Stir-Up Sunday isn’t ’til next weekend, but I’m out of town then, and I wanted to try to sneak a vegan fruitcake into the cookbook, so here we go…
No Chastisements in the Kitchen Tonight
Kavi, who’s been a little sick for a few days: Do we have any chocolate?
Me, dubiously: We have chocolate chips.
Kavi, pathetically: Anything more dessert-y?
Me, thinking: How does chocolate pudding sound?
Kavi, cheerfully: I haven’t had chocolate pudding in forever. That sounds great.
Me, a gleam in my eye: Give me a few minutes.
….ten minutes later, drumroll….
Presenting very dessert-y chocolate pudding!
(Instant vanilla pudding we happened to have on hand, cooked on the stovetop with chocolate chips melted in, chilled in our fanciest gold-flecked dessert bowl, with gold candies scattered over, graced with graham crackers…)
*****
I am happy to inform you that milady was pleased with the offering; there will be no chastisement in the kitchens tonight.
Vegan Love Cake Works Just Fine
So it turns out that this vegan version of love cake takes a little longer to bake to brown up, but otherwise, it seems to work just fine! I’m happy with the texture, which is the important thing that was worrying me.
I want to try another variation (using egg replacer instead of bananas & aquafaba) before I settle on something final for the cookbook, but this is totally acceptable. It’s a little bit like a cross between banana bread and love cake. Interesting!
Honeycomb honey cake
Honey-Lemon Pull-Apart Cake
Honey-Lemon Pull-Apart Cake
This is just slightly modified from the recipe that comes with this charming pan (link in comments). It makes a light and fluffy cake; you can serve as is, sprinkle powdered sugar on top, or for extra flavor, top with a honey-lemon glaze.
3 c. flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 c. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. honey
4 large eggs
2 T finely grated lemon rind
1 c. sour cream
Glaze:
3 T honey
1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 T lemon juice
1. Pre-heat oven to 325F. Grease and flour pan (or use baking spray); set aside.
2. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3. In large bowl, cream softened butter, sugar, and honey until light and fluffy, scraping bowl as needed. Add eggs one at a time, and beat until well-blended. Add flour mixture and sour cream in portions, alternately and blend on low; stir in grated lemon rind.
4. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 45-55 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean; cool ten minutes in pan, then turn out to finish cooling on wire rack.
Glaze:In small saucepan, combine all glaze ingredients and heat until sugar dissolves. Brush warm glaze over cooling cake.
Octopus cakes
How many octopus cakes does one woman need?
Sri Lankan butter cake, with mango and ginger
Sri Lankan butter cake, with mango and ginger. So nice with a cup of tea.
Jaggery & Treacle Gingersnaps
Jaggery & Treacle Gingersnaps
(30-45 minutes, makes 36 cookies)
Pineapple marshmallows
What a Good Wife I Am
Me, seeing that a box of peaches has arrived for Kevin, part of a gift subscription from his parents for his birthday last year: “I hope you’re not going to ignore the peaches I’ve spent FIVE YEARS growing for you, just to eat those.”
Kevin: “This could be the subject of an entire sitcom — do I eat your peaches, or my mother’s peaches?”
Dear reader, do not fret! I saved Kevin from this fraught decision, taking the ripest of his mother’s peaches and slicing it up to have with strawberry ice cream, yum.
What a good wife I am, looking out for him that way.