Vegan Irish Coffee Cheesecake with a Shortbread Crust

Almost 3 years ago, I became newly Irish-ed. See I wasn't born a Shannon. I married one. But somewhere deep down, maybe I always knew in my Mediterranean blood that I was meant to be Irish. Not to brag but I can do wonders with a potato. I adore green, plaid, cute fuzzy haired sheep and castles combined with overcast days.  Boil me a cabbage and I'll smile like you've just made me ice cream. But sadly I am still only faux Irish. So heading into St.Patrick's day, I thought it would make sense to start with a faux Irish treat. 


Traditional Irish Coffee is actually a cocktail of sorts made with hot coffee, Irish whiskey, brown sugar and cream. We took those key ingredients and flavors and transformed them into pretty much the ultimate adult dessert. This vegan cheesecake also has a "buttery" shortbread crust that does more than just hold the cheesecake together. It completes it. It is also probably one of the easiest - yet extremely impressive - vegan treats you could make to impressive even the meatiest eater. Sadly though like its dairy ridden cousin, this cheesecake takes awhile to set. So we should get started. 


Bain taitneamh as do bhéil!

The Betty Crocker Project : Blackberry & Walnut Coffeecake

I've spent a number of years being a best friend/amateur therapist to several young men and one woman who were addicted to "complicated" women. Some would call them "crazy", but I prefer to use a word that's just as judgmental when you say it in quotes and in a certain tone. When I'd look back at the countless hours I spent over the years listening to detailed accounts of crazy, I admit I used to shake my head in bewilderment. This delicious amazing coffeecake changed all that.

I feel like I should tell you - this is a bittersweet love story. See, I think I may have met my "complicated" woman.

Now you'll look through this recipe and wonder what I mean, because really it's a pretty simple, pretty awesome cake. But in less than 24 hours, this cake has come to make me realize that something beautiful can also be a real pain in the ass. You could even say this cake and I were doomed from the beginning. The fact that I forgot to defrost my berries over night so that I could bake the coffeecake for breakfast may lead you to say that the timing was just wrong. But really it was more than that. Things were going so well while I was blending the ingredients and filling our angel food cake spring pan. The Blackberry & Walnut filling was so good it was hard to not just sit down with a bowl of those berries and skip the cake altogether. While I sat typing away, waiting for this cake to get ready (bake), the warm vanilla fragrance that filled our home held the promise of true love. Then as I pulled this wonderful cake from the oven, I bumped my elbow on our kitchen island and dropped the pan. It flipped in midair like a freaking circus performer, and using reflexes that I can only describe as 'spidey*', I caught half of the cake in my skirt and the pan with the other half of the cake still in there with my other hand.

The cake that tried to get away.

The other half that was saved was less than pretty, but still absolutely freaking great. I debated just making this again, trying to undo what was done, but that's not how relationships work, is it? You can't just try again and pretend like nothing happened. The other thing is that this a real blog about real people really cooking their way through The Betty Crocker Cookbook, and this really happened. It's dumb, wasteful and sketchy to rebake another cake just so I can pretend everything I do is perfect and like I've never dropped a cake on my dress. I mean do I have to have a pretty picture when I can tell you this recipe works and is wonderful using the real photos from this really great cake. Don't believe me? You still need photographic proof?

A peak at the Blackberry & Walnut Filling.

Also yesterday was Geek Pride Day! Yes. Yesterday in 1977, Star Wars IV - A New Hope was released and no one was ever the same again...

Let's bake some cake.

Pesach Same'ach! Let's Celebrate with Coffee & Wine Braised Beef-less Brisket with Vegetables & My Very Favorite Charoset Recipe

Using a new media editing program - so please excuse the crappy photography.

Passover starts tonight. I could write a whole book about why I love Passover. All my good memories and how it combines food and loved ones. I could try to describe the warm glow I get in my heart when I look out over a table of friends drinking Cherry Manischewitz mixed with Kosher Coke and how sad I am that we aren't going to be able to host our annual Secular Sedar this year. We have about 2 weeks left in Norfolk, VA - the city where I met my husband and found an unexpected home. It would have meant a lot to me to make it work but it just won't... BUT I can share with you some of my very favorite recipes and what I might have served if the world had spun a little differently.

Every year I make a 2 big pots of Matzah Ball Soup for our Sedar. You might have seen it on the Peta2 blog before. Even if you're not celebrating Moses freeing the slaves - you should make a pot because it's so good. I plan on making a big pot as soon as we move into our new place in Brooklyn just to make the place a bit more like home.

If you are one of the lucky ones sitting down to a sedar tonight, I hope you take a shot at that soup and if you need any suggestions for your compassionate sedar plate you can click here. Last year, I posted a Sweet Potato Kugel recipe that was an adaptation of a not so vegan Bubbie recipe that I personally love because let's face it - sweet potatoes are awesome. But this year, I'll also share 2 other recipes that are actually adaptions of recipes I found in Real Simple magazine. The charoset recipe below is one of those and is a bit more classy and special than just going with apple sauce. Plus if you have any leftover - it makes for a great breakfast.

You might remember awhile ago when I talked about how Italian gals are taught the importance of a good cutlet... I think if you're trying to find a Jewish equivalent it would be a brisket so tender it melts. Trying to make a vegan version of that can be a bit tricky because mock meat can melt pretty much on it's own. These beef-less brisket bites are very tender without getting spongy and end up having an extremely unique flavor that is not quite like a BBQ sauce or like a mole... but something different and really delicious.

Now I have to say that Gardien isn't Kosher or least certified so I can't tell you that this brisket meets all your Kosher for passover needs. In fact, as you probably have figured out from the fact my mom's Sicilian and I married a nice Irish boy... I'm not a stickler for keeping Kosher but I love my Jewish heritage nonetheless and have found a place for us.

On that note - Enjoy some beef-less brisket & Pesach out my friends! XO

Vegan Cherry & Almond Muffins

Now these ones are in wrappers but use the Baking Spray instructions below - Just trust me.

There is quite a bit going on in Ye Olde Shannon House today. First off, Dan is getting his wisdom teeth out. This means I will need to be his chauffeur and nurse for at least the next 24 hours. My payment of course will be in the always valuable and often times transferable "Dan on Painkillers" anecdotes and getting to watch hours of Simpson cartoons*.

I'm also working on our cookbook... GASP! I know. Exciting right?

So I'll keep it short and sweet today, these muffins are wonderful. I mean, in the time it took to bake and eat them, they have become one of my very favorite baked goodies. That's saying a lot. I mean in our Pantheon of Baked Treats, these aren't just some demi-god Achilles or Hercules wanna-bes. They are straight up Apollo muffins. You know the kind of muffins you don't take home to mom because you want to keep them all for yourself. That's right these muffins are so good they will make you turn on your own mother.

Are you sold yet? Let's make some.

Good Morning Irish Coffee Cupcakes & Whiskey Frosting...

So we plan out our posts in advance and then sometimes things don't work or maybe something comes up that I just can't help but share as soon as possible. What I'm trying to say is, I like plans and sticking to them but I understand the importance of being flexible. I had been planning on posting these cupcakes that are a combination of coffee and Bushmills whiskey and awesome in a little wrapper. But then the week started and there were Irish-y cupcake posts everywhere! I mean it's not the most original idea or anything but it did make us want to reevaluate our plans a little. If you know me in real life - you know that's a big deal. I like sticking to the plan. I know this messes up your whole concept of Good & Evil and how the universe works but it's going to be OK. 

So what do we do when the Earth stops spinning on it's axis and the moon turns out to actually be made of cheese? Dan & I had a MTS meeting and discussed adapting the recipe into a regular old cake or cake donuts. Did you just gasp? I hope so - expect to see something very very special soon. Something so wonderful in fact we didn't want to crowd it. Finally it came down to something Dan said "It's not our readers fault that there are a bunch of Irish-y cupcakes out there - so why are they going to be punished and denied these cupcakes that are really amazing?"

So without further ado... Here is a really wonderful little fella that will make you wish it was St.Patrick's Day year round and let's be honest... Who says you can't be a little Irish whenever you want? I would support that.

The Betty Crocker Project - Special Edition! Cookie Party featuring Peppermint Russian Tea Cakes & Raspberry Walnut Thumbprints

The Tower of Peppermint Russian Tea Cakes

Henry David Thoreau once wrote : Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them. I feel like too many weekends go by like that - full of laundry and errands and unsung songs. It is a constant battle we all face to balance being productive with your free time and making time to watch Saturday morning cartoons. This brings us to the story of The Shannons' Holiday Cookie Party... 


Now most people know Betty Crocker is quite famous for her cookies and baked goods. So you can imagine (or look up in your copy of Beg Red) that there are more than a few cookie recipes we are going to need to bake through to complete our vegan journey. That brings us to an inspired idea we had to bake a million cookies (not literally) which in our home is actually considered being productive and hang out with some of our nearest and dearests. We would host a  Cookie Party! 


I'm not going to bore you with the details of how we invited over some of the most talented vegans we knew, asked them to bring enough cookies for everyone to have 2 (because unlike those insane cookie swaps where everyone leaves with dozens and dozens of cookies - we're just eating) and then we got together to eat them. I mean unlike many things in life - Cookie Parties are pretty much what they claim to be : 2 of the best things on the planet combined. 

We had a pretty impressive spread/tsunami of cookies and tea. You can check it out for yourself if you don't believe me. 

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

To get the recipes for The Peppermint Russian Tea Cakes & Raspberry Walnut Thumbprints... and to see more photos...

The Betty Crocker Project : Snickerdoodles

I won't bore you all (or possibly offend you) with some of the Snickerdoodle jokes we were making last night. Let's just be honest here - the name Snickerdoodle is begging for some filthy 5th grade humor.

There are multiple theories on where this "whimsical  name" comes from but this little cookie that might have originated in New England or maybe Germany has been around since at least the 1800 and has remained a popular cookie to pair with coffee and tea since the day of Gibson Girls and when "Official Bathing-suit Checker" was actually a job. That pretty much makes them popular with us Shannons too. I mean who doesn't love a nice little cookie with a big mug of their favorite warm beverage?

So let's get to what you're here for - A Vegan Cookie Recipe that just made your morning sweet!

The Betty Crocker Project : A Halloween Treat - Vegan Devil's Food Cupcakes

You knew they were coming. All the signs were there. I mean we're a blog that spends a lot of time veganizing Betty Crocker recipes. It was only a matter of time before we made adorable holiday cupcakes. I won't bore you with chit chat about what our cats have been up to, what video game is kicking my ass this month or various other random updates. You're here for chocolate cupcakes and I'm here to help you out.

Now if you're not familiar with Devil's Food Cake it is light, fluffy chocolate cake that has a hint of coffee to it. Now some doesn't have the coffee in it but the fancy ones do and who doesn't want to be fancy?

Who's ready to bake some cupcakes?

The Betty Crocker Project : The Peanut Brittle Cupcakes

I hope you're not frantically flipping through your Big Red right now looking for the not-vegan version of this recipe... because it isn't in there. This is an adaption of the Peanut Brittle and Starlight Yellow Cake recipes into, well, something quite lovely that goes great with your morning coffee. I made them mini, because that's how I roll*. They are a little sticky, but that's kinda part of their charm. They are perfect breakfast cupcakes! These little guys aren't your mama's cupcakes; they're almost like mini - coffeecakes or monkey bread, and would be great for a brunch potluck or to help make a hard week a little better.

They do have a lot of steps, so let's get going so you can have these ready in case this week is already looking a little rocky. This recipe will make around 2 1/2 dozen mini-cupcakes with some Peanut Brittle filling left over to drizzle over some Soy or Coconut Ice Cream. Yeah, it's that good.

LA Meets The Shannons - Postcard #1

We've been in Los Angeles for Peta's 30th Anniversary Gala so there hasn't been a lot of Betty Crockery going on this weekend BUT just wait more is coming soon. Hope you had a lovely weekend and aren't as hot as we are right now.

I do have this to share though. In city full of great vegan food you have to drive to, we lucked out and found a little locally owned spot right down the street from our friends Rob and Anjali's home that has vegan cinnamon rolls, soy milk & almond milk for fancy coffees and vegan hand tied tamales and everything they serve is organic! It's called Cafecito Organico and besides their extremely weak iced tea - it was a real find.

I'm sharing some photos to help you imagine...

Located in Silver Lake a few blocks from the little independent shops and boutiques on Sunset, it is nice place to stop at for breakfast before walking the strip and maybe heading over to The Secret Headquaters to pick up more Fables if you are so inclined.

Or you can get some Tamales to bring home if that's more what you planned for the day... or both. I won't tell you what to do but you know it's a good idea that I am happy to share.

 

I got the kale and black-eyed peas tamale and Anjali got the the one with red pepper paste and butternut squash - so don't worry if you are a mock meat hater - there is more going on in that corn husk. Though if you hate mock meat - I'm not sure why you are on this blog. 

If you've been or go - please leave a comment telling me what you think. I'd love to hear from you guys!

OXOX

The Shannon Smoothie: Episode I

I feel kinda bad posting this because really this is where Dan shines. Almost every morning, he gets up very early and makes me coffee and a smoothie. Not just any smoothie, though. He has this very special system that has really brought smoothie-making out of the strip malls and health food stores and into the realm of art and science. A Smoothie Renaissance, if you will.

Of course, no smoothie is ever quite the same. Some focus on tropical fruits like mangoes and pineapples, while others are the more traditional blueberry and banana. Like with most of our dishes, we always use organic ingredients when possible. Everything that goes into our morning smoothies is organic: Soymilk, Bananas, Berries. I know we don't mention this enough, but almost 3 years ago we made a New Years Resolution to use organic ingredients and environmentally friendly products whenever possible, and it has now become a pretty solid part of our lifestyle. Books like Squeaky Green: The Method Guide to Detoxing Your Home have helped "Green" our home, and we're always looking at new ways to make our footprints just a little smaller.

This smoothie is actually one I made awhile ago and have been holding onto for a rainy day. This particular rainstorm was called Top Chef Season Finale/Pizza Date Night. Yeah, we're SUPER MARRIED!

But with school and busy morning routines starting up again, I thought it was a good time to bring out this gem. Dan's Smoothie Works will be coming. I mean, who wants to have the same smoothie everyday? That's like some sad Groundhog's Day Looping Reality thing. Weird.

Warning: This smoothie is super easy, really good, and may improve your mornings by an estimated 80%.

The Betty Crocker Project : Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Once upon a time in the little neighborhood of Ghent, I used to bake a lot of cupcakes.

I baked dozens and dozens of cupcakes. I baked for birthdays and parties, slow Wednesday nights, whatever. I just really like to bake, and cupcakes are easy to make vegan and pass out to various loved ones. I also find them just charming. I like their little wrappers and sprinkles and all the cute things you can do with them. I like injecting them with fruit or frosting. These little handfuls of adorably-shaped sugar were a nice outlet for some bottled-up creativity in my life.

But lately something has changed.

Since Dan and I started working our way through The Betty Crocker Cookbook, we've found ourselves faced with more creative outlets than we have room in the fridge. I know, I know. Your first instinct is to call "shenigans," but seriously, we often find ourselves running out of hunger before we run out of casseroles and cookies. You know who pays the price in the end? The cupcakes. The neglected little cupcakes.

But now they're back!

The Vegan Fried Egg

This weekend I did a lot of things I don't normally do. For example: I went grocery shopping without Dan. It was funny; as I was walking around the store, I realized that I was pretty much the only person not talking. All the other single shoppers (and many of the partnered ones) were on their cell phones. Here's the thing about when folks talk on their phones in public - you find yourself left with a lot of unanswered questions. As I walked home with my heavy environmentally-friendly cotton bags, I had time to think about a few things...

Like, who was that girl that Craig (maybe Greg) brought to the BBQ that other night? What was Craig/Greg's Mystery Guest thinking when she put on that outfit? And of course, why would Craig/Greg even bring a guest to a BBQ for his birthday when everyone knows he's still in love with the woman in track pants who stood between me and the organic pasta section and then later cut me off at the Earth Balance?

Why do people keep dumping the guy in Frozen Foods? Could it be because he's completely oblivious to the people around him and their desire to get a single bag of organic peas?

What is the woman ahead of me in the check-out line going to do about Megan's new 4th grade teacher who drives a van and has handwriting like a serial killer? Sounds terrifying.

Really, I thought about how I could take our Vegan Poached Egg from The Eggs Benedict Recipe and make the classic fried egg. Oh, classic fried egg... with your runny yoke for dipping toast in, and your crispy edges. I'm over you. I don't need you and your salmonella and battery cage hometowns.

Now vegans everywhere can enjoy this classic American breakfast staple. We really can make anything cruelty free.

The Betty Crocker Project : Raspberry Chocolate Scones

Where we're going, you need scones...

Friday morning is a good time to just chill, think about the weekend that lays just a few hours away, drink some coffee, and listen to this. Friday morning is a good time to watch cartoons or Charmed, (but skip Semi-Charmed, or it will seriously be stuck in your head all day) maybe read a few pages of a book you love but doesn't require any real thought, perhaps watch a little Space Ghost, or maybe if you're feeling a little more sunny and upbeat there is always this. Whatever your mood, set aside half an hour to enjoy these scones with some coffee or tea and some of your favorite time-wasters, and it can make any day feel like a Friday.

You could call this time travel without the DeLorean, a chocolaty time machine with raspberries and a crispy raw sugar crust. The kind of scones you only share with that special someone, because serving someone a scone that good says "I Love You" without saying a word. So let's make some buttery-tasting, sweet scones that are so good they just might be inappropriate for the work place*.

Special Edition : The New Orleans Stay-cation Part 1 : Vegan Beignets

Dan is home! He was in San Francisco last week doing some pretty awesome stuff for the animals; including attending a Ringling Brothers demonstration that had over 250 protesters show up. Yeah, that's my man on the megaphone.

He deserved something special to come home to... like a stay-cation to New Orleans.

Now, we have never eaten the famous Cafe Du Monde Beignets. They aren't vegan, but they do look tasty, and it really is a shame they don't offer an animal friendly version of this old-school New Orleans favorite. Honestly Dan and I would have eaten a dozen every morning with barrels of café au (soy) lait while reading our books and people-watching for hours.

But a trip to NOLA wasn't going to happen this weekend. And even if we could make it down, we'd still have to make our own vegan beignets. Bright side: we caught up on Top Chef and True Blood--because we're married and that's what married people do--and enjoyed these beauties in our boxers with mugs of good freshly ground coffee.

New Orleans is a pretty liberal place, but they don't usually let you hang out in their cafes barefoot in your pajamas.

The Betty Crocker Project : Mocha Cookies

We recently made a purchase that has changed our mornings for good. And let's face it: having a better morning can change your life.

We got a coffee grinder.

Dan has been grinding us fresh coffee every morning, and the difference is just lovely. Now, there's a running joke in our family that I don't really drink coffee; I drink coffee-flavored soy milk. I'll admit it; I like my coffee to taste like Mocha Almond Ice Cream. But who wouldn't want that? That's one of the best flavors of ice cream there is, and if you can have more of it in your life in any form, why not enjoy it? You only get one life.

That's what I love about these cookies. They have a lot of what I I like.

Please consider this a trial run. I think I can make these guys a bit better with a few crushed almonds mixed in and changing the caramel sauce a bit, maybe mellowing the coffee flavor with some brown sugar. Expect it soon. Like, SOON.

If you're more of a black coffee type* and want some cookies that go great with your morning cup, or hate nuts, or you just can't wait to eat these... I don't blame you. They're cute little guys, and even without the brown sugar, they stay chewy.

Please excuse any typos; I'm a little caffeinated right now. Let's bake some cookies! WOO!

The Family Album : Caramel Sticky Rolls by Shannon Radke - Owner of Cinnaholic Gourmet Cinnamon Rolls

A few weeks ago we launched our Family Album: a reoccurring segment on Meet The Shannons for your feedback and photos of your versions of Meet The Shannons recipes. Today's post is from Shannon Radke, owner and Bakery Mastermind behind the infamous Cinnaholic. She'll be opening her 100% vegan gourmet cinnamon roll shop at 2132 Oxford Street in Berkeley, CA this weekend, and you're going to want to be there to eat this, and this, and one of these. And even though I'm not lucky enough to not live in CA yet--so I can't eat any of those cinnamon rolls this weekend--I'm happy to be friends with such a talented vegan baking rockstar with great taste in clothes. I'm even happier she tested our Caramel Sticky Rolls, and is our guest blogger today! OX. Here's Shannon!

The Betty Crocker Project : The Breakfast Bake (Our Denver Omelet Version)

There is a very long list of things I love. It's a pretty random and varied list, full of wonderful little gems. Things like a good true red lipstick, or dogs that prance rather than walk. I love Muppet Yoda so much more than CGI Yoda. I love a new take on a classic tattoo, and a chilled bottle of San Pellegrino. I really love a gleeful guffaw. Of course, Dan makes the list, and so does a nice brunch with friends. I love The World Cup. I love just the idea of the World Cup, and the stories behind the different players and coaches. I love the fans! I love the dances they do, the face-painting, the flags and just how happy everyone is.

I don't mind getting up early, and I like watching the players shake hands and chat while they wait to take the field. I got a little teary when they talked about how a player on the Serbian team sought out a player on the Ghana team because he'd heard they were both war orphans, and he wanted to shake his hand because they'd both overcome so much to make it there. I might actually be getting a little choked up right now.

The US is out now, but we still had a pretty nice World Cup brunch last weekend with vegan McGriddles, French Toast, and various beverages including Red and Blue Margaritas: Red for Germany and Blue for Argentina. I feel like this recipe was a like a complete breakfast in a lasagna or cakey-pie form. I was a little sad there weren't any leftovers, but it did feed 8 people and there's nothing sad about that. In fact, I may just love it.

The Family Album : The Blueberry Banana Muffins by Katie Willheim

4th of July Red & Blueberry Banana Muffins by Katie Willheim

We've reached that stage where we need to "test" our recipes. Even though we're making them and like them, there might be something in the way the recipe communicates the steps, or different ovens bake differently, or whatever. So we've started the Family Album!

The Family Album is going to be a reoccurring segment on Meet The Shannons for your feedback and photos of your "tests" of a Meet The Shannons recipe. If you'd like to test one of our recipes, please send an email to Shannons@MeetTheShannons.net telling us a little bit about yourself and what recipe you want to test. The Blueberry Banana Muffins have been taken already, but there are a lot to choose from, and many more to come! We'll email you back and let you know if that recipe is taken. Once you send us your photo and your thoughts on the recipe--like it took you 5 minutes to bake, not 10; or you added soy sauce instead of Braggs; whatever-- we'll post them! We hope to post one or two a month. Please know that we will photo credit and acknowledge all images and tips sent us, but that we won't pay for them, and by submitting a photo and tips you are consenting to those photos and tips being reposted and used by Meet The Shannons.

Here's a little bit about our first photo in The Family Album. Katie Willheim was one of the danciest dancey-pants at our wedding. That's saying a lot. We had a really fun wedding. She sent us this photo of her patriotic take on our Blueberry Banana Muffins all the way from California. Katie added some red berries to some of the muffins making these little guys perfectly adorable and welcome at a 4th of July potluck!

Thanks Katie for kicking this off and being a baking bad-ass!

The Betty Crocker Project : Oven Pancake

Ever have a weekend so great you find yourself doing this?

Just kidding. I don't have that hat.

But I did have a great weekend. Many of you already know that I'm the Manager of Online Communications for the animal advocacy group In Defense of Animals. This weekend, we launched our first Virtual Demo for the International Day of Action for Elephants in Zoos, and it was a huge success. I mean, I'm still amazed. People all over the world participated, changing their profile photos, posting comments, and tweeting at zoos - letting the zoos, their fans, followers, friends, and the whole online world know that wild animals don't belong behind bars. Over the weekend, more than 7,000 online actions were taken, 500 new people were introduced to our organization, and almost 200 people changed their profile photos to the day of action "sign". As someone who spends all day, every day online advocating for animals, this is the best day I've had in long time! I'm already looking forward to our next one.

But it didn't end there. Just when I thought the weekend couldn't get any better - Sunday morning we had these quick, easy and delicious "pancakes" for breakfast and I got to play a video game with my best friend.

Sigh. Good times...