Pecan Brownies & other vegan teases

Hello All! 2012 went fast and now I'm back home with hundreds of sweet recipes to share with you! First and foremost you must try these Pecan Brownies. If you haven't found a decadent vegan brownie yet, well the search is over.

Pecan Brownie

Before you preheat your oven, let me take a moment to apologize/defend for my absence. I got the opportunity to spend the year in an incredible kitchen, elbow-deep in whole wheat pastry flour and chocolate chips as the pastry/salad chef at the award-winning Ravens' Restaurant.

The Ravens' is attached to the eco-friendly Stanford Inn by the Sea. Along with included breakfasts, guests can enjoy a complimentary dessert every afternoon during what we referred to as "Tea Time". Skeptics, believe me when I say that dreams come true: I got to live on the scenic Mendocino coast in Northern California and bake something new each day with the fresh, organic, vegan ingredients

When I had a free moment (which wasn't very often), I got to photograph some of the lovely desserts:

Carob Cake with Chocolate Ganache Frosting

Strawberry Basil Mini Layer Cake

S'mores Bar with Cocoa-Dusted Banana Slices

Trio of Macaroons: Almond, Toasted Coconut, Strawberry

Mexican Hot Cocoa Cake with Coconut Whipped Cream

Strawberry Shortcake with Peanut Butter Mousse and Chocolate Ganache

Some Tea Times were just too good to be served once and made an appearance every month or so. The favorites included Double Fudge Brownies (a la mode) (keep scrolling for recipe!), Huckleberry Orange Bundt Cake, Chocolate Marble Banana Bread, Tiramisu (which made it to the dessert menu for a month), Lavender Lemon Bars, Italian-Style Cheesecake with Pomegranate Sauce (for the holidays)...

Old-Fashioned Ginger Molasses Cookies

Speaking of holidays, what better way to spend December than having a Christmas Cookie of the Day? Pfeffernusse, my dear-to-heart Italian Anisette Cookies, Gingerbread, Walnut Apricot Jam Dots, Mint Chocolate Chocolate-Chip, there was room for all to be enjoyed alongside a cozy fireplace and Christmas tree at the Inn. I taught a Christmas cookie baking class (along with a couple healthier classes too). I can only hope Cookie Season 2013 will be half as whimsical.










As I promised, here is the recipe for the Brownies. There are many variations with this recipe. Pecan Brownies are always a favorite, a bit more indulgent than walnuts, (but many times I went nut-free and threw in some orange zest and cinnamon for a Mexican kick). I made these for my family and they went so fast, I was lucky to get one to take a picture.

Note: For extra fudgy brownies, underbake slightly - remove from oven when top crust has formed but insides are still soft, about 30 minutes of baking.


Yields 1 8"x8" pan, about 16 servings

1/4 cup coconut milk (or other nondairy milk)
2 tablespoons flaxmeal
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegan buttery spread, melted
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup nondairy chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup hot coffee
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup dutch-processed cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 8"x8" square baking pan.

In a small bowl whisk coconut milk and flaxmeal until thick. Transfer to a medium-sized bowl and add sugar, melted buttery spread, and vanilla.

In a small bowl mix chocolate chips with salt. Pour hot coffee over, stirring until chocolate has melted.
Add to wet ingredients and mix well.

In a large bowl sift together flour, baking soda, and cocoa powder. Add wet ingredients into dry mix and stir until no flour lumps remain. Use a rubber spatula to even spread brownie mix into prepared pan. Bake for 30-3 minutes, until top crust has formed and edges have browned. Let cool in pan before cutting.

Vegan Pumpkin Donuts with Dark Chocolate Glaze

 Halloween? Treat Yo'Self

There is no better time to bake than when the weather outside is frightful. As if having slushy snow during October wasn't scary enough, the heavy weight of the snow on the leaves of the trees caused so many branches to fall down, leaving many  roads closed and neighborhoods without electricity, phones, internet, and TV. So what better way to balance this trick with a treat?

The first hour of the snowfall seemed so innocent, maybe even cute?

My "treats" might not be sugary confections in squeaky wrappers, but I assure you there are other foods that can fit this category - homemade baked goods, homemade caramels and candies, hot cider, pumpkin beers, autumn ales, anything seasonal indulgence that would be inappropriate to pass out to kids ringing your doorbell. They won't appreciate it anyway; keep it all for yourself.

These Pumpkin Donuts are The Perfect Fall Treat. To the skeptics who find it hard to believe this title could be given to a vegan donut with no refined flours or refined sweeteners or artificial coloring, I respect that you stand your ground and aren't easily persuaded by bandwagon propaganda and loaded words. But everyone else is treating themselves to these delicious, incredible, sexy donuts.

Retta treats herself, shouldn't you?

Pumpkin Donuts
Yields 9

1 cup pumpkin puree
2/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup baking oil (grapeseed, canola, safflower etc)
1/3 cup applesauce
1/4 cup almond milk
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 350F. Grease donut baking trays. (You can also use cupcake trays if you prefer.)

In a large bowl whisk pumpkin, syrup, oil, applesauce, almond milk, vinegar, and vanilla. In a small bowl sift flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt, and stir. Pour dry ingredients into wet mix and stir until just mixed. Batter should be thicker than pancake batter but thinner than cookie dough.

Using a tablespoon, drop batter into donut tray to fill each section. Smooth out top of batter with the back of your spoon. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, until firm to the touch and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool for a minute before turning trays upside-down to remove donuts. If they cannot fall out on their own, use a rubber spatula to pry off. Top with Dark Chocolate Glaze.


Dark Chocolate Glaze

1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix everything together in a small bowl. If too thick, add more almond milk. If too thin, add more cocoa. Glaze should have a thick but pourable consistency. To glaze donuts, simply dip smooth side down in the glaze and carefully lift up to remove. Garnish with pecan pieces if desired.