Baked Yeast Donuts Vegan

Recipes adapted from Vegan Heartland


Makes about 24 Donuts 

Donut Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tbsp Rapid Rise yeast
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups warm non-dairy milk (I used Almond Milk)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 5 cups all purpose flour + more for dusting

In a small dish, dissolve the yeast in the 1/4 cup water and set aside.

In a large bowl using a wire whisk, combine milk, sugar, salt, applesauce, and oil. Add yeast mixture. Add 2 cups of flour, whisk to incorporate everything. Set whisk aside.

Using a wooden spoon, stir in the remaining 3 cups of flour and combine thoroughly. Cover the bowl with a towel and allow the dough to rise for 45 minutes.


Prep two baking sheets with either parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and lightly coat with flour. Gently roll the dough to 1/2 inch thickness.

Cut the dough into strips and form them into the classic donut shape. Some strips will have to be cut in half so the donuts aren't too big.

Place formed donuts in cold oven and cover them and allow them to rise until they've increased in size. It will take 30-40 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350F. For best results center racks in middle of oven with enough space in between to slide the donuts in and out. Bake donuts for 14-16 minutes. Bottom of donuts will vary between golden brown and white depending on what rack you bake them on. I baked two pans at the same time. Top rack was still white on the bottom but still cooked through. Bottom rack was golden brown on the bottom. 

Place the donuts on a cooling rack immediately if golden brown and let sit for five minutes on baking sheet if white on the bottom.

Vanilla Glaze Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 6 tbsp hot water

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix with a fork until everything is well combined.

After the donuts have cooled, (or immediately if eating warm) brush the glaze on with a pastry brush. Set the donuts back on the cooling rack and allow the glaze to set.

Sprinkle with sprinkles as soon as you brush with the glaze before it sets. 

Note: If you want a thinner glaze- add an additional 1 tsp. of hot water to glaze until desired consistency is reached.

American Flag Cake

American Flag Cake
recipes adapted from ourbestbites.com
Sheet Cake
Ingredients
1 c. butter
1 1/2 c. buttermilk
2 c. white-wheat flour
1 1/3 c, white sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 eggs
3 tsp. vanilla
1 recipe cream cheese frosting (recipe below)
1 pint blueberries, rinsed
1 quart strawberries, rinsed, hulled and sliced

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a half sheet (13x18") with 2 equal sized pieces of parchment paper.
2. Combine the butter and buttermilk in a medium saucepan and bring just to a boil. Remove from heat.
3. In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add the buttermilk/ butter mixture and mix until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla to the cake mixture after tempering the egg mixture. Mix until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared baking sheet and bake for 18-24 minutes or until a pick inserted into the center comes out clean. (baking time will vary depending on oven...mine was done after 18 minutes.)
4. When the cake has cooled, cut the cake in half right along the parchment paper. Transfer the first half of the cake to your serving platter or a smaller pan; this is the first layer. Careful to keep parchment under the cake. Spread about a third of the frosting evenly over the cake. Top with alternating columns of slices of strawberries and blueberries. Spread a thin layer of frosting on top of the other half of the sheet cake to act a s a glue to the 1st layer.
5. Flip the 2nd half of the sheet cake over on top of the 1st layer. Remove parchment paper from 2nd layer. Cover cake with remaining frosting.Lightly mark a flag pattern into the frosting, then fill the upper left rectangle with blueberries and every other stripe with strawberry slices. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Tip: You can use toothpicks to keep your plastic wrap from smearing your frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
2 8-oz. packages cream cheese at almost room temp.
1/2 c. unsalted butter at almost room temp.
1 1/3 c. sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

In a food processor pulse butter until smooth. Add cream cheese and pulse until combined. Add in powdered sugar and vanilla; pulse til smooth. Refrigerate frosting and anything you've frosted that is not eaten immediately.

Vegan Queso

Ingredients:

3 T. olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/4 c. unsweetened plain almond milk

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cumin

1/4 tsp. chili powder

Optional Toppings:

Salsa

pickled Jalapenos

Directions:

In a saucepan saute garlic in olive oil over medium heat. Careful not to brown garlic. Add flour and whisk together. Continue whisking for a few minutes. Add almond milk, a half cup at a time, whisking after each addition. 

Place sauce in blender with seasonings. After pulsing a few times, return it to the saucepan and heat til warm.

Brazilian Cheese Bread

Brazilian Cheese Bread
Makes 24 mini Cheese Puffs
Recipe adapted from simplyrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS

• 1 egg*
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups (170 grams) tapioca flour or potato starch
• 1/2 cup (packed, about 66 grams) grated cheese, your preference, we get good results with feta cheese (no need to grate), or fresh farmer's cheese (if using fresh farmer's cheese, you may want to add another 1/2 teaspoon of salt)
• 1 teaspoon of salt (or more to taste)

Special equipment recommended:
One or two mini muffin tins. Mini muffin tins are about half the size of a regular muffin pan. The muffin openings are about 1-inch deep, and 1 3/4 inch wide at the top.

Note: 
*It helps when baking with eggs to start with eggs at room temperature. If you don't plan ahead (that would be me, usually) you can put the egg in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes to gently take off the chill of the fridge.

METHOD
1) Preheat oven to 400°F. Spread a little olive oil around the insides of each well of a mini-muffin tin.
2) Put all of the ingredients into a blender and pulse until smooth. You may need to use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the blender so that everything gets blended well. At this point you can store the batter in the refrigerator for up to a week.
3) Pour batter into prepared mini-muffin tin, not quite to the top; leave about 1/8 inch from the top.
4) Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until all puffy. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack for a few minutes.

Eat while warm or save to reheat later.
Note that Brazilian cheese bread is very chewy, a lot like Japanese mochi.

Mom's Mac n Cheese

   

My mom made this recipe recently for my Dad's birthday party and several people asked for the recipe, so here it is:

Mom's Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:
8 oz. elbow macaroni (2 cups)
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
1/2 cup Parmesan
3 cups milk
1/4 cup butter
2 1/2 tbs. flour

For topping: 
2 tbs. butter
1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1. Cook macaroni - boil 6 minutes for "al dente".
2. Melt butter in a pan on medium heat. Stir in flour to make a roux. Add milk slowly, stir constantly on low heat. Stir in cheeses til melted and sauce becomes thicker. Put macaroni in a large casserole dish and stir well.
3. Topping: melt butter in a saucepan, add breadcrumbs and brown. Spread over the macaroni to cover; sprinkle with paprika.
4. Bake @ 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Mom's Note: I tripled the recipe, using a Romano/Parmesan mix for 1/2 cup of the cheese, and prepped it all the day before, so just popped in the oven 30 minutes the next day.

Eri's Note: Mom toasted some whole wheat bread to make her own breadcrumbs.

Buttermilk Biscuits

Buttermilk Biscuits

Recipe adapted from Bobby Flay on foodnetwork.com

Makes 15 biscuits

Ingredients:

• 4 c. bread flour, plus more for dusting
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 12 T. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 1/2 c. cold buttermilk
• 1/2 c. whole milk
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper, not super fine and not course, somewhere in between
• 2 T. melted butter

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Combine until the ingredients are incorporated. 

Cut in the butter using your fingers or a pastry cutter just until the butter pieces are incorporated. Add the buttermilk and gently mix until the mixture just begins to come together. Add the whole milk and gently mix just until there is no longer any dry flour. 

Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured counter. Pat the dough into a 10 by 12-inch rectangle about a 1/2 inch thick. Cut into biscuits by pressing a 2-inch round cutter straight down into the dough to cut out biscuits. (Do not twist the cutter because that will hinder the biscuit from rising properly.) Press together the scraps of dough, and repeat the process. 

Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet. Lightly sprinkle the biscuits with the black pepper. Place biscuits on baking sheet so that they are just touching, this will help the biscuits rise. Bake the biscuits until lightly golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. Move the biscuits off the baking sheet and onto a cooling rack. Brush the tops and sides of the biscuits with the melted butter. Enjoy!

Mexican Stroganoff

Recipe by Micheal Grant

Ingredients:

Cheese Sauce 

• 8 oz. Velveeta cheese
• 1/2 c. shredded Vermont White Cheddar cheese
• 2 c. whole milk

Mexican Stroganoff

• 1 1/3 lb. lean ground beef (93/7)
• 1/4 tsp. Salt
• 1/2 tsp. fresh ground Pepper
• 1/2 tsp. Garlic powder
• 1 med. onion, chopped
• 1 c. water
• 16 oz. pkg. Extra-wide egg noodles
• 1 10 oz. can Rotel Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies-(Mild)
• 4 c. chicken broth made from Premium Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base
• 1/2 tsp. Cumin
• 1/4 tsp. ground Corriander
• 1/2 tsp. dried Oregano
• 1/2 tsp. 365 Carribean BBQ Seasoning

Directions:

1. Combine Cheese sauce ingredients in a microwave safe dish and melt in microwave until smooth, stirring every 30 seconds. Set aside.

2. In a large, deep skillet, brown beef seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

3. Add onion to pan and saute for about one minute. De-glaze pan with 1 c. water.

4. Let cook until onions are soft, then add noodles to pan.

5. Add Rotel, cheese sauce, chicken broth, Corriander, Oregano and Carribean BBQ seasoning to pan.

6. Bring mixture to a boil, then simmer on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes.