Chocolate Strawberry Whoopie Pies

We live in a world with rules. Now it may not seem like it because the world rarely follows these rules. Evil often goes unpunished and sometimes the hero doesn't get the girl but the rules exist nonetheless. Things do happen for a reason and to paraphrase the genius Ian Malcolm immortalized by Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park: Life finds a way.

The same goes for Vegan Baking. Vegan Cupcakes have yet again dominated in Cupcake Wars. Vegan donuts, cheesecakes and various other sweets are popping up in mainstream groceries and bakeries all over the world. There seems to be nothing that can't be made cruelty-free! This is the story of how one little batch of vegan whoopie pies came to be.

The cakey cookies in this recipe were easy enough. I wanted something that would recreate a dark chocolate flavor so that the sweet tanginess of the strawberries would really shine through. I also wanted fluffy cakey cookies so that the whoopie pies would be a bit more rounded like a chocolate covered strawberry than a cookie sandwich. The funny thing was that I thought the frosting was going to be the easy part.

I wanted to use real fresh strawberries for the frosting rather than using strawberry extract and red food coloring. Right now some of you are nodding your head and know where I'm going.

See, strawberries, while a lovely berry that is just beautiful, happen to have a subtle flavor that can be easily overpowered. Perhaps that's part of their charm - like cucumbers and star fruit. Strawberries don't show off. Which brings me to the frosting that I made with fresh strawberries. The frosting that was an amazing pink without using any food coloring while still having small bits of strawberries you could spot swirled in. The rosy frosting that tasted just like a spoonful of sugar. Our fresh strawberries flavor was completely lost and adding more strawberries only made the frosting have an unpleasant texture.

So I thought back to a trick I remembered from our good friend Betty Crocker. See Betty has had a number of cakes with strawberry frosting and fillings over the years. In almost all of them she recommends mixing strawberry jam or strawberries in syrup with vanilla frosting. In there seems the key to our success. So yesterday, I bundled up and went to Whole Foods to buy a jar of organic jam with the least amount of sugar I could find.

I tested one whoopee pie with just the jam before I committed to another batch of frosting and couldn't believe how absolutely perfect it was. Messy and sticky? Yes! But the flavor was spot on what I was hoping for and kinda actually better.

So please enjoy these whoopie pies that combine both sweet and bitter in a way that is chocolatey and has actual strawberries in it!

Vegan Baking finds a way!

Leftovers Edition Episode II - Vegan Ranch Mashed Potatoes

 It's starting to feel like autumn in Brooklyn. The trees on our street are starting to lose their leaves and I'm trading in my afternoon iced tea fix for a mug of Earl Grey. Hot. The other day Dan and I left our apartment to walk around the city and drink coffee by the fountain in Bryant Park. I'm even thinking of starting my triennial* Buffy & Angel marathon to celebrate the season change but have been distracted with the second season of the British Being Human while I bake and bake and bake. I know you're all judging the choice but sometimes it's nice to mix up your vampire television consumption.


Because our oven is full of baked goods and our stove top is crowded with pots of caramel and berry fillings... it's been hard to find the time and space to make a proper dinner. That's where all those leftovers come in handy and lord knows we have enough. We get a lot of questions about what we do to make those leftovers special and for tips on how to reinvent a dish. In particular, how to make the Ranch Mashed Potatoes I mentioned like a year ago. So here they are! Ta-Da! One of my very favorite ways to enjoy potatoes! Sorry for the delay.

I think if you're looking for an easy recipe to make your dinner a little more special, you've found it. The vegan sour cream does make them a bit creamier and I recommend getting some vegan bacon bits like Bac-Os to toss over the top because the smokiness and ranch really work. And if you're one of those folks who doesn't just live off potatoes... I recommend grabbing some Match Vegan Meats and making these "chicken fingers" and making a pot of smokey collared greens too. And if you're an over acheiver who really loves food and your friends, you'll toss all that on a piece of toasted baguette and pour a little gravy over the too. You'll have an open-faced sandwich that will win over the heart of even the meatiest of your loved one. I mean that sandwich is like the Kenny Rodgers of sandwiches**, little bit country - little bit rock & roll and a whole lotta awesome.


SIGH. Now I'm hungry. To the electric hand mixer!

Baked Buffalo Tofu Steaks with Ranch Dressing Dip

Can you think of anything more kick-ass American than ranch dressing? I mean, maybe pick up trucks or eagles... but you shouldn't eat those.

A while back we veganized Betty's Buffalo Wings and Ranch dressing. This was back in the beginning when The Betty Crocker Project was still new. We were still considered "newlyweds" then, and doing the best we could in our little submarine kitchen with a junky stove. Even though both those recipes turned out pretty awesome, I always kinda wanted to do something else with them. I've been playing around with today's recipes for a while in my head. They're super easy. The tofu is hot in all the ways people use the word "hot" in a non-ironic way, and the ranch dip has completely won me over to The Cult of Ranch.
 
I know you're all dying to see the photos of delicious food and sharp-dressed vegans at Vegucated's NYC premiere, and all the sexy superhero costumes from Comi-Con... but I haven't gotten around to going through them and posting things. I know this is a huge blogger faux pas, but sometimes faux pas just happen and you just have to roll with it. I mean what would the world be like if every little faux pas stopped us from enjoying awesome things like Buffalo Tofu Steaks? Bad -- and not in the Bad means Good way -- that's what. So please accept these easy and delicious all-American recipes as my apology for being a bad blogger and for actually leaving my apartment for a few hours.

This weekend I also worked a bit on a gluten-free seitan recipe that will be coming soon... so if this isn't enough to win back your hearts... hopefully I can bribe you with that.

Ready to buffalo some tofu?

Salted Caramel Apple Whoopie Pies

So here it is. My first Monday as cookbook writer.

A million years ago when I lived in DC and was going through a really tough time in my life, I snuck away from my terrible situation and went to a photography exhibit of people on the morning of wonderful days in their lives... like the day after they learned they'd beat cancer or became parents. I'm pretty sure I recently saw a commercial for an insurance company who took the concept and featured people who had just retired. Don't worry, I'm getting to my point. This morning, I decided to take a photo of myself as I sat down to start writing--in my nightgown and my sweater with the little cherries on it. Although it's not a photo I'm ready to go public with, it's kinda lovely. I feel like I look 10 years younger and, although slightly terrified, I have a calmness that makes me wonder what I've been doing to myself these past few years. I'm not sure anyone else would even notice, because sometimes you have to be on the inside to actually truly know something. That brings me to these wonderful little American* baked treats.

See, the mystery behind the "Whoopie Pie" is not whether or not they were really invented by The Amish, or why they're the official baked treat of Maine, but this: why is it that you never see a photo of one that looks as delicious as the actual "pie"? I think it might just be one of those things you just have to live through to really understand, because unlike old-school caramel apples, it can be hard to see all the stuff inside that makes it special. 

This recipe is particularity elusive. See, in this one golden-brown baked treat, you have sweet and slightly spiced apples, 'buttery' and salted caramel frosting, and roasted peanuts. Now it may seem weird to some to add salt to your sweets, but this is one of those food trends I have fallen madly in love with. If you are even slightly hesitant, you can ease into your salted treats with a Chocolove Almonds & Sea Salt in Dark Chocolate bar. They're my favorite.

But more chocolate later... let's make these treats with a silly name but the heart of gold!

The Betty Crocker Project : Vegan Quiche Lorriane & A Revisit with Julie & Julia - 1 Year Later Episode 1

Julia Child learned how to make quiche at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, France around 1949 and has been credited as creating the best Quiche Lorriane several times over since. When it came time to watch Julie & Julia again to mark the one year anniversary of The Betty Crocker Project creation... well it only seemed to make sense we would also celebrate with one of Julia Child's favorite dishes. Especially since we absentmindedly already made Cobb Salad a few months ago during a salad kick.

Now I could have adapted Julia's famous recipe but that's not what we are doing here. This project is really all about Betty and I didn't want to steal her thunder. But a funny thing happened, I compared the two recipes and they were similar enough that I feel like Julia, the pretend Ghost of Quiches Past Julia anyways, would approve and here is why : See Julia Child's apparently never warmed to the Julie & Julia blog. Julia's friend and editor Judith Jones was quoted as saying "She didn’t suffer fools, if you know what I mean." Julie being the said "fool". Julia also never cared much for vegans. In fact she was quoted as saying:

"Personally, I don’t think pure vegetarianism is a healthy lifestyle. It’s more fear of food—that whole thing that red meat is bad for you. And then there are people who don’t eat meat because it’s against their morals. Well, there’s nothing you can do with people like that. I’ve often wondered to myself: Does a vegetarian look forward to dinner, ever?"  

But the part of me that wants to see the best in people wants to believe she felt that way because her first exposure to vegetarianism was in the 60s when a cruelty-free lifestyle was labeled a "health food fad" and a weight loss diet. Two things she had little patience for. She also never had our Quiche Lorriane with smoked tempeh and Daiya. The world Julia lived in was much different than ours. In just the past 10 years, technology has come far enough that really anything can be made vegan with little to no sacrifice in taste or texture at all. She has been remembered as being a very kind and compassionate person and so I would like to think that although she would probably never go vegan (I mean the woman basically bathed in butter) I would hope she would be intrigued by today's vegans and at least recognize our shared passion for food like so many other of today's top chefs have*. She was a sincere believer in her mantra : "Life itself is the proper binge.” and like I've said before... no one loves food like a vegan.


The day I made this, I was full of a thrill and humming Doris Day songs for hours. I won't lie - this is not my first dance around the floor with quiche. I make them a lot and Dan loves them even more than I make them. In fact this quiche was almost completely eaten by my love in a 24 hour period. But this one was special because it combined all the good things about Julia and Betty and maybe some of me too. 


So enough yakkity yaking - Let's make some freaking quiche already...

Soy Nog Cupcakes & A Very Special VegNews Contest!

There's not really much more I can say about Soy Nog Cupcakes, other than that they're fantastic and you should try them! I mean, I guess I could talk up how moist and distinctively enjoyable they are for the holidays, but those would only be words. Something wonderful about this time of year is that you don't just talk about some pretty marvelous things - you actually get them! Think about it. You get to make a list of things you've always wanted and you get at least some of them - unless you've been bad. You get to bake all kinds of wonderful projects and warm up your house at the same time. People donate and volunteer more during these winter holiday months than any of time of the year. There are countless parties to throw and go to. Mistletoe to kiss your husband under. Still don't believe me this is an awesome time of year? You get to drink hot chocolate. You're drinking warm liquid chocolate! And one of my personal favorites - Silk Soy Nog hits the shelves.

These cupcakes combine 2 things that we love: Cupcakes and Silk Soy Nog! (insert starry eyed lovesick swoon here) They also seemed like a great post to announce our next contest. That's right, we're partnering up with one of our favorite magazines, VegNews--the premier magazine focusing on a vegetarian lifestyle since 2000--to bring you A Very Special VegNews End of the Year Contest!

All you have to do to win is leave a comment below answering these 3 questions:

• What has been your favorite Meet The Shannons Recipe thus far?
• What recipe have you always wanted to see veganized and would like to see next year?
• What is your favorite feature on VegNews.com - Saavy Abby, Book Club, Cafe VegNews...?

Before you leave your comment - remember in order to win one of our contests, you need to be a "follower" of Meet The Shannons. If we can't email you, then we can't send you your prize! So before you leave your comment with the answers, make sure you use the "follow" button on the side of the blog.

We'll randomly choose a follower from the correct answers posted below on Jan. 1st and send you a MAJOR AWARD! (Please keep in mind that it will take a few days for processing and shipping). What is this major award all the kids are talking about? Well, a gift pack from VegNews, of course! This includes a one-year subscription, the current issue of VegNews, an over-sized tote bag, and six vegan cookies, a gift pack totaling $50! I know - It's like a Christmas Miracle!

Let's bake some cupcakes!

The Betty Crocker Project : Ranch Dressing with A SPECIAL BONUS!

I was never a big Ranch dressing lover before I went vegan. I didn't grow up dipping my pizza or hot wings in it. There were no Ranch dressing fountains at parties I went to. To be fair, there are probably a few Ranch dressing enthusiasts who have never enjoyed one of those, though.

Then one day I discovered Naysoya Vegan Dressings. Creamy Dill, Garden Herb Ranch and Wasabi Ranch were some of my favorites from my days of experimenting. I made dips, sandwiches, and fancy mashed potatoes. There were a few months there when I may have gone a little "Ranch Crazy". I was the most popular gal in town at potlucks and parties. People I knew (vegan or not) with always trying to scam a few bites of my lunches and hinting at ranch dressing dips they wanted me to bring on road trips. Those days are over though; Nasoya doesn't make those babies anymore. Yes, there are other Vegan Ranch dressings on the market, but they never really spoke to me like those Nasoya dressings did around 2002.

When I was flipping through Betty's Salad Dressings, I was drawn to her Ranch dressing. Seemed easy enough to veganize and kind of a novelty; like ordering a drink with a baby umbrella. Something new and different than our usual herby olive oil & balsamic vinaigrettes. I even bought a bag of baby carrots just for the occasion.

It's a little thinner than the store-bought stuff, but it doesn't have the buttermilk and milk fat that solidifies when it gets cold. I don't mind it being a bit thinner, though. This is a pretty good salad dressing- actually pretty great with those carrots. I may even try to make another batch of Ranch mashed potatoes with it this weekend. Who knows... I might even make another batch of Hot Wings...

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*.

The Betty Crocker Project : Turtle Cheesecake

Can we just be awesome here for a minute?

Vegan fudge sauce, pecans, Oreo cookie crust & cheesecake. . . and wait for it. . . CARAMEL! Technology has come a long way from my early days of compassionate living. Sometimes I get that nostalgia often reserved for veterans of foreign wars or grandparents raised during the The Great Depression when I think about that first year of figuring out what was derived from animals and what wasn't. I had to learn words like Casein and Rennet. No one was really on the internet for much more than email then and I lived off Dr.Pepper and baked potatoes for the better part of year. I can't help but feel a little jealous of how easy kids these days have it. . . with their melty faux cheeses and Italian sausages . . . and now you can make your own CARAMEL!

So let's do this. . .

• 1 Oreo Cookie Pie Crust ( Betty has a recipe for a cookie crust that we'll revisit - but not today ) 
• 2 - 8oz Packages of Tofutti Cream Cheese
• 2 Cups of  Sour Cream Alternative
• 1/4 Cup of Whole Wheat Flour
• 3/4 Cup of Sugar 
• 2 Teaspoons of Vanilla
• 2 Eggs worth of Ener G Egg Replacer(made per the instrusctions on the box ) 
• 1 Batch of Hot Fudge Topping (see below)
• 1 Batch of Caramel Topping (see below)

Hot Fudge Topping

• 8oz Silk Vanilla Coffee Creamer ( half the container)
• 1/2 a bag of Vegan Chocolate Chips ( I use Ghirardelli - but there are lots of others)
• 1/2 cup of Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Margarine
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla

In a sauce pan, heat at medium heat Creamer, Chocolate and Sugar til it starts to boil. Remove from heat and whisk in Margarine and Vanilla until the mix is smooth and creamy.  Let sauce cool for 30 minutes. NOTE : If you put it in the fridge - it gets firm - like fudge.


Caramel Topping

• 1 Cup of Light Corn Syrup 
• 1 1/4 Cup of Brown Sugar
• 1/4 Cup of Margarine
• 8oz Silk Vanilla Coffee Creamer ( half the container) 

In a saucepan, heat  Corn Syrup, Brown Sugar and Margarine to a boil over low heat - Stir constantly. Boil for 5 minutes, Stir occasionally. Stir in Creamer. Then remove from heat and let cool.

Back to CHEESECAKE : 
Heat oven to 300.

Combine Cream Cheese, Sour Cream and Sugar in a bowl. Mix using a hand mixer til smooth. Add Vanilla, Flour and Egg Replacer and mix for about a minute. Make sure there are no clumps of flour. Pour into the Oreo Crust.

Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes. Check the center to make sure it solid with a toothpick. Pull it out when the cheesecake is solid to the touch and passes the toothpick test . . . another clue is when the top starts to crack a little - pulling from the sides.

Cool on a wire rack for around an hour and then add Pecans, Hot Fudge and Caramel.

 

Refrigerate overnight and SUIT UP! Turtle Cheesecake is going to be LEGENDARY!