A Month of Holiday Treats – Pies, Cupcakes & Breads

Mmmmm, nothing looks prettier on a holiday tablescape like a well decorated cake or a classic holiday pie.  This is the time of year for full on baking frenzies so to complement your cookies and candies, it’s almost a requirement to have cakes, pies and holiday breads along with them.  Be it to enjoy with your family or to share with friends at work or at parties, check out the following recipes and get bakin’

Classic Cherry Pie

• 1 double crust pie crust pastry for 9 inch pie tin
• 4 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup white sugar
• 4 cups pitted cherries
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vegan butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place bottom crust in piepan. Set top crust aside, covered.

In a large mixing bowl combine tapioca, salt, sugar, cherries and extracts. Let stand 15 minutes. Turn out into bottom crust and dot with butter. Cover with top crust, flute edges and cut vents in top. Place pie on a foil lined cookie sheet.

Bake for 50 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown.

Chocolate Mousse Pie

• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 quart, plus 3 tablespoons vegan heavy cream (recipe below)
• 1 tablespoon chocolate creme liqueur
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 premade vegan pie shell
• Chocolate chips, for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Prick holes to bottom of pie shell. Bake in oven for 11 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool.

In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, add chocolate chips, 3 tablespoons heavy cream and chocolate liqueur. Cook until smooth, about 1 minute. Add vanilla extract. Mix and let cool.

In a mixing bowl combine sugar and 1 quart heavy cream. Whip as if you were making whipped cream. Slowly fold the chocolate sauce into the cream.

Next pour the mousse mixture into the pie shells. Add chocolate chips to the top of the pies. Wrap the pie and freeze for a few hours or overnight.

Vegan heavy Cream – 1 block of extra firm silken tofu (boxed, not the kind in water that you find in the refrigerated section) and 1/2 cup of plain soy milk. Blend in blender until thick and creamy and there are no more lumps

Holiday Yule Log

• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 5 egg replacers
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons coffee-flavored liqueur
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Filling & Frosting

• 4 (1 ounce) squares semisweet baking chocolate
• 1 (8 ounce) package vegan cream cheese, softened
• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon coffee flavored liqueur

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly spray a 10×15 inch jellyroll pan and line with parchment paper. Sift flour with baking powder and salt and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg replacers on high for several minutes until they are fluffy. Gradually add in the sugar, beating 1 to 2 minutes more or until very thick. Gently, but thoroughly, fold in the flour mixture.

Melt the chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat. In a small bowl, combine the 2 tablespoons of water with the 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur and the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and the baking soda, then gradually stir into the melted chocolate until smooth. Quickly, but thoroughly, fold chocolate mixture into batter.

Pour batter into prepared 10×15 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Lightly sift an even layer of confectioners sugar over a cloth napkin. Flip the cake out of its pan onto the prepared cloth as soon as it comes from the oven. Carefully peel away parchment paper. Lightly dust top of cake with confectioners sugar, then trim away crisp edges. Starting with one of the short sides of the cake, immediately roll the cake up in the cloth, jellyroll style, and cool thoroughly on a rack.

For the Filling and Frosting: In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate. Remove from heat and let cool to lukewarm. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with the confectioners sugar until smooth, then blend in the vanilla extract and coffee liqueur. Blend in the melted chocolate. Unroll the cake and spread about 1/3 of the filling evenly over the surface. Roll the cake back up.
Arrange cake roll on serving tray, then frost generously, swiping with an icing spatula to form the long ‘bark line’ design. Swipe ends of cake in a circular motion to simulate the tree-rings of a cut log. Decorate log as desired decorative items.

White Chocolate Candy Cane Cupcakes
Cupcakes

• 2 ounces vegan white chocolate, melted
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup soy milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
• ½ cup (1 stick) vegan butter, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg replacer
• 1 egg white ( 1 Tbsp. plain agar powder dissolved in 1 Tbsp. water, whipped, chilled, and whipped again)

Frosting

• ½ cup vegan butter
• ½ cup vegan shortening
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
extract
• ¼ cup soy creamer (plain or vanilla)
• 3 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted

Topping:
10 to 12 soft peppermint candies, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare one standard 12-cup muffin pan; line with paper cupcake liners.

To Make Cupcakes:

In top of a double boiler over hot water, melt white chocolate. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Or, place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl, use 50% power and stir frequently just until the chocolate is melted; do not overheat as chocolate will burn easily. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt; whisk together to mix.  Set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, stir the milk, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract together. Set aside.

In a large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

With the mixer still on medium speed, slowly add the sugar to the butter, either one tablespoon at a time, or in a very slow steady stream, taking from 4 to 8 minutes to add all of the sugar, and beating until the butter and sugar are fully incorporated and the mixture is a light, or pale yellow color, with a fluffy texture. While adding the sugar, stop the mixer occasionally to scrape the mixture off the paddle and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula so the mixture blends evenly.

Add egg replacer and vegan egg white, beating until thoroughly mixed.

With the mixer on low speed, add about one third of the flour mixture, mix just until the flour is almost completely blended.  Scrape the bowl down, and add about one half of the milk mixture, blending just until mixed. Scrape the bowl down again and continue alternating with the flour mixture and milk mixture, ending with the last portion of the flour, and stirring just until blended.

Remove the bowl from the mixer. Using a large rubber spatula, gently fold the melted and cooled white chocolate into the batter.

Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners. Fill about 2/3 full, using about ¼ cup of batter per cup.

Bake, rotating pan halfway through, 18 to 20 minutes, or until the cakes are just firm and spring back when gently pressed, and a toothpick, wooden skewer, or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool slightly in cupcake pan, and turn out of pan when cool enough to handle. Cool cupcakes completely on a wire cooling rack before frosting and topping with candy. Sprinkle candy on cake, frost and sprinkle more candy on top of the frosting ; )

To Make Frosting:

Cream butter & shortening until fluffy. Add sugar and beat for about 3 minutes. Add in the vanilla, then slowly add in the soy creamer. Mix until well incorporated and fluffy.

Maple Cupcakes

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 stick vegan butter, softened
• 1/2 cup light-brown sugar
• 2 egg replacers
• 1 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup vegan buttermilk (1 cup plain soy milk with 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, set aside to curdle for at least 15 minutes)
• 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, finely chopped

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ginger. Set aside. Beat the butter and sugar together using a mixer set on medium speed in a large bowl until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, syrup, and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture by thirds, alternating with the buttermilk. Stir in nuts. Fill 18 lined muffin cups and bake until a tester comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool completely before frosting (recipe below).

Maple Frosting

• 1 cup vegan butter, softened
• 3 ounce vegan cream cheese, softened
• 2/3 cup dark-brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup maple syrup
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Beat the butter, cream cheese, brown sugar, and salt in a medium bowl with a mixer set on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Continue beating, and add the maple syrup and vanilla. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, increase the speed to high, and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Chill for 1 hour before using.

Pumpkin Gingerbread

• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 egg replacers
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease two 9×5 inch loaf pans.

In a large mixing, combine sugar, oil and egg replacers; beat until smooth. Add water and beat until well blended. Stir in pumpkin, ginger, allspice cinnamon, and clove.
In medium bowl, combine flour, soda, salt, and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and blend just until all ingredients are mixed. Divide batter between prepared pans.
Bake in preheated oven until toothpick comes out clean, about 1 hour.

Drunk Eggnog Bread

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup vegan eggnog or soy creamer
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons rum
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 egg replacer
1/2 cup chopped pistachio

Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vegan eggnog or soy creamer
1 teaspoon rum or 1/2 teaspoon rum extract

Heat oven to 350F. Grease the bottom only of a large loaf pan. In a bowl combine all the ingredients except the nuts. Mix together till all the ingredients are mixed together being mindful no to over mix. Add in the nuts and fold. Bake in the over for 1 hour. Remove and place on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from pan. Cool completely before drizzling the Rum glaze.

Glaze:
Mix all ingredients until smooth and thin enough to drizzle.