Peanut Butter Cups

Vegan peanut butter cups - how can you beat that for a sweet treat?  I came across this recipe in a magazine and though I've never attempted to make any kind of filled candy or treats using candy molds before, this looked  like an easy enough recipe to finally give this a try.  The recipe calls for just a few basic ingredients, and though there are a number of separate steps involved, it's all very straightforward.  

Now, the recipe I followed said to use 4 sheets of 12 small peanut butter cup candy molds.  What I discovered, however, was that the recipe for the filling made more than twice the amount to fill the 4 sheets.  Not a problem in my books, especially if I've already gone to the trouble of making something, may as well make lots!  Because I only had the 4 sheets I had to make these in 2 batches, and I still have enough filling left over for at least one sheet.  If you happen to find large, regular size peanut butter cup molds, then 4 sheets of 12 molds will suffice.

I also ignored the quantity of chocolate to melt - I keep a big bag of vegan chocolate chips on hand and melt in a double boiler as I go.  I don't use a microwave, so its all a big stove-top affair for me.  I use up any left over melted chocolate (and there always is some) by throwing in some Sahale snacks and making little chocolate nut clusters.  Extreme yum factor, especially with the cashew vanilla pomegranate variety. Mmmmm...

ingredients:

• 1 cup smooth peanut butter (I find MaraNatha brand to be the most exceptional)
• 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons Earth Balance Buttery Spread
• 3/4 cup crumbled vegan chocolate cookies*
• *I use Whole Foods 365 brand chocolate graham bears and crush them in a hand powered food processor until I have a mixture of powder and small crumbs.  A blender would work okay as well.
• Several cups vegan chocolate chips or vegan melting chocolate
• 8 small 12 cup peanut butter cup candy molds, or do 2 batches of 4 (see above notes)

method:

In a large bowl using an electric mixer beat together peanut butter, the powdered sugar, Earth Balance and cookie crumbs until well combined.  You may need to add a bit more peanut butter if the mixture is very dry and powdery.  I had to add about another 1/4 cup of peanut butter. You want the mixture to be sticky, so that it will hold together if you press it together with your hands.  Place in fridge until ready to use.

Prepare a small double boiler for melting the chocolate.  Pour about an inch of water in to the saucepan, place double boiler over top and pour in about a cup of chocolate chips.  Bring water to a boil, turn down to simmer once boiling.  When chips begin to melt stir them well to cream them together.

Using a small pastry brush, (I used a #3 flat paint brush), paint a thin layer of chocolate on the inside of each cup.  Place the prepared molds in the fridge until set.

Once the chocolate has hardened in the molds, drop small teaspoonfuls of the peanut mixture into each cup, pressing down firmly with your fingers and leaving just a sliver of space at the top for the final chocolate layer.

Once all cups are filled, melt more chocolate over the double boiler and using a small spoon pour melted chocolate on top of peanut butter in each cup.  You will need to smooth out the tops with the spoon to make an even layer that coats the mold around all the sides.

Place finished molds in the fridge for at least an hour until set.  Pop out candies and place in small paper cups, store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Black Bean Soup

This is an amazingly tasty and easy vegan black bean soup.  Serve it up with some tortillas or tortilla chips and a big green salad for a hearty and satisfying meal.

This recipe makes about four large portions.  The first time I made it I didn't have enough beans on hand so I halved the recipe.

ingredients:

• 4 cans (14 oz), or the equivalent freshly cooked, black beans*
• 2 - 3 medium tomatoes, diced, or use 1 14 oz can
• 1 Tbsp olive or grapeseed oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
• 1 small - medium red onion, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced thin
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1/3 cup frozen corn kernels 
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs; a combination of parsley and cilantro is really great
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• salt and black pepper to taste

method:

Place half the beans and all the tomatoes in a food processor and blend until smooth. 

Heat oil in soup pot and saute onions, carrots and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes. 

Add vegetable stock, bean puree, the remaining beans, the corn and the spices.  Bring to a simmer, turn to low heat and simmer about 15 minutes, stirring every so often so the beans don't stick to the bottom.  

Add the chopped fresh herbs once soup is simmering.

If you like a thinner soup you may like to add some more vegetable stock.  

Tip: Serve with a bit of shredded Daiya vegan cheese sprinkled on top!

*if doubling the recipe and using dried beans I've found that 3 cups dried beans (then soaked and cooked of course) is the right amount.

Vegan Pumpkin Scones

These scones are the perfect autumn late afternoon snack, or treat with dinner. Light and healthy yet rich and satisfying at the same time - can't beat that!

I've listed the ingredient amounts for both the full and half recipe, just in case I (or you) don't have enough ingredients on hand (like the first time I made them).  I know, it's easy to just half it yourself, but a quick reference is always handy too :)

12 scones:

• 1/2 cup organic cane sugar
• 3 1/2 cups flour (I use whole spelt)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/2 cup Earth Balance buttery spread
• 2 cups pumpkin (canned or not)

6 scones:

• 1/4 cup organic cane sugar
• 1 3/4 cups flour (I use whole spelt) 
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp allspice
• 1/4 cup Earth Balance buttery spread
• 1 cup pumpkin (canned or not)

method:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Line two cookie sheets (or 1 for the half recipe) with parchment paper. 

Soften Earth Balance if it has been in the fridge.

In a large bowl whisk together all the dry ingredients. 

Cut in the Earth Balance, a bit at a time, then add the pumpkin.

Mix until very well combined. I use a large serving fork to mix.

Knead lightly on a floured surface.

Form dough in to a fat circle and cut in to 12 or 6 pie shapes. Or, divide dough as you wish in to the sizes you  like.

Place on cookie sheet and bake 12 - 15 minutes.  (In my oven it's 15)

Remove from oven when slightly golden brown on top, and top of scones spring back under a gentle touch.

Allow to cool on a wire rack before serving.

Enjoy!

Mexican Ratatouille

ingredients:

• 1 medium zucchini
• 1 small eggplant
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1 large clove garlic, crushed
• oil for frying (I use grapeseed oil)
• 1 can black beans
• 1 bag Daiya vegan cheese cheddar style shreds
• 2 Tbsp chili powder
• salt to taste

method:

Heat about 1 Tbsp of oil in a large skillet.  When hot add the crushed garlic. Fry 30 seconds, then add the chili powder.  Sir for about 20 seconds, then add all the vegetables.  Stir well to thoroughly mix vegetables with the oil/garlic/chili powder.  Add a bit of salt according to your taste. If the garlic and chili powder is sticking to the bottom of the pan, add a splash of water. Place a lid on the skillet and let simmer, stirring every so often.

When the vegetables are almost done stir the black beans.  Allow the beans to warm up for a minute or so, then add 1/2 - 3/4 bag of the cheddar shreds.  Mix well.  Sprinkle the remaining shreds over the top of the dish, place the lid back on and keep the heat on low until the Daiya has melted.  Turn off heat, serve and enjoy!

Recipe by Trudel 

french toast

This French toast is super satisfying on a laid back weekend morning.  I like to use a whole grain sprouted bread for added heartiness.

Yield: enough for about 5 pieces of toast

ingredients:

• 3/4 cup soy or almond or rice beverage (I prefer to use plain, unsweetened)
• 3 Tbsp flour
• 2 tsp agave nectar or other sweetener
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• Earth Balance buttery spread
• sliced bread of your choice

method:

Combine all ingredients except the Earth Balance in a shallow, wide bowl.

Heat a skillet over medium - low heat.  When hot, add some Earth Balance (the amount is completely up to you) and while it is melting quickly dip a slice of bread in the milky mixture, making sure to completely coat both sides.

Place the slice in the skillet and move it around just a bit so it doesn't stick, just for the first few seconds.  Flip when first side is done, move to a serving place and repeat.

Enjoy!

Kale Chips

Mmmm - Kale Chips!  All the yum and crunch you want in a tasty snack, plus all the benefits of raw kale - can't go wrong with that, can you?

Note: This recipe will vary in proportion of sauce to kale depending on the variety of kale used. The curlier the kale, the more sauce you will use, and vise versa.  You may end up with a good amount of extra sauce, so you may just have to get yourself some more kale and make more.

Note 2:  I use a dehydrator. I know this can be done in an oven at a low temperature setting, but please don't ask me as I have no experience with this.  There is lots of info on the web about how to do that.  This recipe, as all on this blog, are really there to serve me with a quick reference for my favorite recipes.


ingredients:

• lots and lots of kale
• 1/2 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup water (you may need more)
• 2 Tbsp miso
• 1 large clove garlic, or the equivalent
• 1 very small lemon, squeezed
• 1/2 tsp salt

method:

Cut the tough stems off the kale, including right up between the leaves.  This just ends up being really tough and stringy otherwise.  Wash and dry, and with your hands break into large potato chip size pieces. Transfer the kale into a large bowl.

Blend the remaining ingredients in a blender until very smooth.  The consistency should be quite thin, almost like salad dressing, so you may need to add more water.

Pour the sauce over the kale and combine well, making sure all the leaves are thoroughly covered.  I find using my hands is the most effective method.

Transfer the leaves to your dehydrator trays.  I always have my dehydrator set to the highest temperatre as it makes the process go a little faster.  This will take about 4 - 5 hours, depending on the relative humidity of where you live (prairies as opposed to coast).  The kale chips are done when they're all nice and crispy.

Enjoy!

Carrot Cake with "Cream Cheese" Icing

Mmmmm, carrot cake. Who doesn't love carrot cake?  This is a deliciously moist cake - lots of carrots, rasins, walnuts and icing, yum!  If you don't want as much icing as the above photo, just make half the recipe, or make the whole recipe and save the remainder for some cupcakes or something else tasty.

cake ingredients:

• 3 cups flour (I use 1/2 whole spelt flour, 1/2 white flour)
• 1 1/2 cups organic cane sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum (can omit if you don't have it)
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil of your choice
• 1 cup soy, rice, or almond milk (plain or vanilla)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups finely grated carrots
• 3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
• 3/4 cup rasins

frosting ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Earth Balance Buttery Spread
• 8 oz vegan cream cheese
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• optional: 1 tsp lemon or vanilla extract

method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Line a 12" x 9" loaf pan with parchment paper, or grease the pan with some Earth Balance

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients for the cake and combine well.

In a medium bowl, combine the wet ingredients for the cake and mix well.

Make a hollow in the dry ingredients and pour the wet inside, mix gently with a large spoon.  Fold in carrots, rasins, and walnuts.

Pour batter in to the prepared tin and bake 50 - 55 minutes, or until cake gently springs back when touched in the center. 

Allow cake to cool on a wire rack before frosting.

To prepare the frosting, combine frosting ingredients in a bowl and mix with a beater.  Spread on cake and enjoy!

Lemon Squares

If lemon squares are your deal, then this is the recipe for you.  I found it on the Vegweb site five years ago, added it to my recipe box, and then never made it until today!  And me being a total lemon square fiend, I really have no clue how this happened.  Well, there's no looking back after today, that's for sure.  And best of all, this recipe whips together in less than 20 minutes, how's that, eh? (Okay, now you know I'm Canadian...)

ingredients:

crust:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 5 tablespoons (or 1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp) Earth Balance Buttery Spread
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

filling:

• 3 egg equivalents, prepared (all I had in the house was cornstarch, so I did 6 Tbsp with equal parts water)
• 2 1/2 - 3 lemons, juiced and zested
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 Tbsp all purpose flour
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp lemon extract if you have it, you can omit this if you don't have it
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt

method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Line an 8" x 8" pan with parchment paper, right up the vertical sides as well.  This makes removal of the squares so much easier. 

In a bowl combine the crust ingredients and press into the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes.

While the crust is baking, prepare the egg replacer, whip it up a bit and add the remaining ingredients, mixing together really well.

Pour over baked crust, pop in the oven and bake 20 - 25 minutes, or until somewhat set.  

Allow to cool, preferably in the fridge, before cutting.

Recipe from vegweb

Zombie Fingers (Mozzarella Sticks)

These mozzarella sticks (aka 'Zombie Fingers' - keep reading!) made with Daiya vegan cheese are truly out of this world.

I came across the recipe on Daiya Foods' You Tube channel - its one of the entries to their 'Get Cooking' contest where the prize is a much coveted iPad.  The video is made by 'The Vegan Zombie', a highly entertaining vegan cook that makes insane food and really great videos.  In my humble opinion, he is by far the front runner in the competition thus far; the recipe consists of pretty much entirely Daiya cheese, its both super easy & fun to make, is insanely, stupidly, disgustingly good, and the video itself is really well made and fun to watch.

Enough is enough! This evening I made these mozzarella sticks and Andre and I had to really exercise some serious control not to eat the whole shebang. Wow, are these beauties ever tasty.

I don't need to print out the recipe, all you have to do is watch the video a couple times and you'll have it committed to memory.  Like I said earlier, very easy to make.

Watch the video, link over to You Tube if you want to give it a thumbs up or comment, and make yourself some Zombie Fingers!!

Potato Broccoli Soup with Leek

I'd never made a potato or broccoli soup of any kind, but had both ingredients in the fridge and it being a cold, wet day the mood called for soup! I was pretty impressed with my creation, and my husband deemed it "one of the best soups ever".  I don't know if I'd go that far, but it did turn out good enough for me to want to preserve the recipe!

ingredients:

• oil for sauteeing (I use grapeseed oil)
• 1 cup chopped leek greens with some whites
• 3 - 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 4 medium sized russet potatoes, roughly cubed into square inch pieces
• 1 large stalk broccoli, stem included, chopped very fine
• 7 cups water
• 2 Tbsp spelt (or wheat) flour
• 2 cups plain rice, or soy, or almond beverage
• 1 vegetable bouillon cube
• 1 bay leaf
• a few dashes oregano & marjoram
• salt to taste
• a couple dashes cayenne
• shredded cheddar or pepperjack style Daiya vegan cheese for topping

method:

In a large stock pot heat the oil over medium heat.  When hot, transfer in the leeks and cook about 2 minutes.  Add in the garlic and cook 1 more minute.  

Pour in the water and rice beverage and bring to a boil. When boiling add in the bouillon cube and flour and stir until there are no more lumps of flour.  

Reduce heat, keeping the water at a low boil. Add in the potatoes and cook about 10 minutes.  Add in the broccoli and cook until the potatoes and broccoli are soft.  Turn off heat, but leave pot on burner.

Using a hand immersion blender, blend soup until it is mostly creamed.  (I wait until it's not super hot and bubbly)

Add in the bay leaf, oregano, marjoram and salt to taste, and if you wish a few dashes of cayenne.

Serve hot, and top with a few spoons of Daiya brand vegan cheese, both the cheddar and pepperjack style are really nice with this soup.

Enjoy!

Date Squares

Date squares are pretty much a staple at any bakery, coffee shop and in many a kitchen.  But when trying to find a recipe on my favorite vegan go-to site, vegweb.com, I found not a single date square recipe - go figure!  It had me so confused with disbelief that I spent about half an hour looking, and then came back later in the day again just to make sure.  Very odd.  So I dug up an old recipe I'd made up over a decade ago and modified it to fill a bigger pan.  Hey - if you're going to the trouble of making something you may as well make lots!  So here's my modified version which fills my roughly 9" x 12" stoneware baking pan.

The base turned out a little thicker than I personally wanted, but my husband loves it and it does taste really good. Next time I think I'll reduce the base ingredients by a touch.


filling ingredients:

• 4 cups dates
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 cup maple syrup

base ingredients:

• 2 cups flour (I use whole spelt flour)
• 3/4 cup oats (whole or quick)
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup Earth Balance, softened
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup soy / rice / almond beverage, plain or vanilla
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

topping ingredients:

• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup oats
• 1/3 cup nuts (I use a mix of slivered almonds & walnut crumbs)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup light oil
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To prepare the filling place the dates and water in large saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer with lid removed for 10 - 15 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Prepare a large baking dish, I use a lasagna tray that's about 9" x 13", by rubbing in some Earth Balance.

Prepare the base layer:  Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl, then add the wet and mix well.  Press into the baking dish to make a firm, even layer.

To make the topping, combine the dry ingredients in the empty bowl you used for the base layer.  While stirring drizzle in the oil and vanilla and mix until you've achieved a crumbly texture. Set aside.

Pour the date - water mixture into a blender, add the maple syrup and blend until smooth. You will likely have to do this in two batches.  Careful of any pits - they'll make a terrible racket and could damage your blade.

Pour the date mixture over the base layer and smooth it out nice and evenly.  Spread the crumbly mixture over top and pop into the oven.  Bake 30 minutes or until topping is slightly browned.

Daiya Mac 'n Cheese

I found this recipe on the Daiya Foods website and adapted it ever so slightly.  Basically, I omitted all steps beyond cooking the pasta and making the sauce as these first two steps are totally adequate if you have a desperate craving for mac 'n cheese. The original recipe goes on to transfer the mac 'n cheese into a casserole dish, top with breadcrumbs and paprika  and bake.  To see the original recipe, click here.


ingredients:

• 16 ounces (1 pound) pasta of your choice
• 1 full package Daiya cheddar style shreds
• 3 tablespoons vegan butter (I use Earth Balance)
• 2 cups unsweetened soy / rice beverage
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• salt to taste

method:

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain well and pour pasta into a large bowl.

In a small saucepan melt the vegan butter. When melted add pepper and nutritional yeast and stir well.

Stir in the soy / rice beverage and the cheddar.  Cook over low - medium heat and stir well for about 3 minutes, making sure the bottom does not burn.

Add sauce to pasta, stir well and add a bit of extra salt if desired.

Berry Bread Pudding

This is an amazingly simple, dinner-guest-worthy dessert that's actually quite healthy.  It's loaded with mixed berries, whole grain bread, and your choice of soy / rice / almond milk. The only sweetener is some maple syrup and a couple tablespoons of organic cane sugar, and for the volume of dessert this recipe makes I think the sugar is a non-issue.  And c'mon, it is dessert after all!

Prep time: 10 minutes

ingredients:

• 2 cups frozen berries (I use PC brand 4-berry mix)
• 1 cup either dried or frozen cranberries, both work equally well
• 4 cups, slightly packed, cubed whole grain bread (roughly 7 slices)
• 2 cups soy / rice / almond milk, vanilla flavour if you have it on hand
• 1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• 2 Tbsp organic cane sugar
• 3 1/2 Tbsp arrowroot powder or corn starch 
• 1/2 - 1 cup slivered almonds and walnut pieces
• 2 - 4 Tbsp maple syrup (depending on how many nuts you use)
• vanilla or almond extract
• Optional: 1 - 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl combine and mix well: berries, bread, "milk", maple syrup, sugar, arrowroot powder or corn starch, and optional lemon juice.

Pour into a baking or casserole dish and pat down with a spoon.

Combine nuts, remaining maple syrup, and extract in a small bowl and sprinkle over top of the pudding, leaving 1/4" air space around the edge for steam to escape.

Bake, uncovered, 45 minutes

Allow to cool for an hour at room temperature before serving.

Vegetable Pot Pie with Daiya Vegan Cheese

This is a fairly basic veggie pot pie recipe, but the addition of wonderful Daiya vegan cheese makes it a step way above the ordinary.  I used to make veggie pot pies years ago, but there was no vegan cheese on the market that I would put anywhere near my mouth, so though the pies were tasty, they were really just a bunch of vegetables in a crust.  Well, hello Daiya!!  Daiya vegan cheese will spike up any meal giving dishes that restaurant-made quality.  You can buy it at any Whole Foods in North America, plus a wide, wide variety of other natural grocers.  For a listing of where to buy near you just click here for their locator page.

Note on amount of vegetables to use:  Use as many as will fill up whatever size pie dish you have, so you kind of have to eyeball the amount. My theory is it's better to have too much than too little.  I have a very deep pie dish as well, so all my veggies almost filled up a 4 liter cooking pot (see photo below).

ingredients:

• 1 double layer pie crust; either store bought or home made
• 2 - 3 average sized potatoes, cubed
• 3 medium carrots, chopped
• a variety of veggies, whatever you have on hand (I used 1 small zucchini, green beans, peas, corn, mushrooms, broccoli florets and stem chopped up)
• 1 head red or green chard or large bunch spinach, chopped
• 2 - 3 cups vegetable broth (from cooking the veggies, see method below)
• herbs of your choice (I used Italian herbs, but cumin & garlic is good too)
• cornstarch or flour
• 1/2 bouillon cube
• 1 package Daiya vegan cheese (you may not use the whole package, depends how cheesy you want it)

method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

If using pre-made pie shells, thaw and place into pie dish.  If making from scratch, make the crust while the veggies are cooking and line the pie dish with the bottom layer crust.

Cook chard or spinach in a pot with about 1 cup water.

In another pot, a large one, cook the remaining chopped veggies in about 2 cups water until about half done.

Prepare your pie crust if making from scratch and line pie dish with bottom crust.

When veggies are done strain them over a bowl so that you reserve the liquid.  Strain the chard / spinach separately as it is used as a topping layer at the end, make sure to reserve the broth from the chard / spinach as well.

Transfer veggies to a large bowl, set chard aside.

Pour the reserved broth into one of the used cooking pots, put on low heat and add 1/2 bouillon cube and herbs & spices.  Add cornstarch (about 1 Tbsp) or flour (about 2 - 3 Tbsp) and mix well, until sauce thickens a bit.

Pour sauce over veggies and stir to combine.

Spread a handful or two of Daiya vegan cheese in the bottom of the pie dish.  Pour all the veggies over top and top with cooked chard / spinach.  Add some more Daiya over top, the amount is up to you.

Place the top pie shell over everything and seal up as best you can.  Make a few small holes in the top shell for venting.

Bake 45 minutes, or until crust is slightly browned.

Let cool a bit before serving.  I make pot pies in the afternoon if I have time, then leave them in the warm oven until dinner and they're just the perfect temperature. 

brownies with chocolate icing

Who doesn't love a great brownie?  I just made this recipe for the first time today and am pleased with how it turned out. However, I personally love really dense, gooey brownies and this came out a bit more cake-like.  The original recipe calls for more granulated sugar and no agave nectar, so I think next time I make this I will use 1 cup brown sugar instead of 1/2 and scrap the agave nectar.  I'll also take it out at exactly 25 minutes; it still felt pretty "wet" so I left it in an extra 5 minutes and I believe this is what really made the difference.

The icing on these brownies is just an adaptation of a truffle recipe I have on this site and is the absolute bomb for brownie or any cake icing.  The recipe for the icing is at the very bottom.

Yield: This recipe fills a 9" x 13" pan, so how many brownies exactly depends on how you cut it up!

ingredients:

• 2 cups flour (I use 1 1/2 white, 1/2 whole wheat)
• 1 cup organic cane sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (slightly heaped) vegan cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup soy / rice / almond beverage (can use choc. flavour if you have on hand)
• 1/2 cup light vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup Earth Balance, softened
• 1/4 cup agave nectar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips 
• 1/3 cup walnuts or pecans (optional)

method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Prepare a 9" x 13" pan:  "Grease" the sides with Earth Balance and lay parchment paper on the bottom of the pan.

Combine the flour, sugars, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.  Mix with a whisk until thoroughly combined.

Remove 1 Tablespoon of the oil and pour into a small saucepan along with the chocolate chips.

In a small bowl combine the "milk" beverage, remaining oil, Earth Balance, agave nectar and vanilla extract.  Mix until well combined.

Place the saucepan on the stove on low heat and melt the chocolate chips.  Be careful not to burn them.

While the chips are melting, pour the "milk" mixture into the dry ingredients, and mix just a bit, then add the melted chocolate chips and thoroughly mix the batter, adding in the nuts at this point.

Batter will be thick and wet.

Pour into pan and bake 25 - 30 minutes.  They are done when the top feels a bit firm and springs back under your touch.

Let cool before cutting and eating.

Make the frosting once the brownies come out of the oven and then spread on top right away.  You can cool the whole shebang in the fridge if you like for a faster set.

frosting:

• 1 cup vegan chocolate chips
• 1 Tablespoon oil
• 1/3 cup cashews
• 1/3 cup water

Add cashews and water to a blender and blend until very smooth and creamy. Pour into a small bowl.

Add oil and chocolate chips to a small saucepan and set on low heat.  Stir until melted, then transfer to cashew blend and combine really well using a fork.