Welcome, Fall!

Perhaps I’m jumping the gun a bit, but an undeniable chill has blown in, and now that it’s September, I can’t contain my excitement for fall any longer. There are just so many things to eat, every day of autumnal weather must be used to the fullest! Unfortunately, my enthusiasm is a bit premature, as it still isn’t quite cold enough to layer on the heavy winter blanket, a mistake I paid for at 4 am, waking up in a pool of my own sweat.

Summer may still be hanging on with a loosening grip, but the kids are returning to school and the evenings are no longer quite so sweltering at least, so I’m fully prepared to embrace the incoming season. How better to get into a fall state of mind than bake something with sweet, warming spices?

Falling back on my favorite set of chai spices, a simple sort of muffin seemed to be in order. Perfect for a quick morning breakfast should you be one of those lucky students returning to an earlier schedule, each hearty little quick bread is both a sensible breakfast or snack. Spelt flour adds in a good dose of whole grains, hazelnuts provide a spot of protein, and these babies are only modestly sweetened.

I happened to be lucky enough to find the persimmon pulp in my freezer, stored from last year’s bounty, but any other fruit pulp would work beautifully as well.

No Persimmon? No Problem!

To keep with the autumnal theme, I might suggest:

Unsweetened apple sauce
Pumpkin puree
Mashed butternut squash
Sweet potato puree

For a delicious change of pace, you could also try:

Mashed banana
Cooked, blended carrots
Vegan yogurt

So don’t wait any longer- Greet the incoming season now, and enjoy it with muffins!

Yield: Makes 6 Big Muffins

Chai Latte Persimmon Muffins

Name: Chai Latte Persimmon Muffins
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 Cup Persimmon Pulp (Approximately 2 Hachiya Persimmons); 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil; 1/2 Teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar; 1/3 Cup Dark Brown Sugar, Packed; 1 Teaspoon Vanilla; 1 1/2 Cups Spelt Flour; 1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour; 1/2 Cup Chopped Hazelnuts; 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder; 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda; 1 Teaspoon Instant Coffee Powder; 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon; 3/4 Teaspoon Ground Cardamom; 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger; 1/8 Teaspoon Salt; 6 Teaspoons Granulated Sugar, for Topping (Optional)

For a spicy, seasonal, and healthy breakfast or snack, look no further than these persimmon muffins. Spelt flour adds in a good dose of whole grains, hazelnuts provide a spot of protein, and these babies are only modestly sweetened. Most importantly though, they're positively crave-worth flavor is off the charts!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 5 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

1 Cup Persimmon Pulp (Approximately 2 Hachiya Persimmons)
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1/2 Teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
1/3 Cup Dark Brown Sugar, Packed
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 1/2 Cups Spelt Flour
1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Chopped Hazelnuts
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Instant Coffee Powder
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
3/4 Teaspoon Ground Cardamom
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
1/8 Teaspoon Salt
6 Teaspoons Granulated Sugar, for Topping (Optional)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees, and lightly grease 6 standard muffin tins.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the persimmon pulp, oil, vinegar, brown sugar, and vanilla until smooth and homogeneous. In a separate bowl, combine the spelt and all purpose flour, hazelnuts, baking soda, coffee powder, spices, and salt, and mix thoroughly so that the ingredients are well distributed. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and stir just enough to bring the two together, being careful not to over do it and create gluten- A few errant lumps in the batter are just fine.
Evenly distribute the batter between your prepared muffin tins, and really mound it up in the center for each muffin. It may seem like a lot, but don’t be shy and really pile it on. This will get you nice, big, mushroom-y tops. Sprinkle each raw muffin with 1 teaspoon of sugar, if desired.
Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of each muffin comes out clean. Let rest for 5 minutes in the pan before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Notes

No Persimmon? No Problem!

To keep with the autumnal theme, I might suggest:

Unsweetened apple sauce
Pumpkin puree
Mashed butternut squash
Sweet potato puree

For a delicious change of pace, you could also try:

Mashed banana
Cooked, blended carrots
Vegan yogurt

Recommended Products

Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link. I have experience with all of these companies and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions I make if you decide to buy something through my links.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 373Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 235mgCarbohydrates: 58gFiber: 7gSugar: 22gProtein: 8g

All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on BitterSweetBlog.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimations.

September 1, 2009February 1, 2023

Hannah (BitterSweet)50 Comments

Dobos? Check!

Scribbled on sheets of faded lined paper, buried within a plain-faced notebook, lists of all imaginable contents rattle on and on, marching down the pages with numbers or bullet marks leading the way. If not for these lists, I could very well lose my marbles- How else could I remember all of the hundreds of things I want to do, make, and see, from short term goals to future plans? If ideas were butterflies, this notebook would be my net, preventing those gems from slipping through my fingers. You may have already guessed it, but one of these lengthy outlines is headed with the title “Dream Pastry Challenges,” penned with excitable, sloppy print. From St. Honore to Sans Rival, difficult desserts are often added to the growing tally, but rarely checked off. Between recipe development, everyday cooking, and working in a restaurant, who has time for even more extracurricular baking?

Imagine my delight, then, when it was announced that August’s Daring Baking Challenge would be one of those formidable sweets I had scrawled on my list so long ago: The Dobos Torte.

The August 2009 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Angela of A Spoonful of Sugar and Lorraine of Not Quite Nigella. They chose the spectacular Dobos Torte based on a recipe from Rick Rodgers’ cookbook Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Caffés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague.

Now that it had been officially assigned, however, there was no way I could just make the traditional chocolate-and-vanilla, round cake. But what could be changed, while maintaining the integrity of this torte? How could I make it more interesting? As the reveal date drew nearer and still no Dobos had emerged from my kitchen, I grew downright panicky. Quickly, something, anything, had to be done! Inverting the flavors with a dark chocolate cake and white chocolate frosting, it seemed sufficiently modified at the time of brainstorming, especially when presented in individual rectangles.

But alas, the manifestation of this concept was considerably less impressive and graceful than it had been in my head. Like they say in Italian, “Brutti ma bouni” (Good but ugly.)

For days I stewed, contemplating trashing the whole challenge, burning time that could have been used to rectify the situation. Finally, with one day remaining, it became clear that there was only one option: Start from scratch. No way could I let this one slip by, not when it had been on my list for so long, and not when I’ve gone almost two years as a Daring Baker without missing a single challenge.

Gathering my enthusiasm, it was back to the drawing board. Perhaps the flavor needed more attention, I conceded. Why I suddenly decided that a pepper cake would be just the ticket, I still couldn’t say for sure.

But am I ever thankful I ran with it. Five 6-inch round layers of sweet roasted red pepper cake stack up beneath a coating of Mexican chocolate frosting. Crowned with a hollow sphere of pure dark chocolate and a disk of cayenne caramel, it’s a decidedly different, more modern take on this classic cake.

Since the nasturtium growing in the garden have been so hot and peppery this year, it seemed only appropriate that they too should be invited to the party. It all makes for one sensational sweet-savory-salty-spicy dessert!

Seeing it come together so beautifully in the end, despite the initial failure, was a huge relief. At this moment, there is nothing more gratifying than being able to check this one off my list.

August 27, 2009August 27, 2009

Hannah (BitterSweet)81 Comments

Growing like Weeds

Despite the common complaints echoing through the blogosphere about planting too much zucchini, and consequently eating far too many meals based around the green summer squash, it sounds like the best problem a gardener could have. Impossible to imagine from my barren plot of rocky earth, an overabundance, or even modest yield of anything edible would be a welcome challenge to tackle. So while the next foodie is grumbling about their 5th zucchini bread of the season, and wondering who else they could pawn this next loaf off on, I find my appetite for this humble staple growing by the day, just like the vegetables in question.

Not until recently had I even tried zucchini bread, much less considered it as a baked good so fundamental to summer loving. Egged on by my mom’s skepticism about savory vegetables baked into a sweet quick bread, I was convinced I would prove her wrong, throwing in spices, brown sugar, and chocolate to really dress up that otherwise ordinary loaf.

No doubt, this was what excess zucchini was made for, and each of the dozen carefully cut slices disappeared in no time. But without my own glut of summer squash, this revelation was quickly forgotten, and another year passed before the concept flickered into my head. Again, my mother made faces at the mention of such a bread, her experience lost in the passage of time as well.

So it was time to step it up yet again. Forget that plain old zucchini bread. Try, zucchini babka.

Traditionally reserved for holidays, this rich, yeasted bread is the perfect vehicle for some of those excess zucchinis. Really, you’d be kidding yourself if you approached this as a “healthier” treat thanks to the vegetables, as it could very well be more decadent than that ubiquitous carrot cake piled high with cream cheese frosting. Don’t let that stop you from having a thick slice for breakfast though; if you can call a cupcake without frosting a muffin, you can easily get away with pretending that this cake in bread’s clothing is a reasonable choice to start the morning. Your taste buds will certainly thank you.

Even if you’re not “burdened” with extra zucchini, this one is worth picking up an extra squash or two at the market for.

Yield: Makes 1 Large Loaf; 10 - 12 Slices

Zucchini Babka

Traditionally reserved for holidays, this rich, yeasted bread is the perfect vehicle for some of those excess zucchinis. Really, you'd be kidding yourself if you approached this as a "healthier" treat thanks to the vegetables, as it could very well be more decadent than that ubiquitous carrot cake piled high with cream cheese frosting. Don't let that stop you from having a thick slice for breakfast though; if you can call a cupcake without frosting a muffin, you can easily get away with pretending that this cake in bread's clothing is a reasonable choice to start the morning. Your taste buds will certainly thank you.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Additional Time 2 hours

Total Time 3 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

Zucchini Dough:

1 Cup Plain Non-Dairy Milk
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 1/4-Ounce Package Active Dry Yeast
4 – 6 Cups All Purpose Flour
2 Cups Shredded Zucchini, Squeezed and Drained of Excess Liquid
1 Tablespoon Chia Seeds, Ground
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Cup Vegan Butter, Cut into Pieces and at Room Temperature

Chocolate-Cinnamon Filling:

3 Tablespoons Melted Vegan Butter, Divided
6 Ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate, Chopped Finely
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar

Instructions

To make the dough, first warm the non-dairy milk for just a minute or two in the microwave, until it reaches between 105 – 115°F. Be careful, because any hotter and you’ll kill the yeast! Stir in the sugar, and sprinkle the yeast in and let it sit for about 5 minutes, until bubbly and active. Transfer this mixture into your stand mixer, along with 3 cups of the flour, the chia seeds, zucchini, vanilla, and salt. Begin mixing on low, so as not to kick any flour out of the bowl, and continue until the dry ingredients have become mostly incorporated. Switch over to the dough hook, add in 1 more cup of flour, and allow the mixer to begin kneading the dough.
Once the dough is smooth, add in 1 – 2 more cups of flour, depending on how sticky it is. You want it to be tacky and elastic, but not wet and gooey. Continue working the dough with the dough hook while slowly dropping in pieces of vegan butter, one at a time, waiting until the previous piece has been incorporated before adding the next. It should become very shiny and soft. After all of the butter has been used, let the stand mixer keep kneading for 5 – 10 more minutes. Scrape the dough out into an oiled bowl, cover loosely with a cloth or piece of plastic wrap, and let sit in a warm place for about 1 1/2 hours, until doubled in volume.
Scrape dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
To assemble your babka, first lightly grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan, and set aside.
Punch down the dough with your knuckles, and on a well-floured surface, roll it out into a rectangle. Be sure to keep the two short sides no longer than 9 – 11 inches so that it will fit in the pan, but roll it out lengthwise as far as possible- The longer the dough, the more spirals you will get in the finished bread.
Brush your rectangle with 2 tablespoons of the melted butter, leaving 1/2 inch of one of the long sides clear. Mix together the chopped chocolate, cinnamon, and sugar in a small bowl, and sprinkle it evenly over the dough. Press the filling in gently with your hands. Starting with the long edge that is completely covered, roll up the dough as tightly as possible, but don’t be aggressive, as it’s a fairly delicate dough.
Once you get a very long tube, arrange it with the two ends next to each other, like a squashed horse shoe. Twist the two sides together, and press the ends beneath the mass of dough, and carefully fit it into the pan. If your dough is too large to fit comfortably, you may need to fold more of the ends underneath. Brush the top of the dough with the remaining tablespoon of butter.
Don’t panic- This is a VERY large loaf! It will seem way too big for the pan, but don’t worry, it will simply be very impressive when finished.
Let the bread rise for another hour or so, until just about doubled, and then pop it into a 350 degree preheated oven, for about 40 – 50 minutes. It should be golden brown on top, and when removed from the pan, it will sound hollow when tapped. (Yes, you can cool it, tap it, and then toss it back in the oven if it doesn’t sound right.)
Let cool completely before slicing.

Giving in to Temptation

Like any addiction, my already insatiable appetite for frozen desserts has only grown throughout the hottest months of the year. Those familiar cravings that send me racing to the freezer, spoon in hand, are responsible for the disappearance of almost unthinkable amounts of ice cream. Despite churning up a pint or two every week, it still isn’t enough to satisfy the beast, and it’s hard not to start drooling over every new hard-packed pint in the market. Or, in this case, not so new.

Temptation non-dairy frozen dessert has been around for years, and I’ve been lusting after it ever since I first caught wind of this vegan owned and operated enterprise. Never lucky enough to find it locally, I could only dream of how incredible this self-described “super premium” ice cream would be. At last, the detached curiosity ends here: I finally got my hands on two of these highly sought-after pints, and I would be lying if I told you they stayed pristine and unopened for more than an hour after arrival.

Seeking a solid baseline for what this creamy delight might be like, I plucked the Organic Fair Trade Certified Chocolate out of the icy tomb first. Despite my high expectations, it wasn’t exactly love at first sight. Hard as a rock, it wasn’t instantly soft and scoopable, but took a bit more work to coax the unassuming brown soy product out of the cardboard container. Once zapped in the microwave for a few seconds, all was forgiven, and the texture was downright fudgy, almost chewy, even. Dense, thick, and rich, it was definitely a number of steps above so many rough, crystallized soy ice creams out there. Unfortunately, the flavor fell a bit short- Overwhelmingly sweet and very little else, the chocolate flavor had a shallow cocoa powder essence at best.

Moving on to the container of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, however, it was a completely different story. So soft and easy to scoop, you might say it “cuts like butter,” but I can assure you none is involved. Quick to melt, you’ve got to lick this one up fast, but that shouldn’t be any problem; The rich, intense vanilla flavor will keep you wanting more, even after two or three scoops. Dotted with sizable chunks of tender cookie dough and mini chocolate chips, each serving is sure to have plenty of fun add-ins, making for an engaging snacking experience. Possessing a slightly grainy crunch thanks to the evaporated cane juice, the cookie dough could have easily been exactly what I make for sugar cookies; both the flavor and texture were spot on, and absolutely luscious. It may be on the upper limits of my sweetness tolerance, but it’s so perfectly suited to the flavor, I wouldn’t want it any other way. This is one incredible treat that I think everyone should try, vegan or not.

Temptation offers a wide range of flavors, from green tea to pumpkin, so I really only got to sample the tip of the iceberg. If only these rare pints weren’t so hard to find, I would start “researching” these other enticing varieties right away! Have you had a chance to try Temptation yet?

August 22, 2009August 22, 2009

Hannah (BitterSweet)23 Comments

Truly Buzz-Worthy

All it took was one glowing recommendation from America’s favorite talk show host, and the market was suddenly flooded with new products utilizing acai berry, the supposed super-food that claims to do everything from preventing wrinkles to aiding in weight loss. Costing a small fortune, lacking scientific evidence to support such fantastical allegations, and never once mentioning anything about being delicious, I didn’t exactly race out to see what the hype was about myself.

Rather, despite giving these exotic fruits the cold shoulder, the hype came to me, in the form of some trial acai berry juice acquired during my visit to the Fancy Foods Show. Tentatively taking a small first sip, my fears were instantly realized: Bitter, medicinal, and chalky at best, this was no beverage I wished to even store in my fridge. Perhaps it was just the brand, or the individual batch, but this strange witch’s brew did not agree with my palate.

My generous sample of two full cartons sat dejectedly in the chill chest, untouched and unloved. Trying to think of the health benefits while pinching my nose and chugging the juice, I was able to polish off the first, but I couldn’t help but think that there must be a better way to finish the second. Far too valuable to simply dump, I set about searching for a tastier solution.

This was definitely a job for dark chocolate, an anti-oxidant powerhouse itself and the ultimate flavor enhancer, guaranteed to cover up the nastier aspects of that uber-healthy berry. Taking it easy on such a hot summer day, basic fudgesicles with some hidden nutritional benefits were just what the doctor ordered.

Yield: Makes 6 – 8 popsicles

Superfood Fudgsicles

Dark chocolate covers up all the bitter flavors of pure acai, creating a treat that's both powerfully healthy and tasty.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Additional Time 4 hours

Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 Cup Full-Fat Coconut Milk
3.5 Ounces Dark Chocolate, Finely Chopped
11 Ounces Pure, Unsweetened Acai Juice
1/3 Cup Agave Nectar
1/8 Teaspoon Salt

Instructions

Heat the coconut milk for 60 – 90 seconds, until just on the brink of boiling, and pour it over the chocolate. Let sit for a few minutes to allow the chocolate to melt, and then stir well, until completely smooth.
Pour in the acai juice, agave, and salt, and mix thoroughly to combine. Let cool to room temperature, and pour into popsicle molds. Place in the freezer and allow at least 4 hours before serving, or until the popsicles are completely solid.

Better than Butter

Rarely does being a vegan feel limiting, despite the [uninformed] majority opinion on everything that might be “lacking” from a plant-based diet. However, even I have to balk when confronted by the idea of a soy-free vegan. That protein-packed little bean seems to sneak into just about everything these days, and can be hard enough to avoid for an omnivore, let alone a traditionally tofu- and soymilk-heavy veggie diet. Politics aside, I agree that we’ve gone overboard with the soy additives in recent years, and it simply can’t hurt to seek out more alternatives when given the option.

Well, up until just a few months ago, soy-free, dairy-free folks have been plum out of luck when it comes to finding a suitable buttery spread; Absolutely nothing fit the criteria, always being based on soybean oil with a pinch of soy lecithin thrown in for good measure. Finally, demand has created supply, and Earth Balance has expanded their line of vegan spreads to include a Soy-Free Natural Buttery Spread.

Spreadable right out of the fridge, this tub-based spread will undoubtedly be the answer to many buttery prayers. Almost indistinguishable in flavor from its predecessors, you won’t miss the soy one bit here. I did feel that when used plain to top bread or toast, it could stand a good hit of salt, and was just a tad waxy while still cold, but just a few moments at room temperature will remedy that. It does melt quite quickly, so don’t leave this one out on the counter in the middle of a hot summer day- You’ll find a tub full of plain oil in no time at all.

Happily, it also proved to be a perfectly acceptable margarine substitute for most baking applications as well. Creamed with sugar, flour, and spices to make a quick batch of ginger snaps, I was thrilled to see that they looked almost exactly the same as when they’re made with a solid stick margarine. Although somewhat cakier than usual, owing only to the added water inherent in a spreadable tub-based spread, no one could really complain about the sweet results.

Upping the ante a bit, I began to wonder- Would it be possible to make browned butter with this product? Well, why not? And happily, after a moment or two of nervous bubbling and sputtering on the stove, I found myself with a pot full of rich, nutty, amber-colored liquid, looking every bit as good as something dairy-based! Now, what to do with this fragrant fat?

Browned butter vanilla bean cupcakes, anyone?

Yeah, that’s what I thought.

Made by simply substituting my browned “butter” for the oil called for in my favorite basic vanilla cupcake recipe, this is a grown-up take on the classic that everyone could appreciate. Much more nuanced in flavor than the standard, and oh so rich, I can only imagine how fast they would fly if served instead of plain vanilla at a birthday party.

Lest I ignore all of the potential this product holds for savory applications, it seemed only appropriate to try out a nifty technique that I had so far only heard of, and typically applied almost exclusively to seafood: Butter poaching. Having recently stumbled upon butter-poached radishes, I figured that I could try other vegetables as well, and settled on the humble potato for my experiment.

Creating incredibly rich, tender slices of potato, accented with tarragon and a splash of vinegar, this is a side dish that couldn’t be easier to whip up; a real treat. Too morish to make often, but appropriate for occasional splurges, I’ll definitely have to try butter-poaching other vegetables now!

In case you’re looking for a cruelty-free and soy-free alternative to butter, look no further. This simple spread is the first that meets the criteria, and passes the taste test!

[Written for Go Dairy Free]

August 15, 2009August 16, 2009

Hannah (BitterSweet)34 Comments