Help! Vegan sweets for a determined carnivore?
Posted by thaleia on Mar 31, 2009 · Member since Mar 2009 · 15 posts
Help! One of my very best mates is a dedicated carnivore (we were friends before I went vegan...) and thoroughly enjoys teasing me about all aspects of veganism. In our most recent debate, I claimed I could make some sort of vegan cake or cookie or whatever that even he will have to admit is as good or better than any non-vegan sweet he's had.
Well, that was all said in the heat of the moment...and now I'm stuck! I've made decent cakes and muffins before, but they often come out with faint taste of soy or flax that I'm sure his well-trained carnivorous palate would detect.
So, anyone have any favourite dessert recipes? Any perhaps not-so-favourite recipes that have nevertheless delighted friendly omnivores? Thank you in advance!! :)>>>
1.)Check your library for Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World.
2.) Make the tiramisu cupcakes.
3.) Be worshiped as the cupcake goddess forever. ;D
The toasted coconut + chocolate with coffee buttercream are also very tasty.
Good suggestion, ponycakes!!
You can check this thread to find reviews on all the vctotw cupcakes: http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=26115.0
Also, I highly suggest these brownies: http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=23281.0
Use 1 tbs flax mixed with 3 tbs water for the flax in the recipe, mix that, and add it to the wet ingredients (with the sugar). Add vegan chocolate chips! Also, make sure to grease your pan really well, and underbake them just a bit.
the s'mlove pie from veganomicon is delicious, i think it's good with sliced bananas on top of it too.
also - im gonna plug my vegweb pie contest winner here ::) it's the easiest thing ever. mix everything in a big bowl, pour into shell & bake.. it's totally foolproof, no baking expertise needed. every omni i know loves this pie and whenever i go visit my parents they always ask if im going to make 'the pie'.. my dad will eat it for breakfast, and dessert after his lunch and dinner if it's around. my moms description was included something along the lines of 'gooey raisinets'.
Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie
1 pie shell, homemade or storebought (graham cracker is best with this)
3 flax eggs (3 tbsp ground flax + 9 tbsp water)
1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup brown sugar - packed
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup earth balance - softened
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg or allspice
1 cup quick cooking oats
1/4 - 1/2 cup raisins
3/4 cup chocolate chips
1/4 chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 325.
Mix everything together in one big bowl and pour it into the pie crust. For a 8" crust bake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes. For a 9" crust it might not take quite as long. Either way, when the top looks cooked and when a knife inserted halfway between the crust and the center of the pie comes out clean, it's done! Serve warm from the oven or reheat slices in the microwave.. it's delicious served a'la mode with some vanilla soy cream!
trust me he will not taste the flax.. it gets lost in the cinnamon/oats/etc.
here's a pic:
Thank you everyone for all the quick responses, the ones here so far look great!
Is he more chocolate or fruit or...?
I definite second (third, fourth?) Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. I've gotten rid of a lot of my cookbooks over the past year, but I've kept that one.
From vw:
Time-Warp Lemon Squares - my all-time favorite
Kick-Ass Molasses Cookies - I add extra chopped ginger
Desserts are the easiest thing to bridge the omni gap because the only thing that's different, really, is using vegan margarine instead of butter and EnerG or other binder instead of eggs. The ingredients are really all the same. Even things like frosting, when it comes down to it, is really just "butter", shortening, powdered sugar, and vanilla.
i made the cappuccino cupcakes from vegan cupcakes take over the world about a week ago, and a coworker came up today saying that she began craving my cupcakes. haha. so those must be pretty good!!
Lisa's Chocolate Cake (also known as wacky cake) http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=11664.0
Really easy, really good, and omnivores have been making it for years.
make him raw chocolates!!!
you will need:
1/2 cup coconut butter
1/8 cup raw cacao or cocoa
1-2 tsp agave nectar (maple syrup will do in a pinch but isn't the same, or raw)
sea salt (just a pinch will do!)
1/8 cup almonds or pecans, crushed
1/8 cup mulberries, goji berries or dried fruit of your choice
Melt the coconut butter in a warm water bath, transfer to bowl and whisk in cacao. Slowly add agave to your desired sweetness, adding salt to counteract so it isn't too sweet. Once you have perfected your chocolate, pour a thin layer into your tray or mold, let sit in fridge for 15 mins. Add the fruit and nuts to the rest of your chocolate and pour what is left into the tray. Set in fridge or freezer for at least 30 mins.
I tried the chocolate brownies...and he's now claiming he "doesn't like chocolate". (WHAT?!?! How can anyone SURVIVE without chocolate?!?!?!) I thought they were delicious, anyway. But with all the rave reviews, I did order the vegan cupcake book! I'll prove the merits of veganness yet! ;)b
well, he's obviously insane.. and speaking of insane..
does he like nuts? cus you could do a pecan pie, or peanut butter cheesecake.
pumpkin oatmeal cookies.. peanut butter banana bread.. cinnamon rolls.. i bet the pie i poster earlier would still be great without the chocolate, most oatmeal raisin cookies don't have chocolate in them anyway (but they should)... carrot cake w/ cream cheese frosting, pineapple upside down cake?
wow.. that was actually really hard for me to think of non-chocolatey desserts.. chocolate makes everything better..
Once you have the VCTOTW cookbook make the sexy low fat vanilla but add lemon extract and lemon zest. Pair it with lemon buttercream and if he doesnt like it you know he is truly insane and needs professional help!
I tried the chocolate brownies...and he's now claiming he "doesn't like chocolate". (WHAT?!?! How can anyone SURVIVE without chocolate?!?!?!) I thought they were delicious, anyway. But with all the rave reviews, I did order the vegan cupcake book! I'll prove the merits of veganness yet! ;)b
:o I say, he's an idiot! I'm glad you liked them, though. Yay for vctotw! ;)b
i've found that any dessert involving peanut butter will be well received even by those skeptical carnivores. you can't really go wrong with peanut butter since it has such a dominate taste that will flavor and even dilute the "funny" taste of all those foreign alternative ingredients. (provided that the person you're baking for actually likes peanut butter-laden sweets, otherwise why even bother with a vegan version of something the person wouldn't normally eat)?
I must say my favourite so far is the Time-Warp Lemon Squares. They taste exactly like the non-vegan version, if not better!
I hope you win!
i had way better luck with the lemon square recipe from joy of vegan baking.. no flax to turn it a weird color, perfectly sweet-sour, and a much thicker layer of lemon goo.. (they got better reviews from the family too, they thought the time warp ones were just ok)
Well, the Vegan Cupcakes book arrived today and I must say, it looks amazing!! ;D As far as the contest goes, he came round yesterday morning when I'd just finished making banana bread (http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=5790.0) and he absolutely LOVED it! So much for all my aspirations of fancy dessert-making, eh? Anyway, I'll definitely try the rest of these recipes on him just to make sure, so thank you very much to all! :)>>>
ha - sometimes it's the simple things.. good job though!