Vegan Diner (4 page)

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon flax meal, preferably golden flax

2 tablespoons finely grated espresso or French roast coffee

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

⅛
teaspoon fine sea salt

¾
cup granulated sugar

1 cup vanilla soymilk

⅓
cup canola oil

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

¼
cup brewed coffee, cooled

½
cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tray with paper liners or grease the pan with vegetable shortening.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, flax meal, ground espresso, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt, mixing well.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, soymilk, oil, and vanilla, until smooth. Add the flour mixture and brewed coffee, whisking just until mixed. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Divide the batter evenly among the 12 cups in the pan, filling each
¾
of the way full. Bake the muffins in the preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the tops are puffed and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, and remove to a rack to cool to room temperature.

You can make
your own flax meal for these muffins, by grinding whole flaxseeds in a blender or coffee grinder. Since there's coffee in the recipe, you don't even need to clean off the blades first!

Variation:
If you want your muffins to have a hint of orange flavor, add about
¼
teaspoon pure orange oil to the batter in addition to the coffee.

Coffee cake and cooked apples are two of my favorite things.
This coffee cake combines the two, and is perfect for breakfast with a big mug of coffee or chai tea.

MAKES ONE 8 × 8-INCH PAN

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons soy flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½
teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

¼
teaspoon fine sea salt

½
cup canola oil

1 cup packed light brown sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup almond or soymilk

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

½
teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 large or 2 small Granny Smith apples peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square glass baking dish with shortening.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, soy flour, baking powder, grated nutmeg and salt.

In a large bowl, beat together the oil, brown sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer. Add the flour mixture a little at a time, alternating with the almond milk, beating until just combined.

In a small bowl combine granulated sugar with the cinnamon.

Spread half the batter into the prepared baking dish. Lay the apple slices on top of the batter. It's okay if some slices overlap. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture over apples. Spread the rest of the batter over the apples. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon-sugar on top.

Bake the cake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until cake is golden-brown, and a tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Remove to a rack to cool completely before serving.

I like to use
a glass baking dish for baking cakes. An added bonus is that you can serve the finished cake right from the pan. Plus, I love the old-fashioned look of glass.

These cinnamon rolls are the bomb, baby!
If you want to win friends and influence people, this recipe is your ticket. If you can't find the soymilk powder, you can omit it and substitute
½
cup soymilk for the water.

MAKES 12 ROLLS

Dough

1 package (2
¼
teaspoons) active dry yeast

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

¼
cup hot water (110 to 115
^º
F)

¼
cup agave nectar

¼
cup canola oil

¼
cup orange juice

½
cup water, room temperature

1 tablespoon orange zest

3
¾
to 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons soymilk powder (
see next page
)

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

Filling

3 tablespoons non-hydrogenated vegan margarine, softened

⅔
cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Glaze

2 cups confectioners' sugar

3 tablespoons orange juice, preferably fresh-squeezed

Grease a 13 × 9-inch glass baking dish well with vegetable shortening.

For the dough:
In a small bowl, combine the yeast, sugar, and hot water, stirring to mix. Set aside for 10 minutes, until foamy.

In a large measuring cup, whisk together the agave nectar, canola oil, orange juice, remaining
½
cup water, and orange zest and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, combine the flour, soymilk powder, and salt. Beat on low until mixed. Add the reserved yeast and agave mixture to the flour, and beat until the dough forms a ball. Switch the paddle to the dough hook, and let the machine knead the dough for about 3 to 5 minutes, or until the dough looks silky. The dough should be soft and smooth, not sticky. If the dough is sticky, add more flour, a tablespoon at a time.

Place the dough in a large lightly oiled bowl, covering with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle, approximately 16 × 12 inches.

For the filling:
Spread the softened margarine over the dough, leaving a ½-inch border on all sides. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the margarine. Sprinkle the cinnamon over the brown sugar. Starting with the long edge, roll the dough up into a spiral, jelly-roll style. Pinch the edges together to seal. Carefully cut the roll into 12 equal pieces. Place the rolls into the prepared
baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes (or until rolls are almost doubled in size).

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Remove plastic wrap and bake the rolls for 30 to 35 minutes, or until firm to the touch and lightly golden. Remove baking dish from oven and set aside on a rack to cool slightly.

For the glaze:
While the rolls are cooling, whisk the confectioners' sugar and orange juice in a medium bowl, until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the warm rolls and serve.

Variation:
To make this dough in the food processor, combine the flour, soymilk powder, and salt in the work bowl, fitted with the metal blade. Pulse the flour until mixed. Add the reserved yeast and agave mixture to the flour, and process until the dough forms a ball. Pulse the dough another 4 to 5 times, until the dough looks silky.

If you can find
the soymilk powder, it works really well in bread dough to give it a soft texture. I use the Better Than Milk brand. Look for it in health food stores or online.

 

A lightly sweet biscuit, with the nutty flavor of wheat
and little bursts of banana. They are almost like a cross between a
scone and a traditional biscuit, and are a delicious way to start the day.

MAKES 9