August 21, 2014August 21, 2014 by betsy

Vegan (and Parve) Pumpkin Cheesecake Ice Cream (with mousse option)–A Tofutti Exclusive!

Yield: 1 quart

This is the perfect summer-into-fall recipe!

I love the challenge of developing recipes exclusively for Tofutti Brands, Inc. When they recently requested a parve recipe for pumpkin ice cream, I mentally created the recipe for a Pumpkin Cheesecake Ice Cream, as I wanted to use their Better than Cream Cheese; and then I set out on a hunt for certified parve products in our local Kroger.

Imagine my delight when every single ingredient I wanted to use, save graham crackers, qualified, provided I chose specific brands! And I was able to substitute matzo meal for the graham crackers in the crumble topping with a wonderful outcome.

Parve or not, I trust you will rave about this beautifully colored, creamy textured ice cream like my guests have. And you might be as excited as I was to learn that it is delicious served as a mousse before freezing!

Note: the specific brands of products listed are pareve. If you adhere to a Pareve diet and choose other brands, be sure to look for the identifying symbol on the package. Also, when selecting Tofutti Better than Cream Cheese–or Better than Sour Cream–please note that they company offers two kinds: one contains transfat and one does not; I opt for the latter.

8 ounces Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese

1/2 cup Sugar in the Raw natural turbinado sugar

1-15 ounce can Libby’s pumpkin puree

1-15 ounce can Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

“Graham Cracker” Crumble Topping (recipe follows)

Place Better than Cream Cheese, sugar, and pumpkin puree in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Add cream of coconut, vanilla extract, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves and process until completely combined, again scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Chill mixture for several hours, freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions, transfer to a covered carton, and chill for several hours to “ripen.” Serve sprinkled with “Graham Cracker” Crumble Topping, if desired.

Chilled, but not frozen, this delectable ice cream base makes a beautiful, creamy mousse.

“Graham Cracker” Crumble Topping:

1 cup matzo meal

3 tablespoons Sugar in the Raw natural turbinado sugar

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

5 tablespoons melted Earth Balance Original Buttery Spread, melted

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with Silpat or parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients with a fork. Press into a 1/4-inch thick circle on prepared baking sheet and bake 25 minutes or until golden brown; check after 20 minutes. Allow to cool, and break into pieces or crumbs of the desired size. Store in a covered container at room temperature.

Note: For parve maple syrup, sea salt, ground spices, and vanilla extract, look for brands like Camp, Dan-D’s Foods, Danon Foods, Gefen, Liebers, Now Foods, Pereg, Prima, Sobeys Foods, Sobeys West, Victorian Epicure, etc.

November 27, 2013November 27, 2013 by betsy

Countdown to Thanksgiving–Day #1: Apple, Pear and Dried Apricot Crisp with Chai-Scented Streusel

Apple-Pear-and-Dried-Apricot-Crisp-with-Chai-Scented-Streusel-Topping Somehow it happened yet again this year: Thanksgiving is only one day away!

I saved the sweetest for last: this simple crisp with a twist in the form of the Chai spices in the streusel.

It goes together in a snap and disappears even faster.

Happy Thanksgiving!

August 28, 2013August 28, 2013 by betsy

Seeing Red: My Vegan Red Velvet Ice Cream Takes the Cake!

DSCN1904 Yield: 1 1/2 quarts

My all-time favorite cake now as vegan ice cream!

So, move over Duff Goldman and Blue Bunny brand…there’s a new Red Velvet Ice Cream in town!

Red Velvet is the signature cake of my Aunt Bessie of Dallas, TX. She honestly makes one like no other. It was, in fact, the recipe used for the groom’s cake at Joe’s and my wedding.

After veganizing Aunt Bessie’s recipe so that I could still partake, I have gone on to create recipes for vegan Red Velvet Pancakes, whoopie pies, shortbread cookies, and more, but never ice cream. Never, that is, until now!

Several years ago, Ben and Jerry’s was running a competition for the next great ice cream flavor and I decided to enter with Red Velvet. Contestants had to submit a video, so a friend came over and shot it, but then she encountered technical difficulties and, alas, I was unable to submit it. Since then, Red Velvet ice cream has been made available commercially, but not in a vegan version, at least not where we live. Recently, I got a powerful craving for it and set out to recreate that inimitable cake flavor in an ice cream.

And, oh my goodness, my recipe really does taste like the cake! My secret? Tofutti Better than Cream Cheese as a substitution for the buttermilk in my aunt’s recipe–tangy but with the kind of body one wants in an ice cream. And, are you ready? Vinegar! My aunt’s recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of white vinegar that lends to the cake its signature flavor. And the same is true for the ice cream. I add it while churning so as not to curdle the custard.

This beautiful concoction really does take the cake!

Thanks to Tofutti for posting it on their website! Just click HERE for the quick and easy recipe.

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August 16, 2013 by betsy

Luscious Vegan Lavender and Creme de Cacao Ice Cream (with optional Fresh Figs)

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Yield: 1 1/2 quarts

A perfect ending to a perfect party!

Every year for the last four, my husband and I have hosted our annual Julia Child Birthday Bash on the Saturday night nearest to her birthday. This year, the party was on August 10.

At around 7:30 each year, 10 or so of our foodie friends gather for a potluck celebration like no other!

This year, while I toyed with a birthday cake in honor of the ‘ole gal, I opted for this Provençal-inspired ice cream instead. And I think everyone was glad I did!

2 tablespoons arrowroot powder (thickens without crystallization)

1 cup unsweeteened soymilk

2 cups soy creamer

1/2 cup natural sugar

Pinch sea salt

1 tablespoon dried organic lavender buds

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon Creme de Cacao

Garnish: fresh fig halves

In a small cup or bowl, whisk together arrowroot powder and 1/4 cup soymilk. In a 1-quart saucepan, combine remaining 3/4 cup soymilk, soy creamer, sugar, salt, and lavender, and cook over medium heat until mixture begins to boil. Remove it from the heat and immediately whisk in arrowroot mixture causing the mixture to thicken considerably. Stir in vanilla and Creme de Cacao. Pour into a medium bowl, straining if desired (I don’t). Cool the custard to room temperature, cover, and chill for at least 3 hours. Freeze in an electric ice cream maker (mine is a Cuisinart) according to manufacturer’s directions. Transfer to a covered freezer-safe carton, and freeze until stiffened. Serve garnished, if desired, with fresh fig halves.

August 15, 2013August 15, 2013 by betsy

Vegan Fresh Fig Cupcakes with Vegan Lemon-Brandy Buttercream Frosting

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Yield: 1 dozen cupcakes

These may possibly be the moistest cupcakes you will ever put in your mouth!

A pint of fresh figs from a local farm market that needed used fairly quickly resulted in these beautiful confections. The lemon in the buttercream frosting provides a subtle but bright contrast to the cinnamon-scented fig cupcakes, while the brandy flavoring (use real brandy if you have it–my husband forbids me, jokingly–sort of–to use his) accents their ripe, earthy fruitiness for the perfect summer wedding of flavors.

Vegan Fresh Fig Cupcakes

1 cup soymilk (unsweetened or plain)

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (I have used rice wine vinegar in a pinch and it works just fine)

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (this is what I keep on-hand, but unbleached all purpose is fine)

3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons natural sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/3 cup walnut oil or canola oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

18 to 20 small-medium fresh figs, stemmed, and pureed in a food processor

Vegan Lemon-Brandy Buttercream Frosting (recipe follows)

Garnish: 12 fresh fig halves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. In a small cup or bowl, whisk together soymilk and vinegar to make a vegan “buttermilk.” When it curdles, whisk again and set the mixture aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the soymilk mixture, oil, and vanilla extract. Stir just until all ingredients are well combined and no lumps remain. Stir in the fig puree until completely combined. Fill muffin cups no more than 3/4 full and bake for 20-22 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack, and then remove cupcakes from tin. Place frosting in a pastry bag (mine came from the Dollar Tree!) fitted with a star-type tip, and pipe on top of cooled cupcakes in concentric circles, spiraling high. Top with a fresh fig half just before serving.

Vegan Lemon-Brandy Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1/2 cup vegan butter

4 cups powdered sugar, divided

2 tablespoons soymilk (unsweetened or plain)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon brandy flavoring

Zest of 1/2 large lemon

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together shortening and vegan butter. With mixer on low, beat in half of powdered sugar and half of soymilk. Repeat. Beat in vanilla, brandy flavoring, and lemon zest, and then turn mixer to high and whip until creamy-fluffy.

August 10, 2013August 15, 2013 by betsy

Vegan Sour Cream-Raspberry Ice Cream with White Chocolate Chips

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA At your farm market this morning, be sure to pick up a pint of raspberries for this luscious treat that is super simple to prepare.

Made with Tofutti Better than Sour Cream, it boasts the perfect sweet-tart balance with a consistency I describe as (vegan) butter, wrapped in (vegan) cream, wrapped in silk!

Team Tofutti loved it so much, they posted the recipe on their site, and you can quickly access it by clicking HERE.

Happy Summer Saturday!

July 28, 2013July 28, 2013 by betsy

Vegan Chocolate-Plum Butter Mousse–A Transcendent Flavor Combination with Just 4 Ingredients!

Yield: 4 servings (easily doubles)

Honestly? You absolutely can’t believe how delicious the marriage of chocolate and the deep, fruity flavor of plums is in this quick and easy four-ingredient mousse (which can be served as a tart by spooning it into a pre-baked shell).

This is a four-seasons treat since it is made with plum butter instead of fresh plums. (Incidentally, fruit butters are misnomers, as they contain no dairy.) But, since it is mid-summer, you might garnish it with fresh plum slices along with the mint, whipped topping, and hazelnuts.

That is, if you don’t consume it all before it makes it into the glasses!

10 ounces vegan dark chocolate, melted (I used chocolate chips and melted them in two 1-minute increments in the microwave, whisking after each)

1/4 box extra-firm tofu, drained and patted dry

1/2 cup vegan soy creamer (I used French Vanilla)

1/2 cup plum butter (I used Bauman’s brand–which may be ordered online–made in small batches in Pennsylvania Dutch country from only plums, sugar or white grape juice, lemons, oranges and cinnamon)

Optional garnish: your favorite vegan whipped topping and/or chopped nuts (I like hazelnuts for this dessert) + mint sprigs

In a food processor, combine all ingredients, processing until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. After about a minute, the mousse will be light and fluffy. After about another minute it will become somewhat denser and darker, yet still silken and fluffy. Choose our preference. Divide the mixture among 4 stemmed glasses or small ramekins and enjoy immediately or chill until serving time.

Note: For individual baked crustless tarts, divide mixture among 4 ramekins coated lightly with non-stick spray and bake in the center of oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until set, but still glossy. Check after 15 minutes, as tops should not be dry and starting to crack. Allow to cool before serving, or cover and place in refrigerator until serving time. Serve chilled. Garnish if desired.

July 27, 2013July 18, 2015 by betsy

Vegan Peachy Pink Lemonade Ice Cream

Yield: 1 1/2 quarts

Down here visiting my family in muggy Mississippi, all thoughts turn to ice cream. So I remembered that this was another new recipe that I hadn’t posted before I left home. If you come home from your farm market trip with fresh peaches, you are just two ingredients away from having all you need to make this beautiful treat!

This tart, refreshing ice cream is bridal peachy-pink and just as fresh and appealing. Made with just three simple ingredients, it is most delicious when peaches are at their peak of juicy and flavorful freshness.

2 large peaches, pitted, quartered, and cut into chunks (I leave the skin on for gorgeous color and nutrition)

1-12 ounce can frozen pink lemonade (I am not averse to the occasional ingestion of high fructose corn syrup but, if you are, look for an organic brand which will be HFC-free.)

2 cups vegan soy creamer (I used French vanilla, but if you use plain, add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract)

In the bowl of a food processor, process peaches and frozen lemonade until smooth with no chunks of peach remaining. Transfer to a medium bowl and whisk in soy creamer. (If you try to blend all three ingredients together in most food processors, your cup will runneth over!) Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours or until very cold. Freeze in an electric ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions. Because this custard isn’t terribly thick, I freeze it about 15 minutes longer than recommended, or about 45 minutes, and it is still the consistency of a thick milk shake. Though I could easily down the whole recipe like that, I resist and freeze it, covered, for several hours or overnight to stiffen-up to a scoopable consistency. Even frozen, it remains on the softer side, which I love. And, as you can tell from the photo, it still scoops beautifully.

July 26, 2013 by betsy

Vegan Basil-Blueberry and Lemon Curd Ice Cream (with Lemonade Cooler Option)

Yield: approximately 5 cups of ice cream

I have SO many recipes to post, but we had a dog drama with Huff the Dorito Dog on Wedensday (he is going to be fine), and yesterday, I was travelling to visit my family in MS. When I opened the fridge today, I saw TONS of fresh blueberries that my (85 year old) father and sister had picked at a good friend’s house, so I thought I would start with this refreshing treat!

This deliciously different ice cream was born of fresh blueberries from the farmer’s market, a healthy crop of basil growing in a pot just outside our door, and some of Bryanna Clark Grogan’s ingenious Vegan Lemon Curd leftover from a cookie baking session.

Complex, but not muddy in flavor, this ice cream epitomizes summer with the floral notes of the basil, the earthy sweetness of the blueberries and the subtle citrus undertones of the lemon curd. Not as tangy as a pure lemon ice cream, if it’s that tartness you seek, I highly recommend that you top the ice cream with a splash of lemonade for a refreshing and zippy cooler.

And, if you think the basil seems odd, feel free to leave it out, but I think it adds a very special quality. With or without the basil, please enjoy!

2 tablespoons arrowroot powder (thickens witout crystallization)

1 cup unsweeteened soymilk

2 cups soy creamer

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and drained

3/4 cup Bryanna’s Lemon Curd

1/3 cup natural sugar

Pinch sea salt

2-6 to 8 inch stems basil leaves, rinsed and patted dry

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a small cup or bowl, whisk together arrowroot powder and 1/4 cup soymilk. In a 1-quart saucepan, combine remaining 3/4 cup soymilk and soycreamer, and cook over medium heat until mixture begins to boil. Remove it from the heat and immediately whisk in arrowroot cream causing the mixture to thicken considerably. Pour into a medium bowl, add stems of basil, cool the custard to room temperature and then remove basil, using your fingers to scrape off the custard clinging to the basil. Process blueberries, lemon curd, sugar, and sea salt in the bowl of a food processor until smooth; flecks of blueberry skin will remain. Whisk into custard, along with vanilla, cover, and chill for at least 3 hours. Freeze in an electric ice cream maker (mine is a Cuisinart) according to manufacturer’s directions. Serve immediately or freeze, covered, to allow ice cream to stiffen.

Lemonade Cooler

For each serving, place 2 scoops of ice cream in a stemmed glass, pour about 1/3 to 1/2 cup lemonade over the top(I use a reduced calorie variety), garnish the side of the glass with a lemon slice, and serve with a straw and long-handled spoon.