Peanut Brittle

Double double toil & trouble. Fire burn and cauldron bubble. Candy making might not be magic, but it does feel super witchy. There's nothing like stirring molten sugar with a wooden spoon to make me feel powerful & seductive. You start with a few boring, simple ingredients and end up with a kitchen smelling of vanilla & several bags of candy to give to whoever you so please.


Peanut Brittle
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cup peanuts
2 tbl Earth Balance margarine
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

You need a candy thermometer to make this recipe! It's a great investment and will allow you to make all sorts of neat stuff in the future like caramel & lollipops. I have this thermometer by Maverick, but if you are looking for a digital one, I hear this is a solid option. It also helps to pre-measure all the ingredients! I keep my peanuts in one bowl. And then I combine the Earth Balance, baking soda, and vanilla in a separate bowl so I can add them to the hot candy as quickly as possible. Most recipes will tell you to cook the candy to 300 degrees, but I cook mine to 290. I prefer it to be a tiny bit softer. It will still crunch when you bite, but I feel a little less worried about breaking a tooth.
Lightly grease a cookie sheet. In a heavy bottom, 2 quart sauce pan combine sugar, corn syrup, and water. Place on medium heat and add your candy thermometer. Stir frequently, until the temperature reaches 240 degrees. Add the peanuts and stir continuously until the temperature reaches 290 degrees. You will see the sugars start to brown, and if you don't stir quickly enough the peanuts will burn. Remove from heat and immediately stir in the margarine, baking soda, and vanilla extract. Pour onto your greased cookie sheet and tilt the pan to allow the candy to spread as much as possible. Allow to cool to room temperature before breaking into pieces.
If you are worried about using corn syrup, you might be able to replace it with maple syrup, brown rice syrup, or the elusive tapioca syrup. I am not sure how it will affect the taste, and I haven't tried it myself. But I do think it's an option if you are actively avoiding items that may be GMO.


Last week, I was hoping that April would be a little more easy-going for myself, but it's hasn't proven true quite yet. I filed my taxes last week, to find out that a document I didn't really pay much attention to when all my tax forms came in, was going to cause me a bit of a pinch. A bank that I had an undergraduate loan with was consolidated into a much larger bank, and they forgave my loan. It's great that I don't have to pay $6000 back, but I did have to pay taxes on it all at once unexpectedly. As soon as the accountant told me I owed the government $1500 in a week, I started tearing up. I even publicly embarrassed myself and cried the whole walk from the tax office. After a few days of panicking, things are starting to resolve themselves a little. As my mom phrased it "it's like a gift horse kicked me in the mouth."
I do finally feel like things are turning around. It's been beautiful out the last few days. Tonight I am going to a baseball game. I have lots of friends coming in to town over the next few days. April is packed full of exciting things. I might be a little sleep deprived for the rest of the month, but at least I will have a lot of fun!

Local Favorites: Charm School Chocolates

On Sunday, I told you that I have been having a rough month. I also wrote that post shortly after having a really rough morning. I intentionally didn't buy bagels or oatmeal or any breakfast foods, because I knew I had a loaf of bread that needed to be eaten. I woke up and made my coffee, got out the strawberry jam, and then realized some sneaky culprit had snatched my loaf of bread. I was livid. I walked around the kitchen for ten minutes trying to formulate some satisfactory breakfast options from the empty cabinets. The effort was futile. I wake up HUNGRY. And not eating within thirty minutes of getting out of bed, that feeling quickly turns into HANGRY. I put on jeans and shoes as quickly as possible to head to the nearest coffee shop for a bagel. While waiting in the brunch traffic to order my bagel, I saw these white chocolate crunch eggs. They were too cute, and I deserved a treat for being so patient while my stomach was grumbling so loudly.


I have seen Charm School Chocolate's products popping up in little baskets on the counter at Sticky Fingers for a few months now. I finally had a sugar craving that could only be satiated by a chocolate bar, and splurged one one. The white chocolate bar surpasses all vegan white chocolate I have had, including the stuff I have made at home. It's creamy and smooth without even a hint of waxiness. And in true form, there are flecks of vanilla bean dotting the bars. The eggs were the same chocolate as the bars, but contained brown rice cereal to add a layer of crunch that was really satisfying. And beautiful! They apparently also had chocolate peanut butter eggs earlier in the week, but I was too late to the party on those. I know a few people who got the Valentine's chocolate boxes they made and were blown away, you can see how beautiful they were for yourselves here. I can't wait to see what Charm School Chocolates comes up with next. I have been pretty keen on all their seasonal & holiday items, so I am sure there is much more to come.

Blueberry Pie Filling

Every "ten tips for blog success" post you will find will tell you that your blog should be an uplifting, happy place. You shouldn't write about your bad days and frustrations. It needs to be all sunshine & rainbows. But I just can't agree with that sentiment. It's too hunky-dory for me. I would rather be real. March has been a rough month for me personally, and I am more than happy to celebrate its end. There's been a lot of stress, a lot of changes, and a lot of emotional heaviness weighing me down. This weekend I worked two 12 hour days creating all of the Easter items and filling the wave of catering orders. I woke up at 3:30am. There's not many people who will give you really happy feedback on rising at that hour. But at the end of my shift yesterday I walked across the parking lot and realized that the sky finally wasn't gray anymore, the snow was all gone, and I could take off my coat finally. April is just around the corner, and things will definitely get better. Until Mother's Day. At least it doesn't fall on my birthday this year!



Blueberry Pie Filling
enough filling for 1 nine inch or 2 six inch pies

4 cups fresh blueberries
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 tbl water
zest of half a lemon

In a small saucepan combine 1 cup of blueberries and sugar. Mash some of the blueberries with the back of a wooden spoon or spatula to release some of the juice. Cook on medium heat until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has come to a rolling boil. Whisk cornstarch into the water. Pour into boiling blueberries. Cook until a thick jam has formed, then remove from burner and allow to cool for ten minutes. In a large bowl combine the remaining blueberries and lemon zest. Fold jam into the berries. Now you're ready to fill your crust. I generally use a double crust with blueberry pie because it is a little juicy. I always brush the top crust with coconut milk and sprinkle a little sugar on it. It gives you a perfectly crisp top with a lovely golden shine.


I know berries are still a little pricey. But they are back in season so soon! And then you can fill up as many buckets and pails as you and your friends & family can carry for the most amazing prices at local pick-your-own farms. You can take cute pictures of each other with blue and red tinted lips from all the berries you have been trying to sneak into your mouths while you are walking around.

Oatmeal Cream Pies

My best friend and I frequently experience something I refer to as same brain. She will often send me a message that is exactly what I was thinking. She will be forming ideas for projects that pair perfectly with what I am working on. It's mind boggling how similarly we think sometimes. Earlier this week she wrote about the 6 things she did instead of blogging, which basically wrapped up my last two weeks. I haven't been writing about what I have been doing, because I have been doing so much. I have been working extra hours in the kitchen while my assistants have gone on vacation. I baked a birthday cake for a friend. I did a bake sale at a punk show. I have been organizing some details for my participation in Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale. I have been teaching myself how to lift weights & taking new classes at the gym. I've been obsessed with my upgrade from a five or six year old flip phone to an iPhone (Instagram is possible my favorite thing about this transition!). I have been making an active attempt to be a better friend and make more plans with people I want to spend time with. Next Sunday I plan to finally watch the Beyoncé documentary with several of my favorite DC ladies. There are still so many more things that I want to do. There are terrariums I want to build & museums I need to visit. With longer days and (slightly) warmer weather I feel a lot more motivated to push myself.
I have always been interested in veganizing snacks that I loved prior to my shift in diet. I've done malt balls and Girl Scout cookies, but last week I set out to do something I haven't tried before. I found BraveTart's recipe for homemade Little Debbie oatmeal cream pies, and they were immediately bumped to top priority on my must-bake list. The only down side is that you need a scale to make the recipe. If you don't have one, I'm sorry! You should consider investing in one. I use it almost every time I bake. It's way easier to weigh out my Earth Balance and shortening than scoop it into cups or buy overpriced sticks!



Oatmeal Cookies
veganized from BraveTart's amazing recipe

8 ounces all purpose flour
4 ounces rolled oats
1/2 ounce cocoa powder
2 ounces dried apple rings
3 ounces Earth Balance margarine
2 1/4 ounces canola oil
7 ounces sugar
1 ounce molasses
3 1/2 ounces corn syrup
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon mace
1 Ener-G egg
2 ounces almond milk

Preheat the oven to 350°. Chop the apples into small pieces to save your food processor a little of its life. Then combine the flour, oats, cocoa and apple rings in your processor bowl and allow it to chop for several minutes until all it looks uniform. Cream together the margarine, oil, sugar, molasses, corn syrup, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices until fluffy. Add the egg replacer and beat another minute. Add the dry ingredients all at once and mix on a low speed while drizzling in the milk. Mix until the dough forms. I used a medium sized 1 1/2 oz scoop for the cookies and placed them 8 to a cookie sheet and ended up with 3 trays of cookies total, with a lot of room to spread. Bake for about 8 minutes, or until the cookies edges are just firm. The cookie should look under-baked when you remove them from the oven. They will crisp as they cool, but you want them to stay perfectly soft!

Marshmallow Cream Frosting
1/2 cup Earth Balance margarine
1/2 cup shortening
1 ten oz container Suzanne's Ricemellow Creme, divided
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Beat margarine and shortening until fluffy. Add 5 oz of the Ricemellow and beat again for several minutes. Add vanilla extract and powedered sugar. Beat until combined. Fold remaining half of Ricemellow into the frosting with a spatula. For extra oomph, toast the Ricemellow under your broiler for about thirty seconds and let it cool before using in the frosting. This step is vital if you are going to make a s'mores cupcake!


What's keeping you busy lately? I feel like I am always interested in starting new hobbies, but I am not always consistent at following through with them. I am a perfectionist. I get frustrated when I am not good at something quickly and then to avoid it afterwards. I know that it's a problem. I am trying to work on it. I just tend to feel like I would rather spend my time doing something that I know I am good at. I don't feel compelled to be a jack of all trades, but rather a master of one. What's your stance?

Pignoli Almond Cookies

These are the kind of cookies you would have at tea party. The kind of party where you break out the gold rimmed tea cup and saucer sets, lace doilies, silver serving platters, & linen napkins. There would probably even be pennant flags and pinwheels. Unfortunately I didn't eat these cookies at a tea party. I ate them on a rainy day in my yoga pants while reading a book about witches. I did however eat them while drinking a cup of almond infused black tea, so I suppose I am halfway there. Whether you are wearing yoga pants or an Easter dress, these cookies are totally appropriate. These are such a spring sweet to me. The almond flavor is rich but still refreshing. And the pine nuts add a buttery crispness to the top of the cookie.
I used the recipe from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar. I didn't add the almond extract because the almond paste lends the cookies plenty of flavor. I also used far less pine nuts than suggested, because I am honestly not the biggest pine nut fan. I also didn't need to dip my cookies in milk before pressing the pine nuts on. They stuck just fine to the un-moistened dough. I used store bought almond paste, but am highly considering making my own next time. You basically puree blanched almonds with sugar until it's smooth. I have a fancy blender, so I feel like I should make the most of it. Has anyone ever made almond paste?
I am also in love with these dishes! I have the same plate in a different color, but I had never seen a matching cup. While I like the blue shade of the older plate, this lavender-grey has really won me over. Anthropoglie kitchenware always reels me in. I have been really good about not adding to my stock pile of dishes in the last few months, but I just couldn't help it?! Sometimes when I look at all of the kitchen related things I have I feel like I might have a slight hoarding problem. But then I remember about how good I am about maintaining minimal possessions in all the other aspects of my life. I don't have very many shoes or clothes. I don't have many books. It's just all cupcake pans & vintage saucers & hang printed napkins. Everybody's gotta have a vice right?!

Homemade Girl Scout Cookies

I grew up in Girl Scouts. I started as a Daisy and made it all the way to being a Senior. I was obsessed with the pins and buttons and patches. My neighbor Jen and I spent countless hours together working our way through our books trying to earn as many badges as possible. I distinctly remember having both a vest and a sash as Junior because I had too many patches to fit on just one. My favorite patch of all was an image of Juliette Gordon Low wearing a fancy dress, in shades of pink and brown. I liked it so much that my mom agreed to sew one on both my vest and my sash. One day a bottle of bleach leaked in the washing room, and it ended up coating a fair portion of my vest, whiting out all the batches. I cried for days.
Aside from earning all sorts of swag, Girl Scouts led to a lot of amazing opportunities for me. I went rappelling. I went canoeing. I went to sock hops & lock-ins & tons of workshops. But most of all, I sold cookies. My sister and I sold countless boxes of cookies. I remember cookie season well. My dad would take our order forms to work and ask people to buy cookies, making sure everything was split evenly between us. We would stand with our troops at grocery stores every weekend. When the cases came in, our living room turned into cookie central. We organized each order in a different corner, double counting all the boxes to make sure everything was just right. And then it turned into a giant delivery operation. There is no doubt in my mind that selling thousands of boxes of cookies helped lead me to my life of baking. The excitement that only came once a year now comes every week as I sling baked goods on the daily.
The Girl Scouts started selling homemade cookies in the early 1900s, but starting using factories in the late 30's. Currently there are two licensed Girl Scout cookie vendors, ABC and Little Brownie Bakers. This year ABC revealed that four of their cookies were vegan! Those are the Thin Mints, Peanut Butter Patties, Thanks-A-Lot, and Lemonades. The only problem is that the vendors generally sell cookies in different regions. I haven't been able to find any of the vegan cookies in my area. While I am sure that I could wrangle a few boxes online, my conscious won't let me do it. The point of Girl Scout cookies is for the girls to be actively involved, and they intentionally don't allow online sales to promote hands-on learning. Since I can't find the vegan cookies in my area and the cookies I crave the most still aren't veganized, I don't feel too bad about baking my own. I really liked the filling from the samoa hamantashen I made, so if the caramel recipe seems familiar now you know why.


Shortbread Cookies
1 cup Earth Balance margarine
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup powdered sugar
2 cups flour
8 oz chocolate chips
1 tbl coconut oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat the Earth Balance until fluffy. Add vanilla and powdered sugar. Beat until combined. Add flour in two parts. Mixing until a thick dough forms. Roll dough out between sheets parchment, with additional flour to sprinkle if needed, until 1/3" thick. I cut the dough using a 2.5" cookie cutter and then cut the center with a piping tip. Alternatively, if you have a donut cutter it would be great to use here. Bake 15-19 minutes until edges are browned. Allow to cool completely. While the cookies are cooling melt the chocolate and whisk in the coconut oil. Dip bottoms of shortbread in chocolate and allow to set.

Coconut Caramel
1 cup full fat canned coconut milk
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoon Earth Balance margarine
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

In a small sauce pan combine coconut milk, brown sugar and Earth Balance. Allow to come to a low boil. Simmer for 20-25 minutes until the mixture has thickened into a syrup and smells like caramel. It will also darken in color. While this mixture is simmering, spread your shredded coconut on a sheet pan and bake at 350 degrees for 4-7 minutes. After 4 minutes stir the coconut to ensure that the coconut isn't browning unevenly. Remove when half of the coconut is lightly browned and continue to stir on the pan while it is cooling, as the coconut will continue to toast while the pan is hot. Stir the coconut and the vanilla extract into the caramel.

Assembly
I found it easiest to pipe the caramel onto the cookies. You don't need a piping tip, just cut the bottom of the bag. I piped a ring around each cookie, then lightly pressed the caramel flat with my hand. I had a little trouble with it sticking to my hand instead of the cookie, so I lightly greased my palm with coconut oil. Drizzle the remaining chocolate in stripes on the top of the cookie. I added a few more chocolate stripes than you would find on a classic samoa. But who can blame me, there's no such thing as too much chocolate.



If you have vegan Girl Scout cookies in your area and are interested in arranging some sort of mail swap, I am all ears! I could trade you all sorts of terrific vegan goods from the DMV area. But there are a few things to keep in mind when you are dealing with the girls!


Heck yeah! The Girl Scouts are amazing for a whole slew of other reasons too. Like their huge push in science, math,& technology programs and their trans* acceptance! Was anyone else in a troop growing up? Or do you have children that are currently involved? I would be really interested in hearing what sorts of events were popular these days.

Cheesecake Brownies

Sometimes you need a recipe in your arsenal that takes no time or effort to prepare. It bakes while you are paying bills or doing laundry or some other pesky task that always ends up falling on your day off. These brownies are one of those "recipes". I am not ashamed to use a box mix. Sometimes it's just really convenient. I know that I can mix together flour and cocoa powder and sugar and baking powder. But sometimes it's just easier to dump everything out of a box, and not worry about if I ran out of sugar and forgot to buy more again. For the box mix, I generally prefer Ghirardelli Double Chocolate. There are a few other vegan brownie mixes, but I don't remember them off the top of my head. I found Ghiradelli and never went back. I have used all sorts of egg replacers when using brownie mixes. While blending a can of black beans is still one of my favorites, I decided to try something else this time I went with yogurt. I had a little cup of coconut yogurt ready to explode, and I thought I would make use of it. It worked really well for me. Just use 1/4 cup for every egg you need to replace.


Cheesecake Brownies
one 9" pan

One batch brownie batter*
8 oz non-dairy cream cheese, I prefer Tofutti
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 Ener-G egg

Make your brownie batter* (As I already confessed I used the box mix combined with 1/3 cup water, 1/3 oil, and 1/4 cup coconut yogurt). Pour 3/4 of the batter into a 9" pan that is well greased or lined with parchment. Make your cheesecake filling by blending the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and Ener-G together until smooth. Dollop the cheesecake filling on top of the brownie. Then spoon remaining brownie batter on top. Swirl lightly with a chopstick or butter knife. Bake at 375 for 45-55 minutes until a toothpick comes out almost cleanly. You want these brownies to be slightly underbaked so they stay incredibly fudgey.


Do you have a store mix that you turn into something more amazing than it normally is? I'm always interesting in hearing how people modify things to better fit their needs. I'm all into shortcuts lately. Between work, getting hooked on a book series, and getting back into a solid gym routine it seems like there is less & less time to spend in the kitchen. I have been comilingp a list of other quick desserts that will satisfy my sweet tooth. Baklava is next!