Vegan Blueberry Scones

Once again, I tried a new recipe... This one is delish, but the texture wasn't scone-like for me; I imagine it was user-error. I hear scones are incredibly difficult to get texturally accurate, and so I will keep trying! 

Following is a copy/paste of the recipe, which came from this website. I made a couple of slight edits: 1) I did 1/2 teaspoon of lemon extract and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract in the scone; then 2) I added zest to the icing. The lemon flavor was nicely forward, which made me super happy!

Vegan Blueberry Scones

Tender, moist Vegan Blueberry Scones with simple glaze are a wonderful addition to any breakfast or brunch! Better than Starbucks! 

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time26 mins

Total Time36 mins

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American, French

 

Servings: 8 scones

 

Calories: 322kcal

 

Author: Nora Taylor

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 8 tablespoons cold vegan butter (or solid coconut oil)
• 3/4 cup almond milk (soy or coconut milk fine)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4-1 cup fresh blueberries (may use frozen as well)
• OPTIONAL: lemon zest from 1 lemon

Simple Glaze, optional

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons almond milk
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, ground flaxseeds, salt and sugar.
• Add the cold vegan butter, and use a pastry cutter or your hands to work the butter into the dry ingredients. It should resemble coarse crumbs.
• Pour in the milk and vanilla, and stir until just combined. Fold in the blueberries. 
• On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough a few times until it comes together. Flatten the dough with your hands (lightly flour your hands if sticky). Flatten it into a circle, about 1 inch thick.
• Using a pizza cutter or large knife, cut it like you would a pizza, into 8 pieces.
• Place the scones onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 22-26 minutes, until lightly golden brown on top.

Make the optional glaze:

• Combine the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. If the glaze is too thick, add more milk. If too thin, add more powdered sugar.
• Let the scones cool for at least 15 minutes, then drizzle some of the glaze onto each scone. Let the glaze set before serving.

Notes

1. May also use whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour. A gluten free flour mix would probably work, but I haven't tried it.
2. You can sub the vegan butter with coconut oil that is hard. Cut it into the dry ingredients the same way.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 322kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 274mg | Potassium: 203mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 542IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 2mg

Party Food: Sweet Potato Crescent Bites

It's been a long while, but it's a new year, so I figured I'd share here... We had a gathering recently, and I made these delicious treats (from www.delish.com)--well, I modified them so that they're vegan deliciousness! 
They really turned out great (and they were a party hit!), but I do have additional modifications, which I state below... Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Crescent Bites

INGREDIENTS
Cooking spray
2 

medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed clean

1/4 c. 

packed brown sugar

2 tbsp. 

almond milk (or your preferred dairy free substitute)

1/2 tsp. 

ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. 

pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. 

kosher salt

1 

(8-oz.) refrigerated Crescent sheet (or rolls, but the sheet doesn't have perforation)

3/4 c. 

mini marshmallows; I skipped them (small town woes), but some chopped up Dandies would probably melt and add the same feel and sugar.

24 

whole pecans

Maple syrup, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375° and grease a mini muffin tin with cooking spray; I used liners because I wanted them to be handheld for my guests. Pierce sweet potatoes 3 to 4 times with a fork. 

1. Cook potatoes: Place potato on microwave-safe plate and microwave 15 minutes. If your potatoes aren't fork tender after 15 minutes, continue microwaving in 30 second increments. When potatoes are cooked through, scrape filling into a large bowl and discard skin. 

1. Note: We boiled the potatoes, because our microwave was out of commission the night we made them. Boiling worked just fine; just remove the skin before boiling.

1. Using a potato masher or fork, mash sweet potatoes until smooth. Add brown sugar, milk substitute, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt and whisk to combine.

1. On a lightly floured surface, roll out crescent sheet. Note: pinch together seams if using the rolls, rather than a sheet. 

1. This is the hardest part of this process in my opinion: Cut into 24 squares and place in muffin tin cups. Do use the mini tin! We made a test batch in regular tins, and the pastry dough didn't get quite as crispy in the bottom (my suspicion: too much sweet potato filling).

1. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of sweet potato mixture into each crescent square, then top with mini marshmallows and bake until crescent pastry is golden, about 15 minutes. 

1. Add a pecan to the center of each bite and bake 5 minutes more. 

1. If using, brush pecans with maple syrup before serving This is kinda key for making them sweeter...before the maple syrup, there's not much sweetness in these bites.

Pina Colada Cake

From http://getinmybelly.com/pina-colada-cake/ and I can't wait to try it!!!!

Ingredients
-2 Sticks Unsalted Butter, divided
-1/3 Cup Pineapple Juice
-3 (20 oz) Cans Pineapple Chunks in Pineapple Juice, drained
-1 Box Yellow Cake Mix
-2 Cups Sweetened Coconut Flakes

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C.
2. Melt 1 stick of butter in a 13×9 inch baking pan in the oven for about 5 minutes.
3. When butter has melted, remove pan from the oven.
4. Stir pineapple juice then pineapple chunks into the pan.
5. Spoon cake mix over all pineapple chunks covering completely.
6. Sprinkle coconut on top of cake mix until completely covered.
7. Cut remaining stick of butter into small cubes and top over coconut.
8. Bake for 45-60 minutes rotating cake 90° every 15 minutes for even browning of coconut.

Notes

-It’s ok to substitute frozen pineapple or fresh pineapple for the canned pineapple.
-It’s ok to substitute rum for the pineapple juice.
-If coconut starts to look too dark then cover with aluminum foil and continue baking.
-The dessert may look a little soft when removed from the oven but it will firm up as it cools.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Dried Cranberries, Toasted Hazelnuts, and Orange Zest

This was a nice alternative to cranberry sauce....good veggies, light and health, and wonderful flavor!

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:
• 2 lbs Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise if small or quartered if large
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup lightly toasted, peeled, chopped hazelnuts
• Zest of 1 orange

Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 400°F. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the Brussels sprouts with the oil, sprinkle with salt and a few grinds of pepper and toss again. Roast, stirring once or twice, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until nearly tender and browned.
2. Add the dried cranberries, hazelnuts, and orange zest. Stir well and continue roasting for at least another 5 minutes, or until Brussels sprouts are deep golden brown, crisp on the outside, and tender on the inside.
3. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve right away.

Rudolphs Spritzer--A Holiday Drink!

Also, for a recent holiday party, I put this awesome punch together--delicious and a hit with our friends!

Ingredients

5 cups orange juice $

2 cups chilled lemon-lime soft drink $

1 1/2 cups vodka 

1/2 cup maraschino cherry juice 

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice $

Garnishes: lemon slices, fresh rosemary sprigs $

Preparation

1. Stir together all ingredients; serve over ice. Garnish, if desired.

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

Because I don't want to lose recipes, I sometimes post recipes from the internet. This is one of those moments... I made this awesome butternut squash soup for a holiday party we have in December 2014, and it was amazing--sweet but still savory!

YUM!!!

Our favorite butternut squash soup recipe...and the best part? It is made in the slow cooker! Garnish with maple roasted chickpeas for an extra special soup!

ingredients:

For the Butternut Squash Soup:
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped into 1-inch cubes (about 5 cups)
1 large apple, peeled and chopped (I used Granny Smith)
2 (14 oz) cans low sodium vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Maple Roasted Chickpeas:
1 (15 oz) can Libby's Organic Garbanzo Beans (chickpeas)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt

directions:

1. Add the onion, carrots, butternut squash, and apple to the slow cooker. Pour the vegetable broth over all of the ingredients. Cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

2. Once vegetables are cooked and soft, puree the soup using an immersion blender. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, and maple syrup. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. If you don't have an immersion blender, you can transfer the soup to a blender (in batches) and puree until smooth. Pour the soup back into the slow cooker and season with spices and maple syrup. 

3. While the soup is cooking in the slow cooker, make the maple roasted chickpeas. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Rinse and drain the chickpeas and pat dry with a towel. Remove the skins by rolling them on the towel. In a small bowl, combine the canola oil, maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Place the chickpeas on a large baking sheet. Pour the maple syrup mixture over the chickpeas and toss until chickpeas are well coated. Place in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes or so. Remove from the oven when chickpeas are crunchy. 

4. Pour soup into bowls and garnish with maple roasted chickpeas. Serve immediately.

Banana Nut Bread Deliciousness

I have lost and found this recipe too many times to mention, and so finally, I'm pasting both the link to the recipe and the recipe itself to my blog. It's so simple and easy that you really can't NOT make it, and it's VEGAN to boot!

What you need:

3 ripe bananas, mashed

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

What you do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Grease a loaf pan.

Mix the mashed bananas and oil in a large bowl.

Stir in the flour, vegan sugar, salt, and baking soda.

Mix in the nuts.

Pour the well-blended batter into the greased pan, top with nuts (if desired), and bake for 45 minutes-1 hour.

Remove, let cool, slice, and serve. 

Spicy Cauliflower Deliciousness

This is not my recipe....seriously, it's not. One of my friends found it here: http://amazingpinterestworld.blogspot.com/2012/11/spicy-buffalo-cauliflower.html Then she shared it with me at a holiday gathering recently.

Holy Cauliflower, Batman! Bang! Zap! Pow! Amazingness!

Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower
• For the batter:
• Dash of Frank’s Original Hot Sauce, or whatever kind you like
• ½ c. white rice flour
• ½ c. water
• Pinch salt
• 
  
• For the Buffalo sauce:
• ¼ c. Frank’s Hot Sauce
• ¼ c. oil, canola oil works best
• Pinch salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix together the batter ingredients in a small bowl. Dip the cauliflower in the batter until coated evenly then place on greased baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the batter hardens.
2. Mix together sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Once the cauliflower are done baking, brush them with the hot sauce mixture and bake again for a few more minutes, until cauliflower is crispy.
3. Remove from oven. You may want to add a bit more buffalo sauce to taste.
4. Enjoy!

Recipe from:
http://www.bullfrogsandbulldogs.com/pinned-it-did-it-spicy-buffalo-cauliflower/

December Pictures

Ok, these aren't for each day, but it's a glimpse into the month of December!

The deer hanging out in our backyard (a.k.a. the mountain), as I look out the kitchen window...

I cut off the top, but here's our lovely christmas tree this year. Most of the gifts are for the nieces and nephews!

Seriously....no snow a few days before christmas--just this dreadful rain!

We had to get out of the house after Dr.B's semester was complete to work off some excess (negative) energy. So, that cue ball really got it!

A little christmas eve gift to ourselves...We're goin' to see the Stillers play in Pittsburgh!

On the walk over to the stadium. After parking downtown, we walked to "the point" and then across the Allegheny River. Yeah...it was a bit of a trek, but it was FABULOUS!

We were seated in row LL, which (in case you aren't aware) is the tippy-top row in this stadium. Yikes! The picture doesn't provide good proof, but we really could see everything that was happening on the field!

Dr.Blueberry and me in the stands! Black and Yellow!

I have no idea what happened. Some 70's song came on (I tried so hard to remember the tune, but I failed!), the crowd went wild, and yeah....terrible towels were flinging all around! It was awesome!

The ice skating rink around the christmas tree in downtown Pittsburgh. Beautiful!

I promised my nephews that I'd leave cookies out for Santa (even though they were 2000 miles away)...so, vegan snicker doodles, a cup of soy milk, and a bottle of Chanti--hey, ya never know what Santa will want to drink!

Looks like Santa had a darned fine time at our place!

And, apple pie. I made this early in the month--the 2nd of December I think. I was supposed to make it for Thanksgiving, but I just couldn't get it together!