Thursday, May 31, 2018

Entry 12: Personal Favorite - Fereldan Rice Bake

Fereldan? Or Ferelden?
For anyone familiar with Dragon Age: Origins, you know Ferelden well. For an entire game, we are immersed in Ferelden culture, politics, food and drink as we travel from Lothering to Redcliffe, Haven to Denerim, and maybe even on to Ameranthine. We stop in various taverns and inns all along a story that builds to a legend. Ferelden is a land of harsh winters and hard-working people, favoring function and reliability in their daily lives over fanciful frilliness and drama. These folks are in many ways unlike those Orlesians on the other side of the Frostback Mountains.

This kind of way of life does not often leave room for decoration or flavor, especially for food. Fereldan food is often considered bland and basic. We perhaps get the best descriptions of meals and common foods from Dragon Age: Origins from banter between Leliana and Alistair.

___

If your Warden has Leliana and Alistair in their party while moving about in an area during gameplay, Leliana will ask Alistair about a dinner he made while at camp:

Leliana: What was that... soup you made for supper last night?

Alistair: Ooh, that? That's a traditional Fereldan lamb and pea stew. Did you like it?

Leliana: Oh, so... it was lamb then? It had a certain... texture I don't normally associate with lamb.

Alistair: They didn't make lamb and pea stew for you in Lothering?

Leliana: We ate simple there. Whole grains, made into biscuits or bread, and vegetables from the garden, cooked lightly. No heavy stews.

Alistair: Ah, so the last lamb you had was probably cooked Orlesian style. Food shouldn't be frilly and pretentious like that. Now here in Ferelden, we do things right. We take our ingredients, throw them into the largest pot we can find, and cook them for as long as possible until everything is a uniform grey color. As soon as it looks completely bland and unappetizing, that's when I know it's done.

Leliana: You're having me on.

Alistair: (Laughs) You need to eat in more Fereldan inns.
___


I have been to my fair share of inns, dives and campsites serving much the same.

We learn two important points from this dialogue:
1) Ferelden's environments can support a variety of farming, including grains, vegetables, and beans, and
2) The Chantry in Lothering may have been a vegan cloister.

Other popular food favorites across this cold, rugged nation include stews, pies, ales, and cheeses. The Dragon Age Wiki describes the Fereldan Turnip and Barley Stew as a traditional specialty. And Ghil Dirthalen's Nation video on Ferelden states the style is described as "hearty and humble," which is fitting for a nation famous for its harshness and grit.

Much the food of Ferelden reminds me of the cuisine from my real-life home region of the upper midwestern United States. Hearty grains, tough meats, overcooked stews, and bland hotdishes (or casseroles to the rest of the US) are staples I know well. It took me years to learn to make more flavorful and varied dishes for myself, and many more to become the sriracha-loving plant slayer writing this entry today. But part of me yearns for those homestyle favorites like baked rice and mushrooms. And now I have the know-how to add some color to that uniform grey and liven things up with some unique and bold flavors.

This last week I worked on adjusting a vegan rice bake recipe from A Virtual Vegan that I have been excited about since starting this blog a few months ago. And I was rewarded with a humble, hearty, and utterly delicious meal; what I have come to call Fereldan Rice Bake. You can find the full recipe and the original in the sections below.


To start, I arranged my ingredients on my counter: Brown rice, mushrooms, vegetable broth, purple green onions, garlic scapes, dried rosemary, dried thyme, and salt and pepper.


The original recipe calls for garlic cloves and a medium onion, but I picked up some different ingredients. I chopped up garlic scapes and purple green onions. Garlic scapes certainly look different from cloves, but scapes have the same garlic taste. This was my first time cooking with scapes and I think they have a subtler scent compared to cloves, but the flavor it just as distinct. Purple green onions are the same as green onions, only purple. 



To chop garlic scapes, begin by holding the ends together, creating a loop.


Cut in half, arrange, and then chop.

Next, I thoroughly chopped up the purple green onions. I prefer to use the whole onion, from the top of the shoots to the bottom of the bulbs.


That's a lot of shoots.
I decided to take my onions to the next level and add them to my magically wonderful food processor. They only needed to be pulsed a few times to get as fine as I like them.

Magic is meant to serve and never rule.

Once my bulbs were obliterated, I turned my attention to the broth. I used Knorr Vegetable Bouillon.


You need 1 and 3/4 cubes to make 3 1/2 cups of vegetable broth...



Just add boiling water. Or you can use liquid broth. On to the rice - which was the easiest ingredient to deal with during the whole process.


I spread the rice out in my glass baking dish and arranged all my ingredients again.


Now to layer everything evenly: First the garlic and onion, then the seasonings and herbs.


Then stir gently.


Then I added mushrooms...


And finally I slowly poured the broth over everything.


And now for something completely different: aluminum foil! I tightly covered my dish and at this point it was ready for the oven.


And 55 minutes later the kitchen certainly smelled as wholesome as the Gull and Lantern Tavern.

Hungry yet?

It should be noted this dish generates some seriously hot steam under the foil, so just like magic and fire: don't get burned.

Seriously, ouch. Don't get burned.
After a brief stir and a little more time in the oven...


A perfectly baked rice mushroom dish appeared!


Once topped with the shopped purple green onion shoots, this bake is ready for devouring.


Not your Alistair's uniform grey. 

This dish was fun and easy to make and I highly recommend giving it for when you need a warm, hearty and humble meal to share or to enjoy for a few meals yourself. I hope you give it try!


Fereldan Rice Bake

Ingredients:
2 c brown rice
3 1/2 c vegetable broth
5-6 green onions, chopped (or 1/4 of a medium white onion, chopped - food processor optional)
7-9 garlic scapes, chopped (or 5 garlic cloves, chopped)
1 1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
6 c sliced mushrooms

Directions:
Preheat oven to 380℉

Place rice in a 13 x 9 inch glass baking dish. (A metal or ceramic dish can be used, but be aware the heat will conduct differently and the cooking time may need to be adjusted.)

Add the onions and garlic, then seasonings and herbs. Stir together, then level out.

Add mushrooms evenly over the top.

Pour the broth over the mushrooms and then cover tightly with aluminum foil or a tight fitting lid.

Bake for 45-55 minutes.

Remove from oven and carefully remove the foil. Check that rice is tender. If not, stir, re-cover and return to oven for another 8-10 minutes.

When rice is tender and liquid evaporated, remove from oven and stir.

Top with green onion shoots and serve immediately.
Or pack up in a tight container and store in your refrigerator for up to 4 days.


Like what you are reading? Great! Come back a new entry on Thursday, June 14. And have a look at my previous entries for other recipes and Dragon Age trivia and oddities! If you try out any of my recipes, please share pics using the hashtag (#)gourmetveganthedas.

Have any friendly suggestions or cool ideas? Please feel free to comment below. You can also email me at foodsofthedas@gmail.com, message me at AGSamuels on Reddit, or tweet me at @GourmetVeganThedas on Twitter.
You can also follow me on Instagram at @gourmetveganthedas.

Walk always in the Maker's light.

__

Sources:

Dragon Age Wiki: http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Dragon_Age_Wiki
Dragon Age Wiki, Alistair/Dialogue: http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Alistair/Dialogue
Ferelden: http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Ferelden

Ghil Dirthalen: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUWYiR2a5iD0cZktuODPoVw
Ghil Dirthalen, Nations of Thedas: Ferelden: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuEtTONzMkg&feature=youtu.be&t=8m30s

A Virtual Vegan: https://avirtualvegan.com/
A Virtual Vegan, Oven Baked Garlic Mushroom Rice: https://avirtualvegan.com/oven-baked-garlic-mushroom-rice/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=pinterest&utm_campaign=tailwind_tribes&utm_content=tribes&utm_term=294139484_8043220_335887

__


Thursday, May 17, 2018

Entry 11: DOUBLE FEATURE: Personal Favorite + Food In Thedas - Tiny, Frilly, Orlesian Cakes

UPDATE 5/24/18: Repeat post today - this is the first week I am adjusting to posting new entries on the second and fourth Thursday each month. Thanks for reading! And special thanks to the Dragon Age Reddit and Twitter communities! I greatly appreciate your support!

Let us acknowledge a universal truth of Dragon Age: Orlais is obsessed with magnificence. Its people revel in its grand culture as they build upon it, outdoing themselves competitively. And the greatest expression of this fondness for grandeur can be found in Orlais' careful creation and lavish decoration of fine foods and desserts, most interesting being tiny cakes. Essentially, Orlais loves its small, delicate sweet baked foods as much as Tevinter loves blood magic. Fine, decorative cakes are a must-have, must-eat when in any city in Orlais.


In my own Skyhold, I foster a similar love for desserts and presentation. It is an annual tradition for me to bake a delicious and decadent cake for myself for my birthday and I have been raising my standard higher and higher every year. Last year I worked passionately to create my first cheesecake: New York style with a lemon curd top. It was also my first curd. And it turned out marvelous! It is also becoming a tradition for my partner and me to host a Dungeons and Dragons game on my birthday so we have some good, nerdy folks to share cake with.


This year, I decided to treat (and torture) myself completely by dedicating my birthday and this blog entry to the famous tiny cakes of the mighty Empire of Orlais. I baked not one, not two, but three cakes to celebrate. And just like the flowering gardens of a duke's summer chateau, they are overwhelming with taste! 

The first was a two-tiered vegan apple spice cake with vegan buttercream frosting and topped with crushed walnuts. The second was a two-tiered vegan chocolate fudge cake topped with sifted powdered sugar. And the third was strawberry cheesecake with an almond, date crust. 


Though integrity demands I point out that I actually baked two cakes and made or assembled the third. The strawberry cheesecake bites do not require heating, but rather chilling.

This entry, we will explore how these lovely desserts came to be and how you can create them too (hopefully with greater ease than I). Just so you are aware, this wonderfully delicious blog entry is as long and dramatic as an Orlesian play. But be assured, the only Game here is the tabletop one already mentioned.


Opening Scene.

The night before I began my baking adventure, I was in a complete flurry, checking over all my details and cleaning my kitchen (knowing full well I would be creating masterful works of mess later). And the next morning, like a freshly rolled elven maid, I slept in and ran late. Thankfully I know the basics of making cakes well and I was able to make up time throughout the day. It also helped that I decided to save toppings for the following day - the actual D&D game day. And honestly that is as it should be. One never serves a cake the day one bakes it. That is the law of the Empire (or at least it ought to be). 

Despite my meticulous preparation the night before, I actually took about three or four tries to get my ingredient arrangements correct on my counter as I tried to bake (and make) all three cakes at once. Honestly, I felt as anxious as a new courtier hosting the Empress. Then I scrapped that plan and decided to start with the chocolate fudge cake, only to realize I had a third of the dark baking chocolate I needed. After frantically sending my partner with our little firesprite out the door to quickly get more, I got back in the kitchen and started all over. I made the final decision to begin with the apple spice cake, then make the chocolate fudge cake, and finish with the strawberry cheesecake bites. So we will proceed in that order:

Vegan Apple Spice Cake with Vegan Buttercream Frosting



Vegan Chocolate Fudge Cake



Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake Bites

Sorry, got a little carried away there. Om nom nom!
Each of these cakes is based off of recipes from existing blogs, I just made some personal adjustments according to my limitations and for my own enjoyment. You can find my full recipes and the original recipes in the sections below.


Begin Act One.

The Apple Spice Cake:

Once I finally had my poor head on straight, I correctly arranged my ingredients on the counter:
soy milk (room temperature), apple cider vinegar, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, all-spice ground ginger, sea salt, an apple (peeled and shredded), coconut oil (soft at room temperature but not melted completely), brown sugar (packed), molasses, vanilla extract, walnuts (roughly chopped), powdered sugar, vegan butter or margarine (room temperature), and maple syrup.


Peeling the apple is easy, and I thought shredding it would be difficult at first... 


...But turns out shredding apples is surprisingly easy and very satisfying as a new experience.


10/10, totally recommend. 
Next I mixed my dry cake ingredients in my most loved mixing bowl.


After setting that bowl aside, I added the packed brown sugar and the coconut oil to the bowl for my stand mixer.


Ugh, this stuff is frustrating to work with. 
Once well mixed, I added the rest of the wet ingredients and continued mixing until smooth. Then I poured the whole thing into the bowl with the dry ingredients, saving the shredded apple for last.


After mixing well, I poured the batter into two oiled cake pans and smoothed them out as evenly as I could.


And after 15 minutes in the oven, they were simply perfect! Then I removed them from the cake pans to cooling racks to cool completely followed by a break to take care of some dishes.

Post-Dish-Washing Selfie with my Templar.
Now, this is the part in our tale where the timeline gets a little wobbily like the Veil. Because both baked cakes call for the cakes to be completely cool before frosting, I actually proceeded to start the chocolate fudge cake before making the frosting for the apple spice cake. But for consistency's sake, I decided to show each cake's process as a whole rather than adhere to the real order of events. So if the lighting seems different in some images, it is because both the frosting and the ganache were made later in the day.

For the frosting, I added a stick of vegan butter (which is basically processed oils) and powdered sugar with vanilla extract into my standing mixer bowl and mixed very well.


Very well mixed.
Once mixed to a creamy kind of perfection, it was time to slice the cakes. My partner, with his steady sword arm, carefully sawed away the tops of both cakes. This allowed the layers to sit evenly.



Then he gently measured and cut nine pieces from each cake. There were some little bits leftover, which I promptly stored and froze for some future dessert.



And now if you were not dazzled before you are sure to be now, with the most fun and frustrating part of cake making: frosting your tiny cakes.


As I began this process, I realized coating my rubber spatula with a little coconut oil would help and lo' and behold am I glad I thought of doing so. This simple act made this process smoother and sweeter than I initially anticipated, to my relief. This is the one time I found a coconut ingredient helpful in this whole ordeal.


Frost the base layer first...


Add top layer second...


And then frost the top layer third...


Before frosting the sides.

Yes, that is a lifted pinky you see there. This is Orlais after all. 
And there we have some handsome looking frosted cakes.

Well, not actually Orlais - Skyhold sits on the boarder of Orlais and Ferelden.
But we're not done yet! The next day, my partner chopped up some walnuts for me to add on top.




Ah and now we have sheer perfection: elegantly and lovingly crafted Vegan Apple Spice Cake.



End Act One. Begin Act Two.

The Chocolate Fudge Cake:

I need to be honest about this baking experience. The baker's chocolate I used had a peculiar piece to its labeling on the back of the box: Manufactured on equipment that processes milk.

Not specifically vegan but does not list dairy products.
In the future I will look for vegan labeled baker's chocolate because I honestly do not know where this falls on the animal-product-free scale.

Also, I must confess: coconut oil is infuriating to work with.

For ingredients, we have unsweetened chocolate (chopped), full fat coconut milk, soy milk, apple cider vinegar, sugar, olive oil,vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.


Making the cakes for this recipe was rather easy. What made for a whirlwind of drama and tension was the ganache. Oh, the ganache. It takes patience, technique and exact measurements. All three of which I was on short supply... save for the coconut milk. That I had too much of.

I began making the ganache by chopping up the baker's chocolate.


If this wasn't vegan, I am going to feel so bad for enjoying it.
After the enjoying a good chocolate chopping I opened the can of coconut milk and poured the entire can's worth into a saucepan.


And here is a confession, dear reader: I was careless and did not measure the coconut milk properly. I was a half ounce short on chocolate and used 2 ounces more coconut milk than needed. I felt like a plot piece in a garish Orlesian comic tragedy, something like a woeful servant who brings her noble's downfall through sheer accident.

And worse, upon realizing this, I suddenly became distracted by something about the spice cakes and turned my attention away from the warming coconut milk. When I came back, I casually and erroneously poured the whole contents on the saucepan over the chocolate. Then I realized all over again I was using too much and swore I would give up baking forever right there.

If Chef Morean Pieter Black from my Cookbook recommendation (Entry #10) had seen how much coconut milk I sloppily poured onto the chopped chocolate, he would have both flogged and flayed me alive. Do not use more than 1 1/2 cup or 350 milliliters of coconut milk. On pain of disgrace and bad ganache.

My emotions around this whole ordeal were probably as tense as those of the mages at the Conclave. At one point I felt faint and at another I felt ridiculous. It was exhausting but exhilarating nonetheless.

My partner insisted that I had come to a point of no return and urged me to mix the coconut milk and chocolate until smooth, which I did while holding back tears and snarls in the wake of my foolishness. Then I covered it all up with some cling wrap and allowed it to sit in the refrigerator for two hours.

Too. Much. Coconut. Milk.


To soothe my aching spirits, I moved on to assembling the parchment paper in the cake pans. To cut parchment paper for sided pans and maintain your mind, follow these steps:

1) Pull parchment paper generously over your pan.


2) Cut paper with two inches to spare.


3) Fold to fit in the pan (sorry the images are backwards, Google college generator just does that).


4) Gently lift the sides and fold the corners to reinforce them upright along the cake pan sides.



5) Use scissors to cut excess carefully around the cake pan. Then rejoice!


Because I was intent on making double layer tiny chocolate fudge cakes, I lined two pans.


After this relaxing activity I felt capable enough to sift and mix the dry cake ingredients together.


This spell casting is starting to look up!
After setting that bowl aside, I turned my attention to the wet ingredients, taking care to measure everything as I added it into ...


You guessed it, my standing mixer's bowl. This thing is honestly my favorite cauldron.

It is a mighty instrument in all magic related to the
School of Cooking 


After everything became mixed and creamy-looking, I added the dry ingredients in about three parts...


And then allowed all dry and wet ingredients to mix well into a smooth batter.


At this point it is important to move fast - do not over mix your batter and be prepared to promptly pour it into your cake pans. Setting up the parchment paper ahead of time allows you to move the process along swiftly. A wise mage first prepares their spells for action ahead.

Once poured, I tapped the pans on my counter to allow the batter to settle in place and smooth out.


After about 25 minutes in the oven two pans of chocolate cake batter were replaced by two layers of chocolate cake.

Hey, it's a time wobble moment!
From here I removed them to cooling racks to allow them to cool completely.


And this is where we fade step ahead to the point where my partner and I cut them with out biscuit cutter. We used the smooth side of a medium sized biscuit cutter to get nice, even pieces for layering.

Before.

After.
But we're not done yet!
At this stage, it was time to deal with the ganache. I had over chilled it and was so used to disappointment by this point I accepted my burdens with a sense of dignity and care, like a once-respected but now shunned chevalier. 

I chose to rest the bowl on a medium saucepan over a few cups of boiling water. I mixed regularly and attentively until I had a consistency I deemed acceptable.

This is acceptable.
Just like with the Apple Spice Cakes, I began with the first layer, added ganache, and then placed the second layer on top... 


Before gently adding more ganache.




And there we have... decent chocolate fudge cakes fresh from a night in the refrigerator.


During the night, I settled into a deep mediation on my work and I came up with a simple plan to save my chocolate fudge cakes a bit. I was able to make them more pleasing to the eye with a little sifted powdered sugar. Powdered sugar can instantly raise the rank of any dessert. Now I just need to figure out what to do with the rest of ganache. I realized well after I washed my last round of dishes that I could have made half the ganache and still had plenty to cover every cake, maybe even twice. If you have no other dessert plans, consider cutting the ganache recipe in half.


Ah! Much better looking! We must keep up appearances after all, my dears.



End Act Two. Begin Act Three.

The Strawberry Cheesecake Bites:

Now this is the way to deal with coconut oil! "Melt before measuring" was a statement I actually swooned over. I felt my fears from my earlier mistakes just fall away when I read it in the original recipe.

Let us move into this last act swiftly! The ingredients: raw almonds, dates, some water (not pictured), roasted cashews (soaked overnight), fresh strawberries, maple syrup, coconut oil (measure after melting - like the Maker intended), lemon for juicing, and sea salt.


Though this recipe is the last I turned my attention to, I had actually begun it the night before during my fit of preparation. Soaking your cashews the night before is essential for easy manipulating.

And we are setting aside the stand mixer in favor of my third favorite kitchen magic tool: the food processor.


To get out some baking aggression, I chopped the dates with a pastry cutter (not the most recommended tool but it did the job).


Add dates with slivered almonds...


To the food processor...


And pulse food processor, adding a little bit of water as you go...


Until you have a nice, sticky, clumpy, looking mess.


Oh yes, that looks good.


I had to split processing the crust into two batches because I have a small food processor.


Then I pressed the crust into a muffin pan with paper liners and chilled in the refrigerator while I made the strawberry cheesecake mix.

The high chair strap was an oddity my firesprite handed to me. You get handed a lot of random things as a parent.
For the cheesecake ingredients, I started with juicing my lemon. I used a large lemon and it resulted in a very tangy, lemony strawberry cheesecake mix. If you prefer more strawberry flavor and less lemon, use a smaller lemon but be sure to juice it completely.


And done!
Now for my second favorite powered kitchen tool, the hand blender!

I added my strawberries, and other wet ingredients into my hand blender cup.

Hey, another time wobble moment!
Before.

After.
Because my hand blender cup could not fit all cheesecake ingredients, I choose to process the soaked roasted cashews in my food processor and then add the blended wet ingredients together for a final blending.



Once well blended I removed the muffin pan with set crusts and carefully ladled the cheesecake mix into each cup.


Then I placed the full pan in the freezer over night. And don't you think they look marvelous!


Serious time wobbly moment! The Veil is torn!

And finally after nearly two days of hard work... Voila! The final dessert presentation in all its glory!


What a fine spread of sweetness! Fit for any Orlesian occasion, from casual salon to elegant ball!

And we had a great game session too! This year, our gaming group coincidentally reached the final battle and conclusion of our adventure just before my birthday. We have been playing our current Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition campaign since Halloween of 2016. We won an epic battle, securing both victory and a bittersweet ending. Our characters fought well together and went separate ways once free from their task. We now realize we have a new opportunity to pick up something new and different... Something like the Dragon Age Tabletop Role Play maybe... I would love to run a game based in Thedas and have yearned to master running a game myself. But such fantasies are for another time, today let us eat cake!


This birthday mage cleans up nicely, if I may say so. 



End Act Three. Begin Act Four.

Vegan Apple Slice Cake with Vegan Buttercream Frosting:

Ingredients:

Cake:
1 1/4 c soy milk
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 sea salt
1 c shredded apple
1/3 c coconut oil
1/2 tbsp molasses
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 c walnuts, chopped

Frosting:
3 c powdered sugar
6 tbsp vegan butter
6 tbsp maple syrup

Directions:

Cake:
Pre-heat oven to 350F
Oil 2  7 " or 8 " cake pans with coconut oil. You can also bake one at a time if you only have 1 pan.

In small mixing bowl whisk together the soy milk and apple cider vinegar and set aside to curdle for about 5 to 10 minutes.

In a second mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, all-spice, ginger, and sea salt.

In a third bowl mix together coconut oil and brown sugar until fluffy or creamy-looking, use a standing mixer or hand mixer. Then beat in molasses, vanilla extract, and soy milk and vinegar mixture until smooth.

Add the liquid ingredients to dry ingredients and then add shredded apple. Fold the batter until it’s just combined, ensuring not to over mix it.

Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans. Spread out the batter so it’s even and to the edge of the pan.

Bake for 15 to 17 minutes on the center rack on oven. Cake is done when a toothpick comes out mostly clean from the center of the cake.

Transfer cakes out of the pans onto wire racks and allow to cool completely before cutting into squares and frosting.

Frosting:
To make the frosting beat together vegan butter, powdered sugar, and maple syrup until fluffy and smooth.

Assembly:
Place bottom layer pieces on a cutting board or serving plate and spread frosting evenly with a spatula across the entire top of the cakes. Then gently press second layer onto frosted top. Spread frosting evenly with a spatula across the entire top of the cakes and down the sides of the top layer.

Gently press small handfuls of roughly chopped walnuts into the top of the frosted cakes.

Cakes can be served immediately or stored over night in a refrigerator. Seal in airtight containers or bags to freeze for up to one month.

Original Recipe from Hot for Food.


Vegan Chocolate Fudge Cake:

Ingredients:

Ganache:
12 oz vegan bakers dark chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 c or 350 ml coconut milk

Cake:
1 1/2 soy milk
1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 c sugar
2/3 c olive oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
A scant 2 c all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

Ganache:
Place the chopped chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Heat the coconut milk in a medium saucepan until it is just boiling, then pour over the chocolate.

Set aside for 2 minutes then stir until smooth and the chocolate has melted completely. Cover  bowl and place in the refrigerator for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally, while you make the cake.

Cake:
Preheat the oven to 350℉.
Line 2  7 " or 8 " cake pans with baking parchment paper.

Whisk together soy milk and apple cider vinegar in a bowl; the milk should curdle slightly. Whisk in the sugar, oil and vanilla extract.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt.

Gradually whisk the wet ingredients into the dry until smooth; do not to over-mix. Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans and bake for about 25 minutes. Cake is done when a toothpick comes out mostly clean from the center of the cake.

Carefully remove cake layers out onto a wire rack to cool completely (they are delicate so be gentle). If you are making them a day in advance, wrap in clingfilm once cool. Cut to desired shape.

To assemble the cake, place bottom layer pieces on a cutting board or serving plate. The ganache should be thick but spreadable. If it is too runny still then return it to the refrigerator until it is firm. If it is too thick and un-spreadable, gently warm it over a pan of hot water until it has softened slightly.

Spread the ganache over the first layer of pieces. Then gently press second layer on top and spread more ganache on top of second layer. You will have more ganache than you need so enjoy spreading it on the sides if you wish. If you halved the recipe you should have some amount leftover, but not much. Decorate with fresh berries, vegan chocolates, candied nuts, or sifted powdered sugar.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature unless it is very warm, in which case keep the cake in the fridge; allow to warm up to room temperature to serve. Leftover ganache can be saved in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Original Recipe from Domestic Gothess.


Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake Bites:

Ingredients:

Crust:
1 1/2 almonds
8 to 10 dates, chopped
3 to 4 oz water

Cheesecake:
2 c roasted cashews, soaked overnight
1 1/2 c strawberries, chopped
1/2 c maple syrup
1/3 c coconut oil, melt before measuring
Juice from one large lemon
1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions:
Drain and rinse the cashews.

Crust:
In a food processor, combine the dates and almonds. Slowly add water until the mixture clumps together. Once it looks like it's holding together, press a little bit into the bottom of a muffin cup of a muffin pan. You can use paper cupcake liners or silicone liners.
Once the crust is pressed into the muffin cups, place the pan into the refrigerator while you make the cheesecake part.

Cheesecake:
Combine all cheesecake ingredients and blend until smooth using a food processor or a hand blender. Spoon the cheesecake mixture into each muffin cup. Fill them to the top. Then place into the freezer to chill. Freeze for a minimum 6 hours or over night. Serve with fruit or other cakes. Cheesecake bites can be stored in the fridge or freezer. They will keep for a couple weeks in the refrigerator and up to 6 months in the freezer.

Original Recipe from My Whole Food Life.


End Act Four. Begin Encore.

Like what you are reading? Great! I hope you will come back for more! Recently though I made the decision to reduce the frequency of entry postings. I find myself unable to keep up with a weekly schedule along with everything else I have going on (because someone needs to keep this fortress' people fed and its candles burning). I will be posting two entries a month from here forward, every second and fourth Thursday of each month. So come back for another Personal Favorite recipe on May 31.

Have any friendly suggestions or cool ideas? Please feel free to comment below. You can also email me at foodsofthedas@gmail.com, message me at AGSamuels on Reddit, or tweet me at Essem_Jay on Twitter.
You can also follow me on Instagram at @gourmetveganthedas.

Walk always in the Maker's light.


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Sources:

Hot for Food: https://www.hotforfoodblog.com/
Hot for Food, Vegan Apple Spice Cake: https://www.hotforfoodblog.com/recipes/2015/11/19/vegan-apple-spice-cake-with-maple-buttercream


Domestic Gothess: http://domesticgothess.com/
Domestic Gothess, Vegan Chocolate Fudge Cake: http://domesticgothess.com/blog/2018/01/09/vegan-chocolate-fudge-cake/


My Whole Food Life: https://mywholefoodlife.com/
My Whole Food Life, Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake Bites: https://mywholefoodlife.com/2015/07/14/vegan-strawberry-cheesecake-bites/
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Fin.