Vegan Caramel Corn

You can even add your own prizes!

Vegan Molasses Tahini "Caramel" Popcorn

Molasses tahini coated "caramel" popcorn.

Cracker Jacks are one of those "accidentally vegan" foods I care not to eat. Plus the prizes are garbage these days. When I was a kid it was all whistles and rings and tiny rubber animals in little plastic domes; now its just slips of paper with word games and tiny temporary tattoos?? Come on. We can do better than that. Make your own! Bundle these up and add your own prizes for tasty and healthy party favors. Or, forget everyone else, just bundle them up and add prizes for yourself. Who among us can say that their day wouldn't be made better by finding a shiny little plastic trinket in their afternoon snack? This is not a guilty little indulgence; molasses tahini popcorn is a surprisingly healthy treat. The blackstrap and tahini are both loaded with viatmins, and coconut oil? Yes please. You can use a regular molasses, but I encourage you to splurge for the blackstrap; its a nutritional powerhouse and has a much richer flavor. I pop my popcorn on the stove top with coconut oil, both delicious and fragrant, but an air popper could be used instead. If popcorn balls are your thing, this is the recipe for you; they are easy to form and store perfectly.

Organic popcorn kernels, off the pantry shelf and ready for popping.

Vegan Molasses Tahini "Caramel" Corn

(makes about 6 cups, prepared)

1c of unpopped popcorn

3tbsp of non-hydrogenated
virgin coconut oil

1/4c unsulphured
blackstrap molasses

1/4c tahini

1/4tsp salt

1/4c salted or
unsalted peanuts
(optional)

If preparing popcorn on the stove top:

Heat 2tbsp of coconut oil in heavy bottomed pot with lid over medium high heat.
Once oil has melted, add popcorn and cover pot.
As popcorn begins to pop, shake pot back and forth over the burner a couple few times, this will prevent the popcorn from burning.
When popcorn popping slows to a few seconds between pops, remove pot from heat.

Measuring out organic virgin coconut oil for corn popping.

Let sit until popping stops.
Uncover and set aside.

Preparing molasses tahini sauce:
In a small saucepan, heat remaining 1tbsp of coconut oil over medium low heat.
Add molasses, tahini and salt, whisk to combine.
Reduce heat to low.
Continue to whisk mixture until it is well incorporated and softened, about 2-3 minutes.

Remove from heat.

Position rack in center of oven and
preheat to 350 degrees.

Drizzle molasses tahini mix into the popcorn, using a large spoon to stir as you go.


Once all the molasses tahini mix has been added, continue to stir until well distributed.

There will be some areas of the popcorn with more
molasses tahini mix and some with less.
Once the molasses mix has cooled slightly, I like to go in with my hands
and mix everything together a little bit better.
If adding peanuts, stir them in.

Spread your coated popcorn onto a baking sheet.
Bake on the center oven rack for 5-6 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
Store in an airtight container.

If making popcorn balls:
Grab a hand full of popcorn mix, about 1/3 cup,
and form loosely into a ball.
Placed formed balls on a cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 for 5-6 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Oh yeah.

Candied Orange Peels

What's better than winter citrus? Winter citrus candy!

Waste not, want not:

Candied Navel Orange Peels

Candied orange peels, coated in sugar and fully dried. Time to add some dark chocolate!

I hate to waste food. This is evidenced by my freezer full of vegetable scraps, the many bins of compost around the perimeter of our yard, the constant rotation of pickling/ preserving projects in the pantry and, in the winter, the big tupperware container full of orange peels in the fridge. 

A big box of Florida oranges is a Christmas tradition in my family; started by my grandparents and now continued by my mom and dad.  When I depart my childhood home after the holidays, I do so with a more than generous box or bag full of oranges.  I never juice them or do much other than just eat them. Being able to eat a fresh, juicy orange almost every day during the long, dark New England winter is a true gift, there are few foods more uplifting. But what to do with all of those peels??

Saved navel orange peels, sliced into matchsticks.

You're telling me I can make CANDY???

Done and done.

Candied orange peels are a lovely little treat, perfect with an afternoon cup of tea. The cooking process gives the peels a soft, almost jelly-like texture. Elegant, delightfully fragrant and delicious, they are the perfect winter dessert, also a great way to preserve the flavor of fresh seasonal citrus for the rest of the year. I highly recommend coating your finished orange peel with a bit of melted dark chocolate.
Trust me on this one.

Saved navel orange peels, waiting to be candied.

Candied Orange Peels:

You will need:
Peels of 6-8 oranges,
navels work best,
cut into 1/4" matchsticks (about 2c)
3c water
2.5c vegan organic sugar

9 cups of boiling water,
for blanching.
extra sugar, approx. 1/2c for coating

Dark chocolate for dipping, optional

Slice your orange peel into approximately 1/4" thick matchstick style strips, removing any pulp or exterior blemishes.
Once sliced, you should have roughly 2-2 1/2c of orange peel.

Combine orange peel and 3 cups of water in a medium saucepan.
Bring to a boil over medium high heat for 5 minutes.
Drain peels and water and repeat 2 more times.
This will soften the peels, making for a better texture and remove the bitterness.

Orange peels after boiling in sugar water.

Once final boil is complete, drain the peels.
Add 3 cups of water and 2.5cups of sugar to the saucepan.
Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved.
Add orange peels to the liquid, stir very gently to combine.
Return to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low.
Simmer peels for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until they become translucent
and liquid has thickened.

Using a slotted spoon, place peels in a strainer to drain.

*Reserve cooking liquid



Fill a shallow bowl with the extra 1/2 cup of sugar.
Using a pair of small plastic tongs or your fingers,
take about 1/4 cup of the candied peels and toss in the sugar.
Gently stir to coat, then remove from bowl.
Separate peels and carefully lay out on a drying rack or baking sheet lined with plastic wrap.
Repeat this process with the remainder of the peels.
 Allow to air dry for at least 12 hours.
The peels are ready to store once the coating is dry.
Store in an airtight container, keep at room temp or store in the freezer.
They will keep for at least 6 months.

*Save the reserved cooking liquid in a glass bottle/jar with a tight fitting lid. You have essentially made an orange-infused simple syrup. This is a great add in for cocktails.

Making dark chocolate covered candied orange peels:
To make this treat a wee bit more indulgent, coat your peels in dark chocolate.
Trust me, this extra step is worth it.
Once your candied peels have dried,
melt dark chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave.
Dip one end of sugared peel into the melted chocolate and place on a silpat
or baking sheet coated with plastic wrap to dry.
Store in the same way.

Candied orange peels, dipped in dark chocolate. Nothing wrong with that. 

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

(kinda) just like mom used to make:

Classic (Vegan) Chocolate Chip Cookies

The perfect (vegan) chocolate chip cookie.

Good vegan chocolate chip cookies do exist, that's all you need to know.
This is my vegan spin on the classic Toll House cookie recipe, found here:
Nestle Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies .

I've played around with a few of the proportions, but the framework is Nestle's. 

 In place of eggs, a flax egg (the best egg substitute for vegan cookie baking). In place of butter, a vegan margarine. Add some non-dairy chocolate chips (not too hard to come by these days), a little baking powder, sugar, brown sugar, salt, flour and there you have it: Vegan chocolate chip cookies! Throw some raw walnuts into the mix and you could almost say they're good for you, right?? I say yes. 

So here we go:

Classic (Vegan) Chocolate Chip Cookies:

Makes approximately 3 dozen

You will need a stand mixer or a very strong mixing hand/shoulder for this recipe.

2 1/4c all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1tsp salt

3/4 cup organic sugar

3/4 cup organic 

brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2.5tbsp ground flax seeds

6tbsp boiling water

2 cups non-dairy 

chocolate chips
1c vegan butter

1 1/4c raw walnut pieces 

To prepare your flax egg:

Combine ground flax seed and just boiled water in a bowl, whisk to combine.

Let sit for 5 minutes, mixture should become gelatinous and somewhat-egg like.

If it still looks watery, pop in the microwave for 10-15 seconds to thicken up. 

Set aside until needed. 

To prepare your cookie dough:

In a medium sized bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt.

Whisk to combine; set aside.

Combine vegan margarine and both sugars in the bowl of your stand mixer.

Mix at medium speed until creamy.

Add in vanilla extract and flax egg, continuing to mix until well incorporated. 

Scrape down the sides of your mixing bowl as needed.

Reduce the speed of your mixer to low and add in flour mixture, 1/2 cup at a time.

Mix until all ingredients are combined.

Remove bowl from mixer stand and fold in chocolate chips and walnuts. 

Chill your dough in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Either grease your cookie sheets or line them with silpats.

Drop by well rounded teaspoon onto sheets,
ever so slightly flatten the tops and bake for 12-14 minutes.

Do not over bake.

Remove the cookies from the oven when they still look slightly underdone

and allow to sit on cookie sheets for a full minute before removing.

This will make for a nice soft yet sturdy chocolate chip cookie.

Allow to cool, if you can resist!

Post cookie-making still life. 

Vegan Peppermint Patties

food gifts are the best gifts.
DIY Dark Chocolate Peppermint Patties.

Processed peppermint patty filling, ready to be formed.

Ok, I'm not gonna sugar-coat it (badum bum), these might get you in a little trouble. You may find yourself lying on the couch, face and hands covered in chocolate, cursing the day you first decided that they would make fantastic and (theoretically) easy Christmas gifts. Or, if you're more responsible and more time-management focused than I, you may just have a delightfully relaxing day putting these treats together. Learn from my mistakes, kiddos. Don't try to prep, dip, individually wrap and box up two hundred and fifteen of these in one day. My hands might be permanently claw-shaped from so much teeny tiny wrapping. But still, worth it. These mints are GOOD, (relatively) easy to prepare, and are sure to make you the king/ queen of holiday food gifts. 

They're such a hit with my friends and family 

that people start asking me about next year's batch right around January first. 

But, as much as they may beg, I make them but once a year.

First rule of show business (or peppermint patty making), 

gotta keep 'em wanting more. 

Now, this recipe is for a large batch. If you make small patties (about teaspoon sized) it will make between 60-70. You can easily halve the recipe, but I encourage you to make the full batch. You'll already be putting in the work, so why not make more? You can vary the size of the patties a bit, though if you go too big they can become a bit unwieldy. I like to make mine small, about 1/2" across;

 I find the filling holds together perfectly at this size. 

These keep super well in the fridge and also freeze beautifully. 

Formed and frozen peppermint patty filling, ready to be dipped.

 So here we go:

Vegan Dark Chocolate Peppermint Patties

( makes approximately 60-70 small patties)

First batch of finished mints, only 200 more to go.

You will need a food processor and a double boiler

set-up on your stove top for this recipe.

Ingredients:
6c organic powdered sugar

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
2Tbsp room temperature coconut oil

2tbsp peppermint extract

2tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup light (unsweetened) coconut milk

4 cups (2 12oz bags) vegan dark chocolate chips

What a mess.

To prepare the filling:

Combine sugar, 1/4c coconut oil, coconut milk and extracts in the food processor.

Mix until ingredients have combined to form a well incorporated paste.

The mixture should look like the photo above.

Scrape filling out of food processor and into a medium sized bowl.

Cover with plastic wrap and let chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. 

Once the filling is chilled:

Remove from fridge and line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpats.

Measure out a teaspoon sized ball of filling and roll into a ball in your hands. 

Place the ball on mat and gently flatten with two fingers.

Repeat until you have filled your cookie sheets. 

Place filled cookie sheets in the freezer for 20-30 minutes.

If you find that the filling is becoming sticky and hard to work with,

place it back in the fridge for 10-15 minutes. 

When your filling is nearly chilled, set up a double boiler on your stove top.

Bring water to a slight simmer over medium high heat.

Add chocolate chips and 2Tbsp coconut oil, stirring until melted.

Remove frozen fillings from the freezer and loosen them from the trays.

They should be solidly frozen enough to easily pop off.

Dipping your mints:
Dip a dinner fork into the melted chocolate to coat the tines.
Place a frozen filling disc on top of the coated fork.
Dip completely into the melted chocolate, coating the disc.
Allow the excess chocolate to drip off, then drag the fork
over the edge of the bowl, removing the rest of the chocolate.

Use another fork or knife to gently slide your coated mint off of
the dipping fork and back onto the silpat.
Repeat this process with all mint fillings,
then return dipped mints to the freezer to set up.
If you find that your un-dipped fillings are becoming too soft to work with,
return them to the freezer to re-freeze.

Once your dipped mints have set up (10-15 minutes in the freezer)
remove them from the silpats and package however you'd like.
I find that, if giving them as gifts, individually wrapping them makes for both
neater storage and better presentation.
Just pick up some baker's paper or parchment and cut it to the appropriate size.
Because there is no dairy these can be stored at room temperature,
but also keep very well in the fridge or freezer.

Now go make some and impress all your friends!

This is the best part.
My hand should uncramp any day now...

Vegan Pear and Cranberry Crumble

eat it for breakfast, eat it for dessert, eat it all day long.
Vegan Pear and Cranberry Crumble.

Pears from the Egleston Winter Farmer's Market and local cranberries. 

When the first local cranberries start to appear, I get uncontrollably excited. Like jumping up and down and dancing for joy excited. Why? Because it means crumble season has arrived. And you guys, crumble season IS THE BEST SEASON. Tart cranberries offset by fragrant pears and baked to warm, gooey, crunchy perfection makes (winter) life worth living. Seriously. It was originally conceived as a dessert dish, but a couple of years ago the dangerous equation of 1 pre-baked thanksgiving morning crumble + 2 hungry and impatient people morphed it into a breakfast dish. So now it's a little of both.
A bit to start thanksgiving day, a bit to end it and a whole lotta carbs in between. 

Assembled crumble, ready to bake.

Breakfast is (sadly) often overlooked on big cooking holidays like thanksgiving and christmas. But breakfast is important, dammit, and cooking on an empty stomach sucks. Enter the crumble. It can easily be assembled the day or night before, stored in the fridge, and freshly baked in the morning. Or pre-assemble it to bake later in the day. One less thing to pull our hair out over about on thanksgiving or christmas morning? Yes please. And hey, be sure to stock up on cranberries while they're available. They freeze beautifully and can provide a much needed burst of color and taste in winter dishes. If pears are in short supply, apples work just fine, or you can do a mix of the two. 

Gorgeous local pears, soon to be crumble-d. 

Vegan Pear and Cranberry Crumble Recipe

(serves 8-10, or two if you're me and mine)

8 pears peeled and cut into roughly 1/2" pieces

3 cups fresh cranberries

3/4 cups white flour + 1/4 cup whole wheat flour, combined

2 1/4 cups rolled oats

3 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 cup vegan sugar

1 cup vegan butter, chilled

1 tsp cinnamon 

1/2 tsp salt

If baking right away, preheat oven to 400 degrees.

To prepare the topping:

In a food processor, combine flour and butter and pulse until small crumbs form. 

Add 1/2 cup of the white sugar, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon and salt. 
Pulse until mixture forms into coarse crumbs. 
Set aside. 

If you do not have a food processor, no worries. 

Follow all the same steps, just cut the butter into cubes and get in there with your hands, working the ingredients until everything clumps together nicely. 

To prepare the filling:

Peel and cut pears into 1/2" pieces.

Combine pears, cranberries, other 1/2 cup of sugar, and lemon juice in a large bowl.

Toss to incorporate all ingredients.

Using about half of the crumble, gradually take the pieces and break them up in your hand, adding to filling.

Toss to combine, making sure things are more or less evenly distributed.

Transfer to an ungreased 9" x13" baking dish 

(or two 8" sq dishes, or a dozen or so ramekins)

Sprinkle remaining crumble over the filling 

Place on center rack in oven and bake for 34-40 minutes or until fruit has begun to 

bubble around edges and topping has reached a nice golden brown color.

If refrigerating unbaked, cover tightly with plastic wrap and store for 24 hours max. 

Take baking dish out of the fridge and allow to reach room temp before baking.

Baked and ready for eatin'.

Keeps for up to a week in the fridge, though (trust me)

there's no way it will last that long. 

Enjoy!