Vegan Chocolate-Coconut Cake

This cake got astoundingly positive responses considering that it was totally improvised from what I had on hand, just because I really wanted to make a cake. Though it's got layers and frosting and everything, the amount of ingredients you really need is small, as is the amount of equipment: a pan, a bowl, a whisk and a big spoon should suffice. Most of the ingredients are pantry staples... or really cheap. Well, maybe you don't have coconut rum, but in my humble opinion it would be a very wise investment to buy some as it improves just about everything... like I said, my opinion.

The chocolate layers are moist, chocolatey, soft to the point of being crumbly, but that tenderness is not a bad thing provided you're careful when you cut up the cake. I was a bit skeptical, but I'd definitely recommend the cake to be used wherever you want vegan chocolate cake layers.

The icing inside is made with creamed coconut (sold in small 114 g. boxes in the Caribbean sections of many a Loblaws, or nearby the coconut milk. You can also use the coconut cream sold in cans, or the top thick layer that forms on canned coconut milk. Along with coconut rum, it makes a really nice filling that balances out the not-too-sweet cake. Topped with a bit of chocolate and toasted shredded coconut, the cake becomes a bit more attractive and has some more variety in texture.

Vegan Chocolate Coconut Cake

For the Cake:
1 1/2 C. Cake/pastry flour
1 TBSP Ground flaxseed (optional, but helps the cake rise a bit more in my experience)
3/4 C. Light brown sugar (you can also use 1/2 C. white and 1/4 C. dark brown sugar)
1/4 C. Cocoa powder
2 Tsp. Instant coffee granules (Optional, but adds flavour that complements the chocolate- you can also use weak coffee instead of the water)
1 1/4 C. Water (I used only 1 cup by accident- turned out fine)
1 1/2 Tsp. Baking soda
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1/3 C. + 1 TBSP Oil
1 TBSP Vinegar, white 
2 Tsp. Vanilla extract

Margarine or oil, to grease the pan

Preheat the oven to 180℃. Line a 8''x8''/9''x9'' square baking pan, or a 9''/10'' circular pan, with baking parchment, and grease with margarine or oil.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda. Separately, beat together the oil, flaxseed and sugar, adding the vanilla, vinegar and milk once the mixture is homogeneous and mix together until just combined.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick poked in comes out clean. Leave the oven on for the moment- you will use it to toast the coconut garnish.

Remove from the pan once cool- let it cool completely, as the cake is very crumbly and fragile to begin with and is even more so when still warm. Chill in the refrigerator for about half an hour, then use a sharp serrated knife to cut through the centre to form 2 layers.

For the Coconut Filling:
1/4 C. Creamed coconut (the solid sort sold in boxes)- you can also use canned coconut cream or the thick top portion of a can of coconut milk, plus a little bit of coconut oil or margarine to adjust the smoothness of the icing as you see fit
1 C. Powder sugar
2-3 TBSP Coconut rum, or nondairy milk plus a little coconut flavouring

Beat together the coconut cream and sugar using an electric beater or a large wooden spoon, adding a bit of sugar at a time so it doesn't blow about everywhere. Add the coconut rum until a smooth, spreadable paste forms.

Spread the icing onto the bottom half of the cake and add the other half on top.

For the Glaze and Topping:
2 Oz. Semisweet or dark vegan chocolate
2 TBSP Creamed coconut, or coconut milk/cream
1/2 C. Unsweetened desiccated coconut

Spread the desiccated coconut on a pan and put into the oven- watch it carefully, as it burns easily! Have a cool plate or tray ready, and once the coconut turns golden brown (this can take anywhere from 1-5 minutes, so pay attention!) remove it and pour immediately onto the cool surface to stop the toasting.

In a microwaveable bowl, or another heatproof bowl set over a pot of boiling water, heat the coconut cream and chocolate until melted and mix well. Pour onto the cake and spread evenly. Sprinkle with the toasted coconut to finish. Refrigerate for at least half an hour before cutting.

Vegan Banana Nut Bread, Take 2

Ahh, nothing like the basics! Yes, I know that the world is overflowing with banana bread recipes as it is, but it's my firm belief that you can never try out too many, lest you miss out on "the one"- the banana bread that has just the right flavour, texture, moisture, sweetness and so on for your tastes. Everyone's is different, and since this recipe didn't require me to go get organic eggs, milk or butter from the natural foods shop (though that's the only way I'll buy them) I think it's definitely worth a shot. 

This is a good one to make with limited kitchen equipment on hand- I didn't even have a loaf pan, so I used a large square cake tin, which worked very well and reduced the baking time. In spite of its very basic nature, it was well-received by those who tried it before me - someone at the lab asked for the recipe- that's a good sign!

My verdict is that despite having less oil and sugar than most banana breads, this one is still delicious in it simplicity- no egg replacers, no milk replacers, you don't even need baking soda! It's very tender, soft and fluffy, and adding the sugar sprinkle on top makes it have a nice caramelized crust. Just don't let the bottom burn by putting it too low in the oven and close to the heat element- I made that mistake. Oops. Well, it still tasted good! You can also add chocolate chips or pecan pieces, or use some different spices to make variations. Consider this recipe the next time you're stuck with too many bananas!

Vegan Banana Nut Bread II
Adapted from BBC Good Food

225 g. Cake flour (All purpose is fine; I only had cake or bread flour available as options)
100 g. Brown sugar
75 g. Neutral oil (I used canola)
3 Tsp. Baking powder
1/2 Tsp. Salt
3 Tsp. Cinnamon
1 Tsp. Nutmeg, optional
2 Tsp. Vanilla
3 Large or 4 medium sized bananas, as ripe as possible
50-75 g. Walnut pieces

Some raw cane sugar or granulated sugar to sprinkle on top- optional

Preheat oven to 200℃. Grease a large loaf pan or square pan with a bit of oil and cover the bottom with greased baking parchment. Sprinkle with a bit of sugar and cinnamon

Sift or whisk together the dry ingredients (excluding the walnuts). Separately, mash the bananas finely and add the oil, sugar and vanilla. Mix well, until homogeneous.

Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ones and mix until just combined, then stir in the walnuts.

Pour into the greased pan and sprinkle with a bit more cinnamon and sugar, if you like. Bake in the middle of the oven for 40 minutes to an hour, or until a fork poked in comes out clean- cover with aluminium foil if it is browning too quickly.

Let cool before slicing.

Lemon Loaf, with Lavender or Otherwise (dairy-free)

Shhh, ignore the bad photography and aluminium pan... 

I've procrastinated on posting this recipe for a while because, let's face it, this isn't a very pretty loaf in pictures. I'd say it looks better in person, and also once I get a chance to explain why it's got all those green flecks in it- I use homemade lavender sugar, which contains more leaf than flower (both have the characteristic taste and aroma, and my mum puts the whole sprigs into the sugar).

I was actually worried when I made this that people would be too weirded out to try it, but fortunately nobody was- and it turned out to be extremely popular! I mostly came up with this recipe because I had a few odds and ends of baking supplies left before moving, and I wanted something to use them all up. Since I had lemons, coconut milk, pastry flour and my mother's homemade lavender sugar, I went for this loaf.

I think what really sold me on this recipe being a success is that I got requests for the recipe- always the best compliment to me! And really, it did turn out very good. It's moist, lemony, fluffy, aromatic, and lightly crusted in a glaze that is easy to make but was the subject of many compliments. The lack of special ingredients or equipment makes this a good anywhere-anytime recipe for the arsenal.

Lemon (Lavender) Loaf
Adapted from Allrecipes.com

1 1/2 C. Cake flour
1 1/2 Tsp. Baking powder
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1 C. Sugar
2-3 Tsp. Dried lavender flowers or finely chopped leaves, or another complimentary flavour of your choice (1/2 C. dried cranberries, shredded coconut, 1 C. fresh blueberries...)
1/3 C. Neutral cooking oil, such as canola
1/2 C. Full-fat coconut milk
2 Eggs
3 TBSP lemon juice
Zest of one lemon, or 1-2 Tsp. Lemon extract
1 Tsp. Vanilla extract

For the Glaze:
1/3 C. Powder sugar
1-2 TBSP Hot water
1 Tsp. Lemon extract, or zest

Preheat oven to 180 and grease a 8" x 4" loaf pan. 

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Separately, beat together the sugar and oil, then add the eggs, coconut milk, lemon zest and juice, and vanilla. 

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined, adding any additional flavourings of your choice at this point. Pour into the pan and bake for 1- 1 1/2 hours, or until a toothpick inserted deeply comes out clean. Remove from the pan after 10-15 minutes.

For the glaze, whisk the hot water into the sugar one spoonful at a time, along with the lemon extract/zest. Adjust until the thickness is about that of heavy cream. Pour half onto the cake after it has cooled for only 10 minutes, then the rest about 15 minutes after that to ensure you get a nice "shell" of glaze.

Vegan Stollen Rolls (Stollen-Schnecken)

Check out the cute edible gold stars I got. Totally festive, right? Even though it's autumn...

For when Christmas is taking too long to arrive, I like to have something with its characteristic flavours- dried fruit, nuts, marzipan, spices and lots of butter- but enough of a twist that it doesn't make you feel bad that you aren't on winter break yet.

That's why I love these rolls- they really taste like Christmas come early. And, to make the deal sweeter, they're actually vegan! I was skeptical, since butter is one of the predominant flavours in the Stollen that I know and love, but a little butter-vanilla essence (I used Dr. Oetker brand) goes a long way. The copious amount of vegan butter (I used a coconut-oil based brand called Melt that was very nice, but any that's marketed for baking will work)... or just plain baking margarine. After all, my Oma's old DDR cookbooks all call for it in their Stollen, making them inadvertently vegan as well.

These are nontraditional on more fronts than just animal product content, though- they also have a pudding-marzipan filling that tastes creamy and delicious despite being made with soya milk. You can also use almond milk, of course- it might be even better, so long as it's not reduced-calorie/fat.

I have but one warning- even when completely cooked through, the pudding-marzipan filling and marzipan in the dough makes these buns really, really moist- too much for some, I suppose- and you might want to make them a little drier by removing the marzipan in the dough (I went crazy because the blocks I had were getting close to their expiration date, and I didn't want them to go to waste) and not squishing your buns together when baking them like I did. I love it when baked good are really moist, though, so for me it's perfect the way it is.

One more thing- very, very rich. It may be tough to get through even one bun in one sitting. I still think it's worth is, since the taste is glorious. They're not tricky to make, so don't let the long instructions scare you- there's only a few simple components that you need to put together and then assemble. Like flatpack furniture but less aggravating!

Obviously you don't have to make them vegan, especially if the ingredients are hard to find- I had them available and I wanted to play with them and see how good they'd taste in pastry and if anyone would miss the dairy. Nobody did!

Vegan Stollen-Rolls
Makes 9-12
Adapted from Veganer Kuchen

For the dough:
500 g. Flour
150 ml Soya or almond milk
200 g. Marzipan, finely chopped or grated (or use 80 g. sugar)
1 Packet vanilla sugar, or 1 TBSP homemade
A few drops butter-vanilla extract (or 1-2 Tsp. if it's not the super-concentrated type in tiny glass tubes)
1/2 Tsp. Almond extract, optional
Zest of 1 orange or lemon
2 TBSP Rum, or 1 Tsp. Rum extract
2 Tsp. Stollen spices (or, mix 1/2 Tsp. each cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, and cardamom)
42 g. Fresh yeast, or 2 1/2 Tsp. Active dry yeast
150 g. Margarine or vegan baking-suitable butter, in cubes

Warm milk and dissolve yeast. Let sit 15 minutes.

Whisk together the flour, spices, zest and vanilla sugar. Add the milk mixture and all the extracts (and rum) being used. Knead until smooth, then add the chunks of marzipan one by one and knead until all are completely mixed into the dough. Repeat with the margarine. 

Let rise in a greased, covered bowl for about 1 hour, or until doubled. After about 45 minutes, begin preheating the oven to 190℃. Then, roll out on a floured surface to form a large rectangle and prepare as in the following filling instructions.

For the Filling:
200 g. Marzipan, finely chopped
2 TBSP Rum, or 1 Tsp. Rum extract
250 ml. Soya or almond milk, plus more as necessary
1 (43 g.)  Packet Dr. Oetker vanilla, almond or cream flavoured pudding powder (or, use corn/potato starch)
1 Packet Vanilla sugar, or 1 TBSP homemade
100 g. Margarine or vegan baking-suitable butter (you can cut this to half or even omit it)

Whisk together pudding powder, soya/almond milk and vanilla sugar. Bring to a boil and let thicken. Stir in the margarine and marzipan and whisk until thoroughly combined. add the rum and more of the milk to thin as necessary to get a pastey, spreadable consistency.

Let cool slightly until just warm, then spread across the dough rectangle, leaving about 1 inch of room on one of the long sides of the rectangle. Finish with the dried fruits, as following.

For the Dried Fruit:
150 g. Raisins, sultanas and/or currants
50 g. Candied orange peel, chopped finely
50 g. Candied citron peel, chopped finely
75 g. Almonds, chopped or slivered
1/4 C. Rum, optional

Cover the fruits with rum, if using, and enough hot water to cover them up in a bowl. Let sit at least 30 minutes, then drain.

Sprinkle evenly across the filling and roll the whole thing up like a jelly roll, finishing so that the long side with the clean edge is rolled up last. Use this clean end to stick the roll together and seal the "seam". 

Using a sharp knife, wire or floss, cut the resulting log into 9-12 pieces. Arrange on a baking tray lined with parchment, or in a greased baking dish.

Bake for about 1 hour, covering with aluminium foil after about 20 minutes to avoid overbrowning. They are finished when they reach 190℉ or 90℃ inside.

To Finish:
50 g. Margarine or vegan baking-suitable butter, melted
1 Tsp. Vanilla extract, or a few drops butter-vanilla extract
Powdered sugar

Mix melted margarine and extract. 

While the rolls are still warm, brush with the margarine mixture. Once cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Roasted Eggplant and Fried Halloumi Sandwiches

I feel like I've invented a new classic of quick and easy crowd pleasing food. Though normally I'm not fond of the idea of sandwiches for lunch or dinner at home (I grew up with a constant deluge of repetitive sandwich lunches, so they scream "on the go" to me), these are really hearty, satisfying and delicious. The eggplant takes on a new depth of flavour when you roast it, especially with a bit of za'atar, now very trendy even here in Anglo-Saxon Suburbia and available in the local grocery stores. The eggplant becomes almost smokey in flavour, and has even impressed my supposedly eggplant-disliking brother.

The halloumi (a Cypriot cheese) is also not at all hard to find anymore, as it's been discovered for its remarkable capacity for keeping it together under pressure, or rather, heat. It doesn't melt or stick but rather develops a crust of brownish spots of toasty goodness that taste not unlike brown butter (not surprising- both have the flavour of browned milk solids to account for them).

The deep, rich flavours of the star ingredients are balanced out with a super-simple combo of zesty lemon and parsley. A few cherry tomatoes for some freshness, and you're good to go. I've made this with both sandwich rolls and pita breads to equal effect- use whatever you prefer.

Roasted Eggplant and Fried Halloumi Sandwiches
Makes 4 big sandwiches

4 Submarine sandwich rolls, or pita breads
1 Large eggplant, in 1 cm thick slices

1 Lb. Halloumi, in 1 cm thick slices
1 C. Parsley, roughly chopped
Juice of half a lemon
1 C. Cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt, pepper and plenty of olive oil
1-2 TBSP Za'atar, optional (You can also mix 50/50 sesame seeds with dried thyme to simulate it)

Cut open the sandwich rolls to make a large "pocket" with a sharp knife, but not all the way through so that the knife goes through the other side.

Mix the parsley with the lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper and set aside.

On a baking tray, drizzle some olive oil and evenly place the eggplant slices. Sprinkle with salt and za'atar if using, and drizzle on more olive oil. Bake at 250 for about 15 minutes, or until the eggplant is very soft. Change to a broil setting and let brown, then flip with a spatula and let the other side brown. You can also fry the eggplant slices in a large skillet on medium-high heat until both sides are well-browned, but this will take more oil to keep the eggplant from burning.

Fry the halloumi slices in a skillet or frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil until the bottom is covered with crisp brown "cow spots", about 2 minutes on medium-high heat. Flip and fry the other side, then transfer to a paper-lined plate to drain of oil. 

If you want a softer sandwich, peel the skin off the roasted eggplant slices, as they get quite hard after baking- they should come right off.

Into each roll, add an equal portion of eggplant, halloumi, the parsley mixture and cherry tomatoes. Serve immediately.

Peanut Butter Coconut Honey Cookies

Not very good-looking, but very delicious- especially with a glass of milk. The flavour of coconut and peanut go extremely well together, plus the classic pairing of peanut butter and honey, makes for a soft, chewy, moist, very sweet cookie. The generous amount of peanut butter ensures that they really do taste mostly like peanut, and if you fear that using shortening instead of butter will make them less tasty, keep in mind that the shortening is what allows them to be so soft and tender. With all the other stuff going on, you won't miss the butter.

If you use extra-fine shredded coconut and smooth peanut butter, you can make your cookies prettier, as they'll better hold the criss-cross pattern on after baking. Nonetheless, they'll taste good even if you don't bother. The dough is really easy to work with and freeze for later, as are the finished cookies. 

Peanut Butter Coconut Honey Cookies
Makes 24-30 cookies
Adapted from King Arthur Flour

1/3 C. Vegetable shortening
1/2 C. White sugar
1/4 C. Brown sugar
1/4 C. Honey
1 Egg, lightly beaten with a fork
3/4 C. Peanut butter, American style (made with roasted peanuts, not raw) (I used 'Earth Balance coconut and peanut spread')
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1 1/2 C. All purpose flour
1 Tsp. Baking soda
1/2 C. Shredded dessicated coconut

Preheat oven to 180℃. Line 2 baking trays with baking parchment.

Beat together the shortening, both sugars and honey with a stand mixer or a wooden spoon. Mix the egg and salt separately, then mix in. Add the peanut butter and mix until smooth and homogeneous. Sift in the flour and baking soda and mix well. Stir in the dessicated coconut at the end.

Refrigerate for around 20 minutes if the dough is too soft. Roll into 24-30 balls by hand and spread evenly on the baking pan. push them down with your palm until they are about 1 cm thick and use a fork to score the tops both vertically and horizontally to create a cross-hatch pattern. Sprinkle with additional sugar if desired.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until just the edges begin to brown. Let cool for about 15 minutes before removing from the trays.

White Chocolate Blondies with Matcha Swirls

This recipe was really, really popular at my lab. I was surprised myself with how good they were- you don't even need to do the usual brownie/blondie-making step of dissolving the eggs in the butter over boiling water. Instead, you use a can of sweetened condensed milk to give a nice, chewy texture. I love white chocolate in almost everything, and this a great way to showcase the flavour of a high-quality white chocolate.

I added matcha powder in a pretty swirly-pattern on top so that there'd be a little bitterness to balance out the intense sweetness. You can also use earl grey tea, cocoa or expresso powder to the same effect. You can also just skip the swirl and top with some powdered sugar.

White Chocolate Blondies with Matcha Swirls
From Broma Bakery

115 g. (1/2 C.) Butter
1 C. White chocolate, chopped (or good quality chips or pieces)
1 Egg
1 Can (14 Oz.) Sweetened condensed milk
2-3 Tsp. Vanilla extract
1/2-1 Tsp. Salt
1 1/2 C. All purpose or pastry flour
1 Tsp. Matcha powder

Preheat oven to 180℃. Grease and line an 8"x 8" or 9"x13" pan with buttered baking parchment.

Melt the butter in a microwaveable bowl or in a bain-marie and add the white chocolate. Heat until both are dissolved.

Let cool until just warm when the side of the bowl is touched. Whisk in the egg, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and salt.

Sift in the flour. Separate 1/4 of the batter and whisk in the matcha powder. Pour the plain batter into the pan first, then spoon 4-5 blobs of the matcha batter over the top and swirl with a fork, knife or chopstick until a nice swirly pattern forms.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, then remove and let cool at least 15 minutes before removing from the pan.

Vegan Banana Nut Bread (with a lot of bananas...)

The great thing about vegan baked goods is that chances are you already have everything you need in your pantry, with no eggs, butter or milk to worry about. If you don't need anything special like egg replacer, it gets even simpler. This is one such recipe, with the lack of eggs seemingly unimportant thanks to the binding power of the huge amount of mushed bananas. Yes, it's denser and more moist than a regular banana bread, but that's part of what I like about it. It almost treads into banana-blondie territory, and forms thinner slices because it doesn't rise very high, but you can still toast them if you wish and eat them with butter (or butter-substitute spread, if sticking to the vegan theme).

The very best thing about this humble banana bread is that it uses up five whole bananas, making it an excellent addition to the arsenal of recipes for when you need to use up overripe ones really quick. If you want something other than a banana nut bread, chocolate chips or desiccated coconut are also good. I made two small ones and ate most of one right away, freezing the other for later, which is a good way to keep sweets on demand. 

Vegan Banana Nut Bread
Adapted from Edible Garden

4-5 Large bananas, well mashed/puréed
1 1/2 C. All purpose flour
1 1/2 Tsp. Baking soda
1/4 Tsp. Salt
1 Tsp. Cinnamon or mixed spice, optional
1 Tsp. Vanilla extract, optional
2/3-3/4 C. Light brown sugar or finely granulated raw cane sugar, or half each white and dark brown sugar
1/2 C. Oil, neutral in flavour (e.g. canola or safflower): alternatively try coconut, walnut, hazelnut or almond
1/2 C. Unsweetened milk substitute, not low fat (as a guideline, should have at least 120 calories per 250 mL; similar to 2% milk)
1 C. Walnut or pecan pieces, chopped

Oil and extra flour/sugar, for the pan

Grease a large loaf pan (or 2 small ones) and sprinkle the inside with flour or sugar to coat. Preheat oven to 180℃.

Sift or whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices (if using). In a separate bowl, mix together the oil and sugar, ensuring there are no sugar lumps left, then add the bananas, vanilla and milk substitute. 

Stir in the dry ingredients until just combined with minimal lumps. Mix in the nuts and pour the batter into the pan(s). Sprinkle with extra sugar, if desired.

Bake for about 1 hour, covering with aluminium foil after about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick poked in comes out clean. Let cool at least 15 minutes before slicing.

Matcha Mochi Muffins

Quite literally a combination of muffin and mochi, these cakes are chewy and dense like a mochi on the inside but crispy and puffy like a cupcake. These were very popular, though at first glance most people have no idea what they're supposed to be- and introducing them as matcha mochi muffins is kind of a tongue twister.

These are very aromatic because of the evaporated milk and matcha, and their bouncy, chewy texture makes them really unique. I like having a few sweetened canned red beans in each one, but you can skip them just as well. Other possible flavours to try in the future include black sesame-peanut, coconut pandan, and taro. You can try substituting some or all of the evaporated milk with coconut milk, or using coconut oil instead of butter. 

Matcha Mochi Muffins
From My Buttery Fingers
Makes 12-16

220 g. Mochiko or Thai glutinous rice flour
1 Tsp. Baking powder
5 g. Matcha powder
Pinch of salt
2 Eggs
155 g. Sugar
85 g. Butter, melted
190 g. Evaporated milk
Sweetened red beans or red bean paste, optional

Preheat oven to 180℃. Grease a cupcake pan, or line with paper cups.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and matcha powder.

In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar until fluffy. Add the butter and evaporated milk and mix well. Lastly, mix in the dry ingredients. Pour into pan.

If desired, put a spoonful of red beans or bean paste into each. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Coconut Cream Cupcakes

These are not fancy, elegantly iced cupcakes, nor are they simple one-step muffins. Rather, they're like stuffed snack cakes, full of coconut pudding cream and topped with toasted grated coconut. They've got the flavour profile of a coconut cream pie in handheld form, albeit with no whipped cream... still, they're very good.

While the coconut cream and desiccated coconut provides lots of flavour, a little coconut batter in the rum would not at all be unwelcome. A chunk of pineapple tucked into the middle and you've got a piña colada variant.

Despite my concerns that these cupcakes (made in the need to use up 3 cups of milk quickly) were too plain, too mishapen and too messy, I got some really good reviews on these from everyone who tried them. Thus, I must post them, last-minute photos and all! Enjoy them in all their ugly glory.

Coconut Cream Cupcakes

For the Cupcakes:
From food.com
2 C. Pastry or cake flour
2 Tsp. Baking powder
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1/4 C. (57 g.) Butter, softened
3/4-1 C. Sugar
1/4 C. Vegetable oil (or more butter)
1 Tsp. Vanilla extract (I used mixed essence, coconut extract would work very well!)
2 Eggs
1 C. Milk, whole or 2%
1/2 C. Shredded sweetened coconut, to sprinkle on top

For the Pudding Filling:
2 C. Milk, whole or 2%
1/4 C. Cream of coconut, or just coconut cream
1 Tsp. Vanilla extract or mixed essence
1/4 C. Cornstarch
1/3 C. Sugar
2 Egg yolks
1 C. Shredded sweetened coconut

Coffee-Shop Blueberry Streusel Muffins

Back to another episode of "kitchenette baking"... I've been going through my repertoire of recipes looking for ones that don't require a stand mixer (surprisingly few) and of course, muffins being one of the simplest and easiest batters to prepare, I decided on my second favourite kind after lemon-cranberry.

Mostly my decision was made by dollar-each boxes of blueberries in Chinatown. It's been a while since I've made something fruity, and these are not unlike the overpriced but very delicious muffins sold at various chain coffee shops. The streusel on top gives it a little something extra, a crunchy contrast to the soft pillowy innards and gooey roasted berries, flavoured with cinnamon. I've been fixated on blueberry muffins for quite a long time (since learning that a certain Canadian coffee chain can't even be bothered to put real fruit in theirs) and this might be the champion of all muffins for me.

As I said before, it's really easy and fast to prepare. I did it while waiting for my laundry to be done, and within the hour I had a really good batch of 14 muffins to share amongst my peers in the lab (they liked them a lot, especially that they were not too sweet and had tons of berries) as well as for myself. I made a couple of modifications but including brown sugar and adding more blueberries, because why not? I also added some lemon juice to give some more lift to the baking powder through its acidity. Buttermilk would also work well.

I can't wait to make these muffins again back in Mississauga when I get my hands on some pick-your-own berries at the farm to take home. I've got a lot of ideas for modifications that could be good- for instance, using some cornmeal, a flavoured oil like olive oil, lemon zest, or replacing the streusel with a simple sprinkle of raw sugar for a little texture. However, no modifications are needed- these are good just as they are, and perfect with coffee or tea and the smug satisfaction of doing what coffee shops do yourself, and so much better.

Blueberry Streusel Muffins
Adapted from Edible Garden
Makes 8 large or 16 small muffins

1 1/2 C. All purpose flour
2 1/4 Tsp. Baking powder, preferably aluminium-free
Pinch of salt
3/4 C. Sugar
1/3 C. Neutral oil, such as canola
1 Tsp. Vanilla extract (optional, or use 1 Tsp. Cinnamon or the zest of 1 lemon)
1 Egg
1/3 -1/2 C. Milk, or buttermilk
 1 TBSP lemon juice
1 - 1 1/2  C. Fresh or frozen unthawed blueberries

For the Streusel:
1/4 C. (60 g.) Butter, softened
1/3 C. Flour
1/2 C. Light brown sugar (or white)
2 Tsp. Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 200.

Whisk together the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder (and cinnamon, if using here). Separately, mix 1/3 C. of the milk, oil and the egg, as well as vanilla or zest if using. Mix into the dry ingredients, adding more milk if the batter is too thick - you want it to be about as runny as toothpaste, thick enough to spoon but still smooth and paste-like.

Stir in the blueberries and distribute into paper-lined or greased and floured muffin pans, filling them up to the rim so that the "muffin-top" can form.

For the streusel, mix all well with your hands or a pastry cutter until very crumbly and well-mixed. Spread evenly over the surface of each muffin- there's a lot of streusel, but be generous, nobody's ever complained about too much streusel.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a fork poked inside comes out clean. Let cool before removing from the pan.

Sakura Mochi for a Sakura-less Season, and Salted Cherry Leaves (Sakura-Ha)

Spring is rapidly flying out the window, and much to the chagrin of GTA residents everywhere, it's been a bad year for cherry blossom sightings. The erratic, cold start to the season led to a lack of flowers, instead with the trees skipping straight to leafiness. Nonetheless, I made one of my favourite sweets (and a favourite of my little sister), the beautiful and delicious sakura mochi. They differ from regular daifuku mochi in that they're made with whole rice grains as opposed to pounded, smooth mochi, and that they are garnished with aromatic salted cherry leaves.

The idea of obtaining salted cherry leaves might seem difficult, but if you can find a non-pesticide treated cherry blossom tree with young, small leaves, you can do it in minutes. The mochi themselves are also very simple, with the most crucial step being, in my opinion, letting the mass cool down enough before attempting to shape it into balls.

I also used homemade anko (red bean paste) as the coarser, less refined type (tsubu-an) that I like can be hard to get. All of the ingredients are really inexpensive, and yet this is a very impressive sweet to make- and goes really well with a pot of green tea. You can also preserve the cherry blossoms themselves in salt, but it can be harder to find clean ones as insects like to bury into them and you really don't want ones with pesticides.

Make sure you use the mochigome rice, lest you end up with a mess that's either too sticky or not sticky enough. Also don't overdo the food colouring.... cherry blossoms aren't usually blood red (though that would be very cool).

Sakura Mochi
from Wagashi Maniac

200 g. Mochigome/ mochiko rice, rinsed well
Pinch of salt
300 g. Anko paste (non-fried red bean paste)
65 g. Sugar
160 ml. Water
Red food colouring
10-14 Salted cherry leaves (Sakura-ha) (recipe follows)

Soak rice in water overnight in the refrigerator. The next day, drain and crush the rice with a rolling pin or pestle until the grains are broken up, but not too small (most of the grains should be in halves). Spread in an ever layer on the bottom of a cheesecloth or other cloth-lined steamer or metal colander (anything with lots of holes for steam to get through). Set over a pot of boiling water and cover with a lid. Steam for 30-45 minutes, or until translucent and tender throughout.

Transfer the rice to a cool bowl and mix in the salt. 

In a small saucepan, bring the 160 ml. water and sugar to a boil until sugar dissolves. Pour this syrup onto the rice and mix in well. Add a couple of drops of red food colour and mix in until the desired pinkness is achieved. This is done best with a large spoon or rice mixing paddle.

Wait for the rice to cool down and absorb the syrup completely, mixing periodically and keeping covered. In the mean time, divide the anko paste into as many pieces as you wish to make mochi (10-14, depending on what size you want) and roll into balls. Rinse the salted cherry leaves in cool water to remove excess salt.

When the mixture is completely cool, fill a bowl with water- you'll need this to keep your hands moist when handling the rice so it doesn't stick to you. Divide the rice into as many pieces as you have balls of anko paste and form spheres, then flatten them with the palm of your hand (use the water!). Place the anko in the centre, fold in half and roll back into a ball shape between your hands. Place the finished mochi onto a wet plate.

When all of the mochi are done, place a cherry leaf onto each one. Allow to set for about half an hour in a cool place for better texture.

Salted Cherry Leaves/ Sakura-Ha

12-24 young, small cherry blossom tree leaves, rinsed
about 1/2 C. Salt

Bring a cup of water to a boil and place in a pan or bowl. Next to it, prepare a bowl of ice-cold water. Using a spatula or strainer, quickly dip the leaves into the boiling water for about 10 seconds, then place in the cold water to blanch.

Sprinkle the bottom of an airtight tupperware container with salt. Make a layer of cherry leaves, then top with more salt liberally. Repeat until all the cherry blossom leaves are covered in salt. Top with enough water to cover the leaves, then put something heavy (like a saucer or other non-rusting object) on top of the leaves to keep them submerged. Close the lid and keep refrigerated for up to a year.