Dining In - New York-Style Crumb Cake

New York-Style Crumb Cake - Chloe's Vegan Desserts

In honor of the place I now call home, I made this recipe for New York-Style Crumb Cake. It was very simple to prepare, in fact more time was spent baking it than making it! The smell that filled my kitchen was an intoxicating buttery, cinnamon scent and if this had been a batch of cookies you can be sure they'd have been gobbled up. Sadly I had to leave the cake untouched so my boyfriend could bring it to his office for a potluck. Verdict from the group was the now common disbelief that it was vegan, meant as a compliment of course! I made this once before with the help of my mom for a Sunday breakfast and it was delicious; sweet with a balance of salt throughout, a moist cake layer covered with a divine buttery crunch. This beats anything premade sitting on a grocery store shelf and I bet it could hold its own against a traditional New York Style-Crumb Cake! You can find the full recipe from Chloe's Vegan Desserts (buy your copy here). 

Crumb Topping:
1 1/4 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup vegan margarine, melted

Cake:
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Powdered sugar, for garnish



To Prepare the Crumb Topping:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease a 8-inch square pan.

In a medium bowl, prepare crumble by first combining flour, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon. Then pour on the melted margarine and use two forks to toss the mixture together. You don't want to stir and combine it too much so the tossing method helps to keep it a crumble. 

This...

turns into this!

To Prepare the Cake:

In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. 

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together almond milk, canola oil, vanilla extract and apple cider vinegar.

Pour wet mixture over dry and stir together to combine, but don't overmix the batter. 

Pour batter into the pan evenly. Sprinkle crumb topping over the batter to cover completely. 

Bake for about 40 minutes. I checked mine a couple of minutes early using a toothpick and noticed it was done. 


Allow to cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar (now doesn't that look like something from an Entenmann's box!?) then cut into squares to serve!

Freshly Baked Crumb Cake

Dining Out in London - Cookies and Scream

Cookie Dough Balls Shake - Cookies and Scream

I scream, you scream, we all scream for Cookies and Scream, because it's just that good! I had this spot on my list for must-visit vegan spots in London and it was reconfirmed when my London-based friend said how delicious it was. I went to the Camden Lock Market after my slight disappointment at Borough Market for the lack of vegan options. Camden was a lot more crowded and dirtier than I expected. It's got a sort of punk rock vibe going on and the streets are overrun with souvenir shops and wandering tourists. I shuffled around in the food tent area for a while searching for Cookies and Scream until I finally had to ask for help. Turns out it's actually tucked away inside, with a permanent stake in a small building called the Dingwalls gallery area. This dessert bar is not only vegan, but also gluten-free! When I discovered them I realized I wasn't alone in my excitement. The other customers were equally overwhelmed by the looks of the freshly baked, heavenly treats for sale. The staff works in a tiny kitchen area right behind the counter and I commend them for working wonders in such small quarters.

Tiny Kitchen Space at Cookies and Scream

I ordered a Chico Cookie, which was a large peanut butter cookie with chocolate chips. It was super moist, gooey, and rich. I greedily also ordered a liquid dessert, the Cookie Dough Balls Shake thanks to a tip from Fat Gay Vegan and got a Gosh! Brownie to-go, which of course lasted a total of four hours post-visit. As I was drinking my shake all I could think was how unhealthy it must be because of how incredibly sweet and creamy it was, and I got a kick out of the "low-fat" label on the menu board. The huge chunks of cookie dough made it a more exciting and indulgent treat. Excluding my minor stomachache from all the (unrefined) sugar, my only complaint was that the baked goods were a little too moist and fell apart pretty easily. 

It was worth it, whatever damage Cookies and Scream did to my diet. Thank you for the delightful desserts, I will miss you back in the states!

Low-Fat Shakes?! Don't mind if I do...

  

Cookies and Scream

The Market Hall

Camden Lock Place

London, UK NW1 8AF

Cookies and Scream Website

Dining In - Chocolate Celebration Cake (Gluten-Free)

Chloe's Celebration Cake, Gluten-Free - Chloe's Vegan Desserts

It was my friend's birthday and we had plans for a fun Hot Pot style dinner at his apartment (complete with vegan-friendly side of the pot and tons of veggies!), so I decided to be formal and make an actual cake. For his previous birthday, I made one of my most gourmet and "reblogged" desserts - the Coffee Almond Crunch Cupcakes. These were a big hit so I had to step my game up, but I also wanted to experiment. From a previous shopping trip I had a bag of gluten-free flour from Trader Joe's that I hadn't opened. I went out and bought the expensive, yet required, complement to it, xanthan gum. It's a thickener that helps starches combine to trap air. I was nervous baking my FIRST altered gluten-free dessert, meaning making substitutions versus making baked goods that were naturally gluten-free like: Healthy Chocolate Chip Blondies. 

You can find this recipe and others in Chloe Coscarelli's dessert cookbook, Chloe's Vegan Desserts (buy your copy here). The prep was no different except instead of one dry flour you have to add an extra ingredient, the xanthan gum. Determining the appropriate baking time was difficult; for one thing I wasn't using the same pan size that Chloe's recipe called for. I had an 8-inch pan that I needed to reuse twice for two layers whereas she noted using a 9-inch pan. The cake wasn't cooked all the way through when I first checked it so I cooked it longer and then longer again. People are often concerned that gluten-free baking can be dry and I did worry that the outer part of my cake would be, because it already looked done when the middle was not. After letting it cool I saw that it held together so I kept my fingers crossed that the taste and texture were not sacrificed from the experimental baking time.




Now for the taste...it was a winner! The whole non-vegan, non-gluten-free dinner party loved it! I did too. I was really shocked at how moist it was, more moist than most of the other cakes I've made from Chloe's cookbooks. The chocolate was flavorful especially with coffee baked in, but wasn't overpowering and the sweet vanilla frosting paired perfectly with it. Up against a plethora of NYC bakery items, including vegan ones from Peacefood Cafe, this cake held its own! Although this is not healthy, it is a "make again" recipe and now I'm eager to incorporate gluten-free substitutes into other baked goods. 

Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake
3 cups gluten-free all purpose flour (You can use all types here and it's best to follow the directions of what you're using to know how to pair with the xanthan gum and how long to bake! I used the Trader Joe's variety)
1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum (I used Bob's Red Mill brand)
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

Vanilla Frosting
1 cup non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening (I used Earth Balance sticks)
3 cups powdered sugar
3-5 tablespoons of almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To Prepare Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray round cake pan with oil (I used an 8-inch pan instead of the recommended 9-inch).

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, xanthin gum, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt.

Dry Gluten-Free Ingredients

In a medium bowl whisk together wet ingredients - coffee, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and stir to combine, but don't overmix.

Fill pan with batter and bake for about 30-35 minutes, checking towards the end with a toothpick to make sure the middle sets and toothpick comes out clean. Let cake cool in pan, then flip over to release it onto a plate. 


To Prepare Vanilla Frosting:

In a medium bowl use a handheld mixer or a standing mixer and beat vegetable shortening for about a minute, until smooth. On low speed, add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and combine with vanilla extract and desired amount of almond milk so that the frosting is thick, but not dry.


To Assemble Layer Cake:

Flip cake layer back over so top is up and use a large sharp knife to trim the dome part off each layer. Place first cake layer on your serving plate. Scoop out about 1/3 of the frosting and coat the top of the layer. Add another cake layer and the remaining frosting to coat edges and top. Garnish with your choice: fresh berries, sprinkles, chocolate shavings... go wild! I actually used cake crumbs from the sliced off dome portion. Slice to serve.

Dining Out in Boca Raton - Darbster

Meatloaf - Darbster

The last time I visited Boca Raton on vacation, this vegan restaurant didn't exist, and that was only 2 years ago! Needless to say, I was excited when my boyfriend's mother told me she made reservations for us to try it out for dinner on our recent trip. We went on a rainy night, but sat outside on the covered patio area. We were accompanied by a handful of other families, so it looks like a popular place, despite the not so desirable location in a small shopping plaza.

As the "vegan queen" I requested that my boyfriend's family try as much of the menu as possible so I could get a good sense of the food and taste test it all ;). With drinks in hand, we started with appetizers. We ordered one special which was the Nacho Flatbread Pizza and the popular Palm Cakes. I preferred the Flatbread over the Palm Cakes, but both were delicious. The Palm Cakes were similar to a crab cake, but made with hearts of palm, caper remoulade, tahini served over baby greens. The special Nacho Flatbread Pizza had all the fixings of (vegan) nachos served on a flatbread split into four servings, vegan queso, black beans, guacamole, pico de gallo, sour cream. I would definitely get this again; it was creamy, crunchy, and filling.

Palm Cakes - Darbster

Nacho Flatbread (Special) - Darbster

Cordon Bleu - Darbster

For entrees, my boyfriend ordered the dish highly rated by Yelpers (and non-vegans) the Cordon Bleu. From his cleared plate and the one and only bite I was allowed, I think it was a winner, with lots of yummy things going on: soy ham with crispy Gardein roulade, spinach, Daiya mozzarella, roasted tomato béchamel, mashed Yukon potatoes, and tarragon broccoli. His father, also a meat lover, ordered the Meatloaf. He also cleared his plate and from my bite of this, it's something I would order next time. It was a bacon and cheese meatloaf as the core, served with smashed potatoes, garlic haricot vert, crispy leeks, with a vegetable demi glaze. My boyfriend's mother ordered the Avocado Curry Stew, one I had been eyeing. It's served cold because it's raw, and was made up of avocado, almond milk, ginger, garlic, lime, raisins, crunchy sprouts, carrots, onion, cayenne, and spiced cashews. She enjoyed it. I also went with a gluten-free, raw dish because I was on a health kick that week (up until dessert... when I spiraled out of control), although the name of my dish doesn't really suggest it's healthy, Bacon Cheeze Burger. This was an herb burger, topped with lettuce, tomato, red onion, cashew cheese, dill cashew mayo, eggplant bacon, on sprouted buckwheat bread, with a mixed green salad on the side. It was flavorful, hearty, and easier to eat than some other veggie burgers I've tried that are mushy and fall apart. I loved the creamy dressings on it and was immediately full.

Avocado Curry Stew - Darbster

Strawberry Layer Cake - Darbster
Heavenly!

Now onto dessert, the Strawberry Layer Cake is to die for! The serving was enormous, like shockingly enormous, and even more so when I shockingly almost finished it, leaving only a crumb on the plate! I admit I had a little help from my boyfriend and his dad, but let's face it I was hoarding it. What I loved was the dense, moist cake that wasn't overly sweet with layers of subtle strawberry-flavored frosting. My boyfriend's mother ordered the special, it was Mexican Horchata Chia 
Pudding, a chia seed pudding, with burnt cinnamon, raisins, black figs, coconut flakes topped with coconut whipped cream. I took a few bites of this beautiful looking, gluten-free dish and loved it. She did as well, and noted the next morning that the chia seeds really do give you energy, unfortunately it kept her up all night!

Horchata Chia Pudding - Darbster

We almost went back just a couple days later, but instead dined in. With so much variety and a satisfying experience that left my taste buds happy, I will be back for sure!

Darbster

6299 N Federal Highway

Boca Raton, FL 33487

Darbster Website

Dining Out in Brooklyn - Champs Diner

Red Velvet Pancakes - Champs Diner

This place is like a glutton's heaven; it's like waking up in a vegan food dream. So be warned, it's not for the "light" eater and you better bring your appetite... and your patience, because you will need both. Champs (or Champs Family Bakery or Champs Diner, whichever you prefer) recently moved to a new location and spruced up their decor, but kept with their retro 50's diner vibe. Even on a rainy, cold Saturday morning there was a crowd outside waiting for a table and unfortunately due to the small size, the hostess wouldn't allow people to wait inside. I came here for a birthday brunch with my best friend and was willing to wait. Instead of standing in the rain, we actually made the smart choice (thinking only with our stomachs here) to swing by Dunwell Doughnuts a couple blocks away for a pre-meal vegan doughnut (yup, talk about healthy). 

I had studied the menu a few times before coming and even ordered takeout from Champs months ago. I was second guessing the fact that everything here is vegan, because it sure doesn't sound or look like it, which makes it that much more exciting! I first tried the Buffalo Chik'n Sandwich but wasn't impressed. It was a hero sandwich made with spicy buffalo chik'n, greens, tomatoes, sauteed onions, and ranch dressing. I couldn't enjoy it because it was too spicy for my taste. I was very eager to go back for a real brunch though because they are known for their breakfast foods. Some stand-outs include the Red Velvet Pancakes (photographed above), Drunken Cowgirl Tofu Scramble, French Fries with Cheese & Bacon (yes, you read that right). My friend was in the mood for more of an "egg" savory dish and went for the Get Scrambled tofu scramble with onions, peppers and ham. I made my decision based on reading the description of Country-Fried Seitan Sandwich...or maybe it was just seeing "fried" in the name. My sandwich was incredible, not something I could eat everyday or even every week, but a scrumptious unhealthy treat nonetheless. The crispy seitan cutlet was crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside, smothered in creamy ranch dressing, topped with bacon and melted cheese and a few fresh veggies - lettuce and tomato - all served on Texas toast, because why not?! Man, my mouth is watering just thinking about it. I had to save room for our breakfast dessert so I brought half home and ate it only a couple hours later. For dessert, with hardly any room left in our stomachs (those doughnuts before our meal might have been a bad idea), we sunk our forks into a stack of Red Velvet Pancakes. I've never had the pleasure of enjoying red velvet in this way before! They were chewy, fluffy and moist, a well-made pancake indeed and served with a generous heap of heavy whipped cream with melting chocolate chips decorating the plate. 

Country-Fried Seitan Sandwich - Champs Diner

This whole meal left me saying "nom nom nom" and wanting to find a cozy warm corner to go lie down in for a while. There are just so many more things I need to try here. I will be back and I will wait in that line, because dammit it's worth it.

Get Scrambled - Champs Diner

Another shot of those beautiful red velvet pancakes

Champs Diner

197 Meserole Street

Brooklyn, NY 11206
Champs Diner Website

Dining In - Pumpkin Pecan Brownie Pie

Pumpkin Pecan Brownie Pie

When I was searching for vegan Thanksgiving desserts last year I knew it had to include pumpkin (one of my favorite holiday flavors), but I also knew there would already be pumpkin pie served, so I found a yummy alternative. This combines the best fall flavors with chocolate. I made two of these to share with my family and it was a hit. The brownie portion was more cake-like, while still being moist. The buttery pecan topping was my favorite part and it went very well with the pumpkin. Made in a pie pan, this is best served in slices with dairy-free vanilla ice cream! Sadly I was too distracted and eager to dive in, that I neglected to get a shot of the finished product!

I found this recipe from a Buzzfeed list, an usual place to find vegan recipes. It comes from the blog Oh She Glows. There is also a variation for Pumpkin Pie Brownie Cupcakes. Here is the link to recipe. Enjoy!



Pumpkin Brownie
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup & 3 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil, softened
3/4 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda



Pumpkin Pie
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons almond milk
1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Pecan Topping
1/4 cup Earth Balance
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a pie pan.

To Prepare Pumpkin Brownie:
Using a hand mixer or stand mixer blend together the coconut oil, pumpkin, vanilla,
and sugar until blended well. Add in the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking, soda, and sea salt and stir until incorporated. Pour batter into the pie pan. Make sure batter is evenly distributed.

To Prepare Pumpkin Layer:
In a large bowl mix together the pumpkin, vanilla, and milk. In a small
bowl, mix together the cornstarch, sugar, and pumpkin pie spice. Slowly add the dry ingredients
to the wet and mix well until all clumps are gone. Now add on top of brownie mixture.

To Prepare Pecan Topping:
Mix all ingredients until well combined and sprinkle on top of the pie.

Bake for 35-40 minutes. Let cool. Serve with vegan ice cream, vanilla will go beautifully with it, but if you're a chocolate lover, go for chocolate!