Friday, February 07, 2025

SOFT VEGAN STRAWBERRY COOKIES

As the Norwegian proverb says, cookies are made with butter and love. And in this case, with plenty of freeze-dried strawberries, and a shot of strawberry liqueur, as well.
Other than a way for me to beckon spring to arrive sooner, these cookies are a wonderful way to bring light, zesty flavours to any brunch or coffee date. Incredibly soft, especially right after baking, they are perfect with strong coffee, as they are on the sweeter side.
The recipe itself does not include any chilling or mixers; just one bowl, one fork, and a few staple ingredients. Just a wholesome little cookie batch, made for a weekday sweet treat or a small gathering.
If you want them more vibrant, feel free to add food colouring. Just as they are, as you can tell, they do lose a bit of their natural pink colour while baking, turning brown on the edges especially. If you are fine with that, you do not need any food colouring.

Recipe for Soft vegan strawberry cookies by food writer pastry development chef Tina Vesić.

Ingredients
125 grams plain flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
75 grams vegan block butter, softened
50 grams granulated sugar
50 grams light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
¼ teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1 heaping tablespoon freeze-dried strawberries, ground and sifted
25 millilitres strawberry liqueur, vegan

Recipe for Soft vegan strawberry cookies by food writer pastry development chef Tina Vesić.

Preparation
Let the oven preheat to 180°C, and line a large baking sheet with baking parchment.
Add the butter to a medium bowl, add in both types of sugar, vanilla, and the lemon zest, and mash everything together with a fork or a sturdy spatula, until a thick batter forms. Add in the strawberry liqueur and the freeze-dried strawberries, and mix everything through. If it looks like the batter is splitting, that is fine.
Sift in the flour, baking powder, and baking soda, and mix until combined. The dough will be slightly sticky, but you should be able to form it into nice little spheres. Weigh the batter and divide it into 10 equal portions. Shape each one into a little sphere and arrange them on a large baking sheet, leaving a bit of space between them, as they will spread. Do not flatten them before baking.
Bake immediately, in a nicely preheated oven, at 180°C, for about 10-12 minutes. As soon as they are brown on the edges, they are done. If you bake them for too long, they will still be delicious, only crunchy instead of soft. Let them cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes, and as soon as they firm up, you can serve them. Yields 10 rich cookies.

Friday, January 31, 2025

VEGAN STRAWBERRY LEMONADE BREAD

You might have noticed, I really love making bread. It is something I get to create with my hands, give it my energy and intention, and then serve it with love. There is no greater joy in this world than to be able to create something out of love and share it with others.
This little loaf is me hoping for spring to come sooner, and it is full of strawberries and fresh lemon zest. Truly marvellous with fruit spreads and jams, and even some vegan honey and toasted hazelnuts.
Just like many of my breads, it toasts very well, but it really is best on the day it's made, because it is a somewhat lean dough, so it will not stay super fresh the next day. Hence why I always suggest toasting and topping with your favourite vegan butter.
If you cannot find freeze dried strawberries or don't want to use them, you can absolutely add strawberry flavouring to your liking. Even adding a few teaspoons of strawberry jam and some additional flour would work. Whatever you have available will work well, because that is how I prefer to create my recipes - available to as many people as possible.

Vegan strawberry lemonade bread recipe by food writer pastry development chef Tina Vesić.

Ingredients
250 grams plain flour, sifted
20 grams fresh yeast
30 grams granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
150 millilitres soy milk, warm
20 millilitres vegetable oil
½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
50 grams vegan block butter, softened
3 heaping tablespoons freeze-dried strawberries, finely ground and sifted
½ teaspoon strawberry flavouring
2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
food colouring, optional

Vegan strawberry lemonade bread recipe by food writer pastry development chef Tina Vesić.

Preparation
Crumble the fresh yeast in the warm soy milk, add in the sugar, and let it stand for about 10-15 minutes in a warm spot, so the yeast dissolves and activates. Sift the flour into a large bowl, add in the salt, and whisk well. Make a well in the centre and pour in the activated yeast, oil, and vanilla, and mix with a wooden spoon until the dough starts to form. It does not have to be a perfect ball just yet. Cover the bowl with a lid or a plate, and let it rest for 10-15 minutes, just to relax.
Transfer the dough to a very lightly floured work surface, add the softened vegan butter, and knead until the dough absorbs it fully. It may take 10-15 minutes for the butter to be absorbed, but be persistent, it will work out. Divide the dough into three equal pieces, either by approximation or by weight. Leave one plain, add the freeze-dried strawberries and strawberry flavouring to the other part, and add the lemon zest to the third one. Add in the food colouring, if using. Knead the flavourings very well into the dough, adding a touch of lukewarm milk, if needed. Place all the dough pieces into separate bowls, and let them rest and rise for about an hour in a warm spot, or until doubled.
Once the dough is ready, briefly knead all the pieces, and shape each one into a long rope. Make a simple plait out of them; tuck the ends underneath it, and place it into a small loaf tin or on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Cover the top with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise for another 30 minutes. Let the oven preheat to 200˚C. Once ready, generously mist the dough with cold water, and bake it in a preheated oven, at 200˚C, for about 25-30 minutes, until baked through and browned. Let it cool down to room temperature, and serve. Yields one small loaf.

Friday, January 24, 2025

VEGAN HONEY & SPICE SWIRL BREAD

Bread is love, as simple as that. I started my baking journey with bread and it is still just as enjoyable to knead and shape dough as it was over 20 years ago.
This little loaf is simply wonderful for colder weather, delightfully full of cinnamon and cloves, sweetened with dandelion honey, and enriched with vanilla. The perfect slice for a sweet spread of your choice and a mug of tea.
Depending on the variety of vegan honey you use, you might need to add a bit more flour to the cinnamon portion of the dough. Or, on the other hand, if your vegan honey is particularly thick, you might need to add a splash of warm water. The goal is for the dough to be soft and supple, regardless of how you get there.
It toasts beautifully and it is also fantastic if slathered with a bit of vegan butter and broiled for just a few moments. You can top it with any sweet spread you want, although my heartfelt recommendation will always be fig jam.

Vegan honey spice swirl bread recipe by food writer pastry development chef Tina Vesić.

Ingredients
For the bread dough
350 grams plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
30 grams granulated sugar
200 millilitres water
30 millilitres vegetable oil
25 grams fresh yeast
½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
For the vegan honey swirl
30 grams vegan block butter, melted
50 grams vegan honey
20 grams plain flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves

Vegan honey spice swirl bread recipe by food writer pastry development chef Tina Vesić.

Preparation
Mix the warm water and sugar in a large bowl, add in the oil, and crumble in the fresh yeast. Mix well so the yeast dissolves, and then let it stand for about 10 minutes, or until bubbly. Once the yeast is ready, add in the vanilla.
Sift in half of the flour and the salt, and mix well with a wooden spoon. Sift in the rest of the flour, and proceed to knead with your hands, either in the bowl or on the work surface, for 3-5 minutes more, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Place the dough back into the bowl, cover it, and let it rest and rise for about an hour.
Once the dough is ready, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it into two parts by estimation. Add all of the cinnamon swirl ingredients to one part, and knead them through. Depending on your honey, you might need to add a bit more flour. Let that part rest for about 10 minutes, and then roll both out to about 5 millimetres in thickness. Stack them together and cut the dough in three long strips.
Turn the oven on to preheat to 200˚C. Roll each dough part into a tight roll, and then plait them and make a swirl. Gently mist the loaf and place it onto a large baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Cover the top with a clean kitchen towel, and let it rise for another 30 minutes. Once risen, generously mist the dough with cold water, and bake it in a preheated oven, at 200˚C, for about 30-35 minutes, until baked through and nicely browned. Let it cool down to room temperature, and serve. Yields one small loaf.

Friday, January 17, 2025

VEGAN CAPPUCCINO CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM CAKE

By now, it is a well-known fact that I believe ice cream cakes should be enjoyed all year long, and not just during summer. And if it's a chocolate ice cream cake, even better.
I have had this chessboard cake idea for a while, and it is finally seeing the light of day. Sixty-four alternating pieces of chocolate and brown sugar and vanilla cakes, and vanilla and chocolate espresso ice cream fillings. A marvellous, show-stopping cake fit for any celebration.
My tips for success.
Take your time with both the cake layers and the fillings. This is one of those cakes that does require presence and effort, especially with the assembly. It relies on exact dimensions of each of the strips, so take your time with those. Lining them up is not difficult, and although you have to work quickly, it is an absolutely fun part of the assembly.
Even if you are not super precise with the height of the filling or layers themselves, as long as all the layers are the same height and the fillings are the same height, it will work. However, if you feel the cake is getting a bit too tall for your comfort, you can absolutely use thin cake dowels to support it.

Vegan cappuccino chocolate ice cream cake recipe by food writer pastry development chef Tina Vesić.

Ingredients
For the chocolate cake layers
100 grams plain flour
100 grams granulated sugar
2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
30 millilitres vegetable oil
125 millilitres water
For the vanilla cake layers
100 grams plain flour
100 grams dark brown sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
30 millilitres vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
125 millilitres water
For the fillings
700 millilitres soy milk, cold
80 grams cornflour
20 grams plain flour
120 grams granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
300 grams vegan block butter, room temperature; separated
30 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon instant vegan cappuccino powder, or to taste
For the frosting
150 grams dark chocolate (70%)
200 millilitres vegan double cream
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Vegan cappuccino chocolate ice cream cake recipe by food writer pastry development chef Tina Vesić.

Preparation
On day one, make the fillings, as they need to be frozen solid before assembling. Pour the cold soy milk into a heavy-bottomed pot, add in the flour and the cornflour, sugar, and vanilla. Whisk very well, place the pot over medium-high heat, and let it slowly heat up. As soon as it starts to steam, start whisking.
Let it come to a gentle boil and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2-3 minutes, until it thickens. Remove from the heat and immediately add 50 grams of vegan block butter. Whisk until melted and incorporated or emulsify using an immersion blender. Cover the top with cling film or a piece of baking parchment, and let it cool down to room temperature.
Once the filling is at room temperature and ready, place the remaining softened vegan butter into a large bowl, and whip it with an electric mixer on high for about 5 minutes, making it light and fluffy. Separately whip the custard until it becomes smooth, and without stopping the beaters, add a tablespoon of the custard at a time to the whipped butter, blending them together until smooth and creamy.
Weigh and divide the filling into two parts. Add sifted unsweetened cocoa powder and instant espresso powder to one half and whip very well. Set two cake frames or suitable moulds to 12x24 cm and line them with either a thin strip of acetate or fitted baking parchment. Spread the fillings into the prepared frames, making it around 1.5 cm tall, reserving any excess filling into a separate bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a piece of baking parchment, and place in the freezer overnight. Cover any remaining filling with plastic and place it into the refrigerator.
The next day, make the cake layers. Let the oven preheat to 180°C and line two small square cake pans (12x12 cm) with baking parchment, bottom and sides.
For the chocolate layers, sift together the plain flour, cocoa powder, instant espresso, and baking soda. Add in the sugar and mix very well. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add in the water, oil, vanilla, and the vinegar, and whisk until just combined. Pour the batter into one of the the prepared pans.
For the vanilla layers, sift together the plain flour and baking soda, and add them to a medium bowl. Add in the sugar, and whisk it well. Finally, pour in the water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla, and whisk everything together until just combined. Pour into the other prepared pan.
Bake the cakes immediately in a nicely preheated oven, at 180°C, for about 30-35 minutes. Check them with a toothpick, making sure they stay soft and fudgy, and not dry. Let them cool in the pans completely, then wrap them in plastic wrap or baking parchment, and place them in the freezer for about 30 minutes, up to an hour.
When everything is ready, proceed to assemble the cake.
Take the cake layers out of the freezer and level them to be exactly 3 cm tall, and then split them in half, getting two sheets that are 12x12x1.5 cm. The dimensions are important for stacking. Slice each sheet into 8 equal rectangles, each 1.5x12x1.5 cm.
Take the frozen fillings out of the freezer and cut each block in half, again working with two sheets of each filling, each of them being 12x12x1.5 cm. Slice each of them into 8 equal rectangles, just like the cake layers.
Working very quickly, start assembling the cake. Place one strip of chocolate cake, and one strip of vanilla cake next to it. Continue until you have 8 strips lined up. Take one strip of vanilla filling and place it on the chocolate cake strip. Alternating the fillings, continue lining up strips of fillings until you have 8 of them. Repeat this three more times, so you end up with four layers of cake in alternating colours, and four layers of filling, also in alternating colours, as shown on the photo. Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap and place it into the freezer for about an hour.
To make the frosting, melt together the chocolate, vanilla, and vegan double cream, and let it cool down slightly. To that, add any filling that was leftover from the previous day, and blend them well.
Once again working quickly, frost the entire cake, and return it to the freezer in a sealed container so it stays fresh. Serve the cake as desired, preferably in thin slices, with strong espresso. Yields 12 rich servings.

Friday, January 10, 2025

VEGAN CHOCOLATE COCONUT FUDGE CAKE BARS

This type of dessert is my firm favourite when it comes to gatherings, especially the ones I attend and not host, as well as picnics. Incredibly easy to prepare, keeps well, and it can be served from the cake pan itself, which makes transport infinitely easier.
Cake bars were very popular when I was a child, and rightfully so, to be honest, and you can see many examples of my affection towards them on my blogs. You can think of them as frosted brownies, always topped with melted chocolate. Marvellous texture combination, with the fudge cake layer, gloriously creamy frosting, and the chocolate shell on top.
Using fresh coconut in fillings is something somewhat new to me, as I have used desiccated coconut for decades, mainly due to immediate availability, and it is quickly becoming a very beloved ingredient. The flavour is perhaps a touch milder than it would be with desiccated coconut, but the texture it gives is unmatched.
And finally, if you like your coconut desserts better with milk chocolate, so they resemble Bounty bars, you can use vegan milk chocolate and make the glaze sweeter that way. The same quantities and methods apply, of course.

Easy vegan chocolate cake bars with fresh coconut fudge frosting and a dark chocolate glaze. Food photography and recipe development by food writer pastry development chef Tina Vesić.

Ingredients
For the chocolate fudge cake
100 grams plain flour
20 grams ground almonds
120 grams granulated sugar
20 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
150 millilitres water
30 millilitres vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 ½ teaspoons vinegar
For the fresh coconut filling
200 grams fresh coconut
250 millilitres coconut milk
50 grams cornflour
60 grams granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
150 grams vegan block butter, diced
For the chocolate topping
100 grams dark chocolate (70%)
30 millilitres oil
40 grams flaked almonds, optional

Preparation
Start by making the chocolate fudge base. Line a small square baking pan (18x18 cm) with baking parchment, bottom and sides, and set it aside. Let the oven preheat to 180°C.
Sift together the plain flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda. Add in the sugar and almonds, and mix very well. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add in the water, oil, vanilla, and the vinegar, and whisk until just combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake immediately, in a nicely preheated oven, at 180°C, for about 12-15 minutes, or until done. Check it with a toothpick, making sure it stays soft and fudgy. Let the cake cool in the pan completely.
For the coconut cream filling, add the fresh coconut, coconut milk, cornflour, vanilla, and sugar into a blender, and let it run until the batter becomes completely smooth. Add it to a heavy-bottomed pot, place the pot over medium-high heat, and let it slowly heat up. As soon as it starts to steam, start whisking. Let it come to a gentle boil and cook, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes, until it thickens.
Remove from the heat and immediately add the diced vegan block butter. Whisk until melted and incorporated or emulsify using an immersion blender. Spread the filling over the cooled cake loosely cover the top with cling film or a piece of baking parchment, and let it cool down to room temperature.
Once cool, proceed to make the glaze. Melt together the chocolate and the oil, and if desired, blend them further with an immersion blender. Add in the flaked almonds, if using, and wait for it to cool down and thicken up slightly. Glaze the top generously and place the pan into the refrigerator overnight. Serve with strong coffee. Yields 9 generous servings.