Peanut Butter and Julie

Vegan Sweet Potato Zucchini Cupcakes

 Hold your horses!  No, I did not wake up this morning and suddenly decide to become a vegan.  I've   already tried it, and I learned almost immediately that the 100% dairy free-meat free-animal free lifestyle just isn't for me.

If I could be 80% vegan, then that would be perfect. The fact of the matter is that, as a healthy eater, many of my meals are vegetable, grain, and soy-based to begin with.   Here's where I ran into vegan commitment issues:

• I love my lattes.  I mean, I looooovvvvveeee them.  You pretty much don't want to speak to me in the morning until I've had my 1% extra-strong latte with massive  amounts of froth on top.  Now, you might be inclined to suggest that I can still enjoy said latte with another form of dairy free milk, such as soy, almond, coconut, or hemp.  Wrong.  Tried it.  Remember the oh-so-important mound o' froth?  Well, there wasn't any.  That's a deal-breaker in my book.  Plus, the taste was just "off" from what I was used to.  I'm more that willing to use these milk alternatives in my morning smoothie and baking.....just not coffee.
• Every once in awhile, a girl needs a peppercorn-crusted steak.  Or tandoori chicken.  Or my favorite seared halibut salad from Table 34.  Or ______ (insert your favorite meat dish here.)  I realize that this doesn't apply to everyone, but for me, my body knows when it's time for some red meat, and it's sure to let me know.  Although I probably only have meat 2-3 times during the week, there's no way that I could eliminate it from my diet altogether.  I'd miss it waaaayy too much.
• As far as I can tell, vegan cheese is gross. And while I don't consume mountains of cheese, when I do consume cheese, I want it to be yummy.

Alicia Silverstone would refer to me as someone who "flirts" with veganism.  In case you aren't aware, in recent years Ms. Silverstone has progressed from being famous for Aerosmith videos to becoming quite the authority on the vegan lifestyle.  She was actually the first person who sparked my interest in the vegan diet, after I saw her promoting her cookbook, "The Kind Diet", on (what else?) Oprah. 

 

I own two vegan cookbooks, one being Alicia's and the other being "The Conscious Cook" by Tal Ronnen.  Where did I learn about the latter?  Embarrassingly, while watching Ellen.  I really don't sit around all day watching talk shows (sure you don't, Julie).  This was just a coincidence.  I swear.

Anyhow, I really like both books because while they contain 100% vegan recipes, they offer flexibility for those of us who only want to flirt.  The recipes are incredibly creative, and most of the time you won't even miss the non-vegan ingredients (except of course where cheese is concerned.) 

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend a vegan luncheon at the Wynn Resort as part of Bon Appetit's Vegas Uncork'd food festival.  This was the first year that a vegan event was included, and luckily I was able to get my friend Veronica to attend with me (you can imagine Eric's reaction when I asked if he wanted to come along too.)  Tal Ronnen himself was cooking at the luncheon as well as almost all of the Wynn property's chefs.  I was curious, and almost apprehensive, to see what dishes would be prepared.  Would there be platters of tempeh and tofu?  Cashew cheese sandwiches?  Should I have eaten beforehand just in case?

It turns out that the turnout for this event was huge, and all but one of the dishes that we tried were pretty darn fantastic.  Eggless pasta dishes, "chicken" scallopini, "crab" cakes (vegans use lots of "" in their recipes) -- it's amazing what the talented chefs were able to recreate, and recreate deliciously.  Because we were talking just as much as we were tasting, Veronica and I barely made it to the dessert station before it was shut down.  On the menu was a vegan carrot cake with a walnut tuile and a tofu cream cheese icing.  I was able to get in one quick bite before we left, but it was a big enough bite to make me want to recreate a similar recipe at home.

I love it when an experiment turns out well, don't you?  Instead of creating a vegan carrot cake, I thought that I would try the recipe using sweet potatoes and zucchini.  I already make a yummy, non-vegan sweet potato zucchini bread, so why not cake (or in this case, cupcakes)?  The cupcakes are dense due to the amount of vegetables, but they are also very moist.  You could also easily serve them as muffins.  For the vegan buttercream, I opted to not use to not go the cream cheese route, simply because I don't like cream cheese, so I used only Earth Balance butter instead.  Earth Balance can be found at many grocery stores and, to me, it's the closest non-butter butter that I have yet to find.  The result was surprisingly light and fluffy.

Here are my extra tips for creating these dairy-free delights:

• You might notice that the baking time for these cupcakes is longer than that of your standard cupcake.  The addition of the sweet potatoes and the zucchini gives these cupcakes a dense and moist texture, so they take closer to 24-28 minutes to bake.  Be sure to test them with a toothpick before removing from the oven.  The same applies for the smaller cupcakes.
• The buttercream recipe below makes a generous amount for those who like to pipe a swirl onto their cupcakes.  The recipe can easily be halved for a smaller portion.  You can also simply finish the cupcakes off with a dusting of confectioner's sugar (or turn them into mini muffins!)
• I found that this vegan buttercream tends to soften much faster than a traditional buttercream, so if you are not planning to served these soon after decorating, keep them chilled.
• The baked cupcakes can be stored at room temperature, covered, for 2 days.  They can also be frozen, tightly wrapped, for 1 week.  Defrost at room temperature several hours before decorating.

Vegan Sweet Potato Zucchini Cupcakes

Makes 18 regular or 36 mini cupcakes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

3/4 cup golden raisins, roughly chopped

2 1/4 cups flour

1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar, packed

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 /2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

3/4 cup canola or safflower oil

Zest from one orange

1 tablespoon rum or vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups shredded orange sweet potatoes

1 cup shredded raw zucchini

1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

For the vanilla-rum "butter"cream

1 cup vegan stick butter (such as Earth Balance), softened

6 cups confectioner's sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1-2 tablespoons rum (depending on desired taste)

1-2 tablespoons coconut, almond, or soy milk

 

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.  Line two cupcake tins with liners or, alternatively, spray them with nonstick baking spray.

In a small saucepan, combine the orange juice and the raisins.  Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium low heat, and then turn the heat off, allowing the raisins to soak up the orange juice.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg; whisk until well blended.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and add the safflower oil, orange zest, rum or vanilla, and the orange juice/raisins.  Stir the mixture until thoroughly combined (mixture will be thick.)  Add both the shredded sweet potatoes and the zucchini to the bowl, and stir until evenly incorporated into the batter.  Stir in the pecans.

Divide the batter among the prepared cupcake tins, filling each cup about 3/4 full.  Bake the cupcakes until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean, 24-28 minutes for larger cupcakes and about 15 minutes for smaller cupcakes.  Allow the cupcakes to cool in the tins for a few minutes, and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Prepare the "butter"cream:  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the Earth Balance with the confectioner's sugar on low speed until well combined.  Increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes more.  Beat in the salt and the rum.  Add enough of the coconut/soy/almond milk to reach your desired consistency, and beat at medium speed for 2-3 minutes more, until very light and fluffy.

Faux-reos, "O"-reos, or Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

When I was growing up, my idea of a fun weekend project was to throw a neighborhood bake sale in my front yard  (I know, you're SHOCKED!)  Our town in New Jersey was fairly small, so pretty much everyone that lived on our street knew everyone else.  Of course we did have that one obligatory random house with the poorly maintained, overgrown lawn and peeling paint--the one that all of the kids avoided at Halloween because we were 100% certain that it was haunted.  In reality, the residence was probably just unoccupied, but the idea of having a mysterious creepy neighbor was so much more exciting.  Hey--it was the suburbs before we had a computer or cable TV.  Good imaginations were mandatory.

Since most of our neighbors were friends, or at least acquaintances, my mother had no problem with me whipping up a few batches of brownies or Rice Krispie Treats (the extent of my baking skills at the time) and selling them in the front yard, usually accompanied by a pitcher of pink Minute Maid lemonade or Tropical Punch Kool-Aid.  She did have some ground rules though:

1. I had to clean up my mess in the kitchen.

2. I had to pay for the cost of ingredients.**

**Looking back, I have the feeling that I didn't make enough to cover the cost of ingredients, even if I sold out of my $.25 brownies.  My mom was obviously trying to teach me about running a business since I was essentially using whatever I found in her pantry for my bake sale.  I think that she just pretended to figure out an amount and then charged me something like fifty cents.  That seemed like a perfectly sensible number to me at the time.  Mom (Moog), thanks for keeping my cottage baking business in the black.

I'm really looking forward to this Saturday, May 14th, because I've been asked to host a......GUESS WHAT????........yes, a BAKE SALE!!  Gosh, I hope it's like riding a bike.  I mean, it has been ages since my successful days as the mini Martha Stewart of Abey Drive.  I have a reputation to uphold.  Lots of pressure.

This bake sale in particular is extremely special for several reasons:

1. It is being held simultaneously with other bake sales in cities across America as a part of Share our Strength's Great American Bake Sale.

2. 100% of the sales made will go directly to Share our Strength to help fight hunger in America.

3.  It is being held at the Forum Shoppes at Caesar's, in the (wait for it) KIEHL'S STORE!!  Now, if that's not a perfect match, then I don't know what it.  No, not a match between Kiehl's and baking, a match between Kiehl's and me.  I've used their products for about 15 years now, so when they offered up their space for my sale??  No brainer. 

4.  In addition to an array of decadent treats, I will be selling bags of my granola at a discount, again with all of the sales going to Share our Strength. 

You can view my bake sale page here.  As you can see, I am a strong team of, well, one.  Sad, I know.  I tried to rally some baking troops, but I had little (OK, zero) response.  Again, sad, I know.  Oh, well.  I've always been a do it yourself kinda gal anyhow.  Oh, and as for that tiny little $10 number that keeps scrolling up the page, mocking me?  Challenge accepted.  (Of course, if you can't make it to the sale,  I am glad to accept donations on my team page too!)

So, in order to get into a bake sale state of mind, I did some playing around in the kitchen yesterday, experimenting with these homemade Oreos, or "Faux"-reos as I kept calling them.  As you might be able to guess from the photo, I was working on these while watching my DVR'd episode of Oprah. I felt compelled to make an "O"-reo with her logo sprinkled on it with powdered sugar, perhaps an idea to accompany the viewing of her very last show?  Yeah, that will be a depressing day, so I will need at least one of these cookies......likely more.

Although I didn't perfectly replicate a store-bought Oreo with this recipe -- the cookies are less crisp, and the filling is obviously made with butter as opposed to.....not butter--they are still best served alongside a glass of ice-cold milk.  None of that skim stuff.  Use at least 1% (or go completely crazy and use 2%.)  I have two different fillings below.  Both are addictively sweet with a little hint of salt, and both nicely complement the rich chocolate cookies.

And yes, mom.  I cleaned up my mess after I was done.

 

Here are my extra tips for preparing these cream-filled chocolate treats: 

• Once prepared, the cookie dough can be tightly wrapped and refrigerated for up to one week.  It can be frozen for up to three weeks.  Thaw the dough in the refrigerator overnight if frozen.
• The cream filling recipes below each make enough for 16 sandwiches, so halve the recipes if you would like to prepare both.
• Feel free to experiment with your own cream filling flavors: mint, Irish cream, cherry, almond/amaretto, and coconut are just a few that come to mind!
• Regarding the peanut butter filling, I have always liked a little hint of cinnamon with my peanut butter, which is why it is listed as "optional."  If that doesn't sound like your cuppa tea, then feel free to leave it out!
• If you don't have a 2 1/4 inch round cutter, try using the top rim of a drinking glass or an emptied (and cleaned!) tuna can.

Faux-reos with Two Fillings

Makes about 16 sandwiches

Ingredients:

For the cookies

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup dark cocoa powder (the darker, the better!)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

8 ounces butter, melted

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the vanilla cream filling

4 ounces butter, softened

1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

For the peanut butter cream filling

4 ounces butter, softened

1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

1-2 tablespoons heavy cream

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Prepare the cookies:  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda,and the salt.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter with the sugar at medium speed until well combined and creamy, 2-3 minutes.  Add the egg and mix for 1 minute more.  Beat in the melted chocolate and the vanilla.  On low speed, gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until it is thoroughly incorporated (dough will be stiff.)  Divide the dough into three equal portions and shape each portion into a flat disk.  Wrap each disk in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 325F degrees, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Unwrap one of the disks of dough and place it between two large pieces of parchment paper or waxed paper.  Roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness.  Using a 2-1/4 inch round cutter, cut circles out of the dough and transfer them to the prepared baking sheets, placing 1 1/2 inches apart.  Reroll scraps of dough as necessary, and repeat the process with the remaining disks of dough.

Bake the cookies until they are firm to the touch, 15-17 minutes.  Allow the cookies to cool on the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.

Prepare the cream filling:  For the vanilla cream, beat the butter with the confectioner's sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until well incorporated.  Add the cream, vanilla, and the salt, and beat the mixture at medium speed until light and fluffy.

For the peanut butter cream, beat the butter with the confectioner's sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until well incorporated.  Beat in the peanut butter and the optional cinnamon.  Add 1 tablespoon of cream and the salt, and beat at medium speed for 30 seconds.  If you would like a lighter consistency, add 1 additional tablespoon of cream and beat for 30 seconds more.

Assemble the cookies:  Using an offset spatula, place a heaping tablespoon of either filling into the flat side of a cookie.  Top with a second cookie, flat side down, and press to distribute the filling.  Repeat with the remaining cookies.  Serve with a glass of ice-cold milk!