Maple Apple Scones

I went apple picking this week and thought scones would be the perfect outlet for my abundance of sweet and juicy apples! These are lovely for an autumn afternoon with tea, slathered with plenty of Earth Balance, of course. They would probably lend themselves well to a nice helping of homemade apple butter as well! I wanted to make a scone recipe that was sweetened only with maple syrup, and it is made with whole grain flour, so they're pretty good for you, too! Maple Apple Scones (makes 12 scones)
5 cups whole spelt flour (or gluten free baking flour)
1 tsp sea salt
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice

1/2 cup vegan margarine, cold
1/2 cup vegan non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening, cold

3 cups apples, diced small

1 cup soymilk + whisked with 1/4 cup cornstarch or arrowroot powder
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp maple extract
1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 Tbs oil or melted margarine

Preheat oven to 375 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and allspice.
Cut in the margarine and shortening with a strong fork or pastry cutter until the mixture is crumbly and the margarine/shortening are in tiny pieces.
Fold in the diced apples, stirring to coat with the flour.
Add in the soymilk-cornstarch mixture, maple syrup, extracts, and vinegar. Stir until just combined, being careful to not overmix.
Turn dough out onto a floured work surface. Form dough into 2 separate rounds, about 2 inches tall and 6 inches across. Slice each round into 6 wedges. Place wedges onto prepared sheet pans, allowing for about 1" between scones. Using a pastry brush, brush tops of scones with oil or margarine. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, checking halfway through to ensure they are rising properly and not burning, etc.
Remove from oven when tops are golden and scones are firm to the touch. Allow to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, and then transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling, or serve warm. Store uneaten scones in an airtight container until ready to use.
*If you don't necessarily want to keep these sugar-free, feel free to sprinkle each scone top with some turbinado (or other unrefined) sugar after brushing with oil, before baking.

Roasted Beet Sandwiches and Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie....aaaah spring!

This meal was an absolutely perfect way to show off all of the beautiful spring produce that Missouri has to offer right now!

This Roasted Beet and Brazil Nut Goat "Cheeze" Sandwich is something I have been working on and dreaming about for quite a while...I'm so glad I finally got to make it! It consists of roasted beets and the Brazil Nut "Cheese" from the Vegetarian Times magazine, and it is seriously my new favorite sandwich! WOW.Roasted Beet and Brazil Nut "Goat Cheese" Sandwich (serves 6)
12 slices sourdough bread
1 recipe Garlic and Herb Brazil Nut "Cheese" from Vegetarian Times--can be found online here.
1 bunch fresh spinach
1 medium red onion, sliced

1 recipe Pesto Mayo, below

2 medium beets, sliced
2 Tbs olive oil
1/4 cup fresh thyme, minced
2 Tbs brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp white pepper
1 Tbs red wine vinegar

To prepare beets: Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking pan. Add the sliced beets, olive oil, brown sugar, vinegar, thyme, salt, and pepper to the pan and toss to coat. Spread out beets to make an even layer. Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake 15 more minutes. Remove from oven and set aside until ready to use.

To assemble the sandwiches: On one slice of bread, spread a generous helping of pesto mayo. Spread Brazil nut cheeze on another slice of bread. Layer the roasted beets, red onion, and spinach on the cheeze. Top with mayo slice of bread. Slice and serve. Repeat to make 6 sandwiches.


Vegan Pesto Mayo (makes about 3 cups)
1 cup vegan mayo
1 box silken tofu
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbs red wine vinegar
1/4 cup walnuts or pine nuts
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbs dried oregano
1/2 Tbs dried rosemary
1 bunch fresh basil

Combine all ingredients in a blender or bowl if using an immersion blender. Puree together until completely smooth, about 2 minutes. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use.

Such an amazing sandwich deserves an even more amazing dessert! The strawberries and rhubarb are so perfectly in season right now...so it's obvious I needed to make a pie!
The pie is the Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumb Topped Pie from the Candle Cafe Cookbook. Crumb topping, folks!!! This is definitely up there as one of my new favorite desserts.
And since pie demands ice cream, I made some Maple Nut Ice Cream. Logical. It is heaven in frozen form!! Your spring will probably not be complete without this dessert, so go make it! Maple Nut Ice Cream (makes 1 qt)
1 box silken tofu--not lite
1 can full fat coconut milk
1 cup soy milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp maple extract
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 Tbs canola oil
1 cup chopped pecans

Combine all ingredients, except the pecans, in a blender. Puree until completely smooth. Chill for 1-2 hours in the blender. Pour into ice cream maker (already frozen if necessary to machine) and prepare according to manufacturer's directions. Add in the pecans during the last 5 minutes, to allow to be fully incorporated. Freeze at least 2 hours before serving. Best served with warm pie, of course.

Vegan MoFo: Pumpkin Bread!

It's already Day 8 of Vegan MoFo...I can't believe it! With such an awesome, rainy fall day like today, it was perfect weather for baking, drinking tea, and cuddling up with a nice book. Here's my recipe for pumpkin bread; I love love love it and I think you will too! I used pumpkin from a local pumpkin I roasted and pureed, as well as local whole wheat flour, but you could use canned pumpkin or regular all-purpose flour as well. I'm sure it would be great any way you try it!
Pumpkin Bread (makes 1 loaf)
Egg replacer for 2 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbs canola oil
1/2 cup soymilk + 2 Tbs apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree ( or 1 can of pumpkin)
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 pinch each: nutmeg, allspice, cloves
1 Tbs baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly oil a loaf pan and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the egg replacer, sugar, applesauce, soymilk mixture, and canola oil. Whisk vigorously until well mixed. Fold in the pumpkin puree. Sift in the dry ingredients and stir until just combined, being careful to not overmix. Fold in 3/4 c of the chopped pecans.
Pour the batter into the loaf pan, then sprinkle 1/4 cup pecans over the top. Bake for 1 hour, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Let rest in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out loaf onto a cooling rack to allow to cool completely.


So this pumpkin bread is super moist and flavorful and tasty. But it is even better when schmeared with this:PB and Co. Mighty Maple Peanut Butter!! It's like autumn in a nice little jar, ready to be eaten up! Of course, the PB is good on bananas, apples, toast, or a spoon, but believe me, these two are made for each other! Throw in a warm blanket and a mug of hot apple cider, and your fall dreams have come true!Not food-related, but here's a gratuitous shot of my kitties, Petey and Stewie! They're friends! Aren't they just soooo cute?!