I opted to simplify some things – but feel free to pop over and follow the recipe there
My version
½ white onion chopped
1 celery stalk with leaves chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
Saute onion and celery in the oil in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Once the onions are transparent, add your spices to let them warm up a bit – you can do your own thing for spices – these are what I have handy…
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 tsp pepper
then add
2 sweet potatoes < medium size> – oven roasted , peeled and chopped. note:I had already done that – and I would likely micro wave them to bake them quickly if they were not already baked..
60 grams dry weight red split lentils < I used my kitchen scale, not sure how much this is in cups>
and enough water to cover – I did not measure, but it was probably 3-4 cups – enough to make large bowls of soup for two.
Bring it up to a boil, then turn the heat to medium low, let simmer until the lentils are soft – maybe 15-20 minutes. Once they are soft, puree the soup with an immersion blender – or however you puree soup!
And it was super easy and successful! In spite of the small size of steamers I had available to use….
4 sort of fit in the small steamer I have…this single guy had more space int he larger set up in my larger pot… and the parchment is perfect for them to slide right off!Steaming away – and so easy!
I did some other regular/ repeat baking this past weekend during a virtual gathering with friends – and it was the BEST WAY to deal with an online gathering – I was. busy, I was doing stuff! Listening to our friends, some of whom we have not seen for months, and contributing in my own special snarky way as appropriate…
I made a small batch of each :
Chocolate cake cookie sandwiches< a variation made by using cake mix and reducing the water and filling them with more of my vegan Swiss buttercream as it is lasting quite nicely!>; Gingerbread cookies; standard chocolate chip cookies < be inspired – I added fireball whiskey to them>
Chocolate Sandwiches made with a cake mix
chocolate chip cookies – classic!
Gingerbread trees – no icing!
And then, I returned to look at what I had intended to be a truffle mix, but it was too soft. I had mixed cream cheese, icing sugar and added lemon juice and a tiny bit of vanilla, hoping the icing sugar would be enough to have it set up and become a rollable ball – nope….I stuck it in the freezer until I have time to contemplate …
So this morning – Happy YULE – I decide a no bake cheese cake direction was a good way to go…
The filling
the crust
the finished cheesecakes
Lemon Truffle Cheesecakelets
Filling – can be used as a straight mousse if you prefer no crust
2 250g blocks of regular cream cheese – room temp
2 cups icing sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream/whipping cream – cold
Cream the cheese, and add the icing sugar, mixing well. Add the lemon juice and vanilla and set aside.
In a separate bowl, whip the cream until stiff. Fold the lemon cheese mixture into the whipped cream gently, until it’s just mixed.
Set aside.
Crust: < I think you can use this in a springform pan as well, I just wanted to make minis so I could give them away easily..>
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup white chocolate chips or Merkel’s pieces
1½ cups unsweetened flaked coconut
Heat the cream in the microwave for 45 seconds or warm it on the stove. Add the chocolate pieces and stir until melted. Add the coconut and stir well. Divide into 12 muffin cups – about 1 tablespoon each.
Using a flat bottomed glass that fits well, push down the coconut mix into the bottom of the cups with a gentle twisting motion – flattens it nicely and the twists away without the glass getting full of goo.
Fill each cup with the lemon cheesecake mixture and chill in the fridge for 6-12 hours.
YOU WILL HAVE LEFTOVER MOUSSE – pour it into some martini glasses, and stick a graham cracker in each or make a smaller cheesecake in a separate pan using graham crackers on the bottom…your choice!
This gluten free cookie recipe was a variation on the recipe I found here. The change I made was to use half chick pea flour and half oat flour< I make my own by grinding oats in a coffee grinder>.
I would also recommend chilling the dough before baking- I did not, and the cookies spread out a lot!
Cherry shortbread
Based on the recipe I found here – and these shortbread cookies melt in your mouth… I used vegan butter replacement, and otherwise followed it.
The dough is super soft when mixed, so chill it for at least 30 minutes before creating these melt in your mouth cookies! And be sure to drain the cherries, if you buy them in syrup.
Oatmeal Coconut choc chip cookie
Here’s the recipe – I choose to add coconut “and” chocolate chips – or sometimes all three!
Oat cookies from no name oatmeal bag
and these chocolate cookies are a family tradition 🎉….but I’m changing things up a bit…
Vegan Chocolate cookie sandwiches
Vegan chocolate cookies and Vegan Swiss Meringue Buttercream frosting…
So this is a variation on one of my families traditions….these are amazing frozen when in their sandwich form ( stolen from the giant Tupperware container in the chest freezer…)
½ cup vegan butter substitute
1 cup sugar
1 egg replacement*
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup cocoa
½ tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp baking soda
2 cups flour
1 cup oat milk
*egg replacement options : 1 tablespoon ground flax mixed with 1 tablespoon hot water or 1 tablespoon aqua faba < strained liquid from canned chick peas> or your own choice!
Cream the first 2 ingredients then add the next 2.
Mix the dry ingredients together and add, alternating with the oat milk, until you get your batter.
Drop onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet, flattening with wet fingers/ bottom of a glass, and bake for 7 minutes at 400Degrees F.
Cool completely and enjoy as is or fill with frosting to make sandwiches….
Vegan Swiss Buttercream frosting…
So I hybridized the original family recipe, which uses Marshmallow creme < I wasn’t going out to buy this>, and this Aqaufaba Swiss Buttercream I found online which called for WAY TOO MUCH FAT – as in I had used all my vegan butter by this point in the day
1 ¾ cup aquafaba ( strain the liquid from 1 or 2 cans of chick peas- measure it )
1 cup white sugar
¼ tsp cream of tartar
2 cups of icing sugar
½ cup vegetable shortening ( I used Crisco) softened/at room temperature.
1 ½ tsp vanilla
Mix aquafaba and sugar in a saucepan and bring to boil for 5 minutes…stirring occasionally.
Take off heat, pour into mixing bowl and cool completely ( I put the bowl into the fridge for about 20 minutes.)
Once cool, start whipping the mixture at high speed. You can use a whisk attachment, I suggest not trying to do this by hand unless you have strong arms. It can take up to 15-20 minutes to get it to firm peaks with the machine doing the hard work…
Once you reach that stage, mix together the cream of tartar and icing sugar, and gradually add that in, whipping it- whip it good…
Add the softened vegetable shortening ( I used Crisco) that is at room temperature, keep whipping to incorporate it fully and finally, add the vanilla.
You will have leftover frosting- so feel free to halve the recipe…and it will store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks in a. tightly sealed container…
3 glazes/frostings to assemble, lemon, cinnamon-ginger, and chocolate
It’s Wolfenoot Weekend 2020 and if you have no idea what I am talking about – head over here for more information on this newly created day to celebrate all things Wolfie!
I’ve celebrated over the years as November 23 is also, by coincidence, the adoptaversary of our fur beast Sprocket.
Sprocket finds November walks a bit chilly- wait til January…
And this year, I decided that while my paintings are great for us here at home:
Wolfenoot2020 WolfMoons
I wanted to create something to share with my friends and neighbours – so – Cookietime!
Concept:
Two cookies, layered to replicate the Wolf Moons I painted.
Recipe:
I used the same sugar cookie recipe I used when I made the hubby’s Face Hugger cookie…
Go check it out – but here’s the recipe again this time with white sugar and all purpose flour though!:
Sugar cookie recipe
Cream together:
1 cup butter
¾ cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
Mix in
2 ½ cups unbleached all purpose flour
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
Knead into a dough, wrap and chill for an hour. Then roll it out and cut into the shapes you want.
Bake at 350 degrees F until golden – about 9-12 minutes.
Cut 30 Moons using a 2 inch round cutter and sprinkle each with a bit of brown sugar to create the moon surface.
– I actually have a campbell’s soup can that use as my round cookie cutter.
Basic sugar cookies sprinkled with brown sugar to create the full moon
Cut 30 wolf heads: I used the same template that I created a few years ago for my first Wolfenoot silhouette and using a foam tray from the grocery store < waste not!> I have a nice solid wolf pattern to cut around using a knife.
You can find wolf silhouettes online and print them off – make sure the size will fit inside your round cookie cutter
Hand cut wolf headsSome thinner ones browned a bit more.
Make frosting:
3 tablespoons butter or magarine
3 cups icing sugar
3 tablespoons oat milk < or whatever is needed to make it work>
I divided that into 3 and added:
White Glaze: Lemon juice – 2 tablespoons
Tawny shaggy wolf Frosting: 1 teaspoon each cinnamon, ginger powder, and vanilla
After noting our friend’s social media lamenting about her lack of Tim Tams… and I’ve been binge watching Baking shows….I looked around briefly online to see if these could be purchased nearby.
I stumbled upon this recipe – shared through a few websites…especially this one:
A major thank you to the original recipe creator – Sarah from TheSugarhit.com. So many recipes there to check out!
And for a first attempt…here are some pics of the process and what I produced…
Frozen cookie dough between two sheets of parchment- brilliant concept!Gentle baked biscuitsBiscuits halved because they just seemed too big and I had not actually read the size I was supposed to cut the dough properly!Chocolate Malt FrostingFrosting anyone?Chocolate sandwichesDipping process involved fork and spoon!Dipping in the chocolateDipped and chillinReady to go or to be decorated!Vegan royal icingPiping takes practice
Thanks for checking this out- if you make some, enjoy!
And my inspiration to go on this adventure- author and creative soul, S.M. Carrière!
I do actually miss the option of an evening gathering with adult friends who are as Halloween Inspired as I am.
So, while yes, I dressed up to go teach class this morning, < Part-time pattern making at my alma mater>, it was different… Sketching teacher, Rebecca did also dress up, so that was fun.
Dr. Anathea Evermore and Wednesday Adams
Tonight I’ll probably don my garb again to lurk out front < masked and physically distant of course>, in case any kids do come around for candies at the neighbour’s…
There is a little bit of sadness at not being able to admire and encourage a big bunch of other folk who also love to dress up – even as adults!
#WitchesGatheringFolk and #VixensVictoriousFolk I love and miss you all!
Kudos to everyone out there who did/will do something to be whacky this Halloween – and blessed by to those who are observing Samhain, honouring our dead. There has been much loss this year in my own family, so I’ll be taking some time later to reflect on the folk who have gone beyond this physical realm.
But here’s the fun again….
This year’s costume was a last minute inspiration created in about 2-3 hours < the mask, goggles and purse>, and reusing the Dr. Horrible tunic I had made a few years ago for the hubby to wear.
Click on the thumbnails to see the pics larger!
When Annoyed, the eyes can start to glow!
work in progress with the new Plague Doctor mask!
Goggles, Purse with Wand of Awareness and the first mask option….
Fake wood and leather ties to keep it on – #Pre-SteamPunk!
The outerwear worked with the look!
And introducing:
Dr. Anathea Evermore
The Final look! #Annoyed because someone spelled my name wrong!🥴
She seeks to change the world around her through the application of Science and Magic.
She sees the crap you are trying to pull…with or without her Lenses of Dragon Goggles…
Her eyes glow red with anger at the stupidity of non believers – those who do not believe in science, those who do not understand we are touched by magic.
She brings her Wand of Awareness with her to grant that gift upon those who lack it – sometimes gently tapping their subconscious, sometimes with a crushing blow.
She uses her powers to stitch together new concepts, repair broken dreams, and cut away the unneeded to bring new creations to life.
Measuring time and space to nurture the new ideas as they grow, she pulls them from the ether to manifest them into the physical.
Stand not in her way, and if she needs your help, she’ll ask.
While there is something magical about using traditional mediums of paint, chalk, pencil, etc, I’m also finding digital processing a challenging and interesting journey.
These pieces are pretty basic so far, just playing on the theme of fairy doors, and elusive characters that are just barely there. And having taken some inspiring photos on our camping trip has allowed me that fun concept of adding my own touches to existing beautiful settings…
