Thursday, December 27, 2007

More Sweet Vegan.Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie(!)and Pumpkin Pecan Pie

both from My Sweet Vegan.
Holy crap the chocolate chip cookie pie is awesome.i've had this book since last Thursday and have already made 7 things.so good.Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie from My Sweet Vegan.
This is incredible.A thick layer of classic chocolate chip cookie dough a top of a tender crust.Very dense and rich.Very delicious.
chocchipcookiepie1

chocchipcookiepie2

chocchipcookiepie3

Pumpkin Pecan Pie from My Sweet Vegan with pumpkin creme.I totally didn't realize that my pie hadn't cooled despite it being out of the oven for 3 hours,so my pumpkin creme,though very thick from being in the fridge,spread a bit.
pumpkinpecanpie2

pumpkinpecanpie1

Hannah,if you're reading(assuming you are since you comment sometimes) your book is awesome.Definitley a keeper!

Monday, December 24, 2007

Devastate Me,and Happy Holidays!

so i got the book My Sweet Vegan last week and decided i would give it a "test drive" by making a bunch of recipes after the Bananas Foster Cake from the last post.I'm enjoying it quite a bit!
Mocha Devastation cake from my sweet vegan.this is so so so good.i love the ganache with the chocolate covered espresso beans.and the crunchy-ness over the mocha buttercream that the center is freakin pummeled with.
I made this to bring to my dad's house for our Christmas eve get together.We've never been religious at all and when we lived with my mom we'd light the menorah just because she did but we'd have a tree too,and now I don't live with either,but we still like presents and getting together is nice.
So yeah,it's a really moist chocolate cake,and apparently it's supposed to sink after it bakes and then you fill it will frosting and top it with the other layer,but my layers were perfect and didn't sink,so I got a higher cake to work with,but anyways,it's moist chocolate cake reminiscent of devil's food cake with mocha buttercream topped by crushed chocolate covered espresso beans,and the whole thing is coated in really rich chocolate ganache and more crushed chocolate espresso beans.I'd say I was devastated.

mochadevastation1

mochadevastation2

mochadevastation3

mochadevastation4

mochadevastation5

Decadent Almond Cake from my sweet vegan.
i also made this for the holiday get together.
not as good as the mocha devastation,but my sister sarah loved it and i think it's good.the cake is very very moist and almond-y,definitely not the typical cake-y texture,and it's a pretty color.

decadentalmond1

decadentalmond2

decadentalmond3

Butterscotch Blondies from my sweet vegan.
it's a new book,so i felt compelled to try a few recipes so i can "test drive" it.
I love butterscotch(especially pudding!) and recently discovered how great blondies are,and i really liked these.Very very "fudgy" and vanilla tasting.More vanilla than butterscotch.
I used some Silk soy yogurt that I got last time I was in seattle and i've tasted better vanilla soy yogurts,but smell-wise,this stuff smells so delicious.i know,just a side note,but silk vanilla soy yogurt smells like what i'd imagine heaven or whatever to smell like.

butterscotchblondies1


Crumb Topped Brownies
from my sweet vegan.
they're very good brownies,very fudgy.similar to the fudgy wudgy blueberry brownies from veganomicon in taste and texture.the crumb topping is the best part.a nice addition.
crumbtoppedbrownies1

crumbtoppedbrownies3

Thursday, December 20, 2007

I sure freakin am passionate about dessert

mysweetvegan1

I finally received my copy of My Sweet Vegan by Hannah Kaminsky in the mail from Side Car for PIg's Peace (in Seattle).That's a thank you note on the cover,btw.ANYWAYS,first thing I did was make the bananas foster cake.it's real good.this is exciting.

Picture 167

Picture 176

Bananas Foster Cake from my sweet vegan.
this is such a good cake!like the cake part is SO light and fluffy and very very banana-y.and the caramel frosting is excellent.i love bananas,caramel and rum,so this cake is like perfect.i knew i would make it first,seeing the picture of it on hannah's blog back in august is what got me interested in her blog/book and boy am i glad i did.

Picture 177

Picture 178

how awesome it is that fellow blogger hannah(who leaves such sweet comments on mine sometimes!) is only a year older than me and accomplished creating such a beautiful and inspiring book.
i can't wait to try out some more recipes from the book!they're all really,really creative or unusual.definitely something to be getting excited about.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

R0115R0115R0115R0115R0115R0115R0115

the apartment now smells like the mall.
I guess they're now known as "RRF's Cinnamon Rolls".
They're the best.
bjorkedoff.blogspot.com/2007/04/cinnamon-rools.html
and look,the recipe was published,too,and I was excited!:
bjorkedoff.blogspot.com/2007/09/i-had-recipe-published.html

these ones are a non denominational holiday season gift to my friends joanne and glenn.
they picked them up this evening and had me take them out of the tupperware and put them in a cardboard box since apparently they'll eat them all before the morning.and they already started on them in my kitchen.so,obviously a success.


rrfcinnamonrolls1

rrfcinnamonrolls2

rrfcinnamonrolls3

rrfcinnamonrolls4

rrfcinnamonrolls5

Turtle Brownies
fudgy brownies with a caramel/pecan topping and chocolate ganache.
i made these for the EarthSave potluck tonight.very rich,choclate-y,and caramel rules.Emma's mom told me that I "really understand women" because i made these and fudge.I don't think so,everyone just thinks I am a woman,but either way.
turtlesbrownies1

turtlesbrownies2

turtlesbrownies3

turtlesbrownies4


Fudge.

I've written about this and posted the recipe before.No powdered sugar and crap fudge,this stuff is the real deal.
Picture 097

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Apple Spice Cupcakes with Caramel Penuche Frosting

it would be nice to have a cement truck pouring this frosting down my throat.
apples should be in more cakes.
from Veganomicon.
I love the frosting,it's just like old fashioned fudge.smooth and super sweet.

applespicecaramelfrosting1

applespicecaramelfrosting2

applespicecaramelfrosting3

applespicecaramelfrosting4

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Cashew Butter Cardamon Cupcakes

i think i can say that these are my favourite cupcakes from vctotw.considering i've made all of them
i feel like i can have an honest opinion.the cupcake is so moist and i LOVE cashew butter(second to peanut butter)and the frosting is really excellent,too.this is the third time i've made them.the orange hint in the cake is very nice,too.

cashewbuttercardamon1

cashewbuttercardamon2

cashewbuttercardamon3

cashewbuttercardamon4

cashewbuttercardamon5

Thursday, December 6, 2007

Happy Birthday!a thing of pure beauty

happy birthday to me!well,yesterday,december 5th.
Peanut ButterBomb Brownie Cheesecake Torte.
this was inspired by tofu666's thanksgiving torte,but i didn't follow their directions or recipe.
this in fudgy brownies,peanut butter cheesecake,peanut butter buttercream frosting,fudgy brownies,peanut butter cheesecake and peanut butter bombs on top.With ganache and sjaaks organic peanut butter cups.i love myself.and this cake.and my birthday.my dad,brothers,sister and her boyfriend all came over.everyone liked it and daniel started the trend of people asking for slices that were 1/8th of the cake.yum.
clearly i love myself:
BirthdayPeanut ButterBombBrownieCheesecakeTorte1

BirthdayPeanut ButterBombBrownieCheesecakeTorte2

BirthdayPeanut ButterBombBrownieCheesecakeTorte3

BirthdayPeanut ButterBombBrownieCheesecakeTorte4

BirthdayPeanut ButterBombBrownieCheesecakeTorte5

BirthdayPeanut ButterBombBrownieCheesecakeTorte6

BirthdayPeanut ButterBombBrownieCheesecakeTorte7

and some exciting birthday polaroids:
birthdayroid1

birthdayroid2

karl brought me 66 organic breaburn apples.and some other things.he's great.
birthdayroid4

there was a rainbow on tuesday after the snow and then rain.
december41

oh and saturday my portfolio was accepted by the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.yay!
portfolioday2