Chocolate Matzoh

Prep Time: 5 minutesCook Time: 18 minutesTotal Time: 23 minutes
Yield: 12-16 servings

Ingredients:

• 3-4 boards matzoh
• 3/4 cup Passover margarine or butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1-1/2 cups semisweet or dark chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped walnuts, hazelnuts or pecans (optional)
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt or sea salt

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Spray with cooking spray.


2. Spread the matzohs in the pan in a single layer, breaking them to fit if necessary.


3. Heat the butter or margarine and brown sugar in a medium saucepan to a boil. Pour evenly over matzoh, spreading with a knife to make sure the matzoh is well covered.


4. Bake 10-15 minutes, until the caramel is a golden brown. Turn off the oven, and remove the matzoh.


5. Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the matzoh. Return the matzoh to the oven. Let it sit in the warm (turned off) oven for 2 minutes. Remove and spread the chocolate evenly with the back of a flat spatula or a knife. (I like to use a cookie spatula (compare prices).


6. Top with nuts, if using. Sprinkle with kosher salt.

5-minute strawberry ice cream

The best 5-minute ice cream ever. You need a really high-powered blender (we have a VitaMix) to make this, by the way. The results are amazing. Yields about 4 cups.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of coconut milk
• 18 oz. of frozen strawberries (or peach or mango, etc.)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• ~1/2 tsp. each of vanilla extract and almond extract

Put all ingredients into the VitaMix. Begin at the lowest setting and slowly crank it up to high. Blend until 4 peaks form (just as the VitaMix recipe book states!). Enjoy!!

Bananas in Coconut Milk

This is a super easy variation of a Thai dessert called Kluay Buat Chee and is basically a minimalist version of Filipino ginataan. It takes all but 10 minutes in total to make! And, if you're wary about the coconut, rest assured that coconut milk has many health benefits.

Ingredients

• 1-14oz. can of coconut milk
• 1 or 2 medium bananas cut lengthwise and then cut across into about 4 pieces
• 1 tsp. maple syrup

Bring coconut milk to a boil over medium heat.

Add bananas and cook until soft (about 3-4 minutes).

Add maple syrup.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

cookies pictured with cupcakes
(no picture of the cookies alone!)
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Adapted from VegNews (December 2007). The original recipe called for pecans, but since Dylan still hasn't had pecans (a high-allergen, tree nut), we used almonds instead.

It was completely delicious and got good reviews from the fam.

Ingredients

• 2 sticks non-dairy, non-hydrogenated butter (we use Earth Balance buttery sticks)
• 1/4 c. granulated sugar
• 2 tsps. vanilla
• 2 c. unbleached, all-purpose flour, sifted
• 2 c. raw almonds finely chopped
• 2 c. powdered sugar, sifted

Preheat oven to 300F.

Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or use a non-stick baking sheet.

With a mixer, cream the non-dairy butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).

Add the flour, mixing until thoroughly combined.

Add the nuts, mixing well.

Measure out generously rounded teaspoonfuls of dough and roll into balls.

Place 1 inch apart on the baking sheet.

Bake until cookies start to turn golden, about 30 minutes.

Test cookie doneness by cutting one cookie in half and making sure that center is not doughy.

Roll cookies in the powdered sugar while they are still hot.

Cool before serving.

Chocolate Almond Brittle

Adapted from VegNews (December 2007). This has a brittle taste but a much softer texture (which I happen to like as it makes me feel like I won't chip any teeth in the process of eating....) and is pretty quick and easy to prepare.

I'm eager to try some different nuts (cashews or pistachios) some time in the future, too.

Ingredients

• 1/2 c. non-dairy, non-hydrogenated butter at room temperature
• 1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 4 oz. of graham crackers (about 6 rectangles), broken up into small bits (but not crumbs)
• 1 1/4 c. almonds, toasted and chopped

Lightly grease a 9-inch pan (square, round, no matter).

In a medium saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over medium heat.

Once chocolate is melted, remove from heat and stir in the graham cracker bits and the chopped almonds.

Spread the mixture into the pan and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours.

Chocolate Decadence Fudge

Very quick and easy fudge for the holidays!

Ingredients

• 8 oz. vegan cream cheese
• 3 c. powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 12 oz. good chocolate

Blend cream cheese in a food processor until smooth.

Add powdered sugar and vanilla and blend until smooth.

Melt chocolate in a microwave (low heat setting)

Add melted chocolate to cream cheese mixture.

Pour into an 8x8 pan lined with wax paper and refrigerate until firm.

Coconut Pudding Triangles

Adapted from Sunset Magazine (November 2006). It is a traditional Hawaiian sweet, also very much loved in the Philippines where it is called maja blanca. We served this at Tom's bday/soup party. Very quick and very easy. The only deviation from the Sunset recipe is that we did not add salt and we toasted the coconut in a pan rather than in the oven. Everyone really loved it.

Ingredients

• 1/2 c. sweetened flaked coconut
• vegetable oil for baking dish
• 1-14oz. can of coconut milk
• 6 tbsp. cornstarch
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/8 tsp. salt (which we did not use)

Brown coconut in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly.

Oil an 8" square baking dish.

Stir 1/2 cup coconut milk and cornstarch together until smooth.

Combine 1 1/2 c. coconut milk (if there isn't enough left, augment with water) and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

Stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.

Slowly drizzle cornstarch mixture into the saucepan, whisking it in.

Whisk in vanilla.

Whisk vigorously (do not allow to boil) until mixture is very thick, pulling away from pan and no longer tastes floury (about 4 to 6 minutes).

Pour into prepared dish and spread evenly.

Let cool briefly, then cover with plastic wrap and chill until set (about 1 hour).

Cut into 22-24 triangles and sprinkle each with a pinch of the toasted coconut.

Tapioca Pudding

Adapted from the recipe on the back of Bob's Red Mill Small Pearl Tapioca package.

We eliminated the salt and eggs and reduced the sweetener by 1/3 of the original amount and used a combination of maple syrup and sugar. We also used a combination of almond and vanilla extract instead of using only vanilla extract.

Ingredients

• 2/3 c. small pearl tapioca
• 1.5 c. water
• 4.5 c. Silk Vanilla soy milk
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 1/3 c. maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract

In a 1.5 quart saucepan, soak small pearl tapioca in water for 30 minutes.

Add soymilk and stir over medium heat until boiling.

Simmer over very low heat for 10-15 minutes. Stir often to prevent tapioca from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Stir in sugar and maple syrup.

Let sit for 15 minutes, then stir in almond and vanilla extracts.

Serve either warm or chilled!

For chocolate tapioca, stir in 4 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder when adding sugar and maple syrup.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Goes well with Vegan Chocolate Cake!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup soy margarine, softened
• 1/4 cup soy milk, rice milk, or other non-dairy milk of choice
• 3 cups Powdered Sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Using an electric mixer or in a large bowl with a hand held mixer, place the soy margarine and soy milk, and cream them together.

Add half of the sugar, and beat well to combine.

Add the remaining ingredients and continue to beat the mixture until light and fluffy.

For a Chocolate Frosting, add 1/2 cups cocoa powder.

For a Coffee Frosting, substitute cold coffee or espresso for the soy milk in the recipe.

For a Mocha Frosting, substitute cold coffee or espresso for the soy milk in the recipe and add 1/4-1/3 cup cocoa powder.

Vegan Chocolate Cake

Delicious chocolate cake that fizzes and foams while you're making it! (Thanks to Cindy for the recipe!)

Prep time: 10 minutes Serves 12 or 24 cupcakes

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar (we reduced the sugar to 1.5 c. with no ill effects)
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp cocoa
• 3/4 cup veg. oil
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups cold water

Mix: flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cocoa

Add: oil, vinegar and vanilla

Watch the fizz!

Add: cold water

Note: The batter will seem runny, but it's actually just fine! Proceed with confidence....

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F grease/flour 9"x13" baking pan.

Bake 1/2 hour (longer if needed) or about 20 minutes for cupcakes.

Frost with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting.