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The Whole Family
Vegan Baking
by Cathe Olson
Just because you're vegan doesn't mean you can't make luscious cakes,
pies, and cookies. Eggs? Who needs them! Butter? Ha! If you want to
make the sweets you enjoyed as a child, it's easy enough to veganize
them. Here's a quick overview of vegan baking substitutions.
Eggs
Eggs are probably the trickiest ingredient to replace in baking. Eggs
are used in baking for binding, leavening, as well as to add moisture
and richness?but there are several vegan options for replacing eggs in
a recipe.
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Applesauce: Applesauce is a great binder and probably the easiest of
all the egg substitutions, and the mild apple flavor won't change your
recipe too much. Use this in recipes where you want the moistness such
as quick breads, cakes, and brownies.
Bananas: Bananas work pretty much like applesauce, however, they do
have a strong flavor so use them in recipes where banana flavor would
taste good, like in muffins or quick breads. Mash, blend, or whip the
bananas so they're light and fluffy.
Tofu: Silken tofu works wonderfully in puddings and mousses but also
makes a fine egg substitute in baked goods. Blend or puree the tofu
well so it's smooth and creamy and use in recipes where a rich, chewy
product is desired. They're great for pumpkin and custard pies.
Flaxseed: When mixed with water, ground flaxseeds become gelatinous
and make a wonderful binder. I like these in everything from veggie
burgers to pancakes to quick breads. Flaxseed has a slight nutty
flavor.
Commercial Egg Replacers: The two commercial egg replacers I know of
are Ener-G and Bob's Red Mills. I love them because they have an
incredibly long shelf life and work really well in almost any recipe.
I especially like them in recipes that I want a crisper texture like
cookies.
1 Egg =
- Applesauce: 3 tablespooons
- Bananas: 1/2 banana mashed or blended
- Tofu: 1/4 cup soft or silken tofu blended or mashed
- Flaxseed: 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water
- Egg replacer: follow manufacturer's instructions
Milk
Milk is probably the easiest ingredient to substitute in baking. Soy,
rice, almond, oat, coconut, or banana milks all substitute one for one
with dairy milk.
Butter
Butter is also fairly easy to replace. For the most similar results,
use a nonhydrogenated margarine. Coconut oil also works really well
but adds a coconut taste. Vegetable oils also work fine?especially in
breads and cakes. They will alter the texture somewhat in things like
a pie crust?it won't be as flaky and tender as a fat that's hard at
room temperature.
Buttermilk
The sourness of buttermilk activates the baking soda in a recipe and
also makes the baked good more tender. The most accurate substitution
is to put 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice (per cup of buttermilk)
in the measuring cup and then fill the rest of the measure with
nondairy milk. Let it sit for about 10 minutes to curdle. You can also
use plain nondairy yogurt thinned with nondairy milk.
Yogurt
Soy and rice yogurt alternatives are available about health food
stores and some supermarkets.
Sour Cream
Use plain nondairy yogurt.
Cream
Use a commercial soy creamer or make cashew cream by blending cashews
with water (1 1/2 cups cashews to 4 cups water).
Honey
Agave nectar and maple syrup substitute one for one with honey. Brown
rice syrup also works well but is slightly less sweet than honey so
you will need to use a little more.
Vegan Baking Cookbooks
There are several excellent vegan baking books on the market that are
great for your holiday baking and also make wonderful gifts. Here are
a few I like:
The Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
My Sweet Vegan by Hannah Kaminsky
Vegan Cupcakes Take over the World by Isa Chandra Moskowitz
Also, just about all vegetarian and vegan cookbooks include sections
on desserts and baked good as well. Below are a few of our favorite
holiday treats.
Cranberry-Date Bars
These scrumptious bars are full of fiber and nutrients.
- 2 cups pitted dates
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- Boiling water
- 1 cup almonds or walnuts
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup whole wheat, barley, or brown rice flour
- 1/2 cup flavorless oil (grapeseed, safflower, etc.)
- 3 tablespoons maple, brown rice syrup, or agave nectar
- 1/4 cup water
Place dates and cranberries in heatproof bowl. Pour over just enough
boiling water to cover. Let sit 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Oil a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Place
nuts and oats in food processor and grind to a coarse meal. Add flour
and pulse to mix. Drizzle oil, sweetener, and water over top. Mix
until combined. Dough should be slightly crumbly but hold together
when pressed in your hand. Add more water if too dry. Add flour if too
sticky.
Press 2/3 of dough into bottom of prepared pan to form a crust about
1/4 inch thick. Transfer remaining dough to a bowl and reserve for
topping. Place date/cranberry mixture with water into food processor
and puree. Spread date filling over bottom crust. Sprinkle remaining
dough over top and press into date filling. Bake 30 to 35 minutes
until edges are golden. Cool before cutting into squares.
Makes 24 bars
Applesauce Cake
This vegan cake is wonderfully moist and delicious.
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1/2 cup maple syrup, brown rice syrup, or agave nectar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 3/4 cup raisins
- 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 2 cups whole wheat or whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Oil a 10-inch round cake pan or 8- or 9-inch
square baking pan. Beat oil, maple syrup, and vanilla together until
smooth. Stir in applesauce, raisins, and walnuts. In separate bowl,
sift remaining ingredients together. Dough will be stiff. Spread into
prepared pan. Bake 30 minutes, or until cake pulls away from edges of
pan and knife inserted in center comes out dry. Cool on rack. Serve
cake plain or with whipped tofu topping. It's also delicious frosted.
Makes 12 servings
Coconut Sweet Potato Pie
Tofu works perfectly here in place of eggs.
- 1 (8- or 9-inch) Basic Pie Crust, partially prebaked
- 3 cups mashed, cooked sweet potatoes (about 3 medium)
- 1/2 cup silken tofu
- 1/3 cup light coconut milk
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup or agave nectar
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened shredded coconut
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Prepare and partially prebake pie crust. Place
sweet potatoes, tofu, coconut milk, and sweetener in food processor or
blender. Puree until smooth. Pour filling into prepared crust.
Sprinkle with shredded coconut. Bake about 45 minutes, or until edges
are golden. Cool at least 15 minutes before cutting. Serve warm or
cold.
Makes 8 servings
Recipes from The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook by Cathe Olson
Cathe Olson is the author of the new nondairy ice cream cookbook: Lick It! Cream Dreamy Vegan Ice Cream Your Mouth Will Love, as well as Simply Natural Baby Food and The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook. Visit Cathe's website at www.simplynaturalbooks.com and her blog at http://catheolson.blogspot.com.
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