After dinner Wednesday I was sitting on the couch thinking to myself, "I want to make cupcakes. But I also want to make bread. And, hey, I have some super ripe bananas, too. I should make banana bread as well." But that sounded like way too much work for a weeknight (I think you'll agree) and as I sat and pondered which of these things I would like more, Chris mentioned that the growler she had filled with beer from the Drafthouse wasn't getting used enough and would soon go flat, something more awesome and even more wonderful sounding sprang into my mind.

I've never seen beer and bananas combined, but the idea sounded amazing to me that night. And I already had purchased vegan cream cheese to make frosting for cupcakes. So far, this all sounded intriguing, but there was another element I felt it needed. After a few moments, I sat upright on the sofa, turned to Chris and exclaimed, "beer banana sheet cake with whisky cream cheese frosting!"

And in a flash, I was kitchen bound. Not a minute too soon, either, as I didn't find myself enjoying a piece until 9:30 that night. Phew!

I based this recipe on the one for Best-Ever Banana Bread found in my cookbook, Vegan Glass Jar Goodies, which includes nine other fantastic and tasty recipes for vegan baked goods and other delicacies which can be prepared by oneself or given to others as gifts, in jars of course. I decreased the liquid in my original recipe somewhat and added 1/2 cup of Chris's beer. The frosting made just enough, and I'm so pleased with it I might use the recipe for any and every other type of cake I make in the future. I love me some whisky. Neither flavor is overwhelming. I would say, it tastes very similar to their original versions- just BETTER. I think you should try it out and see what you think. So, here you go.

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cups turbinado sugar
2 very ripe mashed bananas
1/4 cup soymilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup beer
Walnut or pecan pieces, optional

DIRECTIONS
In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Add the soymilk, vegetable oil, and beer and whisk together. Add the dry ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon. Pour the batter into a lightly oiled 8x8 baking dish and place in a 350 degree preheated oven. Bake for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for at least five minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Don't frost the cake if warm!

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons plain vegan cream cheese
1 tablespoon vegan butter
2 tablespoons whisky
1 1/2 cups organic powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS
Add the cream cheese substitute and vegan butter to a microwave safe bowl. Heat for 30-45 seconds until they begin to soften, then whisk until smooth and creamy. Add the whisky and mix again. Slowly add your powdered sugar, sifting as you do, to ensure your frosting is not clumpy. Mix with a handheld mixer until sugar is incorporated. If desired, you can microwave the whisky with the cream cheese sub and butter, to bake off some of the alcoholic content. Pour the frosting onto the center of the cooled cake and then smooth over the top with a silicon or rubber spatula. Cut into pieces and enjoy!

Makes 12 square sized servings.

Aside from cooking with booze more often, I've been spending a lot of free time researching new cuisines and techniques and formulating an attack plan for future posts. I intend to launch a YouTube channel at the end of the month and will be broadening my blog's subject matter to include more than just original recipes. I'm really looking forward to it! As for personal stuff, Chris and I will be two of the thousands of people at the Paul McCartney concert this Wednesday (so excited!) and will be visiting her family next weekend over the Memorial Day weekend. We also had an adventure with a stray cat this month. If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter you'll have seen the photos of "Porchy" before. After befriending her at the beginning of May, we became pretty friendly and after petting her for a bit it occurred to us that she was pregnant. After a couple of weeks, we found her a foster family and are hoping for all the best for her and her kittens. She was a very sweet girl and it was heartbreaking for me to give her to someone else. I think about her often and truly wish she finds a better life than what she had before.

As usual, thanks for reading! <3

You may recall that I have devoted the month of April to writing about tea. This includes my recipes. So far, I've shared with you a recipe for a tea based latte. I'll be whipping up some tea based sangria soon. Today, though, I'm happy to bring you a recipe for oatmeal cookies that have a secret ingredient in them- black tea steeped in plain soymilk.

I had never found a recipe for baked goods that uses black tea. I've used powdered green tea (also called matcha) in baking before, but never liquid black tea. I do, however, love to experiment, and it sounded like a great idea for an experiment.

This recipe was partly based on one I got from my mother. She used to own a old-fashioned cookie mix manufacturing business, don't you know, and I've been comparing other recipes to hers ever since. But these cookies are a lot more wholesome than their traditional counterparts. No butter or margarine, no refined sugars, no guilt. They're sweet but not overpowering, chewy, and have a unique flavor. In fact, I would call the tea in them a "secret ingredient" because the flavor is so subtle that you wouldn't likely be able to identify it if you didn't put it in there yourself. Taking all of this into consideration, these cookies are a great option for breakfast in addition to typical between-your-meals snacking. I hope you like them!

INGREDIENTS
1 family sized tea bag
1/2 cup plain soymilk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup coconut sugar (I used this kind)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon olive oil

DIRECTIONS
Warm the soymilk in a microwave safe container until it begins to bubble actively. Add the tea bag and let steep for 5 minutes. Squeeze the excess milk from the tea bag before discarding.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Coconut sugar can sometimes clump, so be sure to mix the dry ingredients well before adding your liquids.

Add the vanilla and olive oil to the tea mixture, then combine it with your dry ingredients. Mix well with a wooden spoon.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners. Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough onto your cookie sheets. If you want many, smaller cookies, use a little less dough. With heaping tablespoons, you can expect between 9-12 cookies. My batch yielded 10. Which is a perfect amount for my two person household! Flatten and shape the dollops into pretty cookie shapeS. The batter is a bit sticky, but do your best.

Bake your cookies one sheet at a time for 10 minutes. And, of course, enjoy!

Makes 9-12 medium sized cookies.

For the other posts in this series, please consult the following:

• An Introduction to Tea Drinking
  
• Lavender Earl Grey Iced Latte
  

I had the great pleasure of meeting the Jade Monk crew at Techmunch on March 10th. Co-founded by Cort Bucher and Derek Pippin, the Austin based company makes a flavorful line of matcha teas. Standing at their booth in the Techmunch break room, I had one sip and became transfixed! In fact, it's possible that my eyes bugged out of my head a little bit, it was that good.

I had only tried a few types of matcha before. It is usually plain, unflavored, slightly bitter, and expensive. I always need to add sugar or agave to it. Which could be why I have yet to explore that type of tea more thoroughly. It was just more convenient to brew the traditional version! But when it comes to Jade Monk brand matcha teas, you'll find a different experience altogether.

There are currently four flavors to choose from- Palau Peach, Lime Blossom, Cranberry Blood Orange, and Chai Spice, each represented by different mythical characters from Japanese folklore. In addition to being flavored, these matchas are also slightly sweetened with both evaporated cane juice and stevia leaf extract. According to the company, Jade Monk teas also have 137 times more antioxidants than traditional green tea as well as "vast amounts of Polyphenols and the highest percentage of L-Theanine available on the market today." This means that the energy you get from your matcha won't give you that unwelcome crash later on. You know, on top of it being extremely flavorful and healthy at the same time!

The lovely folks at Jade Monk were serving their teas on ice at Techmunch but after trying some at home I can verify that they are just as delicious when served warm, particularly the Chai Spice flavor. And there are a number of ways to drink it! Try adding a bit of non-dairy milk or soy based creamer to your warm mug for added richness, or mix a packet of matcha with carbonated water (slowly, of course!) for a green tea flavored fizzy drink! You can also try making a vegan milkshake with it, and if that idea seems delightful to you, here's a recipe to get you started!

This smooth and creamy milkshake is so much healthier than the conventional type. And it tastes reminiscent of key lime cheesecake! I used my homemade Almost Sugar-free Very Vanilla Vegan Ice Cream in mine, to further cut back on the fat, sugar, and calories. Any vanilla non-dairy frozen dessert could work, though.

INGREDIENTS
3 packets of Lime Blossom matcha from Jade Monk
1 cup plain soymilk
1 1/2 - 2 cups vanilla ice cream (see below)

DIRECTIONS
Add the soymilk to a blender. Open the packets of Lime Blossom matcha and sprinkle over the soymilk. Then add your ice cream. My blender has measurements on the side. I added scoops of homemade ice cream to the blender until it reached the 24 ounces or 3 cups line. Pulse the mixture a few times to get it started and then blend. Pour into two glasses and enjoy. Ahh, refreshing!

Makes 2 servings.

In order to win a box of matcha tea to try, I'd like to hear your thoughts on green tea. Jade Monk is giving two of my readers a 12-count Variety Pack containing three of each flavor of their matcha teas. I've decided to have a drawing in order to pick a winner. All you have to do is comment on this blog post with something related to green tea. Here are some examples of questions you could answer:

•  Have you ever tried matcha before?
• Is there a type of green tea you drink regularly? 
• Which of the Jade Monk flavors do you think you'd like to try most? 
• Is there something that's green tea flavored that you really enjoy?
  

Everyone who comments will be entered into a raffle. For additional entries, you can comment on this photo on Facebook and this photo on Google+. You must comment on this blog post first in addition to the social networking sites in order to be eligible. You will have until March 31st at 5PM, central standard time. I will announce the winners on my blog as well as the other services, but will be emailing the winners to obtain their mailing addresses. That means you need to use a valid email address when commenting on this blog post!

A big thank you has to go out to Jade Monk for making this giveaway happen! Visit them on Facebook and Google+ to show your appreciation! And, as always, thank you for reading!

That's right, yet another ice cream recipe from little 'ol me. This time, though, I've traded in my traditional formula for what I'd like to consider something "new and improved." I've been spending a lot of time thinking about my recipes and how I would like to encourage everyone to be healthier, but at the same time I really do love making sweet things for both myself as well as my readers. Of course, this leaves me torn! What IS a sugar fiend to do?

Thankfully, there are alternatives to sugar out there. Healthy alternatives. Date sugar, xylitol, brown rice syrup, maple syrup, and stevia are all considered superior to sugar by many health experts. Agave nectar is supposedly better than traditional sugar, but it's still closer to sugar than other options. But as I've mentioned before, my sugar-free sweetener of choice has to be stevia.

Stevia is a plant like an herb which has a naturally sweet taste. It is turned into a sugar-free, calorie free sweetener as an extract. There are many kinds and brands of stevia. You can purchase it in liquid form or in powdered form. They all taste pretty similar to me, but there are minor differences. I recommend trying a few different brands to determine which you prefer. When it comes to beverages, for instance, I regularly use Stevita, which is a liquid. I put just a few drops in each cup of tea I drink at work (which can be between 2 and 4 cups daily!) and I'm a happy camper. It saves me who knows how many calories (and prevents me from getting cavities, too). At home, though, my stevia of choice is Truvia, which also includes a corn based sweetener called erythritol. It's yummy! And with either option, only a small amount is needed to serve as a sugar substitute. 

While some users claim that powdered stevia doesn't always blend well with liquids, I haven't found that that's the case with Truvia's variety. I have made two batches of "sugar free" ice cream using it with fantastic results. And I say "sugar free" with caution; I use Silk soymilk which does contain some sugar already. That's why I'm calling this recipe  "Almost Sugar Free Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream!"

I mixed a bunch of different milks together for this one. It ended up being boldly vanilla flavored, creamy, and smooth. So good. Almost like vanilla soft serve. But don't take my word for it! Try whipping up a batch of your own. I do believe you'll be pleasantly surprised. And you can certainly try unsweetened soymilk instead (just use all sugar-free soymilk or another non-dairy milk in place of the sweetened soymilk and soy creamer), just as long as you keep the full-fat coconut milk. That's what gives this ice cream it's rich, creamy texture. Enjoy!

DIRECTIONS

1. Open the can of coconut milk and gently empty the contents into a medium sized saucepan. The fat from the coconut milk will separate and float on top. The lighter liquid will still be underneath, creating a pocket that can sploosh out if you aren't careful. Regardless, add all of the contents to your saucepan and whisk to combine. 
   
2. Add the remaining ingredients and then turn on the heat. Set the temperature to medium high, whisking frequently, until the mixture starts to bubble. Then remove from heat. Place in the fridge for 2 hours. Whisk again before adding the mixture to your ice cream maker.
3. Follow the instructions on your ice cream maker. I set a timer for 20 minutes and then checked to see how well churned the mix had become. I left it in for five minutes more before transferring to a container and placing in the freezer for another hour before serving.
4. Just a reminder, homemade vegan ice cream needs to thaw for a bit longer than conventional ice cream!
   

Makes 8-10 servings.

It's just about Valentine's Day, y'all. It's the time of year when everything turns pink and is covered in hearts. Even cookies are dressed up with frills and romantic colors to go with the season. For some, chocolate takes center stage for this holiday. To me, there's another ingredient that comes to mind; amaretto.

My fiance has been giving me the gift of Amaretto di Amore for many years now and for many different holidays. I have tried different brands and types of amaretto, but this variety is my favorite. It's a romantic drink to me, as the packages it comes in usually has a story about two lovers on it. Also, you can often find it sold with a pair of drinking vessels. And on top of that, it just tastes like everlasting love...

Chris has been giving me bottles of this heavenly beverage for many years now. When contemplating what to create for the lizz delicious blog in honor of Valentine's Day, my first thought was a dish using my favorite liqueur! I debated between sugar cookies, cupcakes, and shortbread, but blondies just seem to be my thing. And they really did turn out awesomely. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

For the blondies:

• 1/3 cup vegetable shortening
  
• 3 tablespoons Amaretto di Amore
  
• 1 tablespoon soymilk
  
• 2/3 cups turbinado sugar
  
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
  

For icing:

• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
  
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Amaretto di Amore
  
• 1 tablespoon soymilk
  

DIRECTIONS

1. For the blondies, combine the sugar, amaretto, and soymilk in a large bowl. Mix with an electric or standing mixer for 2-3 minutes on medium speed until the ingredients are nicely whipped up. Add the remaining ingredients and combine thoroughly. Press the dough into an 8x8 inch baking pan that is lightly oiled. Smooth the top of the blondie flat with a silicone spatula. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25 minutes. Let cool completely and remove from the pan before icing.
   
2. For the icing, sift the sugar into a medium sized mixing bowl. Add the amaretto and soymilk and stir with a fork or whisk until the powdered sugar is dissolved and you have a nice, creamy icing. If desired, add pink or red food coloring (to match the Valentine's Day holiday, of course). Pour the icing atop the blondie and spread over evenly. Let the frosting sit until hardened (you can do this in the refrigerator if you want). Also, for a prettier presentation, you can remove the edges when you cut the dessert into pieces. It's up to you!
   

Makes 6-9 servings.

Please note: The frosting does contain alcohol. Serve with your best judgement! I wouldn't recommend giving it to children, though the alcohol content will be minimal. Thank you!

I mentioned experimenting with a combination of white chocolate and matcha green tea awhile ago on Twitter. Well, I finally went into my kitchen and whipped up these buttery brownies (also known as blondies) using matcha green tea powder and Oppenheimer vegan white chocolate chips. I'm so totally pleased with the results. Yum! This recipe is definitely a keeper.

INGREDIENTS
1 stick Earth Balance vegan margarine
2/3 cup turbinado sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon matcha green tea powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon plain soymilk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2/3 cup vegan white chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Combine margarine, sugar, vanilla, tea powder, salt, and milk in a mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer (or standing mixer) beat the ingredients until the sugar looks dissolved, approximately 2-3 minutes. Add the flour and baking powder and mix until combined. Finally, add the white chocolate chips and mix well.

Line a cake pan or 8x8 inch baking dish with a wide strip of parchment paper. This will help you lift the cooked blondie out of the pan. Press the dough into the edges of the pan using a silicone spatula and smooth out the top when finished.

Bake for 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the edges of the blondie have turned a lightly browned color. Cut into wedges or slices.

Makes approximately 8 servings.

It's that time of year again! No, not Christmas- it's Girl Scout cookie season! I have always loved Girl Scout cookies. And now, they love me back.

You heard right! There are two types of Girl Scout cookies this year that are not only delicious but are also vegan friendly. These two varieties offered by my nearest troop were Thanks-alots and Thin Mints (they were even labeled vegan on the order form!). Yes, the iconic mint and chocolate crispy delight is vegan this year. And one of my coworkers, on behalf of a Girl Scout, was extremely verbal about it. As a result, I bought several boxes of each kind. And I chose to turn some of them into ice cream.

And what's great about this recipe is that it's likely that most of my vegan readers have the ingredients necessary to whip up a batch of this treat in their kitchen already! This recipe does require an ice cream maker, but it's an investment I genuinely recommend. A nice, affordable maker (like the one I use) can be purchased on Amazon for around $50. I use mine a ton (see below).

The texture of homemade vegan ice cream can vary considerably. I've read that it has to do with the fat content. Because this recipe has a lot less fat than dairy based ice cream, it is a bit icier coming out of the freezer. But that doesn't change the fact that it tastes amazing. A good 15-20 minute thaw and you're ready for a silky smooth, minty chocolatey indulgence like no other. The cookie flavor comes out nice and smooth and is fairly pronounced without being overpowering!

I hope you enjoy this recipe and share it with your friends! If you try it, be sure to let me know what you think. And if you aren't sure how to get your hands on some cookies, visit the official scouts' website. They even have a locator app!

INGREDIENTS
3 1/2 cups plain soymilk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon vegan butter
1/8 cup arrowroot powder
2/3 cups sugar
1-2 tablespoons vegan chocolate syrup
6 crushed Thin Mint cookies
8-12 Thin Mint cookies, broken into pieces

DIRECTIONS
Combine 1/2 cup of the soymilk and the arrowroot powder in a small bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

In a medium sized saucepan, combine the remaining soymilk, vanilla, margarine, chocolate syrup, and sugar. Heat on medium high heat (but not at full blast), whisking occasionally, until the mixture starts to bubble. Let simmer until the sugar and butter has dissolved, whisking frequently. 

Remove from heat and add the soymilk and arrowroot mixture. Whisk until combined. The mixture will thicken a tad when you do this. Set the pot in your freezer on a heat proof surface (like a pot holder) for 30 minutes. Whisk the cooled mixture well. I've found that this helps maintain a consistency in the texture of the final product. Return the mixture to the freezer and let sit another 30 minutes.

Just before adding the mixture to your ice cream maker, stir in the crushed cookies. Save the cookie chunks for afterward. Follow your maker's instructions for churning your Thin Mint ice cream. When transferring to your air tight container, mix in the cookie chunks between adding dollops of ice cream to it. 

If you can't resist having some after this step, don't hesitate to indulge! I certainly did! Most makers will recommend letting the ice cream freeze for an additional two hours before consuming.

Remember, allow 15-20 minutes thawing time before treating yourself again!

Makes approximately 8 servings. Please note, check with your troop before making your purchase. The Girl Scouts use different manufacturers and some cookies will be vegan for some troops while they will not be for others!!

So, I've been doing some holiday baking. I wanted to try my hand at making cake pops, or balls, as I have never done so before. At the same time, though, I didn't want to spend more time than was necessary in order to make them. The Internet, of course, had lots to say about no-bake pops, and after a little bit of reading this is how I decided to make mine.

INGREDIENTS
1 20-ounce package natural vanilla or chocolate sandwich cookies
1 8-ounce container vegan cream cheese
1 tablespoon mint extract
1 bag vegan chocolate chips
Peppermint sprinkles

DIRECTIONS
Break the cookies into pieces and then run them through a food processor or blender until they turn into a fine powder. You may have to do this in two or three batches. Transfer the powdered cookies to a large bowl.

In a small bowl, combine one half of the cream cheese with the mint extract. Mix well with a spoon or rubber spatula. Add to the powdered cookies. Mix well with an electric mixer (or in your standing mixture) and use your hands if necessary in order to form a solid dough. You may need to add more vegan cream cheese if the dough is too dry.

Roll the dough into small rounds, then place on a cookie sheet and let cool in the freezer or refrigerator for at least 45 minutes.

Melt the chocolate using a double boiler method with as little heat as possible. You want the chocolate to stay melted but you don't want to burn it or yourself!

Remove the balls from the refrigerator and roll them in the melted chocolate. I used a fork and a spoon for this. It worked just fine for me. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle with the peppermint chips.

When all of your balls are coated in chocolate and decorated with your sprinkles, return them to the refrigerator and allow to harden fully.  Serve immediately afterward or even give as gifts! This recipe makes approximately 20 pops or balls. Enjoy!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I know I did. The week left me incredibly busy but it was so totally worth it. I had a great time with family over the extended weekend. Lots of food, fun, and relaxation. And awesome food! I filled up on Gardein stuffed roast, sweet potatoes, Brussel sprouts, and other veggies and washed it all down with seasonal fall Woodchuck!

I mentioned last week sharing the recipe for my Thanksgiving dessert with you. I had intended to do this prior to leaving for Midland on Wednesday, but things got away from me. So I'm sharing it with you today instead.

When Hodgson Mill emailed me a few months ago about their Build A Better Pizza competition, they mentioned to me another contest they would be having soon. I started thinking about what I would be making for my Have A Grain Holiday entry very soon after. I wanted to make something that had whole grains but was also a dessert. In the beginning, I was leaning toward a breakfast item. In the end, that seemed too easy. Ultimately, I decided to make a cake roll using seasonal spices and whole wheat pastry flour.

This picture to the left is of my second attempt. I made a smaller version initially, experimenting with using 100% whole wheat flour as opposed to a mix of both whole wheat and all-purpose. While I thought the flavor was better in the 100% whole wheat version, the texture was a lot less desirable. You can see an image from the first batch at the bottom of this post.

I was really impressed with this dessert; it's extremely tasty but isn't so rich that you can't enjoy a slice or two. It's also very easy to make. You may be intimidated by rolling up a sheet of hot sponge cake, but it isn't as hard as it seems. Here's a nice how-two video.

INGREDIENTS
For the cake:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
12 ounces vanilla soy yogurt

For the filling:
1/2 cup vegan butter
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Powdered sugar and/or cinnamon for garnish

DIRECTIONS
To make the cake, combine your dry ingredients well. Add the yogurt and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Line a deep cookie sheet or a rectangular cake pan with parchment paper or wax paper. Traditionally, wax paper is recommended, but I'm not fond of the way it makes the house smell while its baking. It gives the exterior of the cake a smoother appearance, but I prefer the parchment.

Smooth the cake into a rectangular shape. It may not reach the edge of your pan, but that's okay. Just flatten the dough into a rectangular shape using a spoon or silicone spatula. 

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Let cool for a few moments before trimming off the uneven edges and rolling into a swirl like in the video above. You can also just roll it using the parchment paper instead of transferring it to a towel. I don't bother with the towel step. When done, let the roll cool completely before filling.

Finish by dusting with powdered sugar and/or cinnamon. Slice and serve!

And don't forget, Hodgson Mill has a $1 off printable coupon on their website right now that you can use toward flour until the end of December! You can also enter to win 1 of 50 gift packs worth $85 full of Hodgson Mill goodies by filling out this form. Enjoy!

It seems like the Vegan Mofo is in full swing! And we vegans love our pumpkin. I made a batch of Pumpkin Spice Bars over the weekend and was pleased as punch with the results. They're like a pumpkin-y brownie cake full of nuts and chocolate chip. Num num!

I had leftover pumpkin from trying out this recipe for Pumpkin Latte Syrup from a Mofo post from 2010. It seems like a lot of recipes only call for 1/2 a cup of pumpkin or so, which might explain the abundance of pumpkin recipes. One can goes a long way, apparently! But these guys were real tasty. I hop you dig 'em! I know I did.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup turbinado sugar
1 stick vegan butter (I used Willow Run)
3/4 cup pumpkin purée 
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon pumpkin spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/4 cup pecan pieces

DIRECTIONS
Warm butter to soften. I microwaved mine in a ceramic bowl for 30 seconds on half power.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Combine butter, sugar, pumpkin, and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Use an electric or standing mixer and incorporate the ingredients well. Add the flour, baking powder and soda, cornstarch, salt, and spices. Mix well. Add the nuts and chips and mix until just combined.

Pour the batter into an 8x8 inch pan that has been greased lightly. Smooth the batter out and into the sides of the pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until cooked through. Use a toothpick to test for doneness. 

Yum!

Makes one pan of bars, approximately 9-12 individual squares.

Oh, and do you know what else happened this weekend? The lizz delicious Walk for Farm Animals team passed our $250 fundraising goal! What!? I'm so excited and so proud that we did. It's amazing, to be honest. I'm humbled and appreciative to everyone who has donated thus far. If you haven't given a few dollars to rescued farm animals in need, you can still do so by visiting our team page by clicking here and finding the "DONATE" button. Go team!!