Re-run: Veganized Cranberry-Zucchini Muffins

This isn't my usual M.O., but due to our impending voyage to Utah, here's a re-run of one of my favorite recipes (originally published here during Making Over Martha Month, on Sept. 7, 2008:

From Making Over Martha

As you may know, during the month of September, I am making over a selection of Martha Stewart's recipes to make them suitable for Altered Plates (my dietary restrictions). This lovely recipe comes from her legendary Baking Handbook. It's one of my favorite cookbooks for a number of reasons:

1. Loads of photos.
2. Great tips and advice.
3. Well-tested (and flexible) recipes.
4. Classic as well as uncommon recipes.

Martha's original recipe for Cranberry-Zucchini Muffins is not vegan, however it didn't take much to rework it to make it super-healthy and vegan. The resulting agave-sweetened muffin is excellent. I received high marks from friends who tried these today, just one day after baking. Right out of the oven (OK, about 20 minutes out of the oven), I couldn't resist trying one since they smelled and looked divine. I was not disappointed.

From Making Over Martha

I could see plenty of green flecks from the fresh, organic zucchini as well as the oozing cranberries that had burst while baking. I could definitely taste the vanilla and nutmeg, while the tangy cranberries and rich, crunchy walnuts made these muffins worth munching.

You really can't ask for a more tender crumb. I'm going to blame it on the olive oil (which you can't taste at all in these, as well as the whole wheat pastry flour). Overall, I'd probably give these an A for sneaky healthiness in a truly tasty muffin.

I made a few changes not only to the ingredients, but also to the instructions. Please bear in mind that I doubled the recipe because I had to feed a room full of friendly faces. So here is my version.

Cranberry-Zucchini Muffins (based somewhat loosely on Martha Stewart's recipe in her Baking Handbook).

Makes 42 mini muffins and 12 regular-sized muffins.

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/3 cups agave nectar
3/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups grated zucchini (I used 2 1/2 small ones)
1 cup frozen whole cranberries

Directions:

1. Line all your muffin pans with nice paper liners.
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. If you're just making large muffins, set your oven to 345 degrees F. The mini muffins take much less time to bake, so the lower temperature helps prevent burning.
3. Sift together dry ingredients (except walnuts) into a large bowl with a lip or a very large measuring cup.
4. Fold in the walnuts making sure to mix them in well. They also help to better distribute all the dry ingredients.
5. In a separate, large bowl, mix together the agave nectar, olive oil, and vanilla until well blended.
6. With a big spoon or silicone spatula, mix in the zucchini.
7. Add the dry ingredients, mixing until just blended.
8. Fold in the cranberries for about a minute.
9. Using a small cookie scoop, scoop out even amounts into your prepped mini muffin pans. Use a regular ice cream scoop for the large muffin pans. Your muffins will rise a bit, so make sure not to over-fill the cups. You're looking for about 3/4 full.
10. Bake for 20 minutes, then rotate the pans and bake another 20 minutes, or until a bamboo tester comes out clean.
11. Let the muffins rest in their pans for 10 minutes, no more. Then remove them from the pans to cool completely on wire racks.
12. Break 'em open and enjoy!

Book Review: The 30-Minute Vegan

Yay! Another great resource for vegans, vegetarians, and the folks who love them. Usually 30-minute recipe books tend to be on the slim side, but The 30-Minute Vegan by Mark Reinfeld and Jennifer Murray is a hefty volume, packed with a wide range of recipes that don't require a lot of special ingredients that vegans will find tough to locate in their local health food store. While there aren't that many desserts included in the book, I was able to select a very tasty one to try out for you using agave nectar here on Altered Plates.

From July_2009_Photos

For my trial recipe, I selected Macadamia Nut-Chocolate Chip Cookies (although I made mine into carob chip cookies). They are a snap to make, and I could easily substitute agave nectar for the maple syrup (although I'm sure they would be just as good with the syrup). Because I used agave nectar, I had to drop the temperature down to 325 degrees F, and that increased the baking time by a few minutes.

Even though they look a little on the light side, trust me, these cookies are done. I tried one about 20 minutes after they had finished cooling and was very pleased with the result. The carob chips make a nice foil for the sweet cookie and rich macadamias. They don't spread, so you can easily make nearly 40 cookies using a tablespoon scoop on three cookie sheets (just stagger your rows). Overall, they remind me of what great chocolate chip cookies should taste like without the 1/2 pound of butter, brown sugar, and bendable chewiness. Best of all, they were a hit with the folks at the museum, when I brought in a bag of them yesterday.

I'm not sure I'd be able to make these in 30 minutes, even if I wasn't trying out the recipe for the first time, but they definitely can be done and on your cooling racks in under an hour. Getting all the ingredients together and preparing the cookies took longer than 15 minutes (chopping the nuts, measuring, etc.), and I just don't like rushing when I'm baking. That's when things tend to go wrong for me. Terribly wrong.

However, most of the recipes in the book are for beverages, meals, and snacks that are very time-friendly. I'm looking forward to making my way through all the recipes that I've already tagged with post-it tags.

And now, here's the recipe. Excerpted from the book The 30-Minute Vegan by Mark Reinfeld and Jennifer Murray published by Da Capo Lifelong, a member of the Perseus Books Group. Copyright © 2009. www.dacapopresscookbooks.com

My changes are in bold.

Macadamia Nut-Chocolate (Carob) Chip Cookies

Makes 24 3-in. cookies (My yield was 38, from tablespoon-sized scoops)

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups whole spelt flour (whole wheat pastry flour)
1/4 cup tapioca flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup rolled oats
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts (mine were salted and roasted)
1 cup vegan chocolate (carob) chips
2/3 cup pure maple syrup (agave nectar)
2/3 cup safflower oil (canola oil, although I'm sure a light olive oil would be fine as well)
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. (OK, my oven does not take much time to preheat at all, so I actually don't do this until I begin scooping out the cookies. And, most importantly, my oven is set to 325 degrees F.) Sift the spelt flour, tapioca flour, basking soda, salt, and cinnamon through a fine-mesh strainer or sifter. (I didn't do this; I just whisked my dry ingredients together very well.) Whisk well and add the oats, macadamia nuts, and chocolate chips, stirring again.
2. In a 2 cup measuring cup, combine the maple syrup, safflower oil, water, and vanilla, and whisk together. Add to the flour mixture and stir well.
3. If you aren't using a nonstick cookie sheet or baking tray, you will have to lightly oil the tray or lay down aluminum foil (neither, in my case, I'm a big fan of parchment paper, so I used it). Use a spoon to scoop out your preferred size of cookie, leaving enough space in between them to allow the hot air to circulate and the cookie to spread out (at least 2 inches). It will take at least two trays. Bake them for 10 minutes (mine took about 13), until the bottom edges start to brown; do not over bake. Allow them to cool for a few minutes and transfer to a wire rack.

Kitchen Project: After Photos

Remember all that stuff about the kitchen, well, here are the "after" photos:
Here and There.

I didn't include everything, like John's custom spice cabinet, but at this point, it's a period at the end of a very long paragraph. Just thought you might want to see.

Cobbleriffic -- Vegan Blueberry Apricot Cobbler

From July_2009_Photos

Oh my friends, if you're a fan of blueberries, you must make this cobbler for yourselves. I was inspired (as always) by Elise's Apricot Berry Cobbler, but wanted to veganize it to bring down the fat and make it healthier. I made a lot of changes from the flour to using apple cider vinegar and almond milk instead of buttermilk, so it's now an entirely different recipe.

From July_2009_Photos

This is the most luscious and rich-tasting cobbler you will ever taste (not tooting my own horn, folks -- it was a big surprise to me too). Because I added almond meal to the whole wheat pastry flour, the cobbler topping became cookie/pie crust-like, and less biscuit-like (which was the best part of the surprise). I also wasn't sure if the olive oil would work instead of the butter, but it has now become my fat champion for its performance here. That would be an excellent slogan: "Olive Oil, My Fat Champion."

From July_2009_Photos

The filling is a good mix between quartered apricots and blueberries, but I'd bet anything that it would work just as well with raspberries, strawberries and peaches. In fact, I'd venture a guess that cranberries and apples would be winners as well. And, as always, I used agave nectar for the sweetener in the topping as well as the filling, but added a bit more flour to the filling to thicken it up.

As you can see from the photo above, the filling gets very pie-like. It is a dream to scoop up when serving, keeping together very nicely. You might want to keep some vanilla frozen dessert or topping handy. It makes a nice foil for all that blueberry, although I enjoyed it thoroughly with just a cup of my favorite herbal tea.

Finally, before I launch into the recipe, I wanted to share with you a bit of food chemistry fun. If you've been veganizing recipes for a while, you probably already know this, but you can make vegan buttermilk by adding apple cider vinegar to non-dairy milk to get the same effect. Not only does it tenderize dough, it gives it nice rise.

Just an ingredient/direction note -- when I write a recipe, the ingredients are listed in the order in which they are used. It's a pet peeve of mine when folks don't do that, and then I have to scramble to make sense of a recipe. So, if the list below looks a little weird, that's why. It's for your own good. :)

Ok, here's what you've been waiting for...

Vegan Blueberry Apricot Cobbler (inspired by Elise's Apricot Berry Cobbler)

Yields 12 servings (or 10 large servings)

Ingredients

5 cups fresh apricots, pre-pitted and sliced
4 cups fresh blueberries
2/3 cup agave nectar
Pinch of salt
3 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2/3 cup non-dairy milk (I used vanilla unsweetened almond milk for mine)
1/2 cup almond meal
1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg (makes all the difference)
1/2 teaspoon Pensey's baking spice (or cinnamon, if you don't have it, but you might want to consider ordering some because it's really great stuff, and they don't pay me to say that)
3 tablespoons agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons good, fruity olive oil (or experiment with another good oil you enjoy)

Directions

1. Lightly oil a glass 9x13x2 in. baking dish.
2. Gently mix together the fruit, agave nectar, whole wheat pastry flour, and pinch of salt in a large bowl and let rest.
3. In a large glass measuring cup, mix together the apple cider vinegar and non-dairy milk. Let this rest as well.
4. In a large bowl, mix together the almond meal, whole wheat pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and the spices.
5. Retrieve the vinegar/milk mixture and whisk in the remaining agave nectar, vanilla, and olive oil. Give it at least a minute of whisking.
6. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry mixture and combine until just mixed. Do not over-mix this because it won't create a nice topping if you do.
7. Give the fruit filling one more mix before pouring it into the prepared baking dish.
8. Take out your small scoop and scoop the topping on top of the filling. You'll probably need to spread it around a bit.
9. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F while the topping rises. It won't rise a lot, but it will poof up a bit.
10. Bake the cobbler for 40 minutes, then check to see if it isn't getting too brown on top. You're looking for a nice golden brown. The filling should be good and bubbly.
11. Cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes before serving. It's best warm, but just as good from the fridge 4 days later.

The cobbler will keep at room temperature for 3 days. After that, if there is any left, and my guess is that there won't be, keep it refrigerated until it's gone.

From July_2009_Photos

Book Review: Vegan Brunch by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

From July_2009_Photos

These delicious and highly healthy pumpkin bran muffins are an Altered Plates version of Isa's Pumpkin Bran Muffins on page 167 of Vegan Brunch. I made 12 large and 12 mini muffins in my version of her recipe, and will undoubtably make them again with other fun modifications.

First, let me tell you a bit about the book. The photos are lovely, and there are many of them. The layout is very effective in that you don't often need to turn pages during a recipe (one of my major pet peeves in cookbooks). And, most importantly, the recipes are fantastic.

You must get this to add to your collection, even if you aren't vegan (which I'm not anymore, but eat veganly most days anyway). The recipes are easy to make for the most part, and like her other books, don't require a lot of hard-to-find or expensive ingredients.

And, if you are like me and have to noodle around with recipes because you have dietary restrictions, be comforted by the fact that her recipes (as in in her previous books) are so flexible that you can tune them quite easily without losing the integrity of the recipe.

From July_2009_Photos

That said, here's the recipe as I made it a few weeks ago (prior to the big fall).

Pumpkin Bran Muffins (greatly inspired by Isa's Pumpkin Bran Muffins on page 167 of Vegan Brunch.

Ingredients:

1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup vanilla flavored, unsweetened non-dairy milk (I used almond)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup canola oil
2/3 cup agave nectar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup wheat bran flakes (you could also use oat bran, and I will next time)
1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 tablespoons coconut flour, sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (I used Pensey's)
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 to 1/2 cup pepitas or shelled pumpkin seeds (depending upon how you decorate)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix all the wet ingredients together until well blended.
2. Add the bran flakes and mix until well blended.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients except the walnuts, raisins, and seeds.
4. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix by hand for about 30 seconds.
5. Gently fold in the nuts, raisins, and seeds, then mix for another 30 seconds. Let the mixture rest.
6. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. and line 1 standard muffin pan with cupcake cups, and 1 mini muffin pan with mini cupcake cups.
7. Use a standard ice cream scoop to scoop out 12 servings into the lined standard pan, and a mini scoop to scoop out 12 mini servings into the mini muffin pan. Place in the heated oven on different levels.
8. Bake for 12 minutes before turning each pan 180 degrees and switching levels. Bake for another 10 minutes before testing with a bamboo skewer for doneness. When only a few moist crumbs stick to the skewer, take them out of the oven.
9. Let them cool in the pans for 5 minutes before transferring the muffins to wire racks to cool completely.
10. Enjoy!

These will keep for about a week in an airtight container. Since it's been hot out, I've kept mine in the fridge.

Crutching Around

Just thought I'd stop in and give you fine folks an update on how things are. Also, I'd like to formally thank everyone for their kind thoughts and wishes. You people are just lovely.

Yesterday, I finally went back into the non-doctor-visit world and made my way to the museum for the internship. My supervisor and all the folks in the Registrar's office were super-helpful and very understanding. They even set me up at a low table so I could stay off my feet and handle the smaller artworks at the same time. So far, I've been focusing on condition reporting, but when I'm up and about, I'll be packing these pieces up to send to the N.J. Historical Society.

I felt very badly because I had promised to bring in some vegan muffins for the folks at the Zimmerli, but was injured before I had the chance. Well, as Isa Chandra Moskowitz is my witness, they will get their muffins as soon as I'm able.

Everything at the internship went well until someone made a space out of the non-space next to the handicapped spot where had I parked (with my temp. handicapped permit, courtesy of Franklin Township and the foot doc). The guilty party did not have handicapped parking permits nor a handicapped license plate, and had parked so close to me that I had to walk on my injured foot to squeeze into my car. I should have left an angry note.

All that to say, one inconsiderate person out of many, many truly kind and thoughtful people isn't bad odds at all. When I say many, I mean the professors, students, and museum personnel who have gone way out of their way to help me get through doors, carry my back pack, and generally keep me company while I crutch my way along. Not to mention my dear Art Librarianship professor who sent me a very artistic "Get Well Soon" card.

In the meantime, I have two more new cookbooks to review (one I made a recipe from prior to the sidewalk swallowing my foot, so that will be coming soon, I promise!) and a stack of fiction to review for Amazon Vine (free books, friends, free books -- just review like mad on Amazon and they'll ask you to participate).

I'm still very sore and can't be on my left foot for long just yet (perhaps next week), but I'm trying to heal up because we're going out to visit John's parents in Utah at the end of this month. If you ever plan to get out to Utah, you must use this guide I saw last night. There's even a pizza joint that sells zeppoles with agave nectar!

Well, my friends, stay tuned for a review of Isa's new book, Vegan Brunch.

Off My Feet AGAIN!

Remember last year when I had the foot surgery and couldn't do anything for a while? Well, I'm off my feet again due to a gigantic pothole (read: missing sidewalk piece) in front of the Metropolitan Museum in NY.

A classmate, my Art Librarianship professor (who is my absolute favorite professor ever -- the most fascinating class), and I were leaving the museum on our way to Penn Station when, not looking at the sidewalk, I fell into the hole and broke my foot.

At the time, I didn't know it was broken, but it hurt very badly as I limped along. Prof. asked if I wanted to go to the emergency room, but I said no, I'd just head home and ask John to drive me to my friend Lon, the doctor. It was a three-hour office visit (!), but they have an x-ray machine there, so we were able to see where the bone had chipped. Thankfully, it's not a big chip at all and doesn't require surgery. It just hurts a lot and, when I'm not in bed or on the sofa with my air-casted leg iced up and elevated, I'm crutching around like a bull in a china shop.

I will go visit the doc who did the surgery last year, at Lon's recommendation, since he may have some special suggestions about how best to handle (or not) things. Fun!

All that to say, it might be even longer than I thought before I'm back standing on my feet all day baking. Great.

However, I do have an update in the hopper for after the semester ends. I just wanted to give you fine folks a quick update and let you know I haven't forgotten you at all.

If it's not one thing, it's another. Oh well.

Book Review: Vegan Soul Kitchen

From May 2009 photos

Every time I read the title of Bryant Terry's recently released Vegan Soul Kitchen, it makes me think of that Doors song.

There are some very nicely written and very well tested recipes in this collection. I especially enjoyed the one shown above, Candied Sweet Potato Discs and Apple Slices. Unfortunately, the publisher hasn't released permission for me to reprint the recipe, so I cannot share it with you word for word.

However, I can tell you that it's very easily done with a small quantity of good sweet potatoes (or yams, for that matter), your favorite apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, agave nectar, vanilla, lemon juice, orange juice (I used pineapple juice and would definitely recommend it), apple juice and a smidgen of salt.

The trick to it is to roast the sweet potatoes first until they are fork tender, then add the rest of the ingredients as written in the book, and bake for another 2/3 of an hour, basting every 10 minutes. So, if you're cooking something else, or are handy with a kitchen timer, you won't mind the every-10-minutes sauce bath for these babies.

The extra-special treatment is worth it. The potatoes end up tasting like candy. And, because I used granny smith apples, I had a very nice, tart foil for the very sweet potatoes.

After I'd tried these the first time, I decided then and there that I've found my new Thanksgiving dish to bring to Mom's. Yes, I know, I've said that before.

I think I'd also probably try this with alternate vegetables and dried fruits, like parsnips, carrots, and dried cranberries. There are a myriad of ways to use Terry's sauce to candy veggies and fruit.

Just a quick note on regularity, speaking of fruit. No, I'm not going there. What I do need to share with you is that my life is becoming increasingly complex for the next four weeks as I begin my internship at the Zimmerli Art Museum while I continue with two classes at Rutgers. So, I'll need to take a short hiatus from blogging here and at Here and There while I manage my new workload, papers, and household stuff. I expect to be back at it by early July, if not sooner, with lots of yummy new recipes.

One last thing, one of the summer courses I'm taking is called Art Librarianship. It's the best class I've ever taken. Ever. It's given by a fascinating professor, Paul Glassman, who only gives the class during the summers at Rutgers. We've had excellent guest speakers, including the special collections librarian from the Alexander Library at Rutgers. I've contacted him to ask about independent study opportunities and he promptly responded with some really interesting projects working with artists' books for the fall. I can't wait!

Wish me luck!

Book Review: Ani's Raw Food Desserts

From June 2009 photos

Is that food porny enough for you? You're practically inside this luscious, tropically flavored, raw, vegan dessert fresh from the pages of Ani's Raw Food Desserts. Her Pineapple Icebox Dessert is like a vegan pineapple cheese cake, but way better because the cream is made from cashews, agave nectar, and coconut oil. It's definitely the best cold, non-ice cream dessert I've had in a year.

It's just in time for summer and a perfect bring-along for a party. Although you'll need to pack it in lots of cold packs or ice inside a cooler because this really needs to be kept cold (otherwise it starts losing cohesiveness).

From June 2009 photos

An important thing to remember about this tasty raw dish is that you can serve small portions of it and still be the hit of the party. The Pineapple Icebox Dessert is rich from all the cashews and coconut oil, but the pineapple cuts right through it. While my friend John Leary and I dined on this delectable dessert, I thought aloud about making it with strawberries instead of pineapple. I'm sure it would be equally fantastic.

Just a note about the topping and crust -- I didn't think there was enough, especially in proportion to the pineapple cream. In the future, I'd make more of that and less of the cream. (Although I did double the recipe and put it into a large container rather than the loaf pan she recommends.)

My review comes after the recipe below.

From the book Ani’s Raw Food Desserts by Ani Phyo. Excerpted by arrangement with Da Capo Lifelong, a member of the Perseus Books Group. Copyright © 2009. Find out more at www.dacapopresscookbooks.com.

Pineapple Icebox Dessert

Ingredients:

Crust:
2 cups cashews
Seeds from 1 vanilla bean or 1 tablespoon alcohol-free vanilla extract
2 tablespoons agave syrup

Filling:
1 1/2 cups cashews
1/3 cup agave syrup
1/4 cup liquid coconut oil
1/4 cup filtered water, as needed
2 1/2 cups chopped cored pineapple

Directions:
(In her format, not my usual numbered steps.)

To make the crust, combine the cashews and vanilla in the food processor and chop to a crushed wafer texture. Add the agave syrup and process to mix well. Sprinkle half of the crust onto the bottom of a loaf pan.

To make the filling, combine the cashews, agave syrup, and coconut oil in the high-speed blender and blend until smooth, adding water as needed to create a creamy texture. Spoon the mixture into a mixing bowl, add the pineapple, and stir to mix well. Spoon the filling into the loaf pan and sprinkle the remaining crust on top. Pat lightly. Freeze for 2 hours or until chilled.

Will keep for 4 to 6 days in the fridge or for several weeks in the freezer.

The Review

The minute I saw Ani's book, I felt that there was something familiar about it. It reminded me so much of Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World that I had to do a side-by-side comparison. The two books are so similar that I looked to see if it was the same designer (it wasn't). Was Ani enamored by Isa and Terry's little book that could? Did they talk to each other about it, I wondered out loud. John (my John, not Leary above) wondered about the legal implications.

I'm sure there's nothing nefarious about this lovely, little raw cookbook. It just greatly resembles VCTOTW in format and style. I just have to be careful about where I put this on the shelf -- especially when I'm looking to make cupcakes.

As far as the recipes go, many are very easily made and look fantastic. I'm going to try carob-ing up the Lavender Chocolate Bars because the photos are drool-worthy.

Overall, if you are in the habit of trying new desserts or want to further your foray into the raw food world, this is definitely the dessert cookbook for you. There are plenty of photos and loads of tips, so you won't get lost at all.

Babycakes, the Video

BabyCakes, the Book of Recipes: It's Here! from BabyCakes NYC on Vimeo.

First viewed this on David's site.

Even Better Than at the Bakery -- Bakin' Gluten-Free, Vegan Babycakes at Home

From May 2009 photos

This lovely bit of dessert is a gluten-free vegan cupcake straight from the pages of the brand, spankin' new cookbook from Babycakes Bakery by Erin McKenna, Babycakes.

From May 2009 photos

I've never had such light and rich gluten-free cake in my life. Fresh out of the oven (OK, about 20 minutes out of the oven) the above cupcake was fantastic. It had a nutty flavor, most likely from the coconut oil, and a perfectly cakey texture.

The gluten-free flour used in the cupcakes was garbanzo-fava bean flour. I had never used it in baking, but was very satisfied with the results. The one thing that is a mystery to me is why they should be stored in the refrigerator. Doesn't putting baked goods in the refrigerator dry them out?

Notes on the frosting: It was a little sour for my liking. I probably would only use 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice next time. Also, I don't use vanilla extract, which is why you see the vanilla seeds in my foods. In the photo above, I used the frosting prior to it's full setting, so it would be more of a glaze than a thick frosting because I wanted to really taste the cupcake. However, I plan to use it thickly on cupcakes later in the week. I'd really like to make it a filling and frosting because I enjoy surprises. ;)

The publisher was kind enough to allow me to republish the recipes for the cupcakes and frosting, so please go try these. They're worth the effort.

Vanilla Cupcakes from Babycakes

Makes 24 cupcakes (my yield was 12 large cupcakes and 34 mini cupcakes)

Ingredients:
2 cups garbanzo-fava bean flour
1 cup potato starch
1/2 cup arrowroot
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
2 teaspoons salt
2/3 cup coconut oil
1 1/3 cups agave nectar
3/4 cup homemade applesauce (in the book on page 78) or store-bought unsweetened applesauce
3 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 cup hot water
Vanilla frosting (recipe follows)

Directions: (in my style, not theirs, although the language is theirs completely)

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 standard 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, potato starch, arrowroot, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt.
3. Add the oil, agave nectar, applesauce, vanilla, and lemon zest to the dry ingredients and combine.
4. Stir in the hot water and mix until the batter is smooth.
5. Pour 1/3 cup batter into each prepared cup, almost filling it. Bake the cupcakes on the center rack for 22 minutes rotating the tins 180 degrees after 15 minutes (It took mine 27 minutes, and my oven temperature is accurate.) The finished cupcakes will be golden brown and will bounce back when pressure is applied gently to the center.
6. Let the cupcakes stand in the tins for 20 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and cool completely.
7. Using a frosting knife, gently spread 1 tablespoon vanilla frosting over each cupcake. Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Vanilla Frosting/Vanilla Sauce

Frosts 24 cupcakes.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups unsweetened soy milk
3/4 cup dry soy milk powder (I used Better Than Milk.)
1 tablespoon coconut flour
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups coconut oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. In a blender or a food processor, combine the soy milk, soy powder, coconut flour, agave nectar and vanilla.
2. Blend the ingredients for 2 minutes.
3. With the machine running, slowly add the oil and lemon juice, alternating between the two until both are fully incorporated.
4. Pour the mixture into an airtight container and refrigerate for 6 hours or up to 1 month. (If you plan to use it as a sauce, store the miture at room temperature for up to 1 week.)

The preceding recipes are courtesy of Babycakes, by Erin McKenna and published by the wonderful Clarkson Potter/Publishers in New York.

Please let me know how yours turn out!

You Know You've Made It When...

You end up in Forbes magazine.

I'll be reviewing the new Babycakes cookbook as well very soon. Have been a big fan of the bakery for years, so I was especially happy to see the new book.(The links all lead to pages on my Here and There blog that show Babycakes baked goods.) Stay tuned!

Product Review: Agave-nectar Sweetened Krazy Ketchup

From May 2009 photos

It seems I have become the unofficial taste tester for agave nectar sweetened ketchups. It's not a bad gig. It just means I have to keep ketchup-worthy items in the fridge or freezer. Or, I could surreptitiously carry a sample-sized container of the stuff with me to the diner down the street and order a plate of fries to try with it. Oh yeah, and try not to attract attention as I pull my camera out of my purse to shoot photos of the fries and said ketchup. Hmmmm.

The star of this post isn't your typical tomato-paste, sweetener, and spices ketchup. Check out the ingredients:

Organic tomato puree (organic tomato paste, water, salt), organic agave nectar, organic butternut squash puree, organic carrot puree, organic sweet potato puree, organic spices, and citric acid.

I love that Laila and Erin, the founders of Krazy Ketchup used all organic squash, sweet potato, and carrot puree in their ketchup. It's really tasty stuff. I hope the stores start carrying it around here because it presents a fun way to get your kids to eat vegetables they might otherwise scoff at on their plates.

From May 2009 photos

Speaking of plates, as in all my ketchup taste tests, I'm using a tater-tot-like potato product to keep all the comparisons apple to apple. However, this time, I added a little horseradish to the ketchup in a separate, tiny ramekin to see if it would make a good spicy dip. In fact, the Krazy Ketchup does make a very good spicy dip/cocktail sauce. I can't wait to try this on other foods. I'd bet it would make an awesome barbeque sauce with some help from a few other choice ingredients.

From May 2009 photos

The texture is thick, but not pasty. It's a little on the sweet side, with notes of the squash and sweet potato. But you really have to be looking for it to determine exactly what the flavor is. Overall, I'd say this is very close to my favorite (Wholemato), but since it's targeted to kids, I can understand why it's a bit on the sweet side.

On the other hand, I'm sure that I've become sensitized to sweet foods because I've minimized my intake of sugars so much since I started using agave nectar a few years ago. But, you should decide for yourself. Try Krazy Ketchup and let me know what you think.

The Agave Nectar Police

I'm taking a very brief break from writing a final paper due on Monday to update Altered Plates with a rant yet again about all the misinformation on agave nectar out there on the Web. This stuff whips me up into a frenzy for a variety of reasons, but I'll get to that later.

There's another article out on the Web that talks about agave nectar being the same as high-fructose corn syrup. It also says that high fructose equals triglycerides, which it doesn't. (I've been using agave nectar for years and have very healthy triglycerides, thank you very much.) People have been picking up this article and republishing it on their sites or linking to it from their sites.

It just burns me up that some people who have Web sites or blogs continue to take a single (misinformed) source and make it gospel. It saddens me further that some people have lost the ability to research information thoroughly. For instance, where are the studies that say agave nectar is in any way like high fructose corn syrup, which is processed in all kinds of ways to make it chemically more fructose-heavy. For that matter, where are the studies and research that say agave nectar is harmful?

And, when I say studies, I mean studies not sponsored by agave nectar producers or corn producers, or any food producer for that matter. I want to see large-scale, well-researched studies that show significant results. Yes, I understand that statistics can be manipulated to say all kinds of things, but reputable studies also include the raw data in their results, and those numbers tell the real story.

If people would just take responsibility for themselves and what they put into their bodies and stop blaming the ingredients they use (or don't use because they've only read one source of information that doesn't provide any substantive research to back up their assertions), this all would become a non-issue and I could stop being the agave nectar police.

Geez.

OK, so why does this get under my skin so much? Well, John and I were talking about it this morning and it's clear that there are people who are just plain lazy. Not too long ago, when I was a working journalist, I would spend weeks researching material for articles. Part of that process included collecting all the opinions and facts on a topic that could be had, not just the ones that supported the hypothesis of the story. I welcome opposing opinions that are based on fact, especially those with supporting arguments that are sound. Bring 'em on.

However, this business of taking one source -- one misinformed source -- and recycling it on a page/site is worse than doing nothing at all with the information. It means that the information is seen as having value, and increasingly more people in those circles will do the same thing. Then, we have a trend based on false information that just causes more problems.

I really don't like being the agave nectar police, but sometimes you just have to stand for something or else you will fall for everything. I say that in the voice of my friend Jerome who died on Sunday. He probably would have enjoyed this because he was diabetic and tried agave nectar for the first time at my house during a lively breakfast of waffles and fake sausage and bacon.

I also don't enjoy using Altered Plates as a soap box, but this blog focuses on the use of agave nectar instead of other sweeteners, so it's on topic. But, I'd rather focus on the food. So, in memory of Jerome, who was a very good person, please do your part and stand for something. If you see someone's site spreading misinformation of any kind, leave a comment. They may not approve it, but at least you will have tried.

Snappy Vegan, Gluten-Free Ginger Cookies

From May 2009 photos

The original recipe for these snappy vegan, gluten-free ginger cookies comes from Elena's Pantry. I did a little noodling to the original recipe, but in the future, I'll probably do a little more because they were a bit oily for my taste.

The original didn't list the yield, but I was able to get 36 2.5-inch round cookies. They are definitely best on the day they're made, after they have cooled. I brought them to John's cousin's on Friday evening, after I had made them that afternoon. At that point they were still snappy. The following morning, they weren't.

My guess is that the oil content is too high. I also didn't use yacon syrup, but just agave instead. Either way, I'll noodle a bit more with these to get them right because I like ginger snaps.

Here are my alterations:

1. Used regular almond flour instead of blanched almond flour (not sure what difference that would make).
2. Added 1 teaspoon Pensey's Cake Spice to the dry ingredients.
3. Substituted the yacon syrup for more agave nectar.
4. Spaced my cookies pretty far apart because they looked like they would spread (I was right, they did).
5. Between the final mixing and the scooping onto baking sheets, I refrigerated my batter for 30 minutes to try to help with the wetness.

I'm sure with a little coconut flour, these will turn out just fine.

Everything Old Is New Again.

I've finished editing the two old Altered Plates movies so that they could fit within the time restrictions of YouTube. It was weird seeing my old kitchen and evil oven in the films. They're not terribly old, just back to 2007, but what a difference a renovation makes!

OK, enough teasing. Here are the links to the newly added, split into smaller pieces movies:

1. The Hamantaschen That Became Stars.
2. Graham Crackers Redux.

If you haven't seen them before, please feel free to laugh at my silliness. I'm only an amateur. :D

Sooner or later I will get back to making movies again, especially since I actually have a good place to put my camera now. I just need some time.

Just in case you were interested, we've been doing some home improvements, especially in the garage. Also, the garden's a riot of color.

Fruity Muffins

From March 2009 Recipes, Reviews and Other Photos

Lucky for me, many more bakers and cooks are using agave nectar instead of other sweeteners in their recipes these days. Back in March, Andrea posted this lovely recipe for Healthy Fruited Muffins that she had adapted from Canyon Ranch Cooking. I'm not sure what her changes to the original recipe were, but I wonder if agave nectar was one of them.

From March 2009 Recipes, Reviews and Other Photos

Because I was puzzled by the yield of just 7 muffins, I doubled her recipe and added lemon juice and more agave nectar because the batter was just so tart. It wound up filling several mini muffin tins as well as a few cups in my standard muffin tin.

This recipe looks like it would be a snap to veganize -- just add oil instead of butter, use almond or soy milk for the dairy, and use the flax trick for the egg. Also, I'd add a little baking soda for some lift.

My muffins turned out to be very light, moist (but not too moist), and just tarty enough to be very satisfying. The texture of my muffins looked markedly different than Andrea's, but my guess is that the additional lemon juice broke down more of the whole wheat's bran. It's just one of those baking things. Whenever I bake with whole wheat flour that isn't whole wheat pastry flour, I add a citrus juice. It does magical things to the texture and makes the resulting baked good into a baked great!

Have you tried this in your baking?

Updates to the Site

Hi Folks,

I'm finally in the process of uploading all the old videos that were missing from this site into YouTube. Previously, they had been viewable via Brightcove, but they've deleted all videos from non-paying members (a very bad policy -- especially because they did not alert any of us in advance, or at all).

There are still a few that need editing in order to fit within YouTube's time constraints. In the meantime, please bear with me until I replace all the old ones (there are only two left on this blog and three left on Here and There to replace, but it shouldn't be long now). If the semester's end wasn't looming ever closer, this would already be done. However, I'm knee deep in research and final papers/projects to accomplish. Fun!

If, by some remarkable coincidence, you're in the library field, please feel free to check out the two blogs I've been writing for two of my courses this semester:

My term project blog for Principles of Searching -- still in process, but will probably be wrapped up in the coming two weeks.

My blog on the Learning 2.0/23 Things project -- I completed this project early because I had a feeling I'd be overburdened with reading and projects/papers/etc. left to do. The 23 Things project is a great way to learn new things over a reasonable period of time.

Last, but not least, I hope to be baking again very soon. My pile of "to-try" recipes is mocking me. I also have one last cranberry muffin recipe in the hopper to share with you, so you'll probably see that one first.

Wish me luck with my papers, projects, and research!

Hope you're having a wonderful spring.

A Diversion: Spiced

This book by famed pastry chef Dalia Jurgensen sat on my night table for several weeks before I had time to pick it up. Once I did, I had to read it until the finish. Because my life has been steeped in incredibly dry journal articles on Library Science and its various subtopics, I was refreshed by Ms. Jurgensen's autobiography of a particular period of her life.

She tells of her fortuitous leap into the restaurant field, starting as a pastry chef at Nobu, and working her way through New York's top restaurants as well as Martha Stewart's test kitchens. What an exciting time for her!

However, there is a dark, alcoholic and sexist side to New York's kitchens. Ms. Jurgensen spills the beans on much of the seamy underbelly of this scene. When she describes in painful detail about life in these kitchens (because she doesn't mention anything about life outside the kitchens, except that in bars), it makes me very glad that I chose Library Science as a second career instead of pastry.

Don't get me wrong, I love cooking and I love cooking for others. Most importantly, baking makes me feel like all is right with the world, especially when it isn't at all. But, I couldn't do what Dalia Jurgensen does or did. It is interesting to read about though.

Check out Spiced.

Superfood Muffins with a Twist

From March 2009 Recipes, Reviews and Other Photos

I'm a big fan of Hannah's recipes and her blog, BitterSweet. In fact, this muffin is an Altered Plates take on her Superfood Muffins.

I'm glad Hannah wrote a pretty strong caveat for these muffins so I'd know what to expect. I really didn't think they were that bad at all. I'd probably mix some almond meal into the flours next time for a little richness and substitute out some more of the whole wheat pastry flour for barley flour (my new favorite) for even more wonderful texture, but otherwise, I enjoyed them. I especially liked the quinoa, the cranberries, and the 5-spice powder I added. Heck, anything with 5-spice powder is right up my alley.

I didn't stray too terribly far from her original recipe but I did make some changes that affected the outcome and flavor a bit. Here are the alterations I made to the recipe to keep it superfoody, yet tweak it a bit:

1. Added 1 teaspoon of Chinese 5-spice powder to the dry ingredients.
2. Used flaxmeal instead of freshly grinding flax seeds (I don't have a coffee or spice grinder).
3. Substituted frozen cranberries for the blueberries.
4. Omitted the brown sugar and increased the agave nectar to 2/3 cup.
5. Used almond milk instead of soy milk.
6. Added 1 teaspoon of vanilla.
7. Substituted 1/4 cup pineapple juice for the 1/2 cup orange juice.
8. Used red quinoa instead of the white variety (went well with the cranberries).

My version yielded 12 typical muffins and 9 mini muffins.

I undercooked the quinoa a bit because I wanted the crunch, and it delivered. I'm sure Hannah's version is delightful, because all her recipes (and crafts projects) usually are. But, for an interesting twist, try the Superfood Muffins with cranberries. You'll enjoy the tartness.