Author: betsy

by betsy

The Blooming Platter Cookbook is Celebrated on VegNews Magazine’s “Press Pass” Blog

Jeremiah, Lyndsay & Betsy, Blooming Platter Cookbook Book-Signing Dinner, The Millennium, San Francisco

What a whirlwind the last couple of weeks have been!

I’ve not even shared one of the most exciting events to happen since the publication of The Blooming Platter Cookbook because I hardly knew where to start.  But on  Thursday, July 14, my dear friend Yvette Hetrick and my husband, Joe, co-hosted a  wine reception, “Dutch treat” dinner, and book-signing for 30 of Yvette’s closest friends and family members in the private dining room at Millennium Restaurant in San Francisco.

The Millennium is especially significant to me because it was the first vegan restaurant in which I ever dined many years ago, before I was even a vegan, and whose Millennium Cookbook, which I promptly bought, has been very influential to me on many levels.

So, when VegNews Magazine staffer, Lyndsay Orwig, a guest at the dinner, generously posted her account entitled “Celebrating the Seasons” on the magazine’s “Press Pass” page, I thought there was no better lead-off.

It was a beautiful, vibrant evening of generosity, graciousness, goodwill, and great food and wine.  I hope you’ll start with Lyndsay’s illustrated synopsis (just click on the link above) and that you’ll stay tuned for a few more highlights in separate postings, including a couple more recommendations for unbelievable vegan restaurants in the San Francisco and Napa areas, wines from the central coast area, art, accommodations, and more.

A bountiful thank you to Lyndsay and to VegNews Magazine!

by betsy

Vegan Green Chilies Casserole

Yield: 4-6 servings

What is the largest section of the local church cookbook?  Probably casseroles, the ultimate comfort food, at least for those of a certain persuasion.

When I was a kid, my mom, Sallie Gough, made one that I have not seen anywhere before or since:  Green Chilies Casserole.  It was a fairly creamy and nicely spiced amalgamation of ground beef, onion, sauteed tortillas, diced green tomatoes, and green chilies all held together with, yep, condensed cream-of-something soup.  And surely there was some melted cheese in the mix too.

While I don’t cook or eat like that any longer,  I do have fond memories of that casserole, including making it.  It was super-satisfying to eat, fun to assemble, and created an intoxicating aroma in the kitchen.  So, when I was at the farmer’s market a couple of days ago, the green tomatoes were firm and beautiful.  I instantly thought of mom’s signature casserole and the tempeh at home in my fridge that would substitute nicely for the ground beef.  To stand in for the canned soup and cheese, I decided to make a simple creamy vegan cheese sauce.   And I substituted green salsa with green chilies for the can of green chilies for extra moisture and flavor without an overwhelming green chili taste.

It’s been a lot of years since I last had this casserole, but to the best of my recollection, my vegan version comes close and is a LOT lighter yet it still has that creamy-comfort factor.  I hope it beomes a staple at your house.

Cheese Sauce:

1/4 cup roasted and lightly salted cashew halves or pieces

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1/2 cup total unsweetened soymilk and beer or nonalcoholic beer (I like about 5-6 tablespoons of soymilk and 2-3 tablespoons beer)

pinch garlic powder

pinch onion powder

pinch sea salt

Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process until very smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Casserole:

2 tablespoons olive or canola oil, divided

4 corn tortillas, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

sea salt to taste

1 small onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1-8 ounce package tempeh (any flavor)

2 large cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup green salsa (salsa verde), homemade or prepared (these salsas typically contain tomatillos, green chilies, and cilantro)

1 large green tomato, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro (leaves and tender stems)

Freshly ground black pepper

about 7 small dollops vegan sour cream

Garnish: sprigs of fresh cilantro and a sprinkling of smoked paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Oil a small round baking dish and set aside.  In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high, heat 1 tablespoon of oil to shimmering.  Add tortilla pieces and a pinch of salt, and saute, stirring frequently until they soften and start to develop some color, approximately 3 minutes.  Transfer tortillas to a small bowl and set aside.  Add remaining oil to the skillet, heat, and saute onion until softened, approximately 3 minutes.   Crumble tempeh into the pan, add garlic and a pinch of salt, and saute, stirring frequently, until tempeh is heated through and just begins to develop some color, again about 3 minutes.  As the mixture starts to dry out, add 1/4 cup of the green salsa and stir well.  Add green tomato, cumin, and smoked paprika, and saute, still stirring frequently, about 5 minutes, adding the remaining 1/2 cup green salsa during the cooking process.  Remove from heat, stir in cilantro and tortilla pieces, and season to taste with salt and pepper.   Then stir in half of the cheese sauce and spoon into prepared casserole dish.  Drizzle remaining cheese sauce over the surface of the casserole dish and dollop with sour cream (I place 6 dollops in a circle and one in the center).  Bake for 20 minutes or until heated through and top appears creamy, but slightly set.  Serve hot garnished with fresh cilantro sprigs and a dusting of smoked paprika.

by betsy

Vegan Golden Grape Tomato Tart with Spinach Pesto and Spicy Romesco Sauce

Yield: 4 4-inch tarts (you will have enough pesto to make 8 and lots of Romesco sauce for drizzling over any number of dishes that would benefit from a creamy kick)

A lunch that ended up in the woods beside our house is the inauspicious beginning of this recipe that may just be an all-time favorite.

After a nice long hike at First Landing State Park (previously and more picturesquely named Seashore State Park) with my close friend Mary Beth Nixon, I stopped for an Indian buffet to-go from a fairly new restaurant near her house.  Neither the restaurant, nor the styro-box, emitted that intoxicating aroma characteristic of Indian restaurants.  Turns out, there was a good reason.  It was the blandest Indian food I have ever eaten.  Correction, it was the only bland Indian food I have ever eaten.  So I nibbled a little at it on the way home, but on the way up our long driveway, I stopped and tossed all but the container and spoon into my unofficial compost pile in the woods.

Pretty hungry after no breakfast, dog walks, and our hour-long park hike, I wracked my brain for what I could make from the ingredients I had on hand.  Yesterday, I had picked up golden grape tomatoes and bell peppers, among other produce, at a local farmer’s market.  Noting that I had half of a red pepper leftover from a dish I’d made for lunch yesterday, I remembered the outstanding Romesco sauce that had been served over chickpeas at the 1 Michelin-starred vegetarian restaurant, Ubuntu, where we had celebrated my birthday (for the final time this year!) last Saturday night in Napa.   I didn’t have almonds, but I had walnuts and they would have to do.

We had also been served the fruitiest, “meatiest” olives in a captivating fennel pesto.  So, while I didn’t have fennel, I did have some fresh baby spinach that I knew would make a lovely pesto.  With my go-to press-in dough baked to make the crust, I could then nestle the grape tomatoes onto a creamy layer of spinach pesto and drizzle the Romesco over the top for beautiful color contrasts and bursts of exciting flavors.

Voila!  Golden Grape Tomato Tarts were born.

Spicy Romesco Sauce:

1/2 of a large red bell pepper, stemmed and seeded

1 extra-large tomato, cored and quartered

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup walnuts (or the nut of your choice; almonds are traditional, but use what you have and feel free to mix and match)

1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs

2-3 large cloves garlic, fairly thickly sliced

2-4 small red dried chilies, ends removed, split, seeds removed, and torn into about 3 pieces

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (or 1 tablespoon red wine + 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar)

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place oven rack in top position and preheat oven to broil.  Line a baking sheet with Silpat or foil and place bell pepper and tomatoes, cut side down, in center of sheet.  Broil for 5  minutes or until the pepper’s skin is charred.  Remove the pepper and broil the tomatoes 5 minutes longer or until their skin is charred.  When cool enough to handle, remove and discard skin.  Meanwhile, heat oil over medium-high in a large cast iron skillet.  Add nuts, bread crumbs, and garlic, and saute, stirring almost constantly, until ingredients begin to turn golden, about 1-2 minutes.  Then add chilies and cook 1-2 minutes more until the color of the chilies brighten and the nuts, bread crumbs and garlic are golden.  Watch carefully to prevent scorching.  Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor, including the bell pepper, tomato, all of the contents of the skillet, including the oil, and salt and pepper to taste.  Process until almost smooth.  Scrape into an airtight container and set aside.  Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Crust:

1 1/2 whole wheat flour (I love spelt, but any kind will do, even white whole wheat or a combination)

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons natural sugar (may omit, but I like the slight sweetness with the sweet tomatoes and spiciness of the Romesco sauce)

2 tablespoons soy milk

1/2 cup canola oil (sounds like a lot, but it is needed; just eat low- or no-fat meals for the rest of the day)

Preheat oven to 400.  Place 4 4-inch tart shells with removable bottoms on a baking sheet (I line my sheet with Silpat).  Then place dry ingredients in a medium bowl.  Make a well in the center and pour in wet ingredients.  Stir together with a fork just until completely combined and mixture holds together.  Divide into fourths and press each evenly into the bottom and sides of each tart pan.  The bottom of a drinking glass can help with this task.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the crusts are barely starting to brown.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 3 minutes.  Leave oven on.  While crusts bake, make Spinach Pesto.

Spinach Pesto:

4 cups lightly packed fresh baby spinach

1/4 cup shelled pistachios (or the nut of your choice)

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar or fresh lemon juice

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place spinach, nuts, and nutritional yeast in the bowl of a food processor and process until a paste begins to form, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.  With the motor running, drizzle in olive oil, balsamic vinegar or lemon juice, and a pinch of both salt and pepper.  Continue processing until smooth.  Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.  Scrape into an airtight container and set aside until needed.  Refrigerate any leftovers.

72 golden grape tomatoes or about 1 pint (red would be fine, but not as nice of a color contrast with the Romesco sauce)

Garnish: fresh basil sprigs

After crusts have baked and cooled for about 3 minutes, spread each with 1 generous tablespoon of Pesto Sauce.  Arrange 18 tomatoes–or whatever will fit nicely in one layer–on top of the pesto.  Drizzle each with 1 generous tablespoon of the Romesco Sauce.  Return the tarts to the oven and bake an additional 15 minutes or until the crusts are nicely browned and the Romesco Sauce looks slightly set.  Remove the baking sheet from the oven and carefully remove the tart pans to a wire rack until cool enough to handle.  Remove the tart bottoms from the side rings, leaving the tarts sitting on their removable bottoms.   Serve warm garnished with sprigs of basil.  You may heat and pass additional Romesco Sauce if desired.

by betsy

Vegan Thai Coconut-Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Yield: 4 servings

I’ve never been a huge fan of the flavor of typical stuffed peppers.  But I love bell peppers, including in Thai food.  So why not stuff them with a creamy coconut filling chock full of other ingredients in some of my favorite Thai dishes?  Why not indeed!  The result is spectacular.  Feel free to use Jasmine rice in place of the quinoa.  The latter is what I had on hand and, even though it’s not typically Thai, I love it’s flavor, texture, and fairly high protein.  Japanese eggplants and bell peppers were beautiful at our farm market today, so I used them, along with some spinach from the grocery store and some Thai basil from our garden, but feel free to use any of your favorite Thai ingredients like small cooked cubes of sweet potato, green peas, cilantro, mint, etc.  Just be sure to contrast colors and textures.  I love onion and meant to add some sliced spring onion but forgot, as I was juggling several different things, but I’m not sure they were needed.  Still, onion is always good, so add if you like.  Bottom line?  This recipe is very flexible.  Have fun! 

2 yellow bell peppers, halved lengthwise, membrane and seeds removed

1 cup quinoa

1-15 ounce can coconut milk (lite or regular)

generous pinch of sea salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 Japanese eggplant, cut into 1/4 inch dice (approximately 1 cup)

pinch of sea salt and more to taste

1/2 cup 2-inch pieces of carrot, finely chopped (I use a food processor)

1/2 of a large red bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch dice

1 small mild-medium chile pepper, seeds and membrane removed, finely diced

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1/4 cup vegan fish sauce + an optional additional tablespoon (sold as vegetarian fish sauce in Asian markets)

Juice of 1 small-medium lime (approximately 1 tablespoon)

2 cups lightly packed fresh baby spinach, finely chopped (I use a food processor)

1 tablespoon minced Thai or Vietnamese basil

Garnish: sprigs of Thai basil, cilantro, or mint; whole or chopped roasted and lightly salted cashews or peanuts; and optional lime wedges

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Oil a small baking dish and add yellow bell pepper halves, cut side up.  Bake approximately 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, make filling.  In a 1-quart saucepan, place quinoa, coconut milk and a generous pinch of sea salt.  Stir well, partially cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes or until tender, thick, and creamy.  While quinoa cooks, heat olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high.  Add eggplant  and a pinch of sea salt and saute, stirring frequently, for about a minute.  Add carrot, red bell pepper, and diced chile pepper, and saute, stirring frequently, for another couple of minutes.  Add garlic, ginger, fish sauce, and lime juice, and cook, stirring frequently, for about another minute or until garlic and ginger is softened.  Stir in spinach and basil, stir, and heat through.  Taste and add additional salt and/or vegan fish sauce if desired.  Divide filling evenly among yellow bell pepper halves and return to oven for about 10 minutes or until filling is heated through and peppers are tender, but hold their shape.  Serve hot garnished as desired.

by betsy

Vegan Smoky “Cheddar” Shortbread Crackers with Asian-Scented Tomato-Blackberry Marmalade

Yield: 48 crackers and 1 cup of marmalade

This pairing was inspired by those old-fashioned cheddar shortbread crackers kicked up with a little cayenne and served with pepper jelly in kitchens across the South.  

With tomatoes and blackberries at the peak of freshness at a local farm market, I created this glistening marmalade to showcase them both in place of the pepper jelly.  Thinking of Chinese dishes with tomatoey and fruit-infused sauces, I decided to combine the two with some hints of Asia to transform my farm market haul.

My take on the ubiquitous cheddar shortbread gets its rich flavor from smoked almonds and nutritional yeast, which may seem a little odd given the Asian direction of the marmalade, but there was a method to my madness, namely that almonds are frequently used in Chinese cooking.  What about the smokiness?  I have an answer for that too: smoked tofu sometimes seen on Chinese menus.  Does it work?  My lunch guest and I think so, but you be your own judge.  

Vegan Smoky “Cheddar” Shortbread Crackers

1/2 cup smoked almonds (feel free to use plain almonds–or any nut really–if you prefer not to have a smoky taste)

2 cups white whole wheat flour or 1 cup unbleached all-purpose and 1 cup whole wheat flour (you can also try using all whole wheat flour, though I’ve not tested it that way)

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/4-1/2 cayenne pepper or to taste

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup vegan butter, broken into small pieces

Accompaniment: Vegan Asian-Scented Tomato-Blackberry Marmalade or your favorite marmalade, pepper jelly, or chutney.

Place almonds in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, and pulse a few times until coarsely chopped.  Add remaining ingredients, in order, and then continue pulsing until dough pulls away from the sides and starts to come together in a ball.  Divide dough into quarters, knead each one a few times in your palms, and then roll into a cylinder 1 1/4 inches in diameter.  Wrap each in plastic wrap and set on a plate or baking sheet in the refrigerator for at least an hour or up to 3 days.  (May alternatively be frozen for a month and thawed before slicing and cooking.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line one or two baking sheets with Silpat or parchment paper.  (If one, bake in two batches.)  With a sharp knife, cut logs into 1/3-inch slices and place coins 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.  Bake about 20 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool 1 minute on the sheet and then remove to wire racks to cool completely.  Store in airtight containers.  Serve with desired accompaniment.

Vegan Asian-Scented Tomato-Blackberry Marmalade

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small yellow onion, but into 1/4-inch dice

pinch of sea salt

generous 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, rinsed, drained, and quartered

2 large garlic cloves

1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated (I use a microplane grater)

1/2 cup red table wine (or a non-alcoholic variety)

1/4 cup natural sugar

2 teaspoons Chinese mustard (I like the “extra hot”)

1 tablespoon vegan fish sauce (sold as vegetarian fish sauce in Asian markets)

1 teaspoon soy sauce (I use a low sodium variety)

1/4 teaspoon sweet Paprika

generous 1 1/2 cup fresh blackberries, rinsed and drained

2 star anise pods

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In  a large cast iron skillet over medium-high, heat olive oil to shimmering.  Add onion and a pinch of salt and saute, stirring frequently, until some color develops, approximately 3 minutes.  Add tomatoes, garlic and ginger, and saute, stirring frequently, until tomato begins to break down, approximately another 3 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients except blackberries and simmer, stirring occasionally, an additional 3 minutes.  Add blackberries and simmer, stirring occasionally for another 15 mnutes or until blackberries break down and mixture becomes pulpy.  Reduce heat if necessary to prevent from sticking or scorching.  Remove the skillet from the heat and cool to room temperature.  Serve about 1 teaspoon dolloped on each cracker.  Store any leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

by betsy

The Blooming Platter Cookbook’s Southern Sweet Tea Salad Featured in FARM’s MEATOUT MONDAY e-Newsletter

The good folks at FARM have gone and done it again…featured one of the recipes from The Blooming Platter (vegan) Cookbook in their MEATOUT MONDAY eNewsletter.

I love FARM, I love this recipe and I love serving it in my late beloved grandmother, Virginia White’s (“Nana”), tea cups that I inherited.

Thanks, FARM!

by betsy

Vegan Mediterranean Beet Cakes with Beet-Pomegranate Reduction

Yield: 4 small-medium beet cakes (4 appetizer servings)

Ravishingly beautiful in color and tantalizing in taste, these beet cakes were created to us pureed beets and beet juice leftover after making my Vegan Whoopie Pies.

Plus, friends had invited us to a steak (ick) restaurant last night where I ate an heirloom tomato and arugula salad and a dab of sauteed spinach, portabellas and onions.   Needless to say, I was hungry when I woke up and starving my a decent brunch hour,  so I got this idea and went with it.  Oooh, I’m so glad I did, and I hope you are.

Beet Cakes:

1-15 ounce can beets, drained,  juice reserved (if you want to use fresh beets, trim about 2-3 of them, place them in a 1-quart saucepan covered with water, cover, bring to a simmer over medium-high, and cook until fork-tender, about 20-30 minutes; drain, reserving liquid, and peel)

1/4 cup self-rising flour

1/4 cup white whole wheat flour (or unbleached all-purpose; feel free to try whole wheat; the results will be slightly more toothsome)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons beet juice at room temperature

2 green onions, thinly sliced (both white and green parts)

Vegan butter and olive oil for frying (I like Earth Balance butter)

Garnishes: vegan sour cream and chopped pistachios

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, puree beets until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.  Remove 1/4 cup puree; store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to warm. Make pancakes:  in a medium mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients, including spices.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in beet juice. Whisk together until well combined.  Stir in the slice green onion.  In a large cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the vegan butter, olive oil or a combination. Using 1/4 of the batter (about 3-4 tablespoons), make beet cakes, four at a time. Cook two-three minutes on the first side until you get a nice rise, a few bubbles appear, and the edges appear set. Gently flip and cook another couple of minutes on the reverse. Add butter and/or oil to keep the skillet greased as needed. If beet cakes are cooking too quickly, lower the heat to medium, especially for the second side. When cooked through, remove cakes to plates or a platter, keep warm, and make Beet-Pomegranate Reduction (below).  Serve each beet cake topped with a spoonful of the sauce, a dab of vegan sour cream and a sprinkle of chopped pistachios.  Sprigs of cilantro would also be nice.

Beet-Pomegranate Reduction

Remaining beet juice (about 1/3-1/2 cup)

pinch garlic powder

pinch onion powder

1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses (available at Mediterranean/Middle Eastern markets; you may use light molasses, maple syrup, balsamic reduction, etc., which would still be tasty, but would definitely have a different flavor)

Place beet juice, and both garlic and onion powder in a 1-quart saucepan.  Boil vigorously for several minutes or until reduced by half.  Stir in pomegranate molasses and heat through.  Serve immediately drizzled over beet cakes.

You’ll find other delicious pancakes elsewhere on this blog and in The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes.

by betsy

Vegan Whoopie Pies with a Secret Ingredient

Yield: 12 Whoopie Pies

I’m a southern gal and we didn’t grow up knowing what Whoopie Pies were.  But now I know I missed out!  These New England comfort snacks are all the rage and it’s easy to see why: what’s not to like about a fluffy white filling sandwiched between two cake layers that look more like cookies?

So, seduced into trying my hand by the appealing-looking version that Starbucks sells, I set about yesterday to create vegan Red Velvet Whoppie Pies but without all of that red dye.  My plan was to use a can of beets that has been in our pantry for I don’t know how long.  Why this seasonal cook had canned beets in her possession can only be explained by something like hurricane preparedness!

It turns out that the color is just not intense enough to turn the batter red.  The puree and juice look ruby red, but they become much more subdued in the batter, which is okay, as it just makes these chocolately Whoopie Pies a warmer brown color.   I think beet powder would do the trick, so I plan to experiment.

The trouble with canned beets as a food item is that they are virtually devoid of nutrition except a tiny bit of protein.  I suppose they contain micro-nutrients, but those aren’t listed on the label.  However, they do contain carbohydrate, a wonderful texture, sweet flavor, and the previously mentioned bit of protein, so they seemed perfect for adding body to my Whoppie Pies, red color or not…and they were!   Hope you agree!

Pies:

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 cup unsweetened or plain soymilk

1-15 ounce can beets, drained, 2 tablespoons of  juice reserved (if you want to use fresh beets, trim about 2-3 of them, place them in a 1-quart saucepan covered with water, cover, bring to a simmer over medium-high, and cook until fork-tender, about 20-30 minutes; drain, reserving 2 tablespoons of liquid, and peel)

1 1/2 cups canola oil

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups white whole wheat flour (or unbleached all purpose)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 2 baking sheets with Silpat or parchment paper.  Make soy “buttermilk” by whisking apple cider vinegar into soymilk and setting it aside to curdle.  Whisk again before using.  In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, puree beets until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.  Remove 1/2 cup puree; if there are any leftovers, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Place puree, 2 tablespoons of juice, oil, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and vanilla into the bowl of an electric mixer.  Beat about 1-2 minutes or until completely combined and sugar starts to dissolve.  Then add flour, in three parts, alternating with “buttermilk,” beating only enough after each addition to incorporate ingredients.

Using heaping tablespoons (I like to use the traditional fairly shallow measuring spoon, as the shape is perfect) make 24 “patty” shapes, 12 per baking sheet.  Avoid crowding them and bake in two batches if necessary, though they won’t spread much.  Bake about 12 minutes until the “cookies” are firm, but not crisp.  They should be about the consistency of a cupcake top.  Let cool for 10 minutes on baking sheets and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely, covered with a dish towel.

Filling:

6 ounces vegan cream cheese

4 1/2 tablespoons vegan butter  (I like Earth Balance)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

4 1/2 cups powdered sugar

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter at medium to medium-high speed, until smooth and fluffy.  Beat in extracts followed by powdered sugar, about 1 cup at a time, starting the speed on low and gradually increasing.  Keep beating until the mixture is very smooth and somewhat fluffy.

Turn half of pies upside down and, using a tablespoon, dollop frosting evenly among them.  You can coax the frosting to the edge with a spoon or spatula or, do as I do, and just gently press the top half of the pie down to squeeze the frosting to the edges. I like to wrap them individually in plastic wrap, store them in the refrigerator, but let them come to room temperature before serving.

Note 1: If you want to dress them up a bit, as in the photo, just melt some vegan chocolate chips in the microwave (about 1 minute at 20 second intervals) and, using a small spoon, just drizzle the melted chocolate over the tops and allow to harden before wrapping/storing.

Note 2:  These stack nicely in a wine sack for gift-giving.

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