Aaand I Am Back in the Game!

Oh hello

It’s been a while, my dears.

I have missed you, I have missed the kitchen, and I have missed being vegan.

Yep, that’s right, during my travels I decided to lapse from a strictly vegan diet for a little while. I know I know, but I’m supposed to be SO vegan. However, I really wanted to be able to fully immerse myself into new places and new cultures, and if that meant trying the local cuisine, which usually happened to include eggs or meat, I wouldn’t say no. Hey, nobody is perfect. But I have missed the lighter, healthier feeling I had when I didn’t eat animal products. I am still a vegan at heart and everything I cook and bake for myself and on this blog will always be animal-free.

If you have been keeping up with my travel blog, you will know that right now I’m writing from somewhere far from my tiny college kitchen, far from my hometown kitchen in Minneapolis, and for that matter so far from anything and everything in my previous life. I am writing from Morocco- the wonderfully strange city of Tangier, to be exact. 

I have been living here for 3 weeks now, interning at the Cinematheque de Tanger and exploring the tiny winding streets, overflowing food markets, and beautiful ocean vistas.

The markets here are really what inspired me to start blogging again. I have never seen so much gorgeous, fresh, and sinfully cheap produce in my entire life, so I figured I had better make use of it! There’s only one problem with starting up a blog dedicated primarily to baking while I’m here…

I have no oven in my apartment.

Some friends who live nearby have one, so maybe once in a while I can sneak a cake down the street, but otherwise you may be seeing a lot of no-bake desserts. Time to get creative.

Like I said in the very very beginning (oh god, what a long time ago), let’s start simple.

4 Ingredient Chocolate Orange Mousse

makes 4 small servings

200 g bittersweet chocolate (I used sweetened chocolate, but if yours isn’t very sweet you may want to add some agave or other sweetener to the recipe)

1 ½ avocados

½ tsp orange zest

1-2 tbsp non-dairy milk

Break up the chocolate and place it in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for about 2 minutes or until the chocolate is completely melted. In a food processor, spoon out the avocado flesh and puree until smooth. Add melted chocolate, orange zest, 1 tbsp of non-dairy milk and blend. If the mixture seems too thick (it should be pudding consistency) add another tbsp of milk. Scrape the mousse into a bowl and let it chill for about 1 hour. Serve topped with chocolate shavings, walnuts, or more orange zest.

If you are curious about where else I have been in the world so far, check out my other blog Wanderment. I will continue to update it with my traveling adventures, while That’s So Vegan will once again document my food adventures. I am so happy to be back!

Oh, and can you tell I'm getting ready for Valentine's Day? 

Chocolate Lovers Brownie Cookies

I have a little bit of advice for you: the best way to repay someone for letting you crash at their place (besides chipping in for groceries-that's a nice thing to do) is to bake them cookies. As I have preached before, nothing says thank you, you're the best better than chocolate.

I crashed at my friend Mel's family's house this past weekend for Lollapalooza, a huge 3-day music festival in Chicago. The trip was definitely an experience, complete with it's ups and downs.

The downs included:
-being evacuated from Grant Park for three hours along with 70,000 other people because of severe thunderstorms
-the mud after the thunderstorms
-having mud balls thrown into the crowd during Calvin Harris
-almost passing out because of heat exhaustion during J. Cole. Don't worry, I chugged some water, ate a granola bar and I was fine.

The highlights, however, were:
-watching the amazing way that Florence and the Machine practically hypnotized a whole crowd with Florence Welch's incredible voice
-finding possibly the only vegan food at the whole festival (tasty veggie-stuffed dumplings)
-raging with Mel
-despite being so sweaty that I looked like I had taken a shower, getting a guy to dance with me at Kaskade
-getting a pedicure after the hell my feet had been through. It was only slightly embarrassing how horrified the woman looked when I put my feet up for her to see...

To repay Mel and her parents for providing me with a place to sleep and lots of granola bars, I made them a big batch of these. 

These cookies should come with a warning: you have to really love chocolate. They are dark, fudge-y, and as rich as the 1%. There is some seriously sinful chocolate flavor going on here.

Chocolate Lovers Brownie Cookies (loosely adapted from Vegan Cookies Invade your Cookie Jar)

makes 2 dozen cookies

1/3 cup non-dairy milk
2 tbsp ground flax seeds
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup sucant
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla 
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat your oven to 350º and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the milk, flax seeds, canola oil, sugars and vanilla until smooth. Sift in the remaining ingredients (not including chocolate chips) and stir until a dough forms. Fold in the chips.
3. Roll the dough into about 1 1/2" balls and place them on the cookies sheets, at least 2" apart in case of spreading. Bake for about 10 minutes- they will still feel soft and gooey to touch, but trust me, they firm up as they cool. 

I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend! If you're not, make a batch of these and it will instantly get better. These cookies are a dream come true. Is that over the top? Well excuse me, I'm still in a chocolate coma :)

Simple Coconut & Pecan Macaroons

One of the difficulties of planning this trip for next year is trying to imagine living out of a backpack. It's really true that people- including me- have too much stuff these days. I wouldn't quite consider myself a pack-rat, but I definitely like to hold on to things for memory's sake or because "oh, I might want this someday." It's time to simplify. I feel like we tend to measure our lives by our stuff and what we own. If that is the case, my life is about to become a lot smaller and more compact. 

In reality, however, I'm pretty sure my life is about to get even bigger and more exciting. You would think. 

I want to measure my time in experiences, not in material things. Seems like an obvious goal, but it's easier said than done.

Speaking of simplifying, these cookies are possibly some of the simplest little treats I have ever made. One bowl, one baking sheet, one batch of melted chocolate and you are good to go. Simply delicious.

Coconut & Pecan Macaroons

makes one dozen cookies

3/4 cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp ground flax seeds
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup flour

1/3 cup chocolate chips
1 tbsp coconut milk

1. Preheat your oven to 350º and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, syrup, flax seeds, coconut milk and salt until smooth. Mix in the coconut, pecans and flour. Roll the dough into 1" wide balls and flatten them onto the cookie sheet. Bake for about 12-15 minutes.
3. While the cookies bake, melt the chocolate chips in the microwave or over a low flame on the stove, stirring occasionally to prevent clumping. Add in the coconut milk and whisk until smooth. Let the macaroons cool for about 10 minutes, then one by one dip the cookies in chocolate, just coating half of the top. 
4. Place each cookie back on the sheet and refrigerate for at least 2 hours so that the chocolate can set. If you can't wait that long, go ahead and eat a cookie or two and ignore the gooey chocolate mess. It's totally worth it.

Cookies & Chicago

Growing up in Minneapolis has definitely made me a city girl at heart. I love the tall buildings, the buzzing energy of big crowds, and the infinite list of things to do.

My trip to Chicago was too short. The city was beautiful. The art was beautiful. The food was delicious (although my quest to find vegan deep-dish pizza failed). My best friend and hostess Melissa is always wonderful. Can I go back now, please? I think I could spend the entire summer exploring Chicago. 

Mel and me at the Art Institute

In the meantime, I'll just have to busy myself with staying out of the heat and humidity in Minneapolis and baking when it finally goes below 80º.  You may have noticed I'm on a bit of a sweet 'n salty kick, but there are just so many possibilities with that flavor combination! These cookies are chewy with a little bit of crunch from the peanuts and pretzels. Mmm perfection.

Sweet ‘n Salty Cookies (adapted from Munchin' with Munchkin)

makes 1 dozen cookies

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup earth balance

2 tbsp applesauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 2 tbsp water

2 tbsp non-dairy milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup roasted peanuts

1/3 cup crushed pretzels

1. Preheat your oven to 350º and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together the flours, salt and baking soda. Set aside. Whip together the earth balance and applesauce in a large bowl until fluffy. Cream in the sugar, then add the flax mixture, non-dairy milk and vanilla. Whisk until smooth.

3. Add the dry ingredients into the wet and stir until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips, peanuts and pretzels. 

4. Drop the batter onto the cookie sheet in tablespoons and press down to flatten them. Bake for about 10 minutes or until they start to turn golden brown.

Wake up and Smell the Coffee

Confession Time:
I think I have a coffee addiction. I swear I never meant for this to happen.
Thank you, college professors, for the boat loads of work that forced me to stay up past 2am and wake up at 7am, groggy eyed with nothing but more work in sight and a huuuge cup of coffee to soothe me.

My only slightly embarrassing obsession with Gilmore Girls and watching Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel consume obscene amounts of coffee may have something to do with my addiction as well. Basically what I'm saying is, none of this is my fault. I can't help it if I'm crabby without my morning cup 'a joe. 

You know what is even better than a cup of coffee to wake you up? Coffee cakes. And I don't mean the kind of crumb cake you serve with coffee. I mean coffee-infused cake with chocolate coffee frosting. Oh my goodness. I promise you, these are 100% worth the caffeine crash you'll be having later today. 

Mini Coffee Cakes with Coffee-Fudge Frosting

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

1/2 cup earth balance

1/2 cup boiling strong coffee

1/4 cup almond milk

1 tsp vinegar

1 1/2 tsp ener-g egg replacer mixed with 2 tbsp water

1/2 tsp vanilla

Frosting:

1/2 cup earth balance

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1-2 tbsp strong coffee

1. Preheat your oven to 350º and lightly grease and flour a cupcake tin. In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
2. Melt the earth balance in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir in the coffee and remove from heat. In a measuring cup, whisk together the almond milk and vinegar. Add the egg replacer and vanilla.
3. Pour the coffee and butter into the dry ingredients and stir lightly. Add in the milk mixture and mix until just combined. Divide the batter evenly into your cupcake tin (each will be about 2/3 of the way full) and bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
4. Meanwhile, make the frosting. Mentally prepare yourself, first. This might be the best and most dangerous frosting I have ever made. 
5. Cream together the earth balance, cocoa powder and 1 cup of powdered sugar. Add in the rest of the sugar and 1 tbsp of coffee and stir until creamy. If the frosting is too thick, mix in another tbsp of coffee. You don't want it too liquified though, it should be a fudge-y consistency.
6. Let the cakes cool for about 20 minutes, then frost and enjoy :)

Seduction by Cookies

When it comes to men, there is always going to be the one that got away. In the real world, you can choose not to see him anymore and forget about it. However, in a college of only 3,000 students packed into one tiny town, it is guaranteed that you will see him. And when you see him you will probably be wearing sweat pants, have your hair up because you forgot to shower, look totally sleep deprived from studying, and be waiting in line at the student grocery store buying a huge jar of peanut butter and a bag of kettle corn. That is my life.

If life were fair, it would go like this:

You casually bump into him wearing your best outfit, looking awesome and carrying a big plate of these cookies. You offer him one, he takes a bite and suddenly doesn’t know what he ever did without you. Totally realistic. Seduction by cookies? Definitely possible. Especially with these...

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies 

makes about 3 1/2 dozen

8 ounces vegan cream cheese (I used Tofutti)
1/2 cup vegan margarine
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tsp ener-g egg replacer mixed with 1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

1. Preheat your oven to 350º and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cream together the margarine, cream cheese and sugars until fluffy. Beat in the egg replacer and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt and mix well. Fold in the chocolate chips and try to refrain from eating the entire batch of batter then and there.
3. Scoop the dough in tablespoons onto the cookie sheet, leaving about an inch between each cookie. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges begin to turn golden brown. The cookies will still feel squishy right out of the oven, but this is a trick. They harden a bit as they cool! Enjoy with a glass of soy milk and don't forget to share!

These cookies are my new favorites: incredibly simple and amazingly delicious. They are slightly cake-y with a little crisp on the outside, plus the cream cheese adds a little extra something to what would otherwise be a traditional chocolate chip cookie!

Just to warn you... I tend to go on cookie kicks around exam time. They are the perfect study food for you and your friends! Don't be surprised if there are more cookie recipes to come in the next couple weeks :)

Chocolate-Dipped Whole Wheat Sugar Cookies

It's that time of year again...
The time when dark circles appear under my eyes, chunks of hair can be found on the floor from tearing at it, and a huge cup of coffee is considered a meal.

My friends, welcome to finals.

Sometimes I think the worst part about final exams and papers is anticipating them. Once you actually start to study and write, it doesn't seem too bad, but thinking about having to do them is pretty overwhelming. That's where I'm at right now. Time to just grab a cookie and dive in.

I made these for my boss's daughter's bake sale last weekend (and may have saved a couple for myself). They were the only vegan baked good there, but he said they sold out within the first hour! These cookies are perfectly crispy on the outside and slightly chewy on the inside. Plus, of course, the chocolate adds the perfect touch.

Chocolate-Dipped Whole Wheat Sugar Cookies

makes about 2 dozen cookies

1/2 cup vegan margarine
3/4 heaping cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 3 tbsp water
1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup chocolate chips
1 tsp vegan margarine
1 tbsp soy milk

shredded unsweetened coconut to decorate

1. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar. Mix in the vanilla and cornstarch mixture and stir until smooth. Add the salt and flour and use your hands to combine. If the dough is too crumbly, add a tablespoon or two of water. Wrap the cookie dough in plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes. 
2. Preheat your oven to 350º and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Once your dough has chilled, take it out and let it soften a bit. Roll it out on a floured surface until it is about 1/4" thick. Using a sharp knife, cut out rectangles until all of the dough is used up. Place the cookies on your prepared sheet and bake for about 15-18 minutes or until the edges begin to brown.
3. While the cookies bake, combine the chocolate chips, margarine and soy milk in a small bowl and microwave for a minute, or until the chocolate melts. 
4. Let the cookies cool for about 15 minutes, then one-by-one, dip just the top half of each cookie in chocolate and use a knife to spread it around a bit. Sprinkle with coconut and place back on the baking sheet. After they are all dipped and sprinkled, stick them in the fridge to chill for at least an hour before serving. 

Have a great weekend! 
I will be trying to soak up as much sun as I can before I quarantine myself in the library.

Monkey Bars

Thanks to my wonderful friends, family and your lovely comments, I ended up having a great twentieth birthday! Let me recap the highlight of the night for you...

A group of friends and I went to this mexican restaurant for dinner. My best friend Melissa decked me out in obnoxiously glittery necklaces saying "happy birthday" and a birthday goblet. When the servers of the place noticed this, one of them came over and said "It's your birthday? I make you something." 
About 20 minutes later, out came this huge plate of deep-fried something covered in whipped cream with a trail of servers following. They put a sombrero on my head, sang me happy birthday and tried to spoon feed me whipped cream and couldn't understand why I wouldn't just eat it. I'm pretty sure I was bright red the entire time. 

Lesson learned? Birthdays are really just excuses for your friends to embarrass the hell out of you :)

Anyway, the day after my birthday I had a huge sugar crash, so I decided I had to bake some other treat to have around. I called them monkey bars because of the super yummy banana and coconut combo- monkeys eat those things, right?

These really don't have too much sugar in them and with oats and whole wheat flour I decided I could justify eating one for breakfast! Although they are so delicious, it's really hard to eat just one.  I pawned a couple off on my friends and they absolutely loved them. 

Friend tested, friend approved. 

Monkey Bars

makes 9 bars

1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp agave 
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 ripe bananas
1 1/2 tsp energ-G egg replacer mixed with 2 tbsp water or 1/4 cup applesauce
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oats
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Topping:

1 tbsp agave
2 tbsp oats
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp shredded unsweetened coconut

1. Preheat your oven to 350º and lightly oil an 8x8" pan.
2. Mash the bananas in a large bowl. Whisk in the oil, brown sugar, agave, vanilla and egg-replacer. Stir until smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, oats and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just combined. Fold in the coconut and chocolate chips and pour the batter into your prepared pan.

4. Make the topping by placing all of the ingredients in a small bowl and crumbing them together with your fingers. Sprinkle evenly over the batter and bake the bars for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool at least 15 minutes before cutting, then dig in and enjoy!

Chewy, crumbly, chocolate-y, with a hint of toasted coconut. Does it get any better?

Twenty.

Hey guys.
Hey guys.
Guess what. 

It's my birthday. 
That's right, I have finally said good riddance to those teenage years and jumped into my twenties!

I try not to hype my own birthdays up too much in general, because, well, nothing can ever beat my pirate birthday party when I was 5, so might as well not raise the expectations. My friends and I will celebrate tonight, but for now I'll take this birthday morning to reflect.

I won't pretend to be a life expert. Twenty years is nothing in the grand scheme of things. But you can learn a lot in twenty years, so I thought I would share these little gems of wisdom and advice with you. You can take it or leave it :)

Twenty Things for Twenty Years

1. You can try to ignore it, but no matter what, family will always be the most important influence in your life.
2. Friendships, like any relationships, take a lot of work. If you’re not willing to work for it, it’s probably not worth having.

3. Never underestimate the power of heels and a little lipstick.

4. Boys are not as complicated as girls make them.

5. Not sleeping enough = getting sick. It may be un-cool to actually sleep in college, but sleep is good. Get some.

6. You should never feel like you to have to be anyone other than yourself around your best friends.

7. Things are only awkward if you make them awkward. Usually a smile solves it.

8. If you want something from someone, ask for it. No one can read minds. Except Voldemort.

9. You never know what will happen if you put yourself out there, but it’s worth the risk. Starting this blog was definitely putting myself out there and it has paid off so far!

10. If you have a really great idea, don’t just keep it in your head. Tell someone or write it down somewhere- then at least it’s out there, waiting to become something real.

11. Never shop for anything on an empty stomach.

12. If you have a stressful day ahead of you, wear a cute outfit. It helps, I promise.

13. It’s nice to have friends outside of your age range. Younger people bring you optimism and older people bring you wisdom.

14. No one can make the big decisions for you. In the end babe, it all comes down to your gut feeling.

15. Most people like meeting new people. So go ahead and chat up that guy that serves you coffee every day, you might make a friend.

16. If you’re not happy, change something. No exceptions or excuses.

17. Never be embarrassed about the music you listen to. Why yes, I do listen to the Lord of the Rings soundtrack while I do my homework sometimes.

18. Always always always make lists.

19. People will always question why you want to be an artist. As long as you  know the answer, nothing else matters.

20. You should never feel guilty about indulging yourself once in a while. So go make these cupcakes- now.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes with Cookie Dough Frosting (adapted from Recipe Girl)

makes 1 dozen cupcakes

Cookie Dough:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup vegan margarine, softened
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp soy milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Cupcakes:

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup hot water
1/2 cup canola oil
1 1/2 tsp egg replacer mixed with 2 tbsp water
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Cookie Dough Frosting:

1/3 cup margarine
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour 
1 tbsp soy milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

extra chocolate chips to decorate

1. Prepare the Cookie Dough Filling: Cream together the margarine and sugar. Whisk in the soy milk and vanilla, then mix in the dry ingredients until smooth and creamy. Fold in the chocolate chips. Scoop rounded tablespoons of cookie dough onto a cookie sheet and stick in the freezer for about 30 minutes, or until completely hardened.
2. While the dough freezes, prepare the cupcakes. Preheat your oven to 375º and line a cupcake tin. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add in the wet and stir until combined. Pour the batter evenly between 12 cupcake cups. Take out the frozen cookie dough and press a ball of dough into each cupcake.
3. Bake the cupcakes for about 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean (from the cupcake part, not the cookie dough).
4. Prepare the frosting: In a medium bowl, cream together the sugars and margarine. Add in the soy milk, vanilla and flour and stir until smooth and fluffy.
5. Let the cupcakes cool for at least 30 minutes, then frost them generously. Decorate with chocolate chips.

Oh my.

Okay I'll admit, these cupcakes weren't actually made for my birthday. I baked them last weekend for my friend's 21st and I think they might be the best cupcakes I have ever made. Three people asked me to marry them after taking a bite. These are sinfully delicious.

Time to go celebrate my day!