vegan desserts?

[shootingstar]

Last few years I gave up baking except for dessert foccacia/pizza:

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=33085

I make my dough from scratch. But you could try it with pizza dough and embed the rolled out dough with fresh grapes, fresh peeled figs or blackberries. Sprinkle with grated ginger root, cinnamon, cardamon, nutmeg and drizzle at end with honey. Then pop into preheated 475 degree F oven (or approx.) Should be down in about 15 min. Serve warm.

Pizza dough shouldn't have eggs, any fats nor sugar.
I've never tried it with premade pizza dough from store. I'm cheap...

[rubywagon]

The ppk has some AWESOME vegan cupcake recipes, or you can pick up a copy of Vegan with a Vengance at the bookstore.

I have found you can make pretty much any recipe by replacing the eggs with a flax seed/water combo, and any milk with rice/soy/almond milk. You really can't go wrong!

[KnottedYet]

replacing the eggs with a flax seed/water combo

Do you have a secret to the flax seed? I tried it once, and it was a disaster. (Pancakes of DOOM!) Do you let it sit for a while? What proportions do you use? Hot or cold water?

[rubywagon]

http://www.theppk.com/veganbaking.html

This link is very helpful when using flax. I have never had it turn out badly. I just use pre-ground flaxseed (usually golden), and tepid water. You should try this waffle recipe. I promise you will redeem yourself from the pancake disaster.

Vegan Buttermilk Waffles

In a small bowl mix 3 tbls ground flax + 9tbls of water (1/2C + 1tbls) That there is your 3 eggs, promise! Set this concoction aside.

In a liquid measureing cup, measure out 1 1/2 cups of rice milk (or whatever milk you want) + 1tsp apple cider vinegar - and that would be your buttermilk. Set it aside.

In a medium bowl mix:
2 cups flour (I have tried all-pupose and spelt, both work but you need a bit more than 2 cups if using spelt)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

To your milk, mix in:
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup of safflower oil (or any light oil)

Use a fork to slowly mix the wet into the dry (including your flax mixture) lumps are your friend, don’t over do it.

Ladle onto your lightly oiled waffle iron and cook per your devices recommendation. We like ours on the toasty side.

Sorry for the threadjack!

[Thorn]

If substituting flax seed for eggs, besides letting it sit, get out a fork and beat it. That also helps turn the flax + liquid into a gelatinous mass. It not only binds like egg, but it is gooey like an egg.

Also, realize that the flax seed serves as a binder. If the egg in the recipe is for binding, then the flax alone will work; if the egg is also for leavening, then you need to bump up the leavening in the recipe (e.g., 1/4-1/2 t baking powder).

I've been playing with converting recipes to vegan. If you're trying to go true vegan, margarines are generally not vegan. White sugar and bleached white flour are not vegan (bone meal) and many chocolate chips will have milk products or milk derived ingredients. I'm surprised at how much milk and dairy permeate our food.

That said, if I were a dinner party guest and someone tried to make the dessert vegan, regardless of any oops's (e.g., honey), I'd be tickled pink that they tried and eat with a smile on my face. I'm not of the rabid vegan/vegetarian sort and anyone trying gets mega kudos in my book.

Things to consider (mostly based on cookie experimentation, but also brioche-style breads and some quick breads):

+ a good canola oil works for your butter (measure by equivalent weight, not volume); olive oil works for breads. In cookies, mix the oil with sugars, then separately mix up the egg substitute of choice (a protien rich faux milk seems to work better). Add the egg substitute to the oily sugar mixture and beat for about 2 minutes. You'll see the batter transform from an oily sugar to a smooth caramel consistency. You need this step to avoid an oily taste in the cookies.
+ don't overbake. I cannot stress this one enough. I'm amazed at how sensitive a cookie is to cooking time when you remove the eggs and butter. If you over cook, you'll end up with dry hocky pucks.
+ don't taste the cookies warm. Really. They're oily, but that goes away as they cool.
+ if you work with salted butter, remember that oil doesn't have that salt. You may need to compensate with more salt.

Oh, Eden's chocolate tofu.....decadent and amazingly good.

[KnottedYet]

A-HA! My flax problem was I just added the ground flax and water to my pancake mix directly. I didn't mix them, let them sit, or beat them beforehand.

Cool! Thanks, you guys!

(mmmm, waffles....)

[OakLeaf]

Willow Run margarine was the brand that we always carried in our natural food store, 30 years ago, for the vegan folks. I haven't read the label in ages though.

Also, when I was diagnosed with milk allergy, Country Crock brand in the crock (not in sticks) was casein free, but I don't know whether it was ever actually vegan.

Nowadays I try to stay away from trans fats. Has anyone been successful using coconut oil as shortening?

[rubywagon]

Nowadays I try to stay away from trans fats. Has anyone been successful using coconut oil as shortening?

Not yet, but I use it on my hair and it is awesome. The container it comes in tells me I can use it to "butter" my toast and moisturize my skin. You can't lose.

[Owlie]

Nowadays I try to stay away from trans fats. Has anyone been successful using coconut oil as shortening?

Not vegan, but...
The recommendation I always see with coconut oil is that you have to use it where the coconut flavor would be desirable, but if it's in certain baked goods it may not be a problem. I think the melting point of coconut oil is lower than that of shortening, so you might have to take that into account too.

[papaver]

This is one of my moste favorite desserts and it is dead simple.

http://moroccanfood.about.com/od/des...e_cinnamon.htm