Exiled, But With A Rowboat. A Vegan's Guide to Desserts

Don't get lost in the metaphor. The point I am trying to make is that desserts can be a minefield to navigate.

Don't get me wrong, desserts should be eaten in moderation. Instead of, cutting them out completely. What would we do without desserts on birthdays? (that is, if you aren't a Jehova's Witness.) What do we eat after the mash potatoes and Tofurkey on Christmas?

As we pretty much all know, eating desserts in restaraunts is almost out of the question (unless its a vegan restaurant or specializes in vegan items.) The caviats to this are fruit platters (which arent really a "dessert", and sorbet, which is typically vegan. (Ben & Jerry's Sorbet will be available in supermarkets this Spring, Yipppeeee!!!)

Many co-ops and a handful of supermarkets are carrying things like vegan cookies and brownies, tofu chocolate pies, etc. The deli counter at the Hunger Mountain Co-op in Montpelier, Vermont actually had vegan chocolate cake for sale by the slice on Friday. Look around and you might find something.

The bigger problem is when you cannot make it to a store, or they don't carry anything like that. Then you are on your own. There are many vegan recipes, but you need to know how to weed out some of them. For example, the brownies I posted turned out delicious (I'm eating them right now as I type), but I wouldn't serve them for company because they sag in the middle and don't stay together since there are no binding agents (which normally would be eggs) in them. You can add egg replacer to recipes, and use things like applesauce, mashed bananas, corn starch, etc in baked goods to replace eggs.

I suggest to use recipes from place like PETA, Viva, Farm Sanctuary, IDA, etc, if you are presenting to company because these are the experts on veganism. Many recipes off message boards will work, but sometimes they will sag or not hold. The experts (including chefs and people who have made the recipe before) know the exact conversions, tips and tricks, and what type of replacer for what type of recipe (or for their specific recipe.) Many times people try to take a regular recipe and "fix it" by adding an egg replacer, only to screw it up because it was the wrong one. (For example, using the 1 oz applesauce = 1 egg conversion in cookies will make them too moist and gooey. You should use cornstarch or something less liquidy)

When making a vegan dessert, it is nearly always best to use a recipe that is vegan to begin with than to try and veganize a recipe on your own. PETA2 has many (yummy) vegan dessert recipes.

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Another hard part about desserts are when people ask you if vegans can even eat dessert. It gets old quick. Even most semi-sweet chocolates are vegan! Then there are the times when people ask if you can "bend the rules" just "once". I normally try to be a civilized person towards non veg's when they ask rediculous things, but this just makes me mad. Its asking "Do you want to promote the veal industry just this time?" And usually its not once. If you gave in every time someone said that you wouldn't go 2 days before you got asked again!

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Hope this helps torch some of the mines for you!
Lots of Love from the vegan brownie muncher,
Allie

Put Some Pix Up

I will put some pictures up as soon as I get more signal. The only way I can get the pictures off my phone is to email them to myself. I cannot email photos without more signal, which I should get at school (on Wednesday) or if I take a walk down my street.

Luvs,
Loki

Its my Birthday!

Yay, today I'm 14! That means I can legally buy and consume wine and beer in Switzerland! Sweetness baby.

So far I got a pack of gum with one piece missing from my old 7th grade teacher, and 4 tic tacs from a friend. Tomorrow is my party with my family where I get my cell phone.

I'm making those brownies for my birthday "cake", so I will tell you how they are. I'm going to make boiled chocolate frosting to drizzle on it, which is essentially fondue that has cooled. And I'm making some truffles. Yum.

If you want to give me a birthday gift, you can refer your friends and fellow vegans to my blog, and it will be much appreciated. A simple hyperlink is justice. You dont have to, but I'd love it if you did. Getting publicity for a blog can be a pain in the you-know-what sometimes. It's fun, but is still work.

I'm going foodshopping in a few mins so I can get stuff for the "cake" and truffles.

Au revoir mes amis et mes copains,
- Le "birthday" fille. ♥

Vegan Brownies

I got this off the PETA2.com message boards. Enjoy! As of March 2, 2006 I have not tried it, but I may soon.

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Pour in the water, vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Mix until well blended. Spread evenly in a 9x13 (or 8x8) inch baking pan.
3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top is no longer shiny. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into squares.

Busy Busy Busy

I was so busy last night. I had tons of Social Studies homework for a big project that was due today. And also, I went up to Burlington and got a new cell phone for my birthday, which is tomorrow. Yay!

Its so sweet! Its like a regular phone but you can lift the top and it has a keyboard and mini speakers. It does video and pictures too. Of course, its going to be my new tool for animal activism. I can take clips of PETA videos and record them on there, along with pictures. I am also going to use it to make phone calls to people like David Novak (CEO of KFC).

If you have any ideas for what I should do with my phone, leave a comment!