Vegan Mixed Berry Chia Jam Tarts

I loved Pop Tarts growing up. I was especially fond of the strawberry Pop Tarts... and no, not the frosted ones. Shocked? Well, call me a purist. I can't remember when I last had a pop tart, but the fond memories of carefully eating all of the edges off, before savoring that gooey center are fresh in my mind. Having such a delicious memory on my mind is great and all, but I'd rather have it on my taste buds. Alas, I am much more aware of what I put into my body (damn adult concsious!) so I decided to make my own, wholesome version. Alright, now before you accuse me of some kind of crime against Pop Tarts, I caved and topped them with pink frosting and sprinkles. We good? Cool.

Adapted from Minimalist Baker

• 2 cups whole wheat flour 
• 2/3 cup coconut oil (you can also use vegan butter or regular butter if not vegan)
• 2-4 Tbsp ice cold water
• 1 heaping cup frozen mixed berries
• 2 tbsp chia seed
• 1 Tbsp coconut sugar

Glaze

So, I just sort of whipped up a glaze without any real measurements. Here's what I did:

• About 1 cup powdered sugar
• A splash of unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1-2 tsp Karo Syrup
• A bit of red food coloring paste

Mix the powdered sugar and the milk together into a smooth paste. Add the Karo syrup and food coloring paste until you get the desired hue. The glaze should be liquid enough to easily drizzle over the top, but thick enough to stay in place and harden when cooled. 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Prepare the mixed berry chia jam filling by placing berries in a small saucepan over low heat with 2 tbsp water. Cook for 5-8 minutes and smash with a fork once the berries are soft. Remove from heat and add chia seed and coconut sugar. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
3. To prepare crust, mix flour and salt in a large bowl, then process with coconut oil in a food processor.
4. Using a tablespoon, drizzle cold water over the mixture and pulse until it starts to form a dough. The dough should be moist enough to form into a ball, but not too sticky to roll out. Add more water if needed or more flour if it gets too wet and sticky.
5. Turn onto a floured surface, shape into a disc, and then use a rolling pin to roll into a large rectangle.I used a sheet of parchment on top to keep my rolling pin from sticking to the dough as I rolled it out.
6. Cut into equal squares or rectangles and carefully transfer each to the baking sheet. Use your fingers to press the centers down a bit to make a little "bed" for the chia jam. This will help to keep it from seeping out the sides while baking.
7. Place about 1 Tbsp of filling onto half of the squares, leaving a border to seal the edges. Then use your finger to dot water around the edges to help the squares stick together. Top the squares with their matching halves and then seal lightly with a fork.
8. Use a fork to poke holes in the top of each sealed tart, and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.
9. Let cool completely, then top with glaze if desired. 

Happy tarting!

xoxo

Vegan Double Chocolate Cake

I'm not a huge fan of Valentine's Day or the expectations that come with it. Sure, hearts are cute, and who doesn't love a box of chocolates? I'm just not a fan of how the holiday creates a buying frenzy. Love should be celebrated everyday, and I fully believe in showing the people you love how you feel in little, meaningful ways - every single chance you get - ...but I don't think that should mean buying a bunch of 'stuff'. I also hate the question, "So, what did he/she/they get you for Valentine's Day?", like it's some sort of competition. Now, I don't mean to sound like a jerk, but I just think that this holiday is LAME. This is coming from a hopeless romantic (I know it may not sound like it with all of my anti-Valentine's ranting). I have never thought that this holiday was romantic, and that's just my opinion. I'll take those, stay up late talking about life, kiss me in the middle of an argument, hold my hand while watching TV, bring me a flower you picked on your way home when you thought of me, and pinch my butt in the middle of the grocery store because you think I'm really cute (P.S. not an invitation to strangers) kind of moments. It's the little everyday things that matter to me.

Anyway, you know what's not lame? CAKE. Here's a yummy recipe:

Vegan Double Chocolate Cake
Slightly Adapted from Minimalist Baker

1 1/2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 cups unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup hot coffee (I used instant)
2/3 cup melted coconut oil
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups + 2 Tbsp whole wheat white flour
1 1/3 cups coconut sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt

FROSTING
1 cup vegan butter, softened
2 1/2 powdered sugar
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup dairy-free dark chocolate, melted and cooled
Splash of almond milk if needed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray and dust with cocoa powder. Tap the pans over the sink to shake out the excess, and set aside.
Mix the almond milk and vinegar in a large mixing bowl, and let set for a few minutes to thicken. Add the oil, coffee, and applesauce and beat until foamy.
Add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to a separate bowl and whisk together. With your mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix until smooth and creamy (batter should be thick, but pour-able). Divide batter evenly between your 2 cake pans. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

While the cakes cool, whip up your frosting. Whisk the vegan butter and powered sugar until creamy Add in your cooled, melted chocolate and mix until smooth, then add in the cocoa powder. Whisk everything on high until light and fluffy. Add in some almond milk if the frosting is too thick. You can always add more powdered sugar or cocoa if it's too thin. Once the cake is cooled, frost with your chocolate frosting. If you want to write a note, melt a little bit of white chocolate in the micro for 30 seconds at a time until smooth and melted. Transfer to a plastic sandwich bag, and cut the tip off one corner. Pipe your message onto your cake, and add some pretty flowers if desired. *Note: I always wrap a little parchment around the stems of my flowers before inserting them into the cake.

Whatever your opinion is of Valentine's Day, I hope you enjoy!

xoxo





 

Soft and Chewy, Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

So, these cookies are also vegan and refined sugar free but I thought the title was already a little lengthy. Anywho, these are my current favorite cookies to bake. They. Are. So. Good. I often (like, always) find myself in dire need of a sweet and salty fix. The ultimate sweet and salty combo being, of course, peanut butter and chocolate. I am also somewhat (completely) interested (obsessed) with using oat flour in my goodie recipes. I have also completely stopped using refined white sugar and switched to coconut, which adds Ah-maz-ing flavor, in my expert opinion. The one thing I have never, EVER tried in a cookie recipe is adding milk. Spoiler alert! It's awesome! That one little addition keeps the oat flour from making the cookies too dry and crumbly. Well, yes, a dry and crumbly cookie is still a cookie, but nothing beats a soft, chewy chipper in my book.

Soft and Chewy, Vegan, Gluten, Refined Sugar Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (phew!)
Adapted from Coco Bakes Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup chunky natural unsalted peanut butter
1 cup coconut sugar
2/3 cup oat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp Himalayan Pink Sea Salt
1/4 cup chocolate hemp milk
1/4 cup chopped dark chocolate (or more if you like a higher chocolate to dough ratio)

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or a silpat mat. Using an electric mixer, whisk the peanut butter, sugar and Himalayan sea salt until creamy. In a separate bowl, mix together the oat flour and baking soda. Add into the peanut butter, sugar, salt mixture. Whisk in the hemp milk, and then the chocolate chunks. Use a tablespoon to scoop out dough and form balls. Flatten them a bit on the cookie sheet and bake for 9-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer them to a fresh piece of parchment paper to cool (I would usually use a cooling rack, but these cookies are very soft when hot. Cooling them on a flat surface works best... if they last that long).

Enjoy!!