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Posts Tagged ‘chocolate’

Thin Mint Donuts

Posted in Life, Recipes, tagged , , , , on March 15, 2013| 1 Comment »

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I lied my face of when I said I wasn’t doing another Friday Favorites. As I sit here, contemplating how I could possibly top the brilliance of my Veronica Mar’s post,  I realized, Oh wait, I don’t have to! I’ll just throw together all my favorites from the week and have that entertain you! Because really, the only thing that is more awesome then me rambling on about the pope, V-Mars and (more) St. Patty’s Day recipes, is Justin Timberlake…dressed as tofu!

Justin Timberlake’s SNL performance, which every vegan blog has posted this week. I don’t care. It’s brilliant!

Chocolove Chocolate bars– namely dark chocolate with almonds and sea salt or dark chocolate coffee. I’ve pretty much given up all desserts since Rachel and I entered this Team Lean Challenge…except this chocolate. It gets me through man…it gets me through…

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The Top 16 White People Song Lyrics Statuses and Tweets of All Time by Matt, aka Goose. I went to high school with this kid and have seen him exactly zero times since we graduated but I’m wishing that that wasn’t the case after reading this. It’s hysterical in a ‘oh-crap-I’m-totally-F*ing-guilty-of-this’ sort of way. If you are 20-something-ish or younger and have ever posted lyrics in your AIM away message/Myspace Profile/Facebook status, and your white, you’ve probably posted one of these lyrics. Or if you’re me, 6.5  of  them (not that Zac Brown song but definitely two others…crap). I’m apparently super white. Just read it.

from Matt's blog, The Goosefiles

from Matt’s blog, The Goosefiles

I can’t NOT post my favorite Dropkick Murphy’s song, Wicked Sensitive Crew, 2 days before St. Patrick’s Day,. “…And we sure ain’t vegan!” It’s ok guys. I still love you.

and last but not least, Sunday brunch with friends! These donuts were made for the ‘donuts and carbs’ brunch we had a few weekends ago. That theme wasn’t intentional but no one cared. The food was excellent.

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Are you even seeing all the donuts on that table?! This was my contribution to the brunch:

Thin Mint Donuts

from Cheeky Kitchen;

For the Donuts:

  • 1 cup garbanzo beans
  • 1/2 cup almond milk
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla
  • 1 tsp white vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon Earth Balance ‘butter’, melted
  • 1 cup vegan chocolate chips, melted
  • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

For the Glaze:

  • 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips, melted
  • 2 tablespoons Earth Balanc, melted
  • 1 tablespoon almond milk
  • 1/2 tablespoon vanilla
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/8 tsp of peppermint extract (or more to taste)

In a blender, combine garbanzo beans, almond milk, baking powder, vanilla, white vinegar, salt, sugar, and melted butter. Blend until pureed. Transfer to a large bowl and blend with the melted chocolate chips and flour. Transfer to a large zip-top bag and allow the dough to sit for about 5-10 minutes before snipping the corner of the bag, and piping into donut pans that have been generously sprayed with nonstick baking spray. Be gentle. This is a thick, sticky dough and I definitely popped my the ziploc bag I was using. Trust me, you do not want to have to spoon this dough in. I made such a mess!

Bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes, or just until the donuts set. Remove and cool for 3-5 minutes before turning your donuts onto a cooling rack.

For the Glaze:

Melt everything in a double boiler and frost the donuts!

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Two weekends ago, before donut baking, I would have bet you a million dollars I had two, large, regular donut bans. I would have lost. Apparently, I only own heart shape pans. Nothing screams St. Patty’s day like heart donuts? Just roll with it…

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Ok, I think this may be my last St. Patty’s Day post. I was hoping to post one more dessert recipe tomorrow (guinness truffles? Carbomb cupcakes?) but I’m not sure if I will get the chance. Double check on Saturday just in case. If you are celebrating all things irish this weekend, be safe! Don’t drink and drive! That’s illegal. Don’t wander around completely drunk! That’s dangerous. Don’t urinate in public. That’s also illegal, I hear. Don’t drunk text exes! That’s also dangerous…and dumb.  Be smart. And may the luck of the irish be with you!

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Mocha Almond Butter

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , on February 27, 2013| Leave a Comment »

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Aaand I’m back! The lack of posts around here has been shameful but I have to confess, I have been working my butt off elsewhere.

As I mentioned before, I’m participating in a work-sponsored competition called Team Lean. It’s led to some new and exciting exercise attempts. So far I have tried boxing (which is awesome if you just want to let out some pent up anger at your ex/boss/friends/whatever), hot yoga (so sore the next day!) and snowboarding (so sore the next day…and the entire week!!). All this experimenting has not only made me realize that I am quite possibly the least graceful person on the planet (I think I spent more time on my ass then on my snowboard) but has also sucked up all the free time I used to use for playing in the kitchen. But it’s paying off. My team is…well, we aren’t winning. We’re like 40 out of 100+ BUT at least we aren’t last! =)

Not only has my general kitchen time been removed but what I am making is nowhere near as exciting as Red Velvet Nutella Rolls or Cookie Dough Truffles. Lots of random fruit and protein powder getting dumped into blenders, lots of veggie salads, not so much with the desserts or sweets.

So, here is another recipe I gave out around Christmas time that I have been meaning to post but have been dragging my feet on.

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Mocha Almond Butter
from Edible Perspective
yields ~ 1 1/4 cups

  • 2 cups raw almonds
  • 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons + 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder*
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin unrefined coconut oil, melted (may need more)
  • 1 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2-3 teaspoons coconut sugar or sucanat (optional)
  • 1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon salt
  1. Preheat your oven to 300*F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Toss the almonds with the maple syrup and 2 teaspoons of instant espresso powder, then spread on the baking sheet.
  3. Roast for 10 minutes, turn almonds, then roast for another 10 minutes.
  4. Remove and let cool for 10-12 minutes.  You want them to still be warm but not hot.
  5. Scrape almonds from the parchment into your high powdered food processor [at least 10 cup capacity] and turn on.
  6. Let spin, scraping down the sides as needed until it starts to form a thick, doughy texture.  8-10 minutes.
  7. Add in the melted coconut oil and let spin until it is fully smooth and drippy.  Scrape the sides as needed.  The process will take 12-15 minutes in total.
  8. Add in the 1 teaspoon espresso powder, cocoa powder, and salt and let spin until smooth.
  9. Taste and add 2-3 teaspoons of coconut sugar and/or more salt if desired.
  10. Pour into a jar and let cool to room temperature before sealing.  Best kept in the fridge.

*I made several jars of this and experimented with the instant espresso. I used powdered instant coffee which I ground into a fine powder. It was ok but a little bitter. You’ll want to up the sugar. I also tried instant cappuccino, which was lingering in my cabinet from a former recipe but was not dairy-free. It got the most rave reviews, though.

notes: This fits in an 8oz jar with about 1/4 cup leftover.  You can sub another oil for coconut if needed.  You can sub another sugar for the coconut sugar if desired.

I don’t really love almond butter as a general rule but for some reason, homemade almond butter is so much better then store bought! Especially when you add coffee and chocolate.

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Like the cashew butter, you can serve this with fruit (like an apple, strawberries or banana), put it in your oatmeal (swirl in 1TBSP with your hot oatmeal and then top with toasted coconut and pecans. I bet it would be delicious!), slather it on some bread or heck, eat it off a spoon for dessert. I’m not judging!

Off to burn more calories! I’m hoping to post a new margarita recipe soon so I have to go earn that tequila =)

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Peanut Butter Chocolate Crispy Treats

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , on February 13, 2013| 4 Comments »

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All I want to do all day is make Valentine’s Day treats!!

I don’t know what has come over me. Half of me is like Grr! Valentine’s Day *insert bitter single person ranting about it being a commercial holiday*

BUT, the other half of me is like, But I just want to stay home all day and bake cute red and pink heart-shaped treats. And put Valentine’s Day Sprinkles on everything. And watch the Notebook while making cute Valentine’s Day cards and crying because Ryan Gosling is probably planning something cute for his real life girlfriend, Eva Mendez, aka, not me. Actually, I’ve move on (sort of)- I’m all about Ed Sheeran right now. I desperately need to get tickets to see him with Taylor Swift this summer or I may die. Not to be dramatic or anything…

Unfortunately, for my Valentine’s day- loving, Martha Stewart-wannabe side, I have that little thing called work that fills up most of my life. So instead of staying home all day and laboring over cute cupcakes with pink hearts inside, or red velvet heart-shaped pancakes, I have to find fast easy dessert that I can do in between work and my life.

Enter heart-shaped Rice Krispie hearts. Cute, easy and able to decorate with valentine’s day sprinkles. yes, please!

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Vegan Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats
from A Kind Diet but Alice Silverstone; found on-line here; heart-shapes inspired by My Blessed Life

1 3/4 cups brown rice syrup
1 pinch sea salt
3/4 cup peanut butter or almond butter (Alicia Silverstone suggests all-natural, unsweetened, unsalted. I used Teddy’s which is all-natural and unsweetened. Its like Meatloaf said, “Two out of three aint bad”)
1 box brown rice crisps cereal
1 bag of vegan chocolate chips

Heat rice syrup with a pinch of salt in a saucepan over low heat. When rice syrup liquefies, add peanut butter and stir until well combined and heated through.

Pour entire box of cereal into a large bowl. Pour rice syrup mixture on top. Use your hands to incorporate everything together.

If you are cutting out shapes, line a 9 x 13 baking dish with wax paper. Press mixture into baking dish (mine fit into a 9×13 with enough left over to fill a 9×9). Wet your fingers as your press down to keep them from sticking. If you are using a cookie cutter to cut out hearts, make sure you do not make your rice krispie treats thicker then your cookie cutter. It makes it more difficult to cut. Let cool for 1 hour. Once cool, remove the wax paper from the pan and place on a clean surface (if you are just cutting into squares, just cut them in the pan). Cut out your hearts. (If you do hearts, you can roll the scraps into balls and dunk them in chocolate. I kept those for me cause they’re kind of ugly)

Melt chocolate chips in the microwave or on the stove using a double boiler (I prefer the stove-top method). Once melted, pull off heat and let cool for a minute or so. Dunk the top half of your rice krispies in the chocolate. Top with sprinkles. Let cool for 30 minutes to an hour.

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I apologize that I’m getting this recipe to you so late. I started it last night and then got distracted by the President’s speech (aka, fell asleep about 10 minutes in). BUT on the plus side, there’s only 5 ingredients and it’s super easy to make. You have PLENTY of time to pull this off before Valentine’s Day tomorrow. It would be such a cute surprise in that special someone’s lunch. Or your own!

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Tomorrow morning I will be posting one more Vday recipe (if it comes out), which is so ridiculous since you won’t have time to make it but I don’t care. I’m excited for it and who knows. Maybe you’ll have time to make it after dinner or you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day this weekend.

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Dark Chocolate Truffles

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , on February 8, 2013| 3 Comments »

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It’s Snowing!!

So, I’m not sure where you are but we here in New England are hunkered down under a snow storm. We had a snow day today and it was EXCELLENT! Know what I did? I did laundry. And I watched A LOT of Food Network. A LOT. I only get like 4 channels on my TV in my apartment so I have to take advantage when I have cable.

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So, clearly, I have to watch a million episodes of Chef’s Wanted (Ugh! I hate Anne Burrell almost as much as Sandra Lee but the show is so addicting! ) and cheesy Rom Com’s on TV (why is it that I would never pay money to see a Matthew Mcconaughey movie but when Failure to Launch or How to Lose a Guy is on, I will watch it…again…for the millionth time?).

And you know what goes really well with a lazy day inside watching Rom Com’s? Chocolate truffles! How cliche right?? But they work really well for Valentine’s Day too! They are super rich so it’s easy to limit yourself to one and it’s a much better quality then anything you would purchase on a whim at CVS or the grocery store. So, treat yourself to something special! Or treat your loved one to something special.

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Dark Chocolate Truffles
from Whole Living

  • 8 oz dark chocolate (70 percent cocoa), chopped (I used Chocolove, which I found at Whole Foods and knew I loved)
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • Pinch sea salt
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder, for rolling
  • Assorted toppings: cocoa powder (for an ombre effect, use a few different brands), finely chopped nuts (pistachios, Marcona almonds, hazelnuts), toasted unsweetened shredded coconut, or confectioner’s sugar

Directions:

  1. Heat chocolate, oil, and 3 Tbsp water in a double boiler, stirring, until just melted. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and sea salt.
  2. Transfer to an 8-inch baking dish and refrigerate until mixture is set but still pliable, about 2 hours.
  3. Using a 1-inch scoop or melon baller, scoop out chocolate mixture and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Coat hands in cocoa and roll chocolate into balls. Refrigerate on parchment-lined baking sheet 10 minutes. You don’t want to eat these right out of the fridge, though. It will be pretty solid. I keep mine at room temp.

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You are really going to want to use a high-quality chocolate for this recipe. This recipe is all about the chocolate so you don’t want to use hershey’s chocolate chips for this. Splurge for the good stuff. As I mentioned above, I used Chocolove. I thought this was appropriate for a Valentine’s Day truffle. Each bar comes with a love poem. Awwww!  Their almond and sea salt dark chocolate bar is A-MAZ-ING. I could eat those things every day. And their dark chocolate bar was no disappointment. Feel free to use your favorite chocolate, though!
 
 
 
Ok, Law and Order: SVU is having a marathon. Clearly, Stabler is calling me!
 
 

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Peanut Butter Cup Pumpkins.

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , on October 17, 2012| 4 Comments »

Last Saturday I went to Target with the sole purpose of buying 1. toothpaste and 2. halloween-themed tupperware.

Does anyone ever leave Target with only what was on their shopping list? If so, please tell me your secret. My wallet would kiss the ground you walk on.

Anyway, in order to find Halloween tupperware, I had to walk into the Halloween section of Target. This was a problem. I. Wanted. Everything. I haven’t bought anything for Halloween yet because I haven’t had a chance to go through the halloween decorations I do have to see what I need. Plus, I didn’t budget for Halloween shopping! BUT I was convinced that if I waited until Friday aka Payday, everything would be gone.

So there I stood, in the middle of the Target’s Halloween section completely paralyzed and teetering on the edge of a panic attack. I couldn’t stay and buy anything but I couldn’t go and leave all the pretty Halloween stuff behind!

Thankfully, a very cute, bearded sales associate, seeing my wide, panic-strictened eyes, came over to me and asked me if I needed help. When I squeaked out Halloween tupperware, he told me they didn’t have any but he led me out of the decoration section…right into the halloween baking section. Dude, seriously? You just told me you didn’t have what I wanted, thus freeing up money I budgeted elsewhere, and then you proceed to lead me to my most favoritest section ever?

Hence, the numerous halloween themed things from the Monday Things post. SO many cute sprinkles (traditional sprinkles or shapes?)…and liners (monsters or pumpkins?)…and spatulas (how can I choose between a big and a small spatula??).

My wallet wept.

BUT I did manage to resist the urge to buy Reeses peanut butter cup pumpkins. Target- 50, Erin- 1. So what’s a girl with a Reese’s peanut butter craving to do?

Um…obviously use this as an excuse to buy a silcone pumpkin candy mold and make her own! Duh! (I found mine at AC Moore)

Peanut Butter Cup Pumpkins
from my early post, Peanut Butter Cups, which is from The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverson

INGREDIENTS
1⁄2 cup Earth Balance butter
3⁄4 cup your favorite peanut butter (I used Teddy’s smooth PB)
3⁄4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1⁄4 cup maple sugar or other granulated sweetener (I used Palm Sugar)
1 bag of vegan friendly chocolate chips
a tiny bit of vegan shortening

Melt half the bag of chocolate chips with a little bit of vegan shortening. Spoon the mixture into the candy molds. You want just enough to cover the bottom of the molds and to line the sides. (I just used a spoon for this. I found it to be the easiest way. I tried measuring spoons to be more precise and a butter knife but the spoon won me over.)  Once all the molds have chocolate on the bottoms and sides, place in freezer. Let sit for about 20-30 minutes to solidify.

Once the chocolate is solid, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the peanut butter, graham cracker crumbs, and sugar and mix well. Remove the mixture from the heat. Spoon the mixture into the candy molds. Fill almost to the top but leave a little room for the top chocolate layer. Place in the freezer to solidify, again, about 20 minutes.

Once the peanut mixture is hard, melt the rest of the chocolate with a tiny bit more shortening, and fill the rest of the molds with chocolate. Stick in the fridge for at least 2 hours for the chocolate to harden and the rest of the cup to not be so frozen solid.

This recipe made about 36 pumpkins. Since I only had 1 tray of molds, I just left the extra chocolate and peanut mixtures in their pots and reheated them when it was time for round two. I didn’t have any problems with this.

I’m 100% in love with this recipe. They are cute. They are delicious. They are shaped like pumpkins! And they should help with those candy cravings when all those kids are ringing your doorbell halloween night. You can be all like “sure, here, have a chemically ridden, refined sugar-filled, made-in a factory candy bar. I have homemade peanut butter pumpkins! ‘  So there!

You could also make these for a party, you know, if you want to share…

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Deep Dish Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , on October 4, 2012| 2 Comments »

To the tune of 50 cents- In Da Club

“Go, Go, Go

Go, Go Wicked vegan, it’s  your birthday.

We’re gonna party like it’s  your birthday.

We’re gonna make vegan cake like it’s your birthday

And you know we don’t give a F**k cause it’s your birthday!

You can find me in the kitchen

Baking cake thats bitchen

Look readers I got the pumpkin

if you wanna autumn snack

So good with no double chin,

you’re gonna think it’s wack

Recipe is below if you into cakes that

don’t blow.”

…sorry… that was unnecessary… but I mean, clearly I missed my calling as a rapper. Clearly!

ANYWAYS. It’s Wicked Vegan’s 1 year birthday! You know… incase you didn’t get that from my rap above. I want to thank everyone who checked out my little blog this year. Every person who visited was SO appreciated. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy knowing someone read my ramblings.

So to celebrate, I made this delicious autumn cake/cookie to share with you. Enjoy!

Deep Dish Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie
from Chocolate Covered Katie

  • 2 cans white beans or garbanzos (drained and rinsed) (I used garbanzos)
  • 1 cup quick oats
  • 1/4 cup pureed pumpkin (or butternut squash or sweet potato)
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 and 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil or coconut oil
  • 1 and 1/2 cups brown sugar or coconut sugar
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Blend everything (except the chips) very well in a food processor (NOT a blender). Blend until it’s super-smooth. Mix in chips, and pour into a pan. (I used a 10-inch springform pan, but you can use a smaller pan if you want a really deep-dish pie.) Cook at 350F for 35 minutes. Let stand at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan.

This recipe is very similar to the regular deep dish cookie cake , which as I said about 8 million times was delicious! This version is just as delicious but with a a fall twist. And we all know that I LOVE a fall twist!

Plus there is chocolate. And as I said in the last post, chocolate is must when you’re in a funk. mmmm…look how ooey, gooey that is above.

Look at me Eek plate. Isn’t it adorable?

Keep an eye out for my  upcoming rap CD. It’s called “White Vegan Girls Shouldn’t Rap”.

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No-Bake Chocolate Peppermint Bars

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , on September 27, 2012| 2 Comments »

So, let me introduce you to no-bake Chocolate Peppermint Bars. I’ve made these twice now: once, they came out, well, not so great. I may have, possibly, dumped an entire canister of salt into the food processor instead of 1/2 tsp. Then, because I had used the last of my cocoa powder for these bars and had no other desserts lined up for a snack for the week, I may have spent 30 minutes oh-so-carefully scooping out as much of the salt as I possibly could in an attempt to salvage these bars.

Not surprisingly, that didn’t really work and the end result was a very, VERY salty dessert bar that I attempted to eat so I wouldn’t waste it. And even less surprising, I had to throw them out half way through because I just couldn’t torture myself anymore.

BUT, as fate would have it, Angela at Oh She Glows ended up posting a sugar-free version a week or so later, which I was even more excited to try! See, everything in life happens for a reason.

Chocolate Peppermint Bars
from Oh She Glows

  • 1 cup packed, pitted Medjool dates (approx 12)
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1/4 tsp fine grain sea salt, or to taste
  • 2 tbsp almond milk
  • 1/2 tsp peppermint extract, or to taste
  • 1/2 cup walnuts
  • 1/4 cup almonds
  • 4 tbsp mini dark chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life) or chopped chocolate
  • 1-2 tbsp large flake unsweetened coconut, for garnish, or, I used unsweetened flaked coconut

Line a loaf pan with two pieces of parchment paper, one going each way. Set aside. In a food processor, process the pitted dates until chopped and sticky.

Add in the rolled oats, cocoa powder, salt, peppermint extract, and almond milk. Process until combined, scraping down the side of the bowl as needed.

Add in the nuts and chocolate chips and pulse until combined and sticky. It should be sticky enough to easily make a ball.

Crumble mixture all over prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle a handful of coconut on top and press mixture into pan with slightly wet fingers. Cover with a piece of parchment paper and roll out smooth with a pastry roller.

Freeze for about 15 minutes or until set. Slice into 6 rows and then slice rows in half to make 12 small bars.

These little bars would be great to munch on while your picking apples, having a picnic on a nice fall day or on a road trip to check out the foliage! And you know, for lunch boxes and stuff.

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Mocha Overnight Oats

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , on September 21, 2012| 2 Comments »

I know that I just posted a recipe for hot oatmeal because it’s *this close* to fall here in Boston but I made this recipe a few weeks ago and never got a chance to post it.

This recipe is dedicated to my Dad, who is a fan of chocolate, coffee and, surprisingly, a huge fan of overnight oats.

I posted my blueberry pie overnight oats recipe back in April and my mom and dad were both pretty enthusiastic about it. Around this time, maybe about two weeks later, I was getting a really weird number of hits on here. Usually, I get the most hits on the days I post a recipe and, usually, the amount of hits is in the same ball park each time. But, a few weeks after the blueberry pie overnight oats went up, I was getting three times the amount of hits I usually get and on days I wasn’t even posting anything. It was so weird! I had no idea what was going on. Then, in early May, Gary (Hi Gary!) leaves a comment saying that my Dad is making everyone at his work try the overnight oats and then directing them to my website! I was super amused! Of all the things I make, my Dad is handing out oatmeal?? I’ve made cookie dough truffles for Pete’s sake and he chooses oatmeal to have his co-workers try?? Too funny!

So, this recipes is for my Dad and all his co-workers. Hopefully this lives up to the blueberry pie overnight oats. And if not, well, at least it’s something different to try!

Mocha Overnight Oats
veganized from The Yummy Life
serving size: 1, but easily multiplied

  • 1/3 cup uncooked old fashion rolled oats
  • 1/3 cup of non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk.)
  • 1/4 cup of non-dairy plain yogurt or an additional 1/8 cup of non-dairy milk (I’ve tried this with Soy Delicious Vanilla Soy milk and an addition 1/8 cup of almond milk and liked both ways. The yogurt just produces a creamier texture. Greek yogurt can be used for non-vegans)
  • 1 1/2 tsp chia seeds
  • 2 tsp maple syurp
  • 1 tsp cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp of instant espresso or instant coffee dissolved in 1 TBSP hot water

Put all ingredients in a jar or container. Stir until well mixed. Refrigerate overnight or up to 3 days. Serve cold.

There may be a few more summery recipes around the corner, I’m thinking at least one more salad, and then the onslaught of fall recipes begins! Oh yes! Sweet Potatoes, Pumpkins, Apples, Squash…you’ve been warned!

Have a great weekend!

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Single Serving Funfetti Cupcake

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , on August 31, 2012| 1 Comment »


Guess what I discovered this week? Spotify’s radio station “The Best Emo Songs of All Time”. I’m absolutely dying right now! I was all about the emo music in high school. I used to listen to Dashboard Confession and Brand New ad nauseam. This was pre-Ipod days, though. I remember sitting on the bus (ugh, if I never have to ride another bus, I’ll die happy) with my CD player and I’d listen to whichever CD I had over and over again. I saw Get Up Kids, Ataris and MXPX live in concert and I’m pretty sure my life was complete when MXPX played GSF live. Ok…maybe I still have a rather large soft spot in my heart for emo music (and Chris Carrabba…) I clearly need to get an Iphone just so I can carry this radio station with me everywhere!

Know what else I discovered this week that has nothing to do with my questionable taste in music (I actually made a Spotify playlist with Drake, Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift…who am I?)? That this is Wicked Vegan’s 100th post!! YEAH! I was going to post a quesadilla for this post but I realized, um…a quesadilla isn’t celebratory at all. I need some sprinkles up in this joint!

Enter, the single-serving funfetti cupcake.

Single-Serving Funfetti Cupcake
from Chocolate Covered Katie
yields one cupcake

  • 3 tbsp flour (I used regular all purpose but you could use almost anything: whole wheat, pastry, spelt, etc.)
  • heaping 1/16th tsp salt
  • 1tbsp applesauce, oil, pre-melted vegan butter, or a combo (I used coconut because it’s all I had. You could definitely taste the coconut, which was delicious, just warning you)*
  • 1tbsp plus 1 tsp liquid (milk of choice, or water)
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp sprinkles (or more or less, as desired)
  • Sweetener (Try 1 tbsp sugar or 1 packet stevia. If you use liquid sweetener, cut back on the other liquid.)

*Note: CCK says “subbing all the oil in a recipe for applesauce will give you a gummier result. Still yummy, but much denser than your traditional cupcake with oil.”

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the ingredients and pour into an oiled (or sprayed) muffin pan. Smooth top of batter. Cook for 12-15ish minutes.

For the “frosting”, I was out of Earth Balance so a traditional butter cream was out. Plus, I wanted something fast to go with the recipe. So I just melted about an 1/8th cup of chocolate chips with a tsp of peanut butter in the microwave then swirled my cupcake in it. YUM!

 This came together so fast! I had all the ingredients and it was in the oven in within 5-10 minutes. It totally hit the spot for a fast sweet treat and the best part? You aren’t stuck with a dozen cupcakes! It’s perfect for a cheat day if you’re dieting cause you don’t have to worry about the left overs

For me? I found it perfect for when I was blasting emo music and  eating my emotions regarding my relationship limbo and uncertain future. Cupcakes make everything better. =)

You should be warned that Wicked Vegan’s 1 year birthday is coming up. As is, my birthday and the first day of fall. Expect a few more celebratory cupcakes!

Best part of this post? As I was writing this, Spotify let me know I can post a playlist on a blog. It’s like they know me! So, here’s your playlist for your single cupcake adventures!

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S’mores Truffles

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , on July 26, 2012| 2 Comments »

This week, a truly amazing thing happened that left me all warm and fuzzy.

DSW and Toms sent me their fall shoe preview emails.

That’s right…fall shoes. Which means only one thing, summer is almost over. I’m getting giddy just thinking about it! Fall is right around the corner and I will be pulling out my tights, boots and scarves (and apparently my new plaid Toms…So cute!) in no time!

Just not yet.

Because today, it’s going to be in the 80s and I am still recovering from my Warped Tour sunburn which has moved from the “oh-my-god-this-hurts-so-bad-I-can’t-sleep” phase to the “oh-my-god-this-itches-so-bad-I-can’t-sleep” phase. The latter is also known as “aren’t-I-so-sexy-with-my-peeling-skin” phase. Needless to say, my upcoming beach weekend will be spent with a tshirt on At. All. Times. I imagine the only thing worse than a sunburn is a sunburn on top of a sunburn. *shudder*.

Anyway, since I can’t fire up the oven, pull out my soup pot and go apple picking just yet, I’m chowing down on these no-bake S’mores Truffles.

the “dough”

S’mores Truffles 
from The Wonder Forest, created by Catherine from Rabbit Food for my Bunny Teeth
Makes 10 kisses

2 graham crackers + 1 for outer “crust”
1/2 cup unsalted cashews
1 cup Medjool dates – pitted
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tbsp vegan mini chocolate chips (or carob chips for a vegan option)
Optional: additional 1/4 cup of chocolate for dunking.

Place 1 graham cracker in a food processor or blender and process until finely ground. Empty the graham cracker contents into a bowl and set aside, as it will be used to roll the truffles in later. Combine cashews and 2 graham crackers  in a food processor and grind until they become very finely ground, but not a butter. Remove pits from dates. Once pits have been removed, add the dates and vanilla into the food processor. Process until the contents are evenly chopped/combined and form a sticky dough (my food processor apparently isn’t cool enough to form a dough. Instead, everything got really finely ground, which worked fine. See picture for reference). Remove dough from the food processor and fold in chocolate chips by hand or mixing spoon. Using a 1tbsp measuring spoon, scoop the dough into balls and roll evenly in your hands.

At this point, you can either: 1. Roll the ball through the bowl of ground graham cracker, coating it evenly (this will add flavor and prevent the kisses from sticking together). Or, 2. melt the additional chocolate chips in a double boiler with a tiny bit of vegetable shortening. Dip the truffles in the melted chocolate (I only dipped half of each truffle in chocolate) and then roll in the ground graham crackers.  

store in the refrigerator for 1 week, or freezer for up to 1 month.

I’ve made these both ways, with the graham cracker crust and dunked in chocolate. If you are planning on taking these on an outing such as the beach or camping, stick with the graham cracker crust. If you are munching on these for lunch throughout the week and can keep them refrigerated, make the chocolate dunked ones. Both are delicious, though!

These are definitely getting packed for this weekends beach adventure! Along with SPF 500, long sleeve t-shirts and jeans. I will not get sunburned again!!

PS. Do you like my red paper napkin prop?? Goal for next week- work on picture composition and props!

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