Vegan Chocolate Chip Scones

One rainy evening while M was out, I suddenly felt like baking, so she’d have something warm and cosy to come home to. I decided to make scones but to add chocolate chips. I used coconut oil here to get a hint of chocolate-coconut flavour, which is a combination I like, but feel free to replace the coconut oil with rapeseed or sunflower.

Ingredients:

3 cups flour

½ cup sugar

8 tbsp coconut oil

3 tsp vanilla

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup milk (I used rice milk)

1 cup chocolate chips (make sure they’re vegan)

Instructions:

1. Mix everything but the milk and chocolate chips together.

2. Make a well in the centre. Pour in the milk and slowly mix the milk into the dry ingredients.

3. When it is well mixed, add in the chocolate chips.

4. You can make one big scone that you slice before baking into pieces or you can lightly flour your hands make individual small scones, which is what I did.

5. Bake at 180 C for 15-25 min.

Eliopitta Olive Bread

I found this recipe in Sally Butcher’s Veggiestan and since we love olives, I thought I’d try it out. I adapted it to our tastes.

 

It was a nice bread, but for great olive taste, I still prefer a focaccia.

 

Ingredients:

250 g strong white flour

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

7 g dried yeast

2 tbsp olive oil

1-3 tsp rosemary

160 ml lukewarm water, plus water for the pan

75 g olives

 

Instructions:

1. Mix the flour, sugar, salt, yeast, olive oil, rosemary, and water together. Knead well and leave to rise for 30-60 minutes.

2. Knead again, then leave to rise again.

3. Shape into a loaf or round. Slice the olives and place on the loaf. Let the loaf rise another 30 minutes.

4. Fill a baking tray with water and place in the bottom of the oven.

5. Bake at 240 C for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 190 C and bake for another 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Rhubarb Meringue Cupcakes

Another experiment with rhubarb! Yum!

 

Ingredients:

200 g rhubarb

200 g sugar

1 tsp vanilla

130 ml milk (I used rice milk)

1 tbsp lemon juice

200 g flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp cinnamon, optional

1 egg

2 tbsp vegetable oil

 

Meringue

3 egg whites

120 g sugar

1 tsp vanilla

 

Instructions:

1. Wash the rhubarb and dice it into fairly small pieces. Mix it with the sugar and vanilla.

2. Mix the milk and lemon juice and set aside.

3. Stir together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, and cinnamon.

4. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and slowly add the egg, oil, and milk, stirring the whole time.

5. Add the rhubarb.

6. Pour the rhubarb mixture into cupcake/muffin cases until about half full. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until mostly cooked, but still slightly gooey in the middle.

7. Meanwhile, whisk the egg whites, sugar, and vanilla into meringue. Spoon meringue on top of the cupcakes and bake for another 4-6 minutes.

Rhubarb Muffins

If you frost them, they are rhubarb cupcakes. I made a simple vegan buttercream (butter, icing sugar, and vanilla, plus added chopped rhubarb), but M preferred them without the frosting. You can also make rhubarb curd first, then blend it into muffin batter.

 

Ingredients:

1½ cups flour

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup vegetable oil or coconut oil

1/3 cup milk (I used rice milk)

1 egg

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup rhubarb

 

Instructions:

1. Mix all the ingredients for the muffins except the rhubarb. Once well mixed, chop and add in the rhubarb.

2. Place into muffin cases, filling each one about ¾ of the way up.

3.Bake for 20-25 minutes at 190 C.

Mandelbrot

A friend who likes Jewish food was coming to visit, so I made mandelbrot for him. These cookies are like Jewish biscotti.

 

This is based on my grandma’s recipe. If you keep them in a Tupperware container, they will last a long time.

 

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

4-6 cups flour (start with 4 and if it isn’t thick enough, slowly add in some more)

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1 cup chopped nuts (almond is traditional, hence the “mandel”, but you can also use peanuts, walnuts, etc)

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp cinnamon, if desired

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

zest and juice from 1 orange (you can use lemon if you prefer)

 

topping, optional

sugar

cinnamon

 

Instructions:

1. Mix all the ingredients together except the topping in a large mixing bowl and blend well. This will be quite stiff to stir, so a wooden spoon is helpful.

2. Shape the dough into two or three logs and place on baking paper on baking trays. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 180 C, until golden.

3. Leave to cool for 20-30 minutes, then slice into biscotti-like shapes (on the diagonal is an easy way to do it).

4. Place the cookies on their sides and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.

5. Bake at 150 C for 10 minutes, until dry in the middle and golden.

6. Flip over, sprinkle with more topping, and bake another 5-10 minutes.

Mexican Pie

I get a newsletter from VegNews, which always has an interesting vegan recipe. A recent one included tamale pie and while I couldn’t get all the ingredients here (in a small city in the UK without a Mexican population) and others weren’t to our taste, I adapted the idea and made a Mexican-style pie.

Ingredients:

 

pastry

1 vegetable stock cube

2 cups boiling water

2 cups fine cornmeal

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

½ cup vegetable oil

2 tsp mint

1 dash lemon juice

 

filling

2 red onions

3 garlic cloves

oil

1 tsp honey

5 mushrooms

1 pepper

2 cups spinach

1 tin/package black beans

½ cup frozen or tinned corn

1 tin peeled tomatoes

1 tsp salt

2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tbsp parsley

1 tsp chilli flakes, if desired

 

Instructions:

1. Put the stock cube in the water.

2. Mix all the other pastry ingredients and then add the vegetable stock. Stir well.

3. Press half of the pastry mixture into the bottom and sides of an oven-safe dish and bake for 10 minutes at 180 C.

4. Peel and dice the onions and garlic. Fry lightly in the oil and honey.

5. Brush and slice the mushrooms. Wash and chop the pepper. Add them and the spinach to the frying pan.

6. Drain the beans and add them, the corn, the tomatoes (not drained, so add the juice too), and the spices.

7. Stir and warm through for a few minutes.

8. Pour the filling over the pastry. Spoon the rest of the pastry over it and smooth out.

9. Bake for 20-30 minutes at 180 C.

Rhubarb and Raspberry Flan Bars

These have a lovely custardy consistency.

 

Ingredients:

 

pastry

¾ cup vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla

60 g icing sugar

250 g flour

 

filling

60 g flour

400 g sugar

1 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp vanilla

4 eggs

300 g rhubarb

100 g raspberries (or strawberries)

 

Instructions:

1. Mix the ingredients for the pastry together and press into the bottom and sides of an oven-safe dish. Fill with baking beans or rice and bake for 10-12 minutes at 180 C.

2. Mix the flour, sugar, salt, and spices together. Beat the eggs and add, mixing well.

3. Wash and dice the rhubarb. Wash the raspberries. Add them to the egg mixture.

4. Pour the fruit mixture over the pastry and bake for 25-30 minutes at 180 C.

Rhubarb Spice Cake

I love rhubarb in the springtime and I try to make lots of different dishes! This was wonderfully moist, and M loved it with a bit of Oatly cream.

 

Ingredients:

130 g vegetable oil, plus extra for the pan

130 g sugar (use dark sugar if you prefer)

200 ml water

4 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp mixed spice

2 tsp ginger

50 g honey

1 tbsp malt extract, if desired (molasses could work too, or you can leave it out)

4 tsp baking powder

300 g flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 eggsba

400 g rhubarb

 

Instructions:

1. Whisk the oil and sugar together.

2. Boil the water.

3. Add the spices, honey, malt extract, baking powder, and flour to the oil and whisk again.

4. Mix the bicarbonate of soda and water together and leave to fizz for a few moments.

5. Add it to the mixture.

6. Beat the eggs and mix them in. Make sure all is blended thoroughly.

7. Wash and chop the rhubarb into small pieces and stir into the mixture.

8. Pour into a lightly greased oven-safe dish.

9. Bake for about 30 minutes at 180 C, checking after 20.

Vegan Carrot Cake

I love carrot cake, so I was eager to make it on a recent spring afternoon. There was a wonderful smell coming from the oven as M made her way home.

 

I have also tried grating in one or two stalks of rhubarb and adding ¼  cup rhubarb curd for some extra flavour.

 

Ingredients:

2½ cups carrot (about 2 big carrots)

2 cups flour

¼ cup ground almonds (you can leave this out if you want)

1 cup sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

3 tsp cinnamon

¾ cup sunflower oil, plus extra for the pan

¼ cup rice milk (or other milk)

1 tsp lemon juice

½ cup raisins

½ cup flaked almonds (or, yes, if you prefer another nut, use that, but M is allergic)

 

Instructions:

1. Grate the carrots.

2. Mix all the dry ingredients together. Stir in the oil, milk, and lemon juice and mix well.

3. Stir in the carrots, raisins, and almonds.

4. Lightly oil an oven-safe baking dish and then pour in the batter.

5. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 180 C.

Vegan Rhubarb Cupcakes

M’s mum gave me a bunch of rhubarb from her garden, so I decided to do something with my rhubarb curd recipe. Sweet rhubarb cupcakes seemed liked a good idea, and they were perfect for a late spring afternoon.

 

For the curd, you can replace 1 tbsp flour with 1 egg, if you eat eggs.

 

Ingredients:

 

rhubarb curd

350 g rhubarb

zest and juice from 1 orange

30 g sugar

2 tbsp flour

 

cupcakes

¾ cup rice milk

1½ tsp lemon juice

¼ cup coconut oil

1 cup flour

½ cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

 

Instructions:

1. Wash and chop the rhubarb. Place it in an oven-safe dish.

2. Toss it with the zest and juice from 1 orange and 30 g sugar.

3. Bake it for 25-30 min at 190 C.

4. Blend it well, until smooth, and then mix with the flour and blend again.

5. Mix the rice milk and lemon juice together and set aside for 10 minutes to curdle.

6. Melt the coconut oil (if you have it in solid form).

7. Mix the dry ingredients together. Stir in the vanilla, coconut oil, and milk mixture.

8. Pour about 2-3 tbsp cupcake mixture into muffin cases and then place 1-2 tbsp rhubarb curd on top. Add another 1 tbsp cupcake mixture on top of the curd.

9. Bake for 10-20 minutes at 175 C.

Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:

1½ cups flour

¾ cup sugar

1/3 cup vegetable oil or coconut oil

1/3 cup milk (I used rice milk)

1 egg

1 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup blueberries

 

Crumble topping:

½ cup sugar

½ cup flour

1 tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

 

Instructions:

1. Mix all the ingredients for the muffins except the blueberries. Once well mixed, add in the berries.

2. Place into muffin cases, filling each one about ½ to ¾ of the way up.

3. Mix the crumble ingredients and place 1-2 tbsp in each muffin cup.

4. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 190 C.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

½ cup peanut butter (I use crunchy)

½ cup butter or margarine (I use Pure) (or about 1/3 cup oil)

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup sugar

1 egg

½ tsp salt (if there is no salt in the peanut butter)

1¼ cup flour

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp vanilla

¾ cup chocolate chips

 

Instructions:

1. Cream the butters and sugars together.

2. Add everything else except the chocolate chips and mix well.

3. Add the chips and stir.

4. Drop by teaspoons or tablespoons onto a lined baking tray.

5. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 190 C.

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

You could also add nuts, if you like.

 

Ingredients:

½ cup butter or margarine

½ cup white sugar

½ cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1½ cups flour

2 tbsp cocoa powder

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp salt

¾ cup chocolate chips

 

Instructions:

1. Cream the butter or margarine and sugars together.

2. Add the egg, then mix in everything else except the chocolate chips.

3. Once it is mixed well, add the chocolate chips.

4. Drop by teaspoons or tablespoons onto a lined baking tray.

5. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 180 C.

Pear, Apple, and Raspberry Crumble

Ingredients:

4 pears

1 apple

50 g rapeseed oil, plus extra

1 tsp lemon juice

55 g sugar, plus extra

1 tsp vanilla extract

5 tbsp oats

60 g flour

30 g almonds (ground or chopped)

30 g dark chocolate, optional

50-60 g raspberries (frozen is fine)

 

Instructions:

1. Wash, peel, and chop the pears and apple.

2. Lightly oil them and toss them with lemon juice and a little sugar. Bake at 190 C for 10-15 minutes, until softened.

3. Meanwhile, mix all the other ingredients together except the dark chocolate. Grate or chop the chocolate.

4. Top the fruit with the raspberries.

5. Dot the crumble topping over the fruit and sprinkle with chocolate (or mix the chocolate into the crumble topping first).

6. Bake at 190 C for 30-40 minutes.

Blondies

I made these for my students and they appealed to their desire for a sugar hit. I like to sprinkle them with sea salt so there’s a salty and caramel mixture, but you can leave the salt off.

 

Ingredients:

½ cup vegetable oil (or melted butter if you prefer)

2 cups dark brown sugar

1½ cups flour

2 tsp vanilla

2 tsp salt, plus extra to sprinkle on top, if desired

2 eggs

 

Instructions:

1. Mix all the ingredients together until a soft ball/mush has formed.

2. Spread in a lightly oiled pan or tin.

3. Sprinkle with fine sea salt, if desired.

4. Bake for 20-30 minutes at 180 C.

Chocolate Meringue Cookies

Ingredients:

3 egg whites

¼ tsp cream of tartar

½ - ¾ cup caster sugar (add more if you like it sweeter)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1-2 tbsp cocoa powder

 

Instructions:

1. Whisk the egg whites until foam, then add the cream of tartar.

2. Continue whisking on a higher speed, and add about 1 tbsp of sugar at a time.

3. Slowly add in the vanilla and cocoa powder.

4. Whisk until firm and shiny.

5. Pipe onto parchment paper on baking trays and bake for 40 minutes to 2 hours at 140 C until crisp on the outside and chewy inside. The time varies depending on how big the cookies are.

Light Wheat Buns

This is another recipe inspired by The Nordic Diet by Trina Hahnemann, but I shifted the proportions quite a bit to allow for a lighter wheat taste for my M.

 

Ingredients:

275 g white flour

50 g spelt flour

5 g fast action dry yeast

1 tsp salt

1 tsp honey

300 ml warm water

 

Instructions:

1. Mix all the ingredients together and leave to rise. Hahnemann suggests overnight in the fridge, whereas I left it for much of the day on the counter.

2. Shape into buns (the dough is soft so you might need to use a couple of spoons) and bake for 15-20 min at 220 C.

Homemade Wheat Thins

One of my favourite crackers when I was little was Wheat Thins. I’ve spent a large part of my life in countries where you couldn’t buy Wheat Thins, so I’ve had to learn how to make them myself.

 

Here is a recipe for homemade Wheat Thins. If you want, you can make them only with whole-wheat flour, but because M has trouble with whole-wheat, I mix two types of flour.

 

Ingredients:

¾ cup white flour

½ cup spelt flour

1¼ tbsp sugar

¼ tsp vanilla extract (strange, yes, but it does add to the flavour)

½ tsp paprika

1 tsp salt, plus more to sprinkle on top

5 tbsp sunflower oil (or butter or margarine, if you prefer)

¼ cup cold water

 

Instructions:

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a food processor.

2. Roll out in batches on a floured surface. Roll as thin as you can. We thought about putting it in our pasta maker, but we thought it would be too wet for it.

3. Cut into squares (or whatever shape you want). Prick each square with a fork once or twice. Sprinkle with more salt.

4. Bake at 200 C for 5 minutes. Check and if it needs a little more time, put it on for another minute or two.

Oatmeal Bread

Ingredients:

1¼ cups liquid (I use ½ cup water and the rest rice milk)

1 tbsp quick-action dry yeast

2-2½ cups flour

½ cups oats, plus extra for topping

¼ cup vegetable oil

¼ cup honey or sugar

1 tsp salt

milk/water/egg for wash, if desired

 

Instructions:

1. Warm the liquid. Put the yeast in it and leave it to foam for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, mix the flour, oats, oil, honey, and salt.

3. Add the yeast and liquid and mix well. Leave to rise for an hour.

4. Knead well and shape into a loaf. Place in an oiled loaf tin if desired.

5. Sprinkle with oats and wash, if desired. Leave to rise again.

6. Bake at 190 C for 30-40 minutes, until golden.

Pita Bread

A warm pita filled with hummus or some other dip or salad is a lovely thing.

 

Ingredients:

2 tsp fast-action dried yeast

200 ml warm water

400 g flour (white or brown or a mix; it doesn’t need to be bread flour)

1-2 tsp salt

1-2 tsp honey or sugar

1-2 tbsp olive oil

 

Instructions:

1. Put the yeast in the water and set aside for 10 minutes until foamy.

2. Mix the other ingredients together, then add in the yeast. Knead or blend for 10 minutes.

3. Leave to rise for at least two hours. You can also leave overnight in the fridge.

4. About an hour before baking the bread, put a bread stone or baking tray in the oven to warm up at 220 C.

5. Roll out the dough into 8-12 circles on an oiled surface. Test one by putting it on the baking tray and baking for 3-4 minutes per side. If it doesn’t puff up enough, sprinkle the other circles with water or a touch more olive oil.

6. Bake them all and serve.