Pumpkin Cheesecake Parfait with Cardamom Cream

This is what happens when my oven breaks.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Parfait with Cardamom Cream

The cold evenings we've been having here in San Francisco have brought out the pumpkin cravings.  A recent visit to Target where I was bombarded with spicy scented candles and Halloween decor didn't help.  I even bought some Celestial Seasonings chai tea (and was grossly disappointed).  I do not recommend.  

I've also spent the last few evenings watching The Wire (in preparation for a return visit to Baltimore next month), wrapped in an over-sized scarf, a knee length sweater over a thermal henley, sweat pants, and stripy socks on my feet.  I am such a wimp.  Clearly, San Francisco took the girl out of the country AND the country out of the girl.  To be honest, I think my brain likes to play this trick on my body so I can think it's fall.  We don't really get much of a fall here; so, I don't usually even know it's time to get nostalgic until Starbucks brings out their pumpkin spice lattes.  It's not fall until Starbucks says it's fall.  Sadly, in my world, this is true.

Anyway, I was dressed up in my new fall clothes (like new school clothes, remember those?  Ah, they were the BEST) with the windows open, so I could be more dramatic about the chill in the air.  I also had spiced candles burning and water for tea boiling when the urgency to bake struck.  I needed to make something with pumpkin, like, yesterday.  My mind immediately went to the pumpkin poppets I made last year at about this time.  Mmmm...fluffy pumpkin pillows with cream cheese filling:

Pumpkin Poppet

I got out some cans of pumpkin and the cream cheese.  That's when I remembered.  Our oven is broken.  As you can probably imagine, this is not ideal.

With my desperate craving for pumpkin refusing to be ignored, I decided to invent a no-bake pumpkin dessert, instead.  And, I have been eating it ever since.  I can't stop myself.  It's too good to be true.  I didn't even save any for Ralph to try.  This has something to do with the fact that he doesn't truly appreciate pumpkin.  Pumpkin could replace my sun & moon; and, he makes the "meh face" when he eats it.   I can't even be in the same room as someone who is eating pumpkin cheesecake and saying, "It's okay…could use some chocolate, though."  This is a purely fictitious statement; but, in my head Ralph is saying it.  And, I'm having a hard time forgiving him for it.  

This recipe only takes about 5ish minutes to throw together.  What?  Yes, 5ish minutes.  Ok, before you all get really mad at me for making dessert so easy to indulge in, I'm going to give you some tips on how you can make this dessert relatively healthy.  Typically I would have used homemade ginger cookies for this recipe; but, since the oven is broken I cheated with Newman's brand.  BTW, gluten free, grain free, and refined-sugar-free friends:  This ridiculously easy recipe is also for YOU!  

Pumpkin Cheesecake Parfait with Cardamom Cream

Original recipe by Emily Haydel of Picnic Bakery

Serves 4 conservatively, 2 generously, or 1 greedily

Ingredients:

8 Newman's ginger sandwich cookies, graham crackers, or 1 cup chopped pecans

For the pumpkin cheescake filling:

1 cup pumpkin puree

8 oz container of  Tofutti or brand of choice "cream cheese"

3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp ground allspice

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

2 Tbs maple syrup or agave nectar

1/2 tsp xanthan gum

For the whipped cardamom cream:

1 can full fat coconut milk- refrigerated at least 4 hours until separated

seeds from about 4 cardamom pods ground to a fine powder in a mortar & pestle

2 Tbs maple syrup or agave nectar

1/4 tsp xanthan gum

Directions:

Follow in order, and you won't have to wash your food processor between steps:

1.  Put Newman's ginger cookies into the bowl of food processor and pulse until they are crumbs.  If not using ginger cookies, skip this step.  Feel free to use any cookie, graham crackers, or nuts of your choice.  Use pecans if you are gluten-intolerant or if you are trying to keep this recipe on the healthy side.  Empty contents out into a bowl.

2.   Add all of the pumpkin cheesecake ingredients to the empty bowl of your food processor.  Blend until well incorporated, remembering to scrape down the sides.  Empty puree into a bowl.

3.  Scoop coconut milk solids into a medium bowl and add agave or maple syrup.  Whip until incorporated. Add cardamom powder and xanthan gum and whip until thickened.  

4.  Assemble the pumpkin cheesecake, crushed cookie (or chopped nuts), and whipped cardamom in layers in glass serving dishes.  Top with whipped cardamom cream, a sprinkle of crushed cookie, and garnish with pecans.

Tip:  If you would like to make this into a no-bake pumpkin cheesecake, just add some melted earth balance to the cookie crumbs, press into a pie or tart pan, fill with the filling, and refrigerate until set.  Serve topped with the whipped cardamom cream and a sprinkle of extra crumbs or chopped pecans. 

*For a gluten free version of the no-bake pumpkin cheesecake, pulse pecans into a course flour, stir in melted earth balance and proceed as listed above.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Parfait with Cardamom Cream

Strawberry Shortcake With Whipped Coconut Cream

My favorite dessert is strawberry shortcake.  Actually, I'm pretty sure most desserts are my favorite.  Today, as I was in between things I spent some time looking at food porn on Pinterest.  It got the better of me, and I decided that I had to make something new.  I have had a bottle of strawberry extract in my baking cupboard for over a year (ok, more like two) and have never found a reason to use it.  I also had several cans of chilled coconut milk and a big bag of strawberries left over from Sunday's garden party.  So, with the perishable ingredients in desperate need of a reason to have lived, I decided to make strawberry shortcakes.

This was a very quick dessert to whip up, taking only about 30 minutes total.  This recipe makes 8 shortcakes.


Strawberry Shortcakes with Whipped Coconut Cream
recipe by Emily Haydel


Ingredients:


For the shortcake:

2 cups   all purpose flour
4 Tbs    baking powder
3/4 tsp   salt
2 Tbs    sugar
2 Tbs    earth balance (or other non-dairy margarine)
2 Tbs    earth balance (melted)
2 Tbs    non-hydrogenated shortening (I use spectrum brand)
3/4 cup soy creamer
1 pint    strawberries tops removed and sliced

For the whipped coconut cream:**

2 cans      full fat coconut milk chilled in the fridge over-night
1/2 tsp     xanthan gum (you can find this in the baking aisle of most health stores)*
3/4 cup    powdered sugar
1 tsp        vanilla extract (Or extract of your choice.  For this recipe I used strawberry AND vanilla)

Directions for the whipped coconut cream:

1.  Remove cans from the fridge carefully- hold them level and don't turn upside down

2.  Open the cans.  The coconut milk will have separated.  The cream will be at the top.  Scoop this out into a mixing bowl.  Do not add the coconut water, you want this to be thick and creamy.

3.  Whisk the coconut cream in the bowl until it is smooth.  Add the xanthan gum, powdered sugar and whisk again until  the mixture becomes thick and fluffy

4.  Add the vanilla (or other extract) and whisk again.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Directions for the shortcakes:


1.  Heat oven to 450 degrees F


2.  Put the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar into the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to blend.

3.  Add earth balance and shortening and pulse until the flour looks a little grainy, like course cornmeal.

4.  Pour flour mixture into a bowl and stir in soy cream.

5.  Drop by heaping spoonful onto a parchment lined baking sheet.  Brush on melted earth balance.  Bake for 15 minutes.

6.  Remove from oven and cool on a wire cooling rack.

7.  Suddenly remember you need to get the dog to the vet's in 10 minutes.

8.  Rush around like a crazy person looking for your phone and keys.

9.  Find your keys and give up on the phone, take the dog to the vet

10.  Return from the vet with a healthier dog, wash your hands, and return to the kitchen to assemble your shortcakes.

11.  Slice the shortcakes horizontally.  Place a layer of sliced strawberries on the bottom layer.  Put a heaping spoonful of the whipped coconut cream on top of that.  Top with another layer of strawberries and replace the cap of the shortcake.  Serve at once and call it dinner, if you like.

*A word about xanthan gum:  Xanthan gum is often used in baking as a binding agent.  It is quite expensive, but a very little goes a very long way.  I use it pretty frequently in things that need to have a thick, custard-like texture.  I'm going to keep using it because it gives me an excuse to use the letter "x" in my blog.


**Whipped coconut cream is my vegan answer to whipped cream.  It has a slight coconut flavor to it that I think works well in fruity and chocolatey concoctions.

Only Forgive An Ugly Pie If It Is Followed By a Beautiful One

It may be passe to be talking about Thanksgiving in December, but I feel obligated to share my Thanksgiving pies.  We don't have to discuss the pumpkin pie (non-vegan).  It was sugar and spice and everything nice; but in the end, it was still just a pumpkin pie.  But the apple pie.  Oh, the apple pie!  It was beautiful!  I couldn't take my eyes off of it from the time it first emerged from the oven.  We served it with my boyfriend's homemade warm vanilla custard.  It was the perfect end to a perfect feast!

I followed the same recipe I used in the Forgive a Pie post, but cooked the apples a little bit before putting them in the crust so they would cook all the way through.  (They were a little crisp last time).
I have several things to report on crust.
1.  When making dough for pie crust, make sure the earth balance and shortening are COLD.  Put them in the freezer way in advance and let them freeze solid (if you are using a food processor to cut the dough).  TIP:  If you can't find earth balance in sticks, measure it out in tablespoons and drop onto a parchment-lined sheet and but them in the freezer.   They will freeze into perfect chunks for dropping into the food processor.
2.  Be sure to flatten the ball of dough into a disk shape before you refrigerate it.  It will be easier to roll out later.
3.  When rolling out dough, heavily flour the surface and lightly flour the top of the dough.  Always roll out away from you and turn the dough a quarter turn after each roll.  Turning the dough will keep it dusted with flour on the bottom and prevent sticking.
4.  Here is a youtube video that shows how to do lattice for pie.  It's really easy, but it's helpful to watch.  http://youtu.be/phxya2vY5OM?t=14s
5.  Don't get overly excited when you are transferring your pie from a hot baking sheet to a wire cooling rack, or this might happen:


That is all.

pumpkin poppets (vegan pumpkin sandwich cookies with "cream cheese" filling)

Today I was very excited to break out the pumpkin!  In my enthusiasm, I also gave my dog, Poppy a heaping spoonful of the festively orange stuff.  I was a little disappointed that the cookies weren't powerful enough to transport me back to the crisp autumnal days of my childhood in western Maryland.  It was hot in San Francisco today.  October is more of a summery month for us here in the bay area.  We don't really get much of a fall season.  It's very disappointing.
Speaking of disappointing- my first 2 batches of cookies turned out kind of smushy:

But this was a minor disaster because the third batch turned out beautifully: perfect pillowy pumpkin poppets!  I'm thinking that maybe the batter needed to sit a little bit before it was scooped onto the baking trays.  I will definitely be trying again to find out.  In the meantime, here is the recipe I used.  This recipe is one that I converted from a non-vegan version.  I've never tried the non-vegan version, but as these turned out really well in the end, I don't see any need to.  The best part about this recipe is that I stumbled upon a delightful vanilla cream cheese frosting.  I intend to use it again on future desserts, including the cinnamon buns I got the ingredients for today.  I would say the true test of this recipe will be my boyfriend's opinion; but, since he admitted last night that he isn't as absolutely insanely in love with pumpkin as I am, he will not be allowed to judge these.  That is, I'll let him pass judgement, but won't be very worried about what he has to say.  All of those true pumpkin lovers (you know who you are) will need to give me your feedback, instead.
For the cookies:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (or 1 teaspoon ginger, 1 teaspoon cloves)
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups pumpkin puree (chilled)
Ener-g egg replacer for 2 eggs (3 teaspoons Ener-g whisked into 4 tablespoons hot water)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the "cream cheese" filling:
3 cups vegan powdered sugar
1/2 cup room temperature vegan margarine (I used earth balance)
8 oz container of vegan cream cheese, softened (I used tofutti)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Make the poppets:
Preheat oven 350 degrees.  Line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In large bowl, whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and set aside.
In seperate large bowl, whisk brown sugar into oil until combined.  Add the pumpkin puree and whisk to combine thoroghly.  Add the Ener-g eggs and vanilla and wisk intil combined.
Wisk the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture.
Let sit for 5 minutes.  Drop heaping tablespoons one inch apart onto the baking sheets.  Bake for 10-12 minutes until cookies are starting to crack on top. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on the pan.
Make the filling:
Use an electric mixer to combine the margarine and cream cheese.  Sift in the podwered sugar and mix until there are no lumps.  Don't over process.  Can be made ahead, covered and refrigerated.  Allow to warm to room temperature before assembling.
Assemble the poppets:
Turn half of the cookies upside down.  Put a dollop of filling in the middle of each one and gentlley place a cookie on top.  Push down so filling goes to the edges.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.  They keep up to 3 days in the fridge covered in plastic wrap and stored on a parchment lined baking sheet.