They say that childhood crushes and friendships will never last beyond high school, and most of the time I would be compelled to agree, but here I am, still just as attached to my best friend as I was 12 years ago when we met.  I was but 8 years old, working through the 2nd grade, and she, well… She was just a newborn.

Although the years have aged us both in strange and unpredictable ways, she’s still pretty much the same- Acting like a rambunctious puppy, destroying any fun things (from toothbrushes to razor blades) that might have been carelessly left in her reach, or begging relentlessly for scraps at the dinner table. There are few people (or animals) that I have spent more time with, and it brings me great joy to celebrate yet another birthday with her. Better yet, it gives me the opportunity to make her something special, and even better than past years’ attempts.

At its core, this plated dessert is simply my Canine Cake from My Sweet Vegan dressed up. Using finely diced green apples instead of carrots, and tahini in place of peanut butter, it as spread out thin and baked in a loaf pan. Once cooled, rounds were cut out from the rectangle and then layered with vegan “sour cream.” Topping off the stack is a tower of apple rings, which were simply overlapped on a silpat and baked in a slow oven until crispy. Finally, a smear of tahini at the bottom of the plate leads to a tiny scoop of vanilla ice cream. All perfectly suited to a puppy’s palate, I could only hope that Isis would appreciate my efforts…

Of course, I needn’t have worried, as the whole dessert disappeared in 5 seconds flat.

Happy 12th birthday Isis, and here’s to many, many more!

Within the space of a mere two days or so, the trees have suddenly exploded with fresh buds, green leaves unfurling right before your eyes. As if waiting for the month of May, it finally feels as though we’ve turned the corner, and we can at last put the bone-chilling torture of winter behind us. Fresh produce is arriving at the markets once more, making every trip a joyful reunion with old friends. Each day brings something new to get excited about, be it the changing of a restaurant’s menu to reflect the season, or the delight of taking a stroll in the fading sunlight at 7:30 pm, without needing to bundle up. Just yesterday, as the coffee began percolating and I bumbled about with sleep still in my eyes, I looked out the kitchen window and discovered something absolutely wonderful out in the yard; Violets.

Tiny little flowers in varying hues of purple, blue, and white, they speckled the lawn so thoroughly that it appeared as if confetti had been strewn about after a party. You could scarcely take a step without the danger of squashing a handful… But this abundance is nothing to take advantage of. Blink once, and every last little blossom will vanish, as if they never existed to begin with. With a window of availability spanning barely a week, it’s no wonder that these edible flowers are so highly prized, not to mention expensive, just about any time of the year.

Bare feet racing across the damp, dew-covered grass, I quickly began gathering flowers, plucking as many as I could carry. No way would these violet beauties pass me by this time! But what to do with them, besides just garnish a plate?

Well, how about making violet extract, for starters? Building upon the same idea as making vanilla extract, this is an experiment in progress. Filling a few jars with washed (and 100% pesticide-free!) violets and topping them off with vodka, only time will tell if this method works for more than just vanilla beans. Here’s hoping that in 1 – 3 weeks, this rare flower essence will make a cameo in some fantastic dessert! Of course, I’ll keep you posted on the results, but I didn’t want to wait until all the violets were gone before sharing. If you happen to have these lovely little blossoms in your yard, get out there and start picking, while you still can!

Considering how many dozens of times I’ve tried and failed to make a vegan angel food cake, it’s a miracle in itself that I still haven’t given up hope that it might one day work. The resulting rejects could very well satisfy a voracious sweet tooth for months on end, but only if they could stomach a soggy, leaden crumb more suited for dish sponges than cakes. Anyone in their right mind would know when to say “uncle,” but each flat frisbee that emerges from the oven only fuels my desire to crack the angel food conundrum.

Needless to say, I’m not alone in this quest; Vegans have been trying to recreate this ethereal cake since the beginning of time (or at least the beginning of veganism) to varying degrees of success. And in case you’re wondering, no, a block of tofu plus a half cup of oil does not angel food make. Yikes, and I thought my own experiments were pretty far off the mark…!  Tireless research lead to only one existing recipe worth exploring, and so like a ravenous lion, I pounced upon Bryanna Clark Grogan’s angel torte.

As you can see, the crumb is still considerably more dense and moist than a traditional angel food cake.  The flavor?  Well, it’s… Sweet, that’s for sure.  Admittedly, I did pass on the almond extract, but knowing that the recipient is a purist, known to turn up his nose even at the addition of lemon zest or innocent little chocolate chips, I knew that such additions just wouldn’t fly.  So it’s perhaps a bit closer to the target, but still not quite right.  The quest for angel food is still not over, but  for now, I’m happy to at least have something to serve to my dad on his birthday [today!], since angel food is the only sort of cake he truly enjoys.  Happy birthday, Dad, and here’s hoping that I’ll be able to make the perfect rendition for you one of these years!

Time flies, whether you’re having fun or not. Thankfully, most of my time has been occupied by enjoyable things, but the past week or so seems to have completely escaped my grasp. Planning is clearly not my forte, judging by the lack of posts recently, but at least I had the forethought to make my entry for the Daring Bakers early on before this whirlwind of activity picked up and carried off my free time.

The April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from Jenny Bakes. She has chosen Abbey’s Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge.

Perhaps it’s a good thing that this was in fact, not a challenge due to schedule constraints, but part of me deeply misses the old days of crazy recipes, near-disasters that force one to think outside of the box, and rising to the occasion, ultimately finding an even better result than anticipated. Cheesecake may present some difficulties and potential pit falls, with the threat of cracked tops or dense fillings looming, but once you make one, you can pretty much make a million. With you eyes closed. While twittering. And preparing dinner at the same time.

Regardless, a plated presentation was definitely in order, being one of my favorite things at the moment. The whole she-bang starts out with a key lime cheesecake made in a silicon hemisphere mold, baked for only a few minutes to set and then frozen. Once each half sphere is popped out, they’re placed on top of tender graham cakes, imitating the flavors of a traditional cheesecake crust. Beneath that, for a satisfying crunch, is a thin layer of almond shortbread, anchoring the whole dessert and adding a nice nutty flavor beneath it all.  Crowned with some candied key limes and sugared mint leaves, it was a rich but refreshing dessert, perfectly suited for this heat wave we’re experiencing on the east coast.  If only I still had one of these little plates left now!