Thank You

It's been real, you tipsy ol' mona lisas.

Actually though, I can't believe the year is over! I'm writing this from the train back to Virginia, and I can honestly say that I don't feel quite ready for the year to end. Yes, I'm glad I don't have any more stressful examinations or essays to write but (SAP ALERT) I already miss the view of the mountains from Paradise Pond, going to classes, and most of all my friends. 

I went to my Mom's house in Connecticut during study period so I could spend some time with her before heading back to Virginia. She jokes that the only reason I visit is to use her kitchen, and I honestly felt a bit bad when that joke became a reality as I spent the entire weekend cooking.

On Monday morning, I spent six hours baking. It's the only way I know how to thank people properly, and I felt that a few of my professors and my friends deserved a thank you for giving me the best year of my life. 

Adapted from "Sticky Fingers' Sweets: 100 Super-Secret Vegan Recipes" by Doron Petersan (Avery, 2012).

FOR THE CAKE

• 2 3/4 cups (13 ounces) flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 2/3 cups (11 ounces) sugar
• 1/2 cup non-hydrogenated vegan margarine, preferably Earth Balance
• 2 teaspoons flax egg (one tablespoon ground flax seed, three tablespoons water mixed together and left in refrigerator for 15 minutes to congeal)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup almond milk
• 3/4 cup champagne or sparkling white wine
• 32 fresh raspberries (from 1 pint)

FOR THE FROSTING

• 1/2 cups non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening, preferably Earth Balance
• 1 1/3 cup non-hydrogenated vegan margarine, preferably Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder, sifted
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

Directions

For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Combine the sugar and margarine in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat at medium-high speed for about 5 minutes, until softened and combined, stopping to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.

Combine the flax egg, vanilla and almond milk in a small bowl, and stir to dissolve the flax egg. Add the champagne and mix until combined.

Reduce the mixer speed to low, and slowly add the dry ingredients and almond milk mixture, alternating between the two, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

My friends and I feel like we live in
a commune. 

Place liners in 16 cupcake wells and fill a generous three-quarters full with the batter. (If you have extra batter, make more cupcakes.) Insert 1 raspberry in the center of each cupcake, making sure the batter covers the top of the berry. Bake for 16 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Place the cupcake tins on a cooling rack to cool completely, then invert the tins to remove the cupcakes.

For the frosting: Combine the shortening and margarine in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes, until completely combined, stopping once or twice to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl.

Add the cocoa powder and confectioners sugar, sifted together. Reduce the speed to medium and mix until incorporated. Stop to scrape down the bowl, then reduce the speed to low and repeat. When the confectioners' sugar is incorporated, scrape down the bowl, increase the speed to medium-high and mix for about 2 minutes, until the frosting is uniform and fluffy.

When ready to frost, transfer up to half of the frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip, or to a resealable plastic food storage bag with one corner snipped off. Pipe a generous layer of frosting onto each cooled cupcake, adding more frosting to the bag as needed. Top each cupcake with an upside down raspberry. 

Vegan Challah Bread with Fig Jam

Adapted from thesweetlifeonline.com and Smitten Kitchen cookbook.

2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
2 tsp + 1/4 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup chickpea flour + 1/2 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
3-4 cups all-purpose flour
poppy seeds for sprinkling

Fig jam

1 cup dried and stemmed figs

1/8 teaspoon orange zest

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup orange juice

salt and pepper to taste

In a stand up mixer or medium bowl stir together yeast, 2 tsp sugar, and 1 cup lukewarm. Set aside for 5 minutes to allow yeast and sugar to dissolve. Meanwhile in a food processor or blender, mix chick pea flour and 1/2 cup water until thick and foamy. Set aside.

Slowly whisk oil into yeast mixture, followed by chickpea mix, whisking while adding. Add remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and salt. Whisk together. Gradually add flour until dough begins to come together, but is still soft. Turn dough out on a floured surface and knead until smooth (about 10 minutes). Alternatively, if you are using a stand alone mixer, with your dough hook gradually add flour until a dough forms. Turn speed on medium-high for 5 minutes until dough begins clearing the sides and forms a smooth ball. You want the dough to feel soft, but not sticky. In order to get the right texture you may find that you are adding extra water or flour during this process.

Vegan challah bread for my professors!

Remove dough and grease the bowl. Place dough back inside, cover, and let rise in a warm place for one hour (until doubled in size).

Make the fig jam. Roughly chop figs and simmer with rest of jam ingredients for about ten minutes, until figs are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from stove, and let sit out at room temperature until warm (no longer hot). Place mixture in food processor and process until a paste has formed. Set aside. 

Punch dough down, re-cover, and let rise an additional 30 minutes.

Place dough on a floured surface and cut into three equal pieces. Roll each piece into roughly the shape of a rectangle (about three feet long and half a foot wide). Spread paste all over each rectangle, stopping just short of the edges. Roll each rectangle into a long strand, pulling gently to elongate if necessary. Braid Challah. 

Brush with soy milk or creamer and set aside to rise for about 45 more minutes, until dough slowly pushes back when an indentation is created with your finger.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Brush loaf with soy milk on final time, sprinkle with poppy seeds and bake 30-35 minutes, until top is golden brown and a firm crust has formed.

Let cool completely before slicing.