Cookie Dough Doughnuts

“Cakes are special. Every birthday, every celebration ends with something sweet, a cake, and people remember. It’s all about the memories.”

— Buddy Valastro

Or sometimes, instead of a cake...it's birthday doughnuts. Cookie dough doughnuts to be specific. Made from scratch and vegan to boot.

When I asked Todd what he wanted for dessert on his birthday, he told me "cookie dough". Hmmm, okay. I can do that I guess. I know the man also loves doughnuts. He used to consume them on a very regular and not-so-secretive basis, before we went vegan. However, living in Alaska, I can't think of a single place to purchase a vegan doughnut. Even the crappy drugstore kind (he loves those too) aren't vegan. Thus, Todd hasn't had a single doughnut in a very long time. 

Aware of this doughnut famine, a while back I bought an actual doughnut pan. When he told me he wanted only cookie dough for his birthday dessert, I knew instantly what needed to be done. Cookie dough doughnuts. This was the first time I had ever used the pan and it worked perfectly. I was a little afraid that the doughnuts would taste, well, not really like doughnuts specifically. Just because they're in the shape of a doughnut does not mean a doughnut they will be. You feel me? But, doughnuts these most definitely were!

Todd was pretty surprised and extraordinarily happy to have his first doughnut in over a year and a half. Plus, whenever there's cookie dough involved, the happiness aura in life is instantaneously elevated.

Todd might have put himself into a birthday, cookie dough doughnut coma that day. He told me it was absolutely worth it. 

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Cookie Dough Doughnuts

by Katie @ Produce on Parade August-18-2014

A fluffy, perfectly textured vanilla doughnut layered high with creamy and delicious cookie dough. Super decadent and sure to be a huge hit! Plain doughnut recipe slightly adapted from Churros 'n' Chai.

Ingredients

• Doughnuts
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup vegan sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ¼ tsp. kosher salt
• ¾ cup water
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Frosting
• ½ cup vegan butter, room temperature
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• ¾ cup vegan sugar
• 1 ¼-½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• ¼ cup v egan milk
• 1 heaping cup vegan chocolate chips

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour through and including the salt for the doughnuts. Make a well in the center with a large spoon.In a small bowl, whisk together the water through and including the vanilla for the doughnuts. Pour into the dry well, while stirring. Stir until just combined.Preheat oven to 375 F and coat a donut pan with a nonstick cooking spray. Spoon batter into each doughnut mold, only filling about ¾ the way.Bake at 375 F for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest for a minute before removing the doughnuts and placing them on a wire cooling rack. Repeat with remaining batter. Meanwhile, beat the butter, vanilla, and sugar in an electric mixer on medium until light and fluffy. Slowly add the flour, salt, and milk. Beat until well combined, and then fold in the chocolate chips.Once the doughnuts have cooled slightly, spread a thick layer of the cookie dough on top. Repeat with remaining doughnuts. Freeze any leftover cookie dough to eat later! Mow down.

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 35 mins Yield: 12

We're puppy sitting this week for a friend. Meet Nala! She is Bailey's mini-me. But...a girl...obviously. They are BFFs...obviously. 

Isn't she the sweetest?

German Word of The Day

Doughnut --> Krapfen (crahp-fen)

Good Deed of The Day

Cow's milk is so super disturbing. There are so many plant-based alternatives, why on Earth do many Americans still drink it? It's not like the elimination of all dairy products has been found to cure constipation in up to 100% of kids tested, leading to a resolution of rectal inflammation and complications such as anal fissures. Oh wait, yep, it has. The same has been proven in adults as well. Do you or a loved one have anal fissures and/or rectal inflammation? Or just think cow dairy is really scary (a rhyme!)? Switch to non-dairy milk! You heard it here first people, anal fissures. No fun. This guy knows what I'm talking about.

Wild Blueberry Crisp

“Become loyal to your innermost truth. Follow the way when all others abandon it. Walk the path of your own heart. ”

— Unknown

I made this crisp a few days ago, with the blueberries leftover from last year's late harvest. If you want to see exactly where my berries came from see this post from last year, and this one from last week. There's some gorgeous Alaskan photos!

I'm not at all ashamed to admit that I ate half this pan of crisp the day I made it, and the other half the next day. This is why I don't post a lot of dessert recipes on the blog, in case you ever wondered. Dreams of this crisp still fill my head at night.

I'm staunchly anti-cobbler. Not sure why, really. You know how sometimes you just plain and simple don't like something when you know you should but you just don't. It's like that. I'm the same way with root beer floats and donuts. Every few years I will try a root beer float to see if I'll like it. Nope. Still hatin' on them for 20 straight years. Crisp is far superior to cobbler in every way. 

However, crisp can be a very fastidious and personal dessert. It might not seem that way with regards to how easy it is to throw to together, I know what you're thinking. But some people like it dry, and some like it soupy and sloppy (like me). Some like it sweet, and some not-so-sweet. I love the tartness of a little lemon juice to cut through the flavors, but others won't have it. It really depends on your preference.

Then there's the ice cream debate. I'm in the no-ice-cream crowd. Ice cream should be consumed all on it's own...in my opinion. 

To make thing worse, berry crisp can have a dramatically different texture if made with frozen berries or non-frozen. A different flavor, if using supermarket berries or wild. Whether the berries are super ripe and sweet, or underripe and tart will influence the taste. And finally, whether or not the berries are juicy will affect the amount of liquid in the crisp. Yep, it can definitely be a roll of the dice sometimes. 

Let's be real for a second though. Blueberries, maple syrup, oats, butter, pecans, and spices all mixed together will never ever be a bad thing, no matter how it turns out. You need this delightful end-of-summer crisp. There's even a little flax thrown in. Vegans are obsessed with flax. 

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Wild Blueberry Crisp

by Katie @ Produce on Parade August-15-2014

A fresh, wild blueberry crisp with lemon, maple syrup, flax, and pecans. You won't be able to resist it's deliciousness!

Ingredients

• Non-stick cooking spray
• 1 lb. 4 oz. frozen, wild blueberries (keep frozen)
• 3 Tbsp. ground flax seed, divided
• 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• ½ cup whole wheat white flour
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats, dry
• ¼ cup whole pecans
• ¼ tsp. kosher salt
• ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
• dash of freshly ground nutmeg
• ¼ cup chilled vegan butter, rough chopped

Instructions

Spray an 8x8 inch square glass baking dish with a nonstick cooking spray and preheat oven to 375 F.In a large bowl, add the frozen blueberries through and including the vanilla, using 2 Tbsp. of the ground flax. Mix well and spread evenly in the baking dish.In a food processor, add the flour through and including the nutmeg, using the remaining 1 Tbsp. of the ground flax. Pulse a few times to mix. Now, add the butter and pulse several times until it resembles a coarse meal and the butter chunks are no bigger than a pea size. Spread the mixture over the berries evenly.Bake in the oven for 40 minutes. I like to place a baking sheet under the crisp in case it boils over, but it rarely happens. Remove from the oven when the liquid is boiling around the edges and the top is browned.Once done, allow to rest for 10 minutes. This is very important, especially if you’ve got a soupier crisp. In addition, the leftovers will firm up quite a bit. Serve warm.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 40 mins Total time: 50 mins Yield: 6

After half a pan of bluberry crisp on a dark and blustery evening, it felt right to just lay in bed and read. #noshame

German Word of The Day

Blueberry --> Heidelbeere (Highdel-bearah)

Good Deed of The Day

This is absolutely heartbreaking. Palm oil producers are poisoning pygmy elephants. Help take a stand. Call on the Prime Minister of Malaysia to protect the unique wildlife and stop the further destruction of rainforests, and restore the forest corridors to allow elephants to wander their remaining habitat. As a consumer, vote with your fork. Stop contributing to these monstrosities by refusing to buy products with palm oil. Many peanut butters, butter spreads, and snacking chips along with many other food products contain palm oil. 

Vegetable Protein Gyoza

“I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do. ”

— Edward Everett Hale

Remember when I reviewed Julia Muller's new cookbook, Let Them Eat Kale, well there will be a giveaway at the bottom of this post! It's such a wonderful book, if you want to read my review of it please see this post and of course, enter the drawing below!

You guys are going to really want to make these. Homemade gyoza are astronomically tastier and healthier than their store-bought brethren. Plus, if you're vegan like me it can be difficult to find cruelty-free ones in the grocery store. 

My gyoza (aka pot sticker or wonton) might look a bit odd, and that's because I like to use red cabbage instead of green. However, green cabbage will work just fine too. These little guys pack a big protein punch thanks to TVP, which works beautifully because it soaks up all the saucy goodness and creates a perfect "meat-like" texture for the gyoza filling.

If you use a food processor to prepare the vegetables, this recipe will come together in a snap. I've included directions on how to steam or pan fry the little buggers (I like mine steamed) and also two different folding methods.

Yep, they're pretty darn foolproof. If you've never made them before, now's the perfect opportunity! Don't worry, I'll be your copilot. 

The best part about my recipe is that you'll have some filling leftover that can be frozen for quick gyoza prep when you get a mad hankering for them, like I often do. Also, the wrappers can be frozen too in case you only want to use half a package. 

Just look how awesome they are! I swear they're super duper easy to fold up. Here, I'll show you how to make a "nun's hat" gyoza. 

In case you a weird bias with regards to nuns, here's how to fold a simple, delicious little gyoza package.

See? I told you it was easy. Now go make some gyoza and impress your friends, family, and your tastebuds!

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Vegetable Protein Gyoza

by Katie @ Produce on Parade August-13-2014

A veggie filled gyoza that's also packed with protein, but vegan! Quick and easy with the help of a food processor. Steamed or pan-fried and two instructions on how to fold. Inspired by Half Baked Harvest.

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
• ½ brown onion, minced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
• 1 lb. Crimini mushrooms, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, minced
• ½ head (10 oz.) red or green cabbage, minced
• ¼ cup liquid amino acids or soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. agave nectar or brown sugar
• 1 cup TVP (textured vegetable protein)
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
• 1 package of 40 wonton/gyoza/pot sticker wrappers
• ¼ cup mirin or rice wine vinegar
• ¼ cup liquid amino acids or soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. agave nectar or brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. sweet chili sauce
• 1 tsp. fresh ginger, minced
• dash of sesame seeds

Instructions

I use a food processor to mince the vegetables. If you don’t have one, it’s a good idea to prep all the vegetables ahead of time. In a large frying pan, heat the sesame oil over medium. Add the onion and garlic. Sauté until the onions begin to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the ginger and mushrooms and continue to sauté until the mushrooms lose most their moisture, about 8-10 minutes. Then, add the bell pepper and cabbage. Continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes, until most of the water from the vegetables has evaporated. This will allow for concentrated flavors.Now add the soy sauce, agave nectar, and TVP. Stir well to combine and reduce heat to low. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, until the TVP has soaked up all the liquid and is tender. Remove from heat and stir in the cilantro. Set aside. In a small bowl add about ½ cup of cold water. To assemble the gyoza, lay a wrapper flat and with a finger, wet the bottom edge closest to you and up half the sides with the water. Place one heaping teaspoon of the filling into the lower middle portion of the wrapper and fold in half lengthwise, pressing all the sides together. Careful not to overfill. Fold in half lengthwise again and then wet the lower right corner and the left top corner. Bring the two together and press to connect. Set aside and repeat with remaining wrappers. Any leftover filling can be frozen for quick gyoza making later. Also, the wrappers can be frozen too. The assembled gyoza can be steamed or pan fried. I prefer mine steamed only, but if you want them pan fried there are instructions below as well.To steam: Prepare your steamer with a few inches of water. Line the steamer basket with parchment paper to fit and spray with a nonstick cooking spray for good measure. Once the water is ready, add as many gyozas as possible without them touching. Steam for about 5 minutes, remove from the steamer basket and repeat with remaining gyoza. To pan fry: Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over medium. Add as many gyoza as possible without them touching. Allow to brown for a minute or two, then add about ¼ cup of water and cover with a lid. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, until most of the water is evaporated. Gently remove from the pan and repeat with reaming gyoza.For the Sauce: Combine all the ingredients below the gyoza wrappers in a small bowl and whisk well.Serve hot with the dipping sauce. Enjoy!

Details

Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 30 mins Total time: 50 mins Yield: 40 potstickers

German Word of The Day

Wonton --> Wan-Tan (vahn-tahn)

Good Deed of The Day

Do you know what a pangolin is? I didn't! Well, they are one of the cutest little creatures you've ever seen and are nearly extinct in the wild. However, in Vietnam and China, the animals are still considered a delicacy. Please help take pangolins off the menu by urging the Chinese and Vietnamese policymakers to stop standing by idly while the pangolin is hunted to extinction! 

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