Blueberry Cobbler

This could easily be called 'Fruit Cobbler,' as it invites the inclusion of any berry or fruit, such as apples or peaches. Because I love biscuits and berries so much, this is one of my favorite desserts.

Ingredients: Cobbler Biscuit Dough

• 1-1/3 cups (165 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons (40 g) granulated sugar, divided
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons (70 g) non-hydogenated, nondairy butter, melted
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) nondairy milk
• 1-2 tablespoons (15 to 30 g) nondairy milk or 1 to 2 tablespoons (14 to 28 g) melted non-dairy butter, for brushing on top of dough
• 1 tablespoon sugar (for brushing on top of dough)

Ingredients: Filling

• 4-5 cups (580 to 725 g) blueberries
• 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
• 2 tablespoons (15 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon or lime zest (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375° F (190° C or gas mark 5). Have ready an ungreased 8- or 9-inch (20- or 23-cm) square baking pan or 8 x 10-inch (20 x 25-cm) rectangular baking pan at least two inches (5 cm) deep.

To make the biscuit dough, combine the flour, 2 tablespoons (26 g) of the granulated sugar, the baking powder, and salt. When completely combined, add the nondairy butter and the 1/2 cup of milk. Stir just until you form a sticky dough. Set aside.

To make the filling, wash and pat dry the blueberries. In a large bowl, combine them with the sugar, flour, and lemon zest, if using. Spread evenly in the baking dish.

Using a tablespoon, scoop the dough over the fruit. There will be just enough to cover the fruit. Either leave the dough in shapeless blobs on the fruit or spread it out. Brush the top of the dough with the remaining 1- to 2 tablespoons of milk or butter and the 1 tablespoon of sugar. Bake until the top is golden brown and the juices have thickened slightly, about 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Serving Suggestions and Variations: If you want a flakier dough, the butter should be cold and cut in until the dough resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

Cornbread

When I make recipes such as this one, I wonder why instant mixes even exist. This recipe takes no time at all to prepare and is out of the oven in 30 minutes - hot, moist, and delicious. I particularly like the addition of whole corn kernels, but you can eliminate them if you want.

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups (355 ml) nondairy milk
• 1-1/2 tablespoons (23 ml) distilled white vinegar
• 1 cup (140 g) cornmeal (it may be sold as coarse cornmeal, cornmeal, or polenta)
• 1 cup (125 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons (39 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) canola oil
• 1/2-1 cup (80-155 g) whole corn kernels (optional)

Preheat oven to 425° F (220° C or gas mark 7). Lightly oil a 9 x 9-inch (23 x 23-inch) baking dish.

In a small bowl, combine the milk and vinegar, and set aside.

Mix the cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. Add the milk and vinegar mixture as well as the oil. If adding the corn kernels, now is the time to do so. Stir until just blended. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared baking dish. Bake until the top is golden brown, 25-30 minutes. You may serve it at room temperature, but itís most delectable hot out of the oven.

Yield: Serves 9

Serving Suggestions and Variations: Serve it as breakfast, with various soups, or with spicy dishes such as chili. It's wonderful with a little nondairy butter, particularly when it's hot. Add fresh or frozen blueberries.

Food Lore: We have the Native Americans to thank for this simple dish that is as appropriate as a meal, snack, or dessert. Because different varieties of corn grew throughout North America, the cornbread of early days differed by region. Blue corn was popular in the southwest, yellow corn was favored in the northern regions, and white corn was preferred throughout the south. Early cornbread was made from a simple mixture of water, salt, and cornmeal and resembled a flat cake that traveled well on long trips. Because of some of the natural components in the corn, there was never a need to use yeast to get the bread to rise, so this American staple was ìveganî long before the word was even created!

Chocolate Cake

This chocolate cake might be the easiest cake in the world to prepare, and itís incredibly versatile, lending itself to a layer cake, bundt cake, or cupcakes. Though this is a pretty common recipe, I want to give credit to Jennifer Raymond, for it was in her cookbook The Peaceful Palate that I first saw it.

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups (188 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup (30 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) canola oil
• 1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar
• 1 cup (235 ml) cold water

Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C or gas mark 4). Lightly oil a Bundt pan, 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan, or muffin tins.

Combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder in a bowl until thoroughly combined. Create a well in the center of your dry ingredients, and add the vanilla, oil, vinegar, and water. Mix until just combined. Pour into your prepared pan, and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. If making cupcakes, check for doneness after 15 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack. To remove the cake from the pan, run a sharp knife around the inside of the pan to loosen the cake. Cool completely before frosting with Chocolate Frosting (see below) or with Buttercream Frosting (page 231). You may also dust with sifted confectioner's sugar and top with fresh raspberries.

Yield: One 9-inch cake (23-cm) or 8 cupcakes. Double the recipe for a layer cake or a bundt cake.

Serving Suggestions and Variations: Add a teaspoon of cayenne pepper or a teaspoon of chili powder for a 'Mexican Chocolate Cake.'

What's the Difference?

• Cacao: The tropical evergreen tree and its dried and partially fermented beans that are processed to make chocolate, cocoa powder, and cocoa butter.
• Cocoa Butter: The ivory-colored, naturally occurring fat in cacao beans. Cocoa butter is the basis of white chocolate.
• Chocolate: The general term for the products of the seeds of the cacao tree, used for making beverages or confectionery.
• Cocoa Powder (Unsweetened Cocoa): Made when chocolate liquor is pressed to remove most of its cocoa butter.

Chocolate Frosting

A chocolate lover's dream! Though many of the commercial brands of frosting are 'vegan,' they're also made with unsavory ingredients, such as partially hydrogenated oil or high-fructose corn syrup. This recipe is as easy as it is delicious.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (112 g) non-hydrogenated, nondairy butter, softened
• 3 cups (300 g) powdered (confectioner's) sugar, sifted
• 1/3 (42 g) cup cocoa, sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla or 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 3-4 tablespoons (45 to 60) water or nondairy milk

With an electric hand mixer, cream the butter until smooth. With the mixer on low speed, add the sugar, and cream for about 2 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients, and turn the mixer to high speed once all the ingredients are relatively well-combined. Beat on high speed until frosting is light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add l or 2 tablespoons more milk if it's too dry. Cover the icing with plastic wrap to prevent drying until ready to use. Store it in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Re-whip before using.

Yield: Enough for one 9-inch (23-cm) cake or 8 cupcakes

What's the Difference?

The terms 'frosting' and 'icing' tend to be used interchangeably, and they both describe a sugary, buttery mixture that covers and fills cakes and pastries. People in New England, the Upper Midwest, and the Western United States tend to use 'frosting,' and Pennsylvanians, New Jerseyeans, and those in the Lower Midwest and the South, prefer 'icing.' A few people in the South call it by a third name, 'filling,' even when it goes on top.