Bread Pudding, Cupcakes and Cookies

Here are a few favorite desserts made within the past few months, all packed into one delicious post.

Banana Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding from Veganomicon. I made this to take to a brunch and became a fan of bread pudding for the first time in my life.

Chocolate Cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. I opted for a sprinkle of powdered sugar instead of frosting.

Vanilla cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World topped with strawberry jam, a strawberry, and a drizzle of powdered sugar icing (powdered sugar and oat milk).

Dark Chocolate Chunk Marzipan Cookies from the blog 'seitan is my motor'. 

Chocolate Chip Chai Spice Shortbread

The flavor of these cookies was great but they did not turn out as well as I had expected. I did not have vegan shortening, so I substituted extra vegan margarine instead. The dough was extremely soft and I had to add extra flour. This caused the dough to taste too much like flour! So, I added more powdered sugar. All in all, they turned out fine. But, my chocolate spread out a lot while baking and the shape of the cookies is not as neat as it should have been.

The recipe is from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar. 

Cacao Nib Cookies

I followed the recipe for Chocolate Chip cookies from Vegan Cookies Take Over Your Cookie Jar. The recipe requires the use of only one bowl, making clean up a snap. Instead of chocolate chips, I used Cacao Nibs and LOVED them! They are very crunchy and not sweet. I also added chopped pecans. The cookies are fantastic and paired nicely with this new tea that I purchased in my recent travels. It is Green Tea with Rose Petals.

Almond Biscotti

My current baking obsession is Biscotti (Italian twice baked cookies). I followed a recipe from Vegan Italiano. Here is a link to the recipe, only it is doubled in this version.

I dipped mine in melted, dark chocolate and additional slivered almonds. Not that the Biscotti needed more flavor, but it just sounded (and tasted!) like a good plan!

This recipe uses applesauce for a significant portion of its moisture, instead of oil. I was very happy about that!

I also made a batch of Mom's Scrambled Tofu from the Vegan Dad blog. On a side note, my mom did tell me that she is almost virtually vegan these days! I am thrilled with this news! Spreading the Vegan Word!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gingerbread Biscotti

My "to-do" list today included things like cleaning my closet and other boring tasks. I have a cold so my energy level is down. Biscotti seemed like the perfect solution because you mix and bake, then rest. Then you come back and slice and bake, and then you enjoy! Simple, spread out, no rush, excellent with hot, soothing coffee or tea! And, an excuse to put off cleaning the closet until tomorrow.

The recipe is from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar. Here is a link to the recipe posted online. The gingerbread spices mixed with the candied ginger is a magical combination! And, dipped in rice-milk white chocolate with extra candied ginger pieces!!! Delicious. Gingerbread is definitely NOT just for Christmas time around here!

Chickpea Cutlets with Veggies and Cheezy Sauce

Chickpea cutlets are becoming a regular around here, and that is rare! I don't often make things more than once. But, I have gotten pretty good at whipping them up and we absolutely love them served with anything! I had a large amount of random veggies in the fridge, all leftover from something. I sauteed them in olive oil and dumped a batch of Cheezy Sauce over them. Heaven!

I also made some chocolate chip cookies. I substituted 1/4 cup flour for a granola/flax seed mix and used whole wheat flour. I added white and chocolate chunks and pecans.

Macadamia Ginger Crunch Drops

I am not really a big fan of eating cookie dough. It just makes me lose my appetite for the finished product! But for some reason, I tasted the dough for these and could not stop eating it!!! After baked, the cookies were equally as delicious. I baked them for a significant amount longer than the 14 minutes the recipe called for, closer to 20 minutes, and added a splash more milk because my dough was very dry. These are without a doubt my favorite cookie to date. Sweet and spicy ginger, crunch-y macadamia nuts, brown sugar-y crisp cookie. YUM!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Pillows

John and I are celebrating our 1 year wedding anniversary this weekend and decided to take a short, day trip to Bratislava, Slovakia. We did a bit of googling ahead of time to see if eating would be a problem, and there did not appear to be too many vegan dining options, at least discussed online. Plus, the very limited amount of German we have learned was potentially not going to help us, considering they speak Slovak there. We did end up finding a sushi restaurant that had a veggie/noodle and tofu option. But, for train snacks, I made a batch of homemade crackers and Peanut Butter Chocolate Pillows from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar. A-MA-ZING! I will never understand the European aversion to peanut butter.

Happy Vegan St. Patrick's Day!

I decided to make a feast for St. Patty's Day and it started with Irish Creme Kisses from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar. I didn't actually make these for John and I but instead, for him to take to work and share with his co-workers. It is becoming a bit ridiculous how easily I can find an excuse to make cookies from this cookbook. The frosting was very sweet, so I put it into a pastry bag and just gave each cookie a pretty squirt. I got really tired of shaving the chocolate, so some had nice, thick curls and some just had broken bits. The cookies have a combo of whiskey, espresso powder, and chopped walnuts that will make these a yearly tradition!


So, the dinner menu consisted of Tempeh Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms, Irish Lemon Soda Bread, and Potato Leek Soup. For dessert, Irish Oatmeal-Apple Crumble with Whiskey Cream Sauce. Here is a picture of my dear husband sitting patiently at the set table while I take pictures of everything!


The mushrooms were stuffed with the Tempeh Sausage from Vegan Brunch. John and I absolutely love this recipe because it resembles sausage in texture and spice-flavor and can be successfully added into so many dishes. It tastes amazing in pasta, on puff pastry, in a vegan omelet, by itself, or stuffed in things!




I had to buy a few ingredients to make this bread, but was SO glad I did! Originally, I was going to make a basic soda bread but felt it was a) not super nutritious and b) boring. After a little internet noodling, I found this recipe and felt it would be perfect with soup. It is slightly sweet, lemon-y, crunchy, and delicious! I discover that Weizenkleie is Wheat Germ and Goldhirse is Millet. I also bought this cute new bread pan! It makes longer, thinner loaves and I think it will be fun for sweet breads like banana, zucchini, etc.


I have made the soup recipe before and it never has failed me. After watching and reading Julie and Julia, I realized there was ONE Julia Child recipe that could be made vegan, this soup. It is so easy but, when cooked for a long time, has the best flavor imaginable. Last time, I used vegan cream. This time, vegan butter. Both turned out equally scrumptious.


And, for dessert, I though something fruit based would be a nice change from the recent overload of cookies and cupcakes I have occupied my time making. The whiskey cream was really, really good! And by really, really good, I mean, "drink with a straw" good.

Pumpkin Pie Brownies

I might need an intervention soon. I can not stop baking from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar. They have invaded my sanity!!! And my waist line! But, pumpkins are going to be gone from the market soon and I couldn't resist this recipe before that happens. I roasted the pumpkin myself and left the chocolate chips off the top (I can't find vegan chocolate chips here.) I also did not have a 9 inch square pan, so I used a pie dish lined with parchment paper. I was so worried about burning the brownie layer that I underbaked everything a bit but no one was complaining about the slight gooeyness of it all!!!

Lazy Samoas

I was a Brownie and sold Girl Scout Cookies when I was little so I have fond memories of these cookies! The cookbook Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar has a veganized version that is the exact same flavor but a fresh, unprocessed bite. They were actually not difficult to make and that is a good thing because I technically made them for John but then ate them all myself (and I mean ALL of them!!!) So, I will make more for him in the future. I need to take a break though! After buying 4 new cookbooks (2 specifically for desserts!) my jeans are starting to become difficult to button.

Tahini Lime Cookies

The recipe is from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar. I was really happy that John asked for these because I don't think I would have picked them myself. The flavor of Tahiti is not one I associate with delicious, moist cookies. But this is exactly what it produced! They are a very sophisticated cookie and the black sesame seeds give them the daring first impression they deserve.

Here is a link to a recipe posted by another blogger. I did NOT follow her substitutions and the first unqualified them as vegan. She replaced 1/4 cup of the sugar with honey. The recipe calls for 3/4 cup sugar, no honey! She also added a portion of whole wheat flour (that could be good...)and left out 2 Tbsp cornstarch. The other addition that is not in the original recipe is baking soda. Otherwise, the recipe is accurate.

I got this lime zester from Sur La Table in Portland, OR. I really like it! It captures the zest as it is taken from the fruit.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles

My second selection from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar! I had to substitute the maple syrup for agave syrup. I made a Mexican Chocolate pudding for Thanksgiving and these have that same theme, a bit of heat and a lot of chocolate sweetness. I also substituted the cayenne for Mexican chili spice (that is what I bought for the pudding!) It worked out very nicely. The heat started to build a few minutes after finishing a cookie. Here is the recipe.

Rocky Road Cookies

A picture of this cookie is on the cover and numerous pages in the cookbook Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar, so I figured they must be good! Also, when I asked John to pick a cookie he wanted me to bake first, he said, "The one on the cover." I was worried I had done something wrong because it mentions in the recipe how wet the dough will be but I did not think mine was much different from any other cookie dough I have made. They turned out really delicious, very sweet, and the almonds add an excellent crunch. I pressed a few extra almonds on top before baking the cookies. They are very soft, rich and have a brownie-like flavor/texture.

4 New Cookbooks

I took a trip back to the US for the past month. A complication with my visa forced me to leave, but it was so fun to see friends and family and I picked up 4 new vegan cookbooks! My mother-in-law bought me Vegan Italiano. John in 100% Italian and has already requested the risotto recipe! I got a used copy of Vegan Brunch from Amazon.com for a steal of a price. Isa Chandra Moskowitz is the author of the excellent Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World and the new Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar is now mine! John has already requested I make the cookies on the cover. And finally, I bought The 100 Best Vegan Baking Recipes in an effort to cheer myself up one day while in limbo with the visa situation and browsing a bookstore. It all worked out and I am back home in Austria, ready to cook and blog again!

Banana Spice Cookies

I remember making these a long time ago, way before I became a vegan. I was searching for a recipe for bananas that were getting really ripe and had deja vu finding this recipe again! Vegan butter and eggs are the only needed substitutes for the cookies. You can frost them, if you want them to be sweeter, but they have a fantastic flavor by themselves. They are like little bites of soft, slightly fluffier/doughy-er banana bread.

Individual Heart-Shaped Apple Galettes

After the semi-disappointment of the Pumpkin Gnochhi, I was so happy I had a fantastic dessert made! I made these really cute, individual heart-shaped, apple pie like, crusty, tart and sweet pies. The recipe made 6 so I will be eating the leftover with Peach Green Tea for breakfast/lunch/dinner, basically anytime for a few days!

The crust directions appeared a tad complicated at first but after following the recipe carefully I see that it isn't really that difficult. This blog does a nice job of explaining the process but the ingredients listed here are a little different. The original recipe calls for 2 cups of all purpose flour and no xanthan gum. The blog gives a great alternative to make the crust gluten free though. Instead of coconut oil (although I love this substitution!) I used vegan margarine.

When the dough was prepared, cut into 6 hearts, sides folded and scored, 1-2 teaspoons of apricot preserves were spread inside the heart, topped with apple slices and sprinkled with cinnamon and brown sugar. They baked at 425 for about 25 minutes. We ate ours with Soy Vanilla Ice Cream! So, so good!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies

John is home sick today. He is actually not one of those seriously annoying people when sick, so I enjoy taking care of him! I asked him what he wanted and his response was cookies. Normally, he gets a little hissy when I bake too much because he claims I am responsible for his little, protruding belly. So, when requested by him to bake something, I get really excited! I have made this chocolate chip cookie recipe many times before and have never had it fail. This time, I substituted 1/4 cup of the flour with this dry oatmeal/flax seed granola mixture. I originally bought it to make granola cereal but haven't been doing that much lately. I used pecans for the nuts and chopped a bitter sweet chocolate candy bar (80% cacao) into chunks. I ran out of liquid vanilla so I substituted it with Vanille Zucker (sugar soaked in vanilla beans). Here is a picture below that also includes the egg replacement that I use.

Pistachio Rosewater Cookies

I was feeling a little sad that I did not bake any cookies this year for the Christmas holiday. We were out of town, busy, excuses, excuses. And, because it is Sunday and NOTHING, I repeat, nothing is open in Vienna on Sunday, I have all day to spend in the kitchen! I would have originally chosen a cookie with chocolate because I am obsessed but didn't have any in the house (except for a chocolate bar of John's that, lucky for him, had some kind of butter product in it).

I bought a container of rosewater in Portland a while back and intended to use it as a body spray but don't actually use it much. So, these cookies came together quickly and easily.



Unfortunately, they never quite turned out perfectly. Each batch had its own issues.
When I took the first batch out of the oven, they looked white and slightly raw. I let them cool for 5 minutes on the baking stone (as instructed by the recipe) and they firmed up nicely but were a bit flat. I decided for the second batch to use a smaller amount of dough and flatten it out less. It worked but I burned them (do NOT let them burn! They are so hard, impossible to eat). The third batch was better but still flat (pictured above).

The positive: What a lovely smell I have in my kitchen now!!! But, these cookies are not something I would make on a regular basis, but think they would be nice to serve with tea. Note to self: make friends and have a tea party!!! I did not add zest and used lemon juice instead of lime because I had it. John is not a huge fan of "perfume-y" foods, and I would definitely put these into that category. Oh well, he has his chocolate bar at least!!! :-)

Snickerdoodle Cookies

I have made this version of Snickerdoodles a few times in the past. I really liked how they turned out this time! I under-baked them by a minute so they were soft and chewy in the center but crisp and buttery on the edges. I also used white sugar instead of my usual Sucanat so they didn't turn brown and no whole wheat flour was substituted for the all purpose, as I have done in the past.