Fancy French Vegan Chocolate Croissants ( Cheating Method)

Sexy Chocolate Croissants

Ola Puppers!

During my pre-vegan days there was this one thing I always picked up from Au bon Pain in Bangalore. It was their Pain Au Chocolat (French makes everything sound fancy). Basically it's a chocolate croissant. The thing is Au Bon Pair is a fairly mediocre cafe with mostly underwhelming bakes, but this one thing was simple enough for me to like. What's not to like about flour, sugar, and chocolate after all?

Well the thing is croissants aren't the easiest thing to make. They require patience and and nimble hands. I don't possess these qualities. Of course I cheated big time. The required time to allow the dough to set, knead out, chill, and then actually get to baking them takes like 4-5 hours. Not me, no folks, I cheated the system and got my croissants just fine. Delicious floury croissants with a dark chocolate middle. So good with coffee.

My hand-held kneader. You can also just use hands.

We nix the butter and use virgin coconut oil instead. You'll ideally need a hand held dough kneader,  but you can probably do it with your hands. In fact I am pretty sure you can. It will be goopy, but it's worth it.

Here's what you need to make these vegan treats


3 cups flour (maida)
2 tablespoons salt
1/3rd cup sugar
7 tablespoons + 4 tablespoons  cold coconut oil (should be firm, stick your oil in the freezer for 15-20 min)
1 cup water
3.5 teaspoons bakers yeast
12 squares of vegan dark chocolate( I used Amul dark chocolate) chopped
3 tablespoons of a plant- based mylk (like soy) for 'washing' the dough on top for shine (optional)


How to Make

Warm up your cup of water (can't be too hot, just lukewarm) I recommend zapping it in the microwave for 30 seconds. Or else let it warm on the stove top and then cool it down so that you can stick your finger in without yelping. Add your spoons of bakers yeast to this and let it sit for 2-3 minutes.

Ok so first you get a big-ass bowl. Dump your flour, salt and sugar into it. Blend in with your hands.

Now, use your hands or a dough kneader (on slow speed) as you slowly pour in the water-yeast mix.  Add your tablespoons of firm coconut oil, this basically acts as a butter substitute on a texture level as well. The chunks of oil help create a flaky pastry.

Keep blending for a few minutes. You should have a sticky, stretchy mixture (thanks yeast!)
On a clean surface sprinkle 1/4th cup of plain flour all over and then work your dough. Fold it multiple times and stretch it out with your hands. Do this for about 7-8 minutes. The dough will feel a lot more workable by then. Now cover your dough in a bowl with a wet cloth and let it rest for at least an hour. Ideally you let it rise for 2 hours, but hell I am too impatient for that.

Goopy

After 1-2 hours, your dough would have risen a bit. Now knead the dough again, this time get your extra 4 tablespoons of firm (chilled) coconut oil, and spread a table spoon on rolled out dough, and then fold it up. Repeat that 4 times. Then you basically keep playing with the dough by folding it as many times as you like (like you would a piece of paper), rolling it out a bit, folding it again. After you've lost your mind doing this, pause and think about how well your efforts will pay off. very soon.


Technically you're supposed to now allow this dough to chill in the fridge for an hour. But I don't have time for that. So instead roll  it out one final time, got it all stretched out, and then you cut it in half. From there cut 4 inch strips from it.

Way Better (dough worked with after 1 hour)

Now take your crushed chocolate and put some in the centre and some more towards the bottom of your strip. Roll it up quick. Repeat that process for all your strips.

That's an example of the dough 'folded' keep rolling it out and folding it back till you want to cry

We're almost there!

Use a brush to dip in soy milk (or maple syrup, or jaggery syrup) and brush the tops of your rolled up dough. This is for shine and totally optional.

Pre-head your oven to 200c. Pop those babies in for 12 minutes. After that turn the heat down to 170 and let it bake for another 8-10 minutes.

All rolled up and ready for the oven

Let them cool for a few minutes. But do eat them warm. They are puffy-flaky pillows of joy. They are chocolate surprises that will make you a believer. Sort of.

Ta-Dah!

Will I get away making more baked goods by cheating time and fair baking protocol?  Only time will tell.

Keep it kind. Keep it real.

Oil-Free, Gluten- Free, Vegan Chocolate Brownies (For Real)

Hiya Hedgehogs!

First up, disclaimer. I am not obsessed about things being healthy when cooking. I also eat plenty of gluten and have no allergies. While I know there are many people looking for grain-free and low-fat plant based recipes because of allergies and health, the reason I experiment with such things is just to see the tremendous possibilities out there.

The most compelling thing I've learnt about baking is how many nonsense myths are out there about what you 'need' to make something sweet and delicious. First myth? That you needs eggs for baking, I mean that is straight up crap. Eggless baking is the easiest thing in the world. I know there are plenty of vegan replacements for eggs ( chia seeds in this recipe for example) I'd argue for simple cakes you don't even need those.

So then I had to take it to the next level. Could I make chocolate vegan brownies without fat (oil) and  without flour or even wholewheat flour? The answer is hell yes.


There is much inspiration to be had on youtube for plant-based baking in all its variations: gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free, and even raw.

So here's my spin on baking these stellar brownies. But don't fool yourselves ya'll, it's still got sugar in it. And sugar is sugar. Although you could use jaggery syrup or blended dates, but that would give it a different flavour.  Jeez if you did that, then they would be oil-free, sugar-free, vegan brownies.

Chia seeds, cocoa powder, dark chocolate, almond flour 

Anyway, here's what you need


1 cup almond flour ( 3/4th cup almonds finally blended)
1 cup uncooked oats ( you can blend it if you want, but I used mine whole for a chewy-texture)
3/4th cup plant-based mylk (coconut, almond, soy, cashew) (I used almond)
60 grams (about 9-10 squares) of Amul Dark or Bitter chocolate (or any vegan dark chocolate)
1/4th cup pure cocoa powder
2 tablespoons chia seeds soaked in 7 tablespoons water
2 pinches of salt
3/4th cup brown or white sugar
1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
1.5teaspoons baking powder



How to make

In a large bowl dump almond flour, oats, salt, sugar, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Blend in well with your hands or a large spatula. Set aside.

In a small pot add 2-3 tablespoons of water on low heat. Add your chocolate squares. Slowly stir it up till it melts fully. You can do this like a professional too with a double boiler, but I am way too lazy.

Lazy chocolate melting

Add the  melted chocolate  into your dry mixture. Now add your chia seeds and pour in your vegan mylk. Mix well into a glossy thick mixture that you can 'spoon in' to a baking pan.

Right before you add the chia-seed mix and vegan mylk

Grease a pan or a cake tin. Spoon in the thick batter into the pan. Level with a spoon.

Pop-in to a pre-heated oven (180c) for 20-23 minutes.

Let it cool. Slice up. You can garnish them brownies by dusting powdered sugar on top.

 Ain't that chocolate goodness rich?


Till next time!

Orange Oatmeal Almond Cake ( You Bet It's Vegan)

That Cake Has  A Lot Going On

Yo Magpies!

This Friday I wanted to try something new-ish. I had no vanilla in the house, which is kind of a problem when it comes to baking. But meh, I did without it without any major repercussions. So today we have a Orange Almond Oatmeal Cake. It also has coconut, but I thought it would be rather narcissistic if this one baked good had to christen itself orange-almond-coconut-oatmeal cake. We get it cake, you got a lot going on.

So Bangalore totally has its orange season going on. So let's make merry. I also added a note on making a quick batch of oat mylk (takes all of 4 minutes), and you can find that below the recipe.



Here's what you need

11/4 cup flour
3/4th cup oats
1/2 sugar
1/2 brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2teaspoon baking powder
1/2teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
2 Oranges Juiced
1 teaspoon fresh orange rind
3/4th cup almonds blended into almond meal
1 cup oat mylk (or any plant mylk like coconut, soy, almond, cashew)
1/2 cup dried coconut
1/3 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt

Just some of the yum going in this baby

How to Make

In a large bowl mix your sugar (you can use 1 cup regular sugar if you don't have brown to mix it with) with your oil, salt, and vanilla (because unlike me you have vanilla, right?). Make sure all the is sugar dissolved. Blend your almonds into a coarse powder (that's almond meal).

That's what blended almonds look like

Add the almond meal into the sugar-oil mix, then add your coconut and oat milk and vinegar. It won't look pretty but make sure to stir well. Now add the juice of 2 freshly squeezed oranges + your orange rind. Just use a cucumber peeler to scrape the side of an orange. You'll need to finely chop the rind.

That's about how fine you want your rind

It's time to add the flour and oats, do so carefully starting with the flour, then the oats. Ad your baking powder +soda. Ok, so now you have a nice thick (put still a little bit pourable) batter. Grease your loaf pan with a good layer of oil. Preheat oven to 180-185c. Spoon your batter in the greased pan.

Right before going in that oven

Pop that lovely in for about 25 minutes. Check after 20 minutes with a knife.Let it cool for 20 minutes before you try any cutting tricks. You should have a wholesome, zesty, nutty cake that will go perfect with black tea or coffee! YUM.


Quick Oat Mylk Magic

It's magic

To make Oat mylk you just basically do 3/4th water and 1/4th oatmeal and blend. So if you use 2 cups water use  1/2-3/4th cup oats. Now just blend the oatmeal and water for a minute. After that strain it out with a mesh, squeeze the leftover oatmeal pulp for every last drop. You can also add 2-3 tablespoons sugar to sweeten. To make it creamer add 5-8 cashews to the oatmeal and water too before blending. Strain as usual and there's you quick and easy oat mylk!




Have a good weekend, keep it kind, keep it real!

Vegan Rum Christmas Cake (With dried strawberries, baby)

That's a santa hat covering the coy vegan christmas cake

Ola Bats!

I totally lied. I said the last post was, uh, the last post for 2016. Turns out I totally WON at making bomb-ass vegan christmas cake. You can easily customize this with other fruits/nuts, but this combination was a true winner. It's rich, it's wholesome, it delicious.

Ok so get your santa hats out and let's get started.


What you need

1/2 cup  refined sunflower oil

3/4th cup almond mylk/soya/cashew/coconut

1 cup brown sugar (or regular)

8-9 dried strawberries ( I got them from MK retail) or Fresh (or use dried apricots or any other dried fruit)

1/4th cup walnuts chopped

1/4th cup almonds blanched and peeled

1/2 cup black currents or black raisons

1/2 cup rum of choice

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder

1 teaspoon nutmeg powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda (optional)

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar


How to Make

First put your chopped nuts, currents,and dried fruit in a bowl with the rum Let is soak for at least 30 minutes.

Them nuts and fruits getting drunk off old monk

In a bowl mix your oil, sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, apple cider vinegar, and salt. Whisk well.

Add half of your milk and mix again. Now slowly add your flour and baking powder/soda and mix continuously. Add more mylk to get a very thick but slightly pourable batter. It's ok if it's a little dry, it's a richer cake, but it should kind of lump-drop into your pan. Add your soaked rum-nuts-fruits-currents and mix well.

Nice & Thick now

Preheat oven at 170c

Spoon your batter into a greased loaf pan. Bake for about 40 minutes, but check after 30 to see how it's doing with the classic knife test.

Right before I popped into the oven!

Here's wishing you merry merry holidays and super-amaze-balls 2017!

Till Next Year (For Real) Keep It Real!