Pumpkin Cookies with a Caramel Crunch Icing

These cake-like moist pumpkin cookies are so good you will want to make them year round. With a crunchy caramel icing they aren’t only delicious, they are fun to eat.

1/2 c. Earth Balance Margarine

1 c. milled cane sugar

1 c. canned solid pack pumpkin

1 tsp. vanilla

1/8 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. Rumford’s Baking Powder

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 c. whole wheat pastry flour OR (1 c. white wheat & 1 c. all purpose flour)

1. Cream margarine, sugar, and pumpkin.

2. Add remaining ingredients beating until light and fluffy.

3. Using a 2 tablespoon scoop, spoon mounds on cookie sheet, do not flatten.  Bake at 350° for 18-22 minutes.  Top with Caramel Icing.

Yields:  26 2-Tbsp. cookies

Caramel Crunch Icing

*Tip: Make frosting only after all cookies have come out of the oven, as it hardens quickly.

1/2 cup Earth Balance Margarine

1/2 cup French Vanilla Silk Creamer

1 cup sucanat

1. In a small saucepan combine the margarine, creamer, and sucanat.

2. Using a candy thermometer simmer until temperature reaches 250°.  Let cool 1 minute and spread icing on cookies using the back of a spoon.  Ice quickly as mixture hardens as it cools. (Keep a small bowl of ice water nearby in case the hot icing touches one of your fingers.)

Apple-Coconut Skillet Cake

This is an amazing vegan cake! This cake is dense, moist and delicious. The coconut and apple batter bakes inside your oven-proof, 12-inch skillet from start to finish. Don’t let the gourmet beauty of this cake scare you away; it’s simple to make and your family will have a new favorite autumn dessert.

4 1/2 teaspoons EnerG egg replacer

3/8 cup (1/4 + 1/8) water

1 1/4 cup milled cane sugar

3/4 cup all-natural apple sauce

1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

1 teaspoon pure vanilla

1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour

1 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon soda

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

5 small firm baking apples, such as Gala or Jonathan (11/4 pound)

1 orange slice (3/8-inch thick)

12-inch non-stick ovenproof skillet with straight sides

1. Whisk together egg replacer and water in a large bowl until foamy. Once the mixture is foamy, add the sugar, applesauce, 1/2 cup oil, and vanilla.

2. In a separate bowl, stir flours, salt, soda and coconut until well blended, then add to the applesauce mixture.

3. Using an apple peeler/corer/slicer, core and slice apples, leaving the peel on. Slice each stacked apple in half vertically, but don’t separate the slices.

4. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in the 12-inch skillet over medium heat, tilting skillet to coat bottom.

5. Place orange slice in the center of the skillet. Arrange five apple halves, skin side down, in a circular spoke-like pattern around the orange slice. Arrange remaining halves around the outer edge of pan. Cook covered over medium-low heat for about five minutes, or until the apples are slightly softened.

6. Using the back of a spoon, gently press down and fan out the apples to cover the bottom of the skillet.

7. Gently spoon batter over apples into the skillet, spreading evenly. (The batter is very thick and you need to spoon it into place, trying not to move the apples out of place.)

8. Place skillet in oven and bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes at 350 degrees F.

9. Allow cake to cool for five minutes. Carefully invert onto a parchment-lined cooling rack or directly onto a serving plate.

Fourth of July Cheesecake Pie

There are some recipes in my cookbooks that I find myself returning to over and over again,…this is one of them. I love how simplistic the recipe is to make combined with the fresh taste of summer strawberries and the crispness of a new blueberry. I think you will be surprised at how creamy and rich this cheesecake really is. Enjoy!

HONEY GRAHAM CRUST

10 whole honey graham crackers, healthful variety

2 tablespoons Sucanat

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

2 tablespoons water

In a food processor, turn graham crackers into crumbs. Add remaining ingredients and pulse just until crumbs are well coated. Press evenly along bottom and sides of a deep-dish pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.

FILLING

2  containers (8 ounces each) Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese or Soya Kaas

1/2 cup milled cane sugar

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons EnerG egg Replacer

1 quart fresh strawberries

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

1. In a food processor whip together the imitation cream cheese and cane sugar until sugar begins to dissolve.

2. In a small cup, whisk together the lemon juice and egg replacer. Add to cream cheese mixture and blend till smooth. Set aside 1/8 cup for a later use.

3. Spoon remaining cream cheese mixture into a medium sauce pan and heat over medium, stirring constantly until thick and smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature.

4. Wash and dry berries. Select the best strawberries for the garnish (step 7). You will need 5 large or 8 smaller berries. Do not remove tops. Slice berries in half from bottom to top cutting through green part; set aside.

5. Remove tops from remaining berries and slice thinly. Arrange on the bottom of cooled pie crust. Top with cheesecake filling, making sure to completely cover berries.

6. Top cheesecake with blueberries one layer thick (they should cover top of pie).

7. Carefully dip the narrow pointed end of the remaining strawberry halves in reserved 1/8 cup uncooked cheesecake filling, making sure not to go up too far on the strawberry. They should be half red and half white. Arrange in a circle on top of blueberries close to the edge of the pie with tips facing center.

8. Refrigerate until cold; about 2 hours.

Serves 8.

Plum Basil Lemonade

Plum Basil Lemonade

If you’re looking for something to cool you down this summer, but you want to serve a beverage that is tantalizingly different; look no farther.  Both you and your guests will enjoy the unique and delicate blended flavors of plums, basil, and lemons! It will compliment any table with its stunning and sophisticated appearance.

3 large, ripe purple plums

5 1/2 cups water, divided

1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves

3/4 cup milled cane sugar

1 cup fresh lemon juice

1. Pit and coarsely chop two of the plums. In a small saucepan, stir together the chopped plums, 2 cups water, basil and sugar. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved; simmer covered 5 minutes.

2. Cool mixture and pour into a pitcher through a fine sieve, pressing hard on solids. Discard solids.

3. Thinly slice remaining plum and stir into pitcher with remaining 3 1/2 cups water and lemon juice. Refrigerate until chilled. Serve each glass with a few plum slices and a sprig of fresh basil.

Makes approximately 8 cups.

Colorful Summer Fruit Charlotte

A Charlotte is a cooking term which means “a mold lined with cake or crumbs and filled with fruit or whipped cream or custard.” My vegan version of a charlotte uses grain sweetened whole wheat bread slathered in vanilla pudding, and baked to a crisp over a bed of colorful summer fruit. This dish is not only delicious, but it is almost too beautiful to cut into. A stunning addition to any Mother’s Day or Bridal Shower Brunch!

For the Fruit Base

2 cans (15 ounces each), sliced peaches in natural juices, drained

1 pound frozen mixed berries

1 can (15 ounces) pineapple tidbits in their own juice, drained

¼ cup milled cane sugar

1/8 cup quick-cooking tapioca

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the Topping

1 envelope (4 ounces) Mori-Nu Mates vanilla low-fat pudding mix

1 cup Silk vanilla soy milk

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon vanilla

16 slices honey whole-wheat bread

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine base ingredients; mix well. Reserve 1 cup of the fruit mixture. Pour remaining fruit mixture into an 11-inch quiche baker.

2. In a 1-quart mixing bowl, whisk together pudding mix, soy milk, cinnamon and vanilla.

3. Cut crusts off bread with a serrated bread knife. Using a pastry brush, generously coat both sides of each bread slice with pudding mixture. Arrange in an overlapping circular pattern on top of fruit, leaving center open.

4. Spoon reserved fruit mixture into opening.

5. Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes. Reduce temperature to 325 degrees F and bake an additional 15 minutes. Edges will brown and fruit will bubble.

Serves 8

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