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recipes

In food, holidays, recipes on
June 20, 2013

raw vegan cheesecake

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for my birthday a few weeks ago, i made a raw vegan raspberry cheesecake from my favorite food blogger my new roots. yes i made my own birthday cake. i actually insisted because since i’ve been a raw vegan, i haven’t had many opportunities to bake and i was missing it from all the baking i did in new zealand. and the best part is i could actually eat this! so it was a win-win… anyways, though this cake was made with all natural, healthy ingredients, it was better than any cheesecake i’ve ever had. the secret ingredient is soaked cashews which makes it extra creamy without any animal products. so without further adieu, here’s the recipe for this delicious yumminess

raw cashew dreamcake
original recipe found here

Ingredients
Crust:
1/2 cup raw almonds (pecan or walnuts will also work)
1/2 cup soft Medjool dates
¼ tsp. sea salt

Filling:
1 ½ cups raw cashews, soaked for at least 5 hours, overnight is best
juice of 2 lemons
the seeds of 1 whole vanilla bean
1/3 cup melted raw coconut oil
1/3 cup agave nectar
1 cup raspberries (thaw completely if using frozen)

Directions:
1. Place nuts and dates in a food processor with sea salt and pulse to chop until they are to your desired fineness (process a finer crust longer than a chunky one). Test the crust by spooning out a small amount of mixture and rolling it in your hands. If the ingredients hold together, your crust is perfect. Scoop out crust mixture in a 7” spring-form pan (if you don’t have a spring-form pan, use a pie plate lined with saran wrap), and press firmly, making sure that the edges are well packed and that the base is relatively even throughout. Rinse food processor well.
2. Warm coconut oil and honey in a small saucepan on low heat until liquid. Whisk to combine.
3. In the most powerful food processor / blender you own (you decide which one has the most torque) place all filling ingredients (except raspberries) and blend on high until very smooth (this make take a couple minutes so be patient). If you have a Vita-Mix, absolutely use it.
4. Pour about 2/3 (just eyeball it, you can’t make a mistake!) of the mixture out onto the crust and smooth with a spatula. Add the raspberries to the remaining filling and blend on high until smooth. Pour onto the first layer of filling. Place in freezer until solid.
5. To serve, remove from freezer 30 minutes prior to eating. Run a smooth, sharp knife under hot water and cut into slices. Serve on its own, or with fresh fruit. Store leftovers in the freezer.

bon appetit!

In food, recipes on
April 29, 2013

donut time!

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its speakers week at my school which means lots and lots of baking! yay! i’ve been whipping up some of my old favorites like cinnamon rolls (which i really need to get around posting on here) and rolo cookies. but i really love this week because i get to try out new complicated recipes i’ve been saving all semester. for one of the morning sessions, i made grapefruit donuts from this recipe and move over cinnamon rolls because i have a new donut making obsession. who knew frying could be so much fun? i followed the recipe to the letter and i’m really happy with the results. next time, i want to try filling them with jelly or an espresso glaze… the possibilities are limitless! anyone have a good donut recipe or favorite flavors? please share!

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In food, holidays, recipes on
October 31, 2012

pumpkin spice cupcakes

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happy halloween everyone! because new zealand is on the southern hemisphere, it is spring right now which basically means i have had two springs this year. though spring is fantastic, fall is my favorite season. i’ve really been missing the falling leaves, apple cider and crisp air of autumn. but just because the weather is warming up doesn’t mean i can’t enjoy some of my favorite things about fall: halloween and pumpkin treats! i made these pumpkin spice cupcakes for my school’s halloween dinner and they were the perfect reminder of fall and extremely yummy! next semester, i’ll get my fall fix here in new zealand but for now, these cupcakes are helping to fill the void

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In food, recipes on
July 22, 2012

matcha green tea cupcakes

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lately, i’ve been obsessed with all things green tea. green tea macaroons, green tea lattes, green tea boba, just plain green tea, etc. so when i found this recipe, i knew i just had to try it. i hadn’t made cupcakes since college so i decided it would be a fun change from all the cakes, cookies and macaroons i’ve been baking up over the past few weeks. thank goodness for yoga or i would be seriously fat with all this baking. i used this recipe and they turned out great (if i do say so myself)… they made 18 cupcakes instead of 24 and i had tons of extra icing but i’m not complaining. they taste really “green” and not as sweet as usual cupcakes which i enjoyed but that probably isn’t everyones cup of tea (pardon the pun). overall, these cupcakes were a success.

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In food, holidays, recipes on
July 12, 2012

happy birthday momma

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today was my moms birthday! to celebrate this joyous occasion, i made a yellow cake with vanilla frosting from magnolia bakery (one of the things i miss most about nyc) and a whimsical banner to go on top. i didn’t have much time to make it but it was a relatively simple recipe so i could whip it out in no time. i love making cakes and this one was no exception! i made the banner by gluing felt to string then trying it to two long sticks. it was so easy to make and the best part is it’s reusable! so happy birthday momma! hope you’re day was fantastic

In food, recipes on
July 5, 2012

A+ chocolate chip cookies

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i’ve been on a total baking kick since i’ve been back from college. when i found these cookies on pinterest, i just had to try them. these really are the best cookies i have ever made. they take a lot of chocolate. i mean a lot! i didn’t take any pictures of the finished cookies but they cooked flatter than expected (which is a pet peeve of mine) but they were so good that it was easily overlooked. the original recipe is from the New York Times and can be found here. enjoy and bon appetit.

ingredients
2 cups minus 2 tablespoons
(8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (see note)
Sea salt.

instructions
1. sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. set aside.

2. using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. stir in the vanilla. reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

3. when ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. set aside.

4. scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. eat warm, with a big napkin.

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