Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale

The Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale took place on Saturday, April 27th, 2013 
and it was a huge success!

The bake sale was held at the MSPCA Adoption Center located in Jamaica Plain, MA. It's within a huge facility, connected to the MSPCA-Angell Animal Hospital. The weather was perfect, not a cloud in the sky, so we set up the tables outside to take full advantage of the gorgeous spring weather. I had enlisted help from my family and friends, but the MSPCA also arranged to have volunteers take shifts throughout the day. The extra help was much needed since we got quite the crowd! Even before everything was set out we got curious folks walking by who were interested in buying some of the first few baked goods that were out on the table. Hard to say no to that!

As we wrapped up the event, we started counting the cash. I expected around $500 (taking a guess that if 100 people came they might spend about $5 each). I was wrong. Very wrong. We raised a total of $1,310 for the MSPCA! That proved to me that people who came by were very passionate about the cause, about the vegan food, and just genuinely generous. I am thrilled at the outcome of the event. It was my first time hosting an event like this, but the success has me motivated to try it again!

Read on for more details and photos!


The Vegan Baked Goods

Before the bake sale I had arranged for donations from some local businesses, all of them were incredibly generous and provided delicious vegan treats for the event. 

• Monumental Cupcakes - Mini Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes 
• Sabertooth Bakery - Donuts (S'mores, Cookie Dough, Earl Grey, Chocolate and Vanilla Sprinkles)
• Katalyst Kombucha - Different Varieties of Kombucha Tea
• Veggie Galaxy - Two Cakes (Taza Chocolate Layer Cake, Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Frosting)
• Totally Sweet - Apple Cider Donuts and Congo Bars
• Iggy's - Bagels, Baguettes, Pecan Rolls, Francese, Facile
• Bev's Bakery - Banana Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Here they are below - Thank you again!

In addition to the support from local businesses, I was overwhelmed by enthusiastic, friendly volunteers who contacted me about baking and donating food to the event. As the event began more and more scrumptious vegan baked goods were added to the table and we quickly realized that a fourth table was needed! It was unbelievable to see so many amazing and delicious-looking desserts all laid out, all different kinds, that were all vegan! I was crying on the inside because I wanted to eat them all, but with the speed that things were selling out, I only got the chance to try about two or three :( That's a good problem to have!

I want to acknowledge the amazing volunteers who took the time to bake and deliver their goods to the event. The list below may be incomplete (reach out to me if you contributed, but don't see your name).

And one last thank you to my wonderful boyfriend - he was right there with me through the whole process, from hanging flyers around the city, to staying up late with me the night before (even curling ribbons on my baked goods, that definitely proved your manhood), and helping out all day at the bake sale. He even surprised me with customized aprons to wear at the event, using the same image I created for my flyers! 

This bake sale would not have been so successful without all of your generosity!

In preparation for the bake sale my mom and I basically attacked the Chloe's Vegan Desserts cookbook  (buy your copy here) along with a few other sources and collectively made - Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls, Mocha Almond Crunch Cupcakes, Black and White Cookies, Ginger Molasses Cookies, Fluffy Coconut Cupcakes, Mini Banana Bread Loaves, Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, Peanut Butter Cookies, and Blondies. Let's just say I didn't get a lot of sleep the night before the bake sale, but it was well worth it!

Just a Sampling of Some of the Delicious Items for Sale

Banana Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Bev's Bakery

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls

Baking Mini Banana Bread Loaves!

Cakes from Veggie Galaxy

Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Alexi Chi

Gluten-Free Chocolate Layer Cake with Vanilla Frosting
Veggie Galaxy

A Special Section for the Furry Friends Who Visited!

Dining In - Falafel Sliders with Avocado Hummus

Falafel Sliders with Avocado Hummus - Chloe's Kitchen

These little sliders make for a really filling meal. With two homemade condiments, avocado hummus and tahini sauce, that bump up the flavor, they are a more interesting version of the traditional falafel. These would be great as a party appetizer, but your breath might not smell so pretty after :). They'd also work for a summer cookout. You can top them like you would a burger, I added red onion and tomato to mine. I also found vegan whole wheat dinner rolls at Trader Joe's, an item I had never purchased there before and they turned out to be just right for this recipe. This was a fairly quick recipe - all three parts require just one step of blending all ingredients together at once, the only extra effort is cooking up the patties and assembling the mini sliders. You can find this recipe and others in Chloe's Kitchen (buy your copy here).

Vegan Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls - Trader Joe's

Falafel Sliders

Falafel Sliders

15 oz. can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained, 1/4 cup set aside for Avocado Hummus
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
5 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup garbanzo flour
2 tablespoons olive oil

Avocado Hummus
1/4 cup chickpeas

Avocado Hummus

1 avocado, peel and pit removed
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Tahini Sauce
1/2 cup tahini
1/2 cup water
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt



To Prepare Falafel Sliders:

Blend Falafel "Batter" in Food Processor

Add all ingredients to a food processor - chickpeas (leaving 1/4 cup to the side for later), red onion, garlic, parsley, tomatoes, cumin, coriander, salt and flour. Blend together, scrape sides down a couple of times to even out consistency. 

Remove from food processor, form 2-inch patties with your hands. 

Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add patties to the pan and cook until evenly browned on both side. You might need to do this in batches. Place patties on plate with paper towels. 


To Prepare Avocado Hummus:

Rinse out food processor and add in all ingredients for hummus - chickpeas, avocado, parsley, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, sea salt, and cayenne. Puree until well combined. The consistency will be similar to baby food. 


To Prepare Tahini Sauce:

Using the food processor again or a blender, puree all tahini ingredients - tahini, water, garlic, lemon juice, and salt.


To Assemble Falafel Sliders:

Slice the dinner rolls in half and toast lightly. Stack with a falafel patty, dollop of avocado hummus, sliced tomato, sliced red onion, and a drizzling of tahini sauce. 

Enjoy with a few napkins on the side :)

Dining In - Black and White Cookies

Black & White Cookies - Chloe's Vegan Desserts

I loved these Black and White Cookies as a kid! Also called Half Moon Cookies, I had a strategy for eating them, chocolate half first and saving the best for last, the vanilla half second. You can usually find these in the Northeast, especially in bakeries in the North End in Boston. It had been a while since I had one, even before I was vegan. I certainly had never attempted to make them, something about the cake-like cookie and crisp, even frosting intimidated me. After more baking experience, I was excited and eager to make these when I discovered the vegan recipe in Chloe's Vegan Desserts (buy your copy here). 

The cookie is usually more cake-like and this cookie recipe was easy to follow and tasted delicious, with a bit of salt that went perfectly with the sweetness! I was skeptical about the icing and doubted that mine would look as good as the traditional cookies and the photo in the cookbook. I prefer the black and white cookies made with frosting, but this version is very popular, as well. The icing recipe requires quite a bit of powdered sugar, but the consistency turns out right in the end. I layered on the icing a few times allowing it to harden up in the refrigerator in between coats. I shared these with a group of non-vegan friends and they loved them, some going for seconds. I will definitely be making these again!

Cookies
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup canola oil

1/3 cup almond milk

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Icing
4 cups powdered sugar
6 tablespoons water, divided
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons lemon juice


To Prepare Cookies:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. 

In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, and salt. In a separate small bowl, mix the wet ingredients together - oil, milk, lemon juice, vanilla. 

Pour the wet mixture into the dry and blend together, but don't overstir. 

Scoop about 1/4 cup batter onto pan and shape into a circle, leave about 3 inches between cookies. The recipe says this should make about 7 cookies, but I made mine a bit smaller and ended up with 10. Either way will work, and I had leftover icing even with the extra cookies. Bake for about 16 minutes. Allow to cool completely before icing. 

Black & White Cookies Before Icing

To Prepare Icing: 

In a large bowl mix together 5 tablespoons of water with the powdered sugar. Set aside about 3/4 cup or half of the mixture to prepare the chocolate icing. In a separate bowl add cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon water to this half and stir to make chocolate icing. In the remaining white icing, add lemon juice. You can add more water or sugar as needed to get a fairly thick consistency. 


To Assemble Cookies:

Flip Cookies Upside Down Before Frosting

With a slanted frosting knife, start with vanilla icing and coat half of the bottom of each cookie. Next apply the chocolate icing. This is where the original recipe stops, but I felt that the cookies needed a thicker coating, and there was a lot of leftover icing. Allow icing to harden or cool in refrigerator and apply additional coats as needed to fully cover cookies. Also, try to keep the cookies level as the icing may become uneven and "melt" off.  

Dining In - Kashi Mayan Harvest Bake

Mayan Harvest Bake - Kashi

Mayan Harvest Bake - Kashi

For a busy workday I like to have a few quick vegan lunch options available and stored in the office. I've posted before about a few other frozen vegan meals that I've enjoyed, like Amy's Light & Lean Spaghetti Italiano Bowl. Here is another. This one is from Kashi, like Amy's it is less processed and though frozen, still a meal you can feel better about eating.

I tried the Mayan Harvest Bake entree which has plantains, black beans, sweet potato, kale, Kashi 7 whole grain and sesame pilaf, amaranth, polenta, spicy ancho sauce, and pepitas (pumpkin seeds). The taste is unique in a good way, sweet with a kick of spice, but the texture is a bit mushy once you mix it all together. I wish it had a bit more protein (9g.) but the fiber is there (8g.). Overall I would get it again, but only if it's on sale. At some grocery stores these cost as much as $6, and I'd rather go out and get a fresh meal that's a bit more filling instead. Glad to have the vegan option and see it's labeled though!

Kashi Vegan Entrees - Black Bean Mango & Mayan Harvest Bake

Kashi Mayan Harvest Bake - Nutrition Facts

Dining In - Mocha Almond Fudge Cake

Mocha Almond Fudge Cake - Chloe's Kitchen

Delicious, decadent, and divine. This cake turned out so beautifully I didn't want to eat it! I made this for my boyfriend's birthday. As my number one supporter of my vegan lifestyle and my trials and tribulations in the kitchen with endless baking and cooking, he deserved an extra special treat. Even though it was his day I kept it vegan, but I'm pretty sure he didn't mind :) I decided to make this recipe because I recently made Coffee Almond Crunch Cupcakes and my boyfriend claimed they were the best thing I've baked so far, so it was an easy choice to make a cake version of it. The recipe calls for two layers, but I bumped it up to three like the photo in the cookbook showed, and used a slightly smaller pan to ensure I had enough batter. I also added dark chocolate covered espresso beans for garnish. Warning - if you couldn't tell by the look of it, this is not healthy, some of the measurements below scared me, but I had to remind myself it was for a special occasion! 

Chocolately Vegan Heaven

This recipe appears in Chloe's Kitchen (buy your copy here) and was then revised for cupcakes and published again in Chloe's Vegan Desserts (buy your copy here).


Chocolate Cake
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups cold coffee
1 cup canola oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Coffee Frosting
(This is the same recipe as the frosting in Coffee Almond Crunch Cupcakes)
1 cup non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons instant espresso powder, mixed with 1/4 cup water

Chocolate Fudge Sauce
(This is the same recipe as the Chocolate Ganache in Coffee Almond Crunch Cupcakes)
1 cup non-dairy chocolate chips
1/4 cup canned coconut milk
2 tablespoons canola oil
*I advise halving this sauce recipe, since it's only used for a drizzle on top of the cake

Garnish
1/2 cup almonds, toasted and roughly chopped
*I also advise halving this, I ended up using about a 1/4 cup of almonds
10-12 dark chocolate espresso beans


To Prepare Chocolate Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two 9-inch round pans with parchment lining the bottom and a light spray of canola oil. I only had an 8-inch and 10-inch pan to work with, go figure, so I decided to use the 8-inch pan to make three cakes. The time-consuming part was waiting for each cake to cook to use the pan again, this method is not suggested! :)

In a very large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate medium bowl, mix coffee, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Pour the wet mixture into the dry and stir just enough to combine, without any dry spots.

Fill pan about 2/3 full with batter and bake for 25-30 minutes, depending on pan size. Insert a toothpick to check that cake is done and remove from oven. Let cool completely and remove from pan, then use a large sharp knife to flatten out the top for stacking.


To Prepare Coffee Frosting:

Use a stand mixer and beat the shortening for one minute.

Slowly add in powdered sugar and vanilla, while beating on slow speed. Add one tablespoon at a time of the espresso liquid, blend in completely and continue adding tablespoon by tablespoon until you reach the proper consistency for frosting. Continue to blend on high speed for two minutes until frosting is fluffy. Set aside.


To Prepare Chocolate Fudge Sauce:

In a medium bowl, microwave the chocolate chips and coconut milk together. I usually do this at medium power for 30-45 second intervals stirring in between until chocolate has melted. Remove from microwave and add in the oil and stir.


To Assemble Cake:

Place one cake on a cake stand or plate, using a frosting knife spread a layer of Coffee Frosting on top. Stack another cake on top and repeat with frosting. If using three layers, stack your last layer on top and frost again. I found that I was running low on frosting so I deciding to pipe between the layers to give it the appearance of being filled. I also piped along the outer edge on the top.

Spread a Layer of Coffee Frosting on Each Cake

Using a fork, drizzle the Chocolate Fudge Sauce all over top, in any direction. Sprinkle toasted almonds all over. Pipe extra frosting, if desired and push espresso beans along outer edge.

Almost Finished - Mocha Cake with Fudge Sauce

Dining Out in Boston - Trident Booksellers & Café

Black Bean Burger - Trident Booksellers & Café

I've walked by Trident Bookstore & Café a million times, but I had never sat down for a meal there, despite the good things I've heard. I finally went for lunch during the day on a Friday, when it was still quite busy. It's known as being vegan-friendly in an area where there aren't many vegan options. Newbury Street has lots to offer, but unfortunately not much for vegans.

As the name suggests, Trident is a bookstore, but has a decent sized dining area and a wrap around bar area to sit and dine at, as well. There is an upstairs too, that I have yet to venture to. It's a popular place, so you might have to wait a few minutes for a table. 

Trident Booksellers & Café - Newbury Street

People love Trident's brunch, though I visited in the mood for lunch, my boyfriend ordered the Huevos Rancheros and thoroughly enjoyed it. They also offer a huge tea selection (see canisters on top shelf in photo above) and a long list of fresh fruit and vegetable juices and smoothies, which I've only found in one other place in Back Bay, Juice. I ordered the popular vegan Black Bean Burger, served on Iggy's sesame bun with fresh salsa, chips, and a pickle on the side. The burger was fantastic - mushy, a little messy, but delicious and satisfying. I would definitely get this again. Our server was friendly and entertaining. Overall a great experience.
   

Trident Booksellers & Café

338 Newbury Street

Boston, MA 02115

Trident Website

Dining In - Tempeh Piccata & Guilt-Free Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Tempeh Piccata & Guilt-Free Garlic Mashed Potatoes - Chloe's Kitchen

Tempeh Piccata - Chloe's Kitchen

Guilt-Free Garlic Mashed Potatoes - Chloe's Kitchen

Two amazingly delicious Chloe's Kitchen recipes in one meal! I've made the Tempeh Piccata before, but never attempted the Guilt-Free Garlic Mashed Potatoes, although it is a recommended pairing in the Chloe's Kitchen cookbook (buy your copy here). The Tempeh Piccata is a fairly simple one-skillet recipe that begins by steaming the tempeh to remove the bitterness. This dish has great flavor and is very filling. The homemade sauce is tangy and savory. The capers add just the right saltiness.

Parsnips

The Guilt-Free Garlic Mashed Potatoes have a little secret - potatoes make up only 1/3-1/2 of the recipe not 100% like regular mashed potatoes. Parsnips are one of the unique additions to this recipe. If you're not familiar with this root vegetable, it is similar to a carrot in shape, but has a cream color. It's a sweeter vegetable, which comes through in the recipe. You can balance this out by adding more salt. The roasted garlic was delicious and something I'd never prepared before. I enjoyed this side dish, but might try it with one parsnip instead of two next time to reduce the sweetness.


Tempeh Piccata
8 oz. tempeh, thinly sliced (available at Trader Joe's)
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Sea salt
Ground black pepper
1 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoon Earth Balance margarine
2 tablespoons capers, drained
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Guilt-Free Garlic Mashed Potatoes
1 head garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt
Ground black pepper
2 russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into small cubes
1 head of cauliflower, chopped into small pieces
2 medium parsnips, peeled and chopped into small cubes
1/4 cup almond milk
2 tablespoons Earth Balance margarine


To Prepare Tempeh Piccata:

Start by slicing the block of tempeh in half, lengthwise. Then slice the two halves into small triangles. Place in steaming basket over water and steam for 20 minutes to remove bitterness.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in large skillet and cook tempeh pieces until browned on both sides. Remove from pan and set aside. 

Tempeh Piccata

Using the same skillet heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil on medium-high heat. Cook onions until softened. Add garlic and cook for a few minutes. Season with sea salt and pepper. Slowly pour in vegetable broth. Reduce heat and let broth thicken for 1-2 minutes. 

In a separate small bowl mix together water and cornstarch. Add mixture to skillet and stir continuously until sauce thickens. Add tempeh and reduce heat to low. Add in lemon juice and carefully flip tempeh to cover in sauce. Turn off heat. Stir in margarine, capers and parsley until the margarine is melted and ingredients are incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with Guilt-Free Garlic Mashed Potatoes. 


To Prepare Guilt-Free Garlic Mashed Potatoes:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

Peel outer layers from a full head of garlic. Slice tips off top of the head. Place on tin foil and drizzle with olive oil. Season with sea salt and pepper. Fold up tin foil to create a closed pouch for garlic. Place on baking sheet and cook for 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. To remove garlic cloves, squeeze from bottom of head, they should pop out, or you can peel them out.

In a very large pot, add chopped potatoes, parsnips, and cauliflower and enough cold water to cover the vegetables. Add salt. Bring water to a boil and cook until fork tender. Drain.

In a large bowl, mash together cooked vegetables, almond milk, and margarine. Season with salt and pepper.