I ended up quadrupling the recipe to bring to Prema & Alex’s engagement party. I never even mentioned they were vegan and all the boys couldn’t get at them fast enough. Always so nice to see that! Some people hear that something is vegan and are immediately turned off. Have them taste them first and then let them know just how amazing vegan food can be! YUM!

Thanks Kim!!!

Chocolate Banana Oatmeal Cookies
Prep: 10 min
Cook time:  25 min
Makes 16 cookies
Recipe from Susan Sarandon (love her!!)

1 cup oat flour (I use half white flour and half whole wheat flour)
¾ cup old fashioned rolled oats
½ teaspoon baking powder
1/3 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup raw sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup plain soy milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ banana, cut into small pieces (I mash them, it makes the cookies more moist)
¼ cup walnuts (optional), chopped
1/3 semisweet chocolate chips (dark chocolate tastes good as well)

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine first 5 ingredients (up until sugar) in a bowl.   Whisk together oil, soy milk, and vanilla in a separate bowl.  Add wet mixture to dry ingredients; stir to combine.  Fold in banana, walnuts, and chocolate chips.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper or grease the pan.  Scoop dough onto pan.  Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown,  turning baking sheet halfway through.  Let cool and enjoy.

For a healthier cookie:
Honey, or agave syrup can be used to replace sugar.  Dried fruits or nuts can be used in place of chocolate chips as well.

Thank you for coming over and sharing a wonderful meal with us!

Raw Mango Cobbler Goodness

Mom's Cookies

Decadent!!

Cobbler Filling

Fresh Mango Coconut Cobbler
Adapted from Ani Phyo

Cobbler Crust:
3 cups pecans, dry
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup pitted dates

For the crust, process pecans, vanilla, and salt in food processor with S blade. Add pitted dates and process until mixed well.
Sprinkle half of the cobbler crust onto the bottom of your pie dish, and set aside.

Cobbler Filling:

3 to 4 ripe mangos, peel, seed, slice (about 2 cups)
1 batch Orange Coconut Syrup, below

Place sliced mango into a large mixing bowl and toss with Orange Coconut Syrup.

Cobbler Coconut Syrup:
1/3 cup pitted dates
1/3 cup agave
3 Tablespoons coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup water, as needed

Place all ingredients into blender, adding water as needed to make a smooth syrup. Pour syrup into bowl with mango, and mix well.
Scoop coated mango onto cobbler crust. Top with half of remaining cobbler crust and serve!
Will keep for 3-5 days in refrigerator. Try as a delicious way to start your day!
Mom’s Banana Nut Bread Cookies
adapted from vegweb.com

1 1/4 cup flour (unbleached, all purpose)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup apple sauce
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 mashed banana
1 teaspoons baking powder
handful of walnuts, crushed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a small – medium bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together oil, sugar, and vanilla.  Mix in mashed banana and baking powder.
Add ingredients in the small bowl and stir well.
Once it is well stirred, lightly mix in the crushed handful of walnuts.
Drop by tablespoons onto lightly greased cookie sheet.  Bake 15-18 minutes

Meltaway Peppermint Patties
recipe adapted from Elaina Love

Mint layer:
3 cups dry, raw shredded coconut
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp. mint extract or 3 drops peppermint essential oil

Chocolate or carob layer:
3 cups dry, raw shredded coconut
1/3 cup maple syrup or date paste (made by blending dates and water)
1/8 cup organic cocoa powder or raw carob powder (add until mixture reaches desired color)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. Celtic sea salt

1: Blend the first 3 cups of coconut in a dry blender on low speed with the lid off. Use a spatula to keep things moving until it becomes the consistency of butter. Make sure you do not blend so long as to separate all the oil from the coconut. This step is tricky, and takes a good blender like a Vitamix. If you don’t have a Vitamix, you can still do this step, although you may need to separate the coconut into 2 batches.

2: Remove the coconut and put in a mixing bowl. Add the sweetener and mint extract. use a spatula to mix well. Set aside.

3: Blend the coconut for the chocolate layer. Mix the coconut by hand with the rest of the ingredients in a bowl.

4: Separate the chocolate mixture into 2 halves. Take one half, and press it into the bottom of a 4 x 4 baking dish or Tupperware. Put it in the freezer for 5 minutes until it is solid.

5: Remove your dish from the freezer and add all of the mint layer. Place in the freezer again for a couple of minutes.

6: Add the second half of the chocolate mixture to the top of the mint layer. Freeze again until solid or refrigerate.

7: Pop the meltaways out of the container by twisting or using a spatula to pry up. Place on a cutting board and cut your candies into whatever shape you like using a sharp, thin knife. Enjoy and store in the refrigerator.

Pre-Topping Yummyness

Complete Sundae Love!

Raw Ice Cream Trio Sundae
2 big servings

3 frozen bananas
2-3 tablespoons nut butter (I used almond)
2 tablespoon agave nectar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
dash sea salt
2 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder

toppings of your choice

1. Start off my combining the frozen bananas,  nut butter, agave nectar, vanilla and dash of sea salt in a Vita-mix, blender or food processor until well combined and smooth.
2. Have 2 serving bowls ready and using a large ice cream scoop or spoon, scoop out 1 scoop for each bowl and set in the freezer.
3. Next, add the frozen strawberries to the frozen banana mixture in your blender and process until well combined.
4. Take the bowls out of the freezer and add 1 scoop of the gorgeous strawberry “ice cream” to both bowls and put back into the freezer.
5. Add the cocoa powder to the strawberry “ice cream” and process until well combined.
6. Take the bowls out of the freezer and add 1 scoop of the chocolate  “ice cream” to both bowls and put back into the freezer to set.
7. Feel free to eat as is or add toppings. I made a strawberry sauce out of agave and strawberries in the blender. I also used chocagave on top, yum! Use nuts, cocoa nibs, etc.
8. DEVOUR and ENJOY

If you are not into mint, I would recommend leaving the peppermint oil out and making them chocolate coconut cookies. I am sure that would be deelish as well!

YUM!! Such chocolate goodness!

Cookie batter is always so good, but now that I know how good this was Done, I was happy I waited

Spoonfuls, ready to start setting

So easy to peel these off and munch!!!

ENJOY

Raw Chocolate Mint Coconut Cookies
1/2 cup Cold Pressed Coconut Oil
1/4 cup Raw Cacao Butter
1/4 cup Agave
2 Tablespoons Raw Honey
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1/4 teaspoon Celtic Sea Salt
5-10 drops organic peppermint oil
1 1/2 cup Raw Cacao Powder
1 1/2 cup Shredded Coconut

1. Combine all ingredients except the cacao powder and coconut in a Vita-mix or food processor and process for 2 minutes till completely combined.
2. Place the Cacao Powder and Coconut in a bowl and pour the liquid mixture on top and combine with a wooden spoon.
3. On a small baking tray lined with wax paper, place tablespoon spoonfuls of the mixture and set in the fridge for 10-15 minutes. By the time you know it they will be ready to munch on. Be careful, they go quick

Thank you Shalon and Prema!

Shalon made such a deelish Red Velvet Cake and Prema brought over these adorable and scrumptious Crumbs Channukah Cupcakes. My favorite dessert ever is Icing, and both desserts brought over were covered in it! YUM!

Thanks everyone for coming over! You all made the night so special for us

We did quite a number on this one

These cupcakes are so cute!!

So special! Michael and I bought this together in Israel! Happy Channukah!

Here is the recipe Shalon used the the Red Velvet Cake

Red Velvet Cake
Recipe from Bon Appétit

2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour (sifted, then measured)
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk (she used lowfat milk instead)
1 tablespoon red food coloring
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
Frosting
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

For cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Sift sifted flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl. Whisk buttermilk, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla in small bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Beat in dry ingredients in 4 additions alternately with buttermilk mixture in 3 additions.
Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 27 minutes. Cool in pans on racks 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks; cool completely.

For frosting:
Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth.
Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on platter. Spread 1 cup frosting over top of cake, pressing lightly to adhere. Top with second cake layer, flat side down. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.)

Banana Ice Cream

1-2 frozen bananas per person serving
any toppings or additions you want to add

So Simple! Just take the bananas and blend away in your Vita-mix, Blend-tec, blender or food processor until smooth. ENJOY

Suggested Topping or Add-Ins

• The pictures in this post, we used our beloved Agave Pecan Butter, basically making an amazing frozen version of  Chocolate-Covered Katie’s Banana Butter
• Sometimes we add in Cocoa Nibs and we get amazing Chocolate Chip Ice cream
• ChocAgave –yummy raw chocolate sauce, or just use regular chocolate syrup
• Goji berries for a great chewy taste
• add other berries in the mixture to change up the taste, or as a topping
• add cocoa powder to make chocolate ice cream
• maca, mesquite, lucuma , protein powders
• have fun, this is such a great treat to play with

OMG!! I am going to be all over this! Thank you NY TIMES!! How fabulous! Stay tuned……

For Vegans, Sweets of Their Own

Vegans, who avoid all animal products, must read the fine print when it comes to chocolate because even the darkest bittersweet may contain milk solids. Pamela Blackwell, above, an owner of the vegan restaurants Blossom in Chelsea and Blossom Cafe on the Upper West Side, has given them a place, Cocoa V, to ease their concerns: two narrow brick-walled spaces, one a vegan dessert and wine bar and, next door, a shop.

Chester Higgins Jr./The New York Times

The chocolates created by Patrick Coston, her pastry chef, are made with organic cocoa, cocoa butter, soy lecithin and sugar or agave syrup. They are dark, smooth and intense. In the wine bar, which is outfitted with low tables, chocolates, brownies and savories like dairy-free “cheeses,” quiche and tea sandwiches are served with wines, coffee, tea and satisfyingly intense hot chocolate. The store also sells the sweets, including bonbons for $2.75 each, and pastries.

Cocoa V, 174 Ninth Avenue (21st Street), (212) 242-3339.

So fabulous! I couldn’t be happier to share this article with all of you!

Marisa’s Healthy Kitchen and my Raw Brownie Bites With Vanilla Icing were featured in the Smaller journal, a journal of ideas and inspiration by the editors of Small Magazine. THANKS!!

Check it out here

Pre-Dehydrator Munchies

After the dehyrator and ready to munch

Chocolate Coconut Munchy Cereal
4 cups of dried coconut
1/3 cup of cocao nibs
1 teaspoon of celtic sea salt
1/2 cup of honey
1/4 cup of pitted dates

In a food processor combine the dried coconut, cocao nibs and sea salt. Process until fine. Add the honey and dates and process until well combined. Empty the processor onto a teflex dehydrator sheet and dry at 115 degrees for 12-15 hours.