up in little spiced sugar costumes. They'll love it and you will too.

These chewy little treats are reminiscent of those little caramels you used to get from trick or treating when you were little- except they're packed with pecans and dipped in chocolate. Be sure to use a candy thermometer with this one for best results. If you like your caramel extra soft or extra hard, adjust the caramelization temperature 10F lower or 10F higher respectively.

These candies are soft and chewy and taste like Heaven on a plate! They require no baking or cooking time, and are really easy! I hope you love them as much as my family does!

These nuts are great for salads, ice cream or just random munching. It's one of those examples of how balsamic vinegar can mysteriously elevate certain foods to 'food crack' status.

Most people won't be able to guess that these truffles are just chocolate covered dates if you don't tell them.  One thing that they will know is that they're amazing.  You can tell them that you spent 13 hours making the filling and just leave it at that.

These truffles are a wonderful treat using raw, unprocessed ingredients.