I have a not-so-secret shortbread obsession. While I don’t see anything particularly wrong with occasional binges on organic, humane, free-range butter… It’s also nice to know that there are alternatives. This month’s ingredient is Butternut Squash and due to my penchant for purees I’ve also been experimenting with squash-based baked goods.

Squash (or sweet potato) puree makes an excellent egg replacement. It brings the dry ingredients together nicely and contributes a delicious moistness and density along with flavor. There are certain combinations that may not seem obvious at first that I would highly encourage you to try: squash and chocolate, squash and coconut, squash and almond.

These cookies are the result of one such experiment with vegan shortbread. They’re not particularly shortbread-y, as I’m still not convinced it’s possible sans buerre. But, they do make an excellent biscuit! If you cut them thinner they come out crunchy like biscotti, a bit thicker and they remain moist and chewy on the inside. Serve with tea or coffee and very possibly a side of whipped cream. For the vegans, keep an eye out and I’ll post my dairy-free whipped cream variations soon.

Butternut Biscuits

2 cups pastry flour
1 cup organic unrefined coconut oil (cold)
1/2 cup plus one tablespoon natural cane sugar (florida crystals)
sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup pureed butternut squash
zest and juice of one lemon
1/2 tablespoon pumpkin pie spices

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Using a cuisinart or a mixer (hand or stand), whip the coconut oil until creamy.
Add sugar, a pinch of salt and continue whipping until totally dispersed.
Add flour and lemon zest and mix until incorporated.
Add the squash puree, pumpkin pie spice, salt and vanilla extract and continue to mix until a sticky dough is formed.
Pour out the dough into a piece of parchment paper and wrapping the paper around the dough, roll it into a log. Secure the log on both ends with rubber bands or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour, but not more than two.
Take out the dough and using a sharp, non-serrated knife, slice the dough into dics 1/8-1/4 inch thick (cut them thinner for crunchier biscuits).
Place the biscuits on the parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
Using a brush coat each biscuit with lemon juice and sprinkle with a light covering of sugar.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until biscuits are lightly browned. Remove from oven and place the biscuits on a wire rack to cool.

Anyway. I digress, and I apologize for my lack of thrilling or more complete meal recipes. This vegan chocolate cake is real winner though and easy to make. The last two posts are both super simple, fabulous, fresh side dishes. For my friends back in Canada where Thanksgiving has already passed… give thanks anyway and eat good food! In the meantime remember… The best stuffing always includes toasted nuts AND dried fruit, you can’t really go wrong with cardamom, stuffed squash is easier than stuffed turkey and also less expensive and you can toast the seeds instead of scooping out the innards. And… Give thanks EVERY DAY!

Thank God For Chocolate Cake

Cake
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup coconut oil
1 cup maple syrup
1 ripe banana, mushed
1/3 cup applesauce
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

Frosting

1/2 cup raw cashews
1  1/2 cups water
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup maple syrup
juice of 1/2 orange
tamari
sea salt
nutmeg

For the cake:

Sift flour, cocoa powder and baking powder together in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl combine coconut oil and maple syrup and cream together with a hand blender until even, add banana, apple sauce, vanilla and mix until smooth. Stir the “liquid” mixture into the flour mixture and fold in chocolate chips. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely.

To prepare the frosting:

Place raw cashews in a blender with a tiny pinch of salt and blend until the cashews have become a powder (but before they become cashew butter). Add water and blend on high for 3 minutes. Pour mixture into a medium sized pot and heat on high while whisking constantly for 3-4 minutes. Turn heat down to medium low, don’t allow the mixture to burn at the edges of the pot. Once the liquid begins to thicken add cocoa powder and mix in evenly, then add maple syrup and orange juice, stirring constantly. Add a pinch of salt and 1/8 teaspoon tamari. Cook until the mixture is quite thick and will hold an edge. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Using a spatula spread the frosting over the cooled cake, and place in the fridge for 15 minutes.

Before serving sprinkle with freshly ground nutmeg and a few orange peel spirals as garnish.

You could, in fact, roast any fruit with any kind of strong/ sweet tasting liquid, a couple of spices and a dash of butter and the result would probably be fantastic. That said, there’s something about this particular combination that is quite exquisite. The fig flavour deepens and spreads out into the buttery roasting sauce, which is good enough to want to eat by the spoonful (and you might). I think that Brandy and figs are a perfect match, but Madeira, Porto and a good deep Whiskey are all options you might want to try. The alcohol content burns off pretty much immediately, but if you’re concerned about that non-alcoholic options you might try are a strong steeped tea (black or green), pear nectar or apple juice.

I had planned on making a cardamom whipped cream to accompany my figs, but I turned my back on the food processor for a moment and when I turned around again my cream had gone past whipped straight into butter. I used this butter for the recipe and then I had it this morning on toast and it was lovely. The recipe is simple, add ground spices (I used more cardamom and a dash of anise and cinnamon), bit of vanilla, tablespoon of sugar, add into heavy whipping cream and whip. If you’re ‘hand-whipping’ you’ll probably be ready to call it quits long before you’ve formed a butter. But, if you’re lazy like me and use your food processor it doesn’t take long. Between 90 seconds and 2 minutes.

Brandy Roasted Figs

6 ripe figs
1 tablespoon spiced (as above) or unsalted butter (vegans use coconut oil)
2 tablespoons Brandy or cooking liquid of choice
2 teaspoons of sugar
1 heaping teaspoon of cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 300F
Place figs in a small roasting dish and cut a cross hatch on top of each almost all the way to the bottom.
Melt butter in a small saucepan, before the butter is fully melted add sugar, Brandy, salt and spices, stir for a moment so that the mixture is thick and even
Pour mixture over the figs, making sure that the liquid gets into the inside of the figs
Place the figs, uncovered in the oven and roast for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes turn the oven off, but let the figs sit for about 5 minutes as the oven cools.

Serve with garnish of herbs (I used a sprinkle of lemon thyme), toasted nuts or a dollop of cream. And enjoy!

Find the right amount of crunch in the crisp put it in the oven and Bam! Perfect early summer dessert. It’s the solstice (today) and father’s day too. Blessings to all the fathers out there, may your lives be filled with sweetness.

Here’s the recipe:

Berry Basil Rhubarb Crisp Recipe

Fruit:

2 cups ripe strawberries (sliced)

1 cup blueberries

handful of rasberries

8 stalks of rhubarb cut into 1/2″ pieces

6 large basil leaves cut into ribbons

1 tablespoon minced ginger

1/4 cup natural cane sugar

1 tablespoon plus one teaspoon arrowroot (or cornstarch)

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon coconut oil (or butter)

Crisp:

3/4 cup Bob’s Redmill gluten free baking flour mix

3/4 cup whole rolled oats

1/2 cup natural cane sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch of salt

1/3 cup coconut oil (melted) (you can also use butter here)

1/3 cup kefir or soya yogurt (applesauce would work too)

Preheat oven to 400F degrees.

In a small saucepan heat one teaspoon of coconut oil and sauté rhubarb for about two minutes or slightly tender, add the slivers of basil in the last 30 seconds or so with a tiny pinch of salt.

Combine sautéed rhubarb with fruit in a small bowl

In a separate bowl whisk together the 1/4 cup sugar, and the arrowroot. Sprinkle the mixture over the fruit, add the vanilla and toss gently until all the fruit is coated evenly. Pour the fruit mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish or a similarly sized, heavy-bottom tart pan.

To make the crisp combine the oats, flour-mix, sugar, and cinnamon together in a bowl and whisk everything together. Stir in the coconut oil and then the yogurt and mix until everything comes together in a doughy texture. Sprinkle and crumble the mixture evenly over the fruit and rhubarb mixture.

Place the baking dish in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the top is golden. Enjoy warm or cold with whipped cream, ice cream or as is.

Mmmmm….

I just finished having dinner with my new friend Laurie Lane (owner of Fresh and Wild Raw Foods) who is a raw chocolateer here in Portland- she was telling me about the best raw chocolate from New York by Fine and Raw and the amazing behind-the-scenes video of their production. Mmmmmm…. Check out each bonbon going on it’s own little journey in the video here from Daily Candy. And when your done and your mouth is watering and your mmming and ahhing go to the F+R’s website to buy your own bonbons here. Mmmmmmmmmmm!!