Apple Crisp and Banana Nice Cream Recipe (without oil or butter)

Ok so I never said I was the best blogger out there, I know I don't put too much on here too often but I am pretty awesome on Facebook and Instagram if you want to follow me there :) Now that I got that out in the open did you survive the bulk of winter? I did pretty good here in Minnesota, I didn't get the winter blues too bad, and you know... took a million pictures of my cat...

 I was able to get in a couple bike rides recently with some warmer spring weather hinting at it's arrival, but as I'm writing this it has begun to snow unfortunately, but it shouldn't stay for long with spring hot on it's heels, we will feel warmth again!

    Without further ado here is an awesome Apple Crisp recipe if I do say so myself! It is in fact crispy on the top without the use of any oils or butters which I find amazing, however it is still an occasional treat since it does incorporate some sugar, you could use something like dates but it's hard to get a "crisp" top that way, it is almost fat free other than the small amount from oats and flour, and that is pretty cool in my book ;)

You can use whatever apple you love, however most prefer something on the tart side like a granny smith, other apples like red delicious can turn out really mushy, so whatever it is make sure it's a crispy apple!

Apple Mixture:
6 apples peeled and sliced
1 Tbs flour*
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbs vegan brown sugar (usually brown organic cane sugar)

Topping:
2/3 cup regular rolled oats
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup flour*
2/3 vegan brown sugar (usually brown organic cane sugar)
4 Tbs maple syrup

-Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees, and lightly oil/spray an 8x8 baking dish (greasing the pan is optional but recommended)

- Place apples in a large bowl and sprinkle in remaining apple mixture ingredients and mix well.
- Add apple mixture to the baking dish

-Put the oats in a food processor or blender and pulse about 5 times, making some smaller pieces, it doesn't have to be oat flour, just trying to make some smaller pieces, this helps make the top more crispy but not necessary.

-Add oats and the rest of the dry topping ingredients into a medium sized bowl, mix well.

-Add in the maple syrup and mix until it becomes darker and everything seems incorporated, some larger chunks are just fine and will be nice and crispy when cooked.

Bake for 30-35 mins uncovered, let cool 10-15 minutes before serving. Enjoy with some *Banana nice cream :)

*I have not tried other flours but feel free to use another type, it will most likely turn out just as delicious.

This recipe was adapted from recipe4living.

*To make Banana Nice Cream: simply freeze some peeled bananas on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for a few hours until frozen, thaw for 10-15 mins, break into pieces and blend in a good blender or food processor splashing small amounts of vanilla plant milk as needed until smooth. You can also add cinnamon, cocoa powder, or carob powder etc.. there are endless variations :)

Merry Christmas & Cranberry Fluff

 Hope you are all having a wonderful Christmas with a house full of family, friends, and love, enjoy the holiday's!

There is nothing like Grandma's famous cranberry fluff that my aunt makes every year, however I don't eat the usual ingredients of cool whip or marshmallows, so what's a girl to do? Veganize it! So I did, it was delicious and tastes almost just like her yummy recipe I grew up eating :) Hope you enjoy it too!

Makes about 4-5 cups

1/2lb package whole cranberries, or 1 can organic jellied cranberries with cranberry pieces
1 1/2 cups pineapple, or 1 can pineapple chunks, drained (slice if you want them smaller)
1 15oz can organic coconut milk *
1/2 cup vegan powdered sugar, or to taste *
1oz chopped walnuts
2 cups vegan marshmallows (optional)

-First put your can of coconut milk into the fridge overnight, no need to shake or anything else.

-Carefully open your can of coconut milk and scoop out the thick white part into a 1 quart size mixing bowl, it ends up being about 1/2-3/4 of the can, try not to get too much of the more liquid part.

-Use a hand mixer to mix the powdered sugar into the coconut milk until you get stiff peaks like thick cool whip.

- For your cranberries you can grind the whole cranberries into small pieces using a food processor, blender, or if you happened to have a meat grinder :/ that works well.

-Fold all the ingredients together and chill until served.

*UPDATE: since posting this recipe they have come out with vegan "Cool Whip" and other non-dairy alternatives, so if you want you could just substitute the coconut milk and powdered sugar with one of these. My favorite that is pretty easy to find is Coco Whip.

Pumpkin Pie (V)

I love pumpkin pie, and this is my first holiday eating completely plant based so I'm testing out some recipes and thought I would share with you my progress so far. I had some leftover canned pumpkin from using just a dab in my oatmeal and thought I would try making pumpkin pie without dairy or egg and this is what I came up with, it turned out more like a custard but is super delicious and I don't care, custard is yummy :) Anyway here's the recipe, feel free to tweak it to your liking:

I used this pie crust-Betty Crocker Pat in the Pan Pie Crust, or you can try this Grandma Woodwards Simple Pie Crust from Vegweb.com (I haven't tried this one yet) I used earth balance butter instead of oil, same thing. Or just buy a pre-made crust, I know the whole foods by me carries a whole wheat one.

Filling:
1 can pumpkin
1 cup milk alternative (I used soy)
1/2 cup vegan cane sugar
1/2 cup vegan brown sugar
prepare egg replacer for 2 eggs, I used 2 tbs ground up flax seeds and 6tbs water mix and let sit 5-10 mins
3 Tbs cornstarch, or arrowroot powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger


-Preheat oven to 450 degrees

-Combine all ingredients except milk and pumpkin until all incorporated.

-Blend in pumpkin and milk carefully and mix well, (I use a hand mixer, works great and fluffs it up)

-Bake at 450 for 10 mins, then reduce heat to 350 for 50-55 mins, cover the edges of your crust with foil or crust protector if it's getting too dark. If at 45 mins it's too dark, your pie will probably be ok to take out here. That is what a regular pie cooks for, however I cooked mine longer since I wasn't sure how this would firm up and rather liked the longer cooking time.

- Inserting a knife to see if it's done doesn't quite work with this recipe since it will remain custard like, when you take it out let it cool for a long time, as long as you can, after cooling it will still hold it's shape when cut but it's even better overnight in the fridge and will be much firm and more similar to a regular pumpkin pie texture, enjoy!

Biscotti, Almond (V)

    I've been searching for a vegan recipe for biscotti for a while now and I think I found a keeper! Yum!  I love biscotti and used to make it all the time so I was excited.
    Not only did I add chopped almonds, I used the left over almond meal from making my almond milk, I didn't use as much sugar, and I had to cook it a little longer since I like mine super crunchy (you could prob leave it at 325 degrees the whole time), and don't forget to grease the pan! I was able to use 1 large cookie sheet pan and formed my logs directly on the pan.

    It's fun to display your biscotti in a glass cookie jar on the counter. (wanna know a secret?... I have never eaten a store bought biscotti! lol) Here is the original recipe from food.com:

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups unbleached cane sugar
• 3/4 cup smooth unsweetened applesauce
• 1 -3 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 1/2 cups almonds , toasted and chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven the 325°F.

Lightly oil two cookie sheets.

Use double layer shiny ones, if you have them.

If yours are very black, line them with foil.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, and salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, applesauce, oil (1 TBS for a hard biscotti, 2-3 TBS for a softer biscuit), and extracts.

Stir the sugar mixture into the flour mixture, add the nuts; finish mixing with your hands.

With floured hands, shape the dough into two 3-inch wide "logs" about 3/4 inch thick, with the ends squared off.

Place these on the cookie sheets.

Bake the logs for about 25 minutes.

Remove the pans and reduce the oven heat to 300°F.

Cool the logs on a rack for 15 minutes.

Cut the logs carefully with a sharp knife straight across into 1/2 inch wide slices.

Place the slices cut side down on the cookie sheets (you can remove the foil, if using).

Bake 5-10 minutes, or until golden on the bottom

Turn the slices over and cook 5-10 minutes more, or until golden on bottom

Cool on racks, then store airtight for up to two weeks

Click Here for the recipe on the actual website.

Chocolate Cake, low-fat (V)

This recipe is so insanely easy I can't believe it works! If your looking for something that is low in fat and just under 200 calories a serving (cupcakes about 124 cals) you have found your recipe. I didn't use any oil and it turned out moist and delicious! This recipe is so versatile you can add fruit if you wanted or some chocolate chips, or nuts, do anything! I originally got this recipe from Allrecipes but altered it because of some of the comments and my own preferences. Enjoy!

Makes 1-9 inch round pan, or 12 cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup vegan sugar (organic cane sugar)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup natural unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp distilled white vinegar
1 cup water

-Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and Grease a 9 inch cake pan, or 12 cupcakes.
-Mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
-Add applesauce, vanilla, vinegar, and water, to the dry ingredients and mix until smooth
-Transfer to a greased cake pan, or cupcake pan or use liners, and bake for about 40 mins,(cupcakes 20-25 mins) let cool before removing from pan or frosting etc.