orangettes

the idea of candying an orange peel had always intimidated me.  i thought it would take too long or that i would need a candy thermometer – which i for some reason have neglected to buy all these years.  or at worst it would be a huge disaster involving burnt peels and hard candy stuck to the inside of my pans.  but the process was surprisingly easy! it’s a great way to use those large, bulky oranges which are usually reserved for... Read More

pomegranate and dark chocolate chunk scones

scones have become my go-to baked good as of late.  i like how they can be a hardy catch-all for whatever ingredients seem to be lying around, they aren’t overly sweet, they keep well and i’ve already got a killer recipe that can flex to my specifications.  all you really need is a pastry cutter, some cold butter, flour, sugar and a hefty tablespoon of baking powder.  Everything else is adaptable. i used to make vegan scones by mixing... Read More

almond and dark chocolate chunk ice cream

ever since i got an ice cream maker i have played around with different ice cream recipes.  the problem is the milk substitutes i was using are so much thinner than cream, they never thicken up in the machine, so they froze into a solid block in the freezer.  the beauty of this recipe is that in adding a full cup of almond butter, not only am i thickening it, but i’m also infusing the ice cream with a rich, toasty almond flavor.  and with... Read More

sweet and salty seedy nut bars

sometimes inspiration will carry me to the kitchen to bake something, but when i open the cupboards the ingredients are dismal.  i wanted to make granola bars but as i eyed the most discouraging amount of oats i had ever encountered, i thought it might not happen.  just then i spied small amounts of different seeds and nuts all over the cupboard, so instead of sulking away empty-handed, i got a little creative. i toasted them all up in a dry frying... Read More

raw hot chocolate

you’re probably asking yourself how it can be both raw and hot at the same time.  without actually cooking, if blended on high for a few minutes anything will warm up.  it’s a tip often used by raw foodists to make raw soups more appetizing. after a few minutes of blending the combination of fresh homemade buckwheat milk, raw chocolate powder and agave syrup gather a froth just like the real thing.  but this treat is much lighter,... Read More

chocolate pluot cupcakes

i’ve been baking vegan treats for at least 2 or 3 years now and i can safely say that i’ve got the cookie down.  there are so many cookie recipes already that leave out eggs or substitute oil for butter, that a vegan cookie recipe is easy to come by and hard to screw up. but for some reason, all this time, the cupcake has successfully eluded me.  i envied so many other bloggers who seemed to flawlessly pull off those soft-looking treats,... Read More

chocolate peanut butter fudge

as part of my chocolate kick i’ve been experimenting with a lot of types of vegan fudge.  it’s really quite simple to vegan-ize fudge as long as you have both a dairy-free butter/margarine substitute and a dairy-free chocolate.  all it takes some light melting, sifting and stirring to create a sweet concoction no one would ever guess is vegan. while fudge can be nearly any flavor it most often involves chocolate.  i decided to make... Read More

maca cinnamon truffles for valentine’s day

when i think valentines day, i think chocolate.  it’s inevitable.  if you have someone to share the day with you spend it feeding each other decadent chocolate treats all day. if you don’t you try to forget by treating yourself with as much chocolate as you can possibly eat. ever since my local grocery store started carrying organic, dairy-free chocolate chips, i’ve been on a real chocolate kick.  i started dreaming about making... Read More

brownie waffles

cafe 101 in hollywood serves a brownie waffle sundae, which inspired this recipe.  before i was vegan, my friend tom and i would drive out to hollywood in the middle of the night just to share a fresh-off-the-iron brownie waffle topped with a scoop of ice cream and drizzled with chocolate syrup. now that i can’t handle such a dairy-fest, i’ve been dying to make a vegan version for myself.  luckily, my sister made that possible by giving... Read More

christmas cookies: chocolate candy cane chews

nothing says christmas like candy canes.  and nothing goes with candy canes quite as well as chocolate.  just think of twirling a candy cane in a hot mug of cocoa. to make these treats you’ll just need a little peppermint extract, some cocoa powder and a food processor to grind up the candy canes.  the result is delicious chewy chocolate cookie surrounded by a crunchy candy cane shell. Read More  Read More