Zizi's Adventures - Real Food, Real Stories

Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies And A Virtual Baby Shower For Emiko

by

Surprise! Surprise! Emiko! This is for you! An international baby shower party – honoring you – with friends around the world!

Emiko is going to get a wonderful Christmas present this year… she is about to have a baby girl, her first child. I bet she and her husband, Marco are going to have an exciting Christmas! 🙂

From left to right: Giulia, me and Emiko last year in London at the Food Blogger Connect

I met Emiko last August in London at the Food Blogger Connect conference. Giulia, our mutual friend from Tuscany, introduced us and since then we’ve become friends… long distance friends because we live very far from each other (she in Melbourne, me in Budapest). Luckily we’re very good at organizing so this year we made it happen to meet again, this time in Tuscany, Italy with other wonderful friends: Giulia, Karin and Regula. I love how blogging + social media bring people together!Emiko is a down-to-earth, comely, charming person who writes one of my favourite food blogs. Her writing skills are over the top, I love reading her stories and recipes. I also admire her clean, simple style in photography. All in all, I’m happy to call Emiko my friend.

A month ago we decided to throw a surprise party for Emiko. There have been so many emails going on back and forth, finding out who and what bakes for this baby shower. I’m so happy to be part of this event.

In October Emiko discovered that she has gestational diabetes that’s why I was trying to bake something very low in organic raw cane sugar but nutritious, healthy and yummie. These cookies are vegan, contain rolled oats, whole spelt flour and buckwheat flour that has a slightly nutty flavor. From the home baked pumpkin purĂ©e, the walnut and the chocolate chips (70% cocoa content) these cookies are rich and wholesome.

Emiko, I wish you all the best on your new journey that called motherhood. I have no doubts that you will be  a miraculous mommy of your little daughter! “Motherhood is near to divinity. It is the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind.” (Howard W. Hunter)

Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

– 1 and 1/4 cups rolled oats
– 1 cup whole wheat spelt flour
– 1/4 cup buckwheat flour
– 1/2 cup cane sugar
– 1 teaspoon salt
– 1 teaspoon cinnamon
– 1 tablespoon baking powder
– 2 tablespoons ground flax seed
– 6 tablespoons water
– 1 cup pumpkin purĂ©e (home baked is the best)
– 3 tablespoons coconut oil
– 1 teaspoon apple vinegar
– 1 vanilla bean, split and seeded
– 1/2 cup walnut
– 3/4 cup chocolate chips (70% cocoa content)

Method

In a small bowl mix together ground flax seed with water and let it sit for at least 10 minutes. This will form a “flax seed egg” that works as a binder for vegan baking. Although flax seed contains all sorts of healthy components, it owes its healthy reputation primarily to three ingredients: omega-3 essential fatty acids, lignans and fiber.

In a separate mixing bowl, add all dry ingredients: rolled oats, spelt flour, buckwheat flour, salt, cinnamon, baking powder and stir to combine. In another bowl mix together pumpkin purée with coconut oil, apple vinegar, cane sugar and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones. Next add flax seed egg, walnut and chocolate until the mixture forms a dough.

Preheat the oven to 180C (356F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Using a cookie or ice-cream scoop, portion out small balls of dough, then flatten the balls slightly with your hands. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. These cookies are crunchy on the outside and chewy inside. Yummie!

Dip the cookies into vegan spicy hot cocoa…

For  more top-notch, yum cake recipes and baby shower wishes for Emiko, visit my magnificent friends’ blogs:
* Regula – Miss Foodwise: Cobnut brandy
* Valeria – Life Love Food: Gingerbread banana muffins
* Karin – Yum and More: Flourless chocolate cake with pears
* Jasmine – Labna: Frollini di riso
* Giulia – Jul’s Kitchen: Sponge cake with custard and chocolate
* Sarka – Cook Your Dream: Savory mini tartlets
* Rosella – Vaniglia Storie Di Cucina: Soft cheesecake

Hot Spicy Cocoa For Cold Winter Nights

by

Hot spicy cocoa for cold winter nights… it sounds great, doesn’t it? This hot cocoa warms up your body and soul with its spiciness. When you sip your drink, read this short story from one of the books of Chicken Soup For the Soul series. At the end not only your body, your soul will be warm too.

Bobbie Probstein: Love Remains

“One day, while I was lying on a massage table in a dark, quiet room waiting for an appointment, a wave of longing swept over me. I checked to make sure I was awake and not dreaming, and I saw that I was as far removed from a dreamy state as one could possibly be. Each thought I had was like a drop of water disturbing a still pond, and I marveled at the peacefulness of each passing moment.

Suddenly my mother’s face appeared – my mother, as she had been before Alzheimer’s disease had stripped her of her mind, her humanity, and 50 pounds. Her magnificent silver hair crowned her sweet face. She was so real and so close I felt I could reach out and touch her. I even smelled the fragrance of Joy, her favorite perfume. She seemed to be waiting and did not speak. I said, “Oh, Mother, I’m so sorry that you had to suffer with that horrible disease.” She tipped her head slightly to one side, as though to acknowledge what I had said about her suffering. Then she smiled – a beautiful smile – and said very distinctly, “But all I remember is love.” And she disappeared.

I began to shiver in a room gone suddenly cold, and I knew in my bones that the love we give and receive is all that matters and is all that is remembered. Suffering disappears; love remains. Her words are the most important I have ever heard, and that moment is forever engraved on my heart.“

Hot Spicy Cocoa
(Recipe adapted from Babble Food)

Ingredients (serves 2)

– 500 ml almond milk (you can substitute with rice-, oat or soymilk)
– 2 tablespoons unsweetened dark cocoa powder
– 2 tablespons maple syrup
– 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
– 2-3 dashes of cayenne pepper
– pinch of salt

Method

In a pan heat almond milk. Sift the cocoa powder (1 tablespoons each) into mugs. Add 1 tablespoons hot almond milk to each mugs, stirring it briskly (clumps melt away). Season the almond milk with salt, cinnamon and cayenne pepper and pour over the cocoa.

Enjoy!

Vegan Banana Bread With Almond & Chocolate

by

Oatmilk in little bottles

I’ve already baked banana bread before (and different kind of “bread cakes”) but not in a vegan way. Banana bread is one of those things that is great on it’s own or with a cup of coffee/tea or next day for breakfast. You can add different kind of fillings, like chocolate, fruits (blueberry, strawberry, etc.), nuts (walnut, hazelnut, almond, etc.) and seeds (sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, etc.).Using different flours in the batter also makes it rich and filling. Bananas create a very soft, moist, not too sweet, cake-like quick bread that you just simply can’t stop eating.

Did you know that banana bread first became a standard feature of American cookbooks with the popularization of baking soda and baking powder in the 1930s?

Vegan Banana Bread With Almond & Chocolate

Ingredients

– 1 cup whole wheat spelt flour
– 1/2 cup white spelt flour
– 2 teaspoon baking powder
– 1 teaspoon salt
– 2 evĹ‘kanál ground flaxseed + 1/4 cup (60 ml) water
– 1/2 cup oatmilk (you can use rice milk or soy milk)
– 1/3 cup cane sugar
– 3 ripe bananas, mashed
– 1 vanilla bean, split and seeded
– 1/2 cup almond, roasted in a dry pan, then roughly chopped
– 1/2 cup chocolate (70% cocoa content), chopped

Method

In a small bowl mix together the ground flaxseed with the water to make a “flax egg” – let the mixture sit for a 6-8 minutes until thickened. Preheat the oven to 180C (356F).

In a bowl combine the dry ingredients: flours, baking powder and salt. In another bowl mix together the oatmilk with the cane sugar and mashed bananas. Add the vanilla and the flax egg and pour these wet ingredients mixture into the dry one, stirring until just combined. Fold roasted almonds and chocolate in.

Pour it in a 25 cm (9,75 inch) long loaf pan and bake it on 180 C (356 F) for about 40-45 minutes. It’s ready when the cake tester (or toothpick) comes out clean.

Vegan Chocolate Popsicles With Roasted Almonds

by

One day I woke up and I knew I had to make vegan chocolate popsicles somehow. I was looking for recipes but didn’t find anything suitable for me. Then I had the idea that I hade made raw chocolate ganache cake before and what would happen if I used that recipe for the popsicles…

Then I tried…

I tested the recipe…

And you know what happened?

Miracle…

Not exactly! We had creamy, thick chocolate-y vegan popsicles to enjoy! Yum!

It’s easy to make and I dare to say it is the healthy version of chocolate popsicles.

Don’t miss this experience!

Vegan Chocolate Popsicles with Roasted Almonds

Ingredients (for 4 popsicles)

– 1 ripe avocado
– 50 g unsweetened cocoa powder
– 60-70 g coconut flower sugar or cane sugar
– 30 g coconut oil
– 100-150 ml almond milk (you can substitute with rice- or oat- or soymilk)
– 1 vanilla bean, split and seeded
– pinch of salt
– small handful of almond

Method

Roast the almonds in a dry non-stick pan for 5-6 minutes. Set aside to cool, then chop them roughly.

Place all other ingredients in a food processor then blend everything until smooth. If you find it too thick, add a little bit more almond milk. Put half of the roasted almonds into the popsicle molds, then pour the chocolate ganache cream over the almonds. Sprinkle the remaining almond over the top, insert sticks and freeze until solid (at least 2 hours).

Enjoy!

Raw Brownie

by

I love brownies… ie I would love if I shouldn’t add so much sugar to the dough to make the brownies moist and gooey. That’s why I don’t bake it very often.

But this is history… now I can make gooey brownie that sweet enough although there is no sugar in it! It doesn’t contain egg, dairy and flour either. You don’t even have to bake it, you only need a strong food processor to make it.

This is a healthy brownie. That’s all.

Recipe adapted from Sarah!

Raw Brownie

Ingredients (for a 22*22 cm / 8,6*8,6 inch cake pan)

– 2 and 1/2 cups dates, pitted
– 1 cup raw cocoa
– 2 cups walnut
– 1/2 cup almond, chopped roughly
– 1/4 teaspoon salt

Method

Place walnut into the food processor and blend until the nuts are finely ground. Add cocoa, salt and blend again for 1-2 minutes. Slowly add dates while the processor is running. Work until the “dough” or mixture easily sticks together (if it doesn’t add 1-2 dates).Press the “dough” into the lined cake pan, sprinkle the top with almond (press almond pieces into the “dough”). Place in the freezer for 20-30 minutes or in the fridge for 2-3 hours.

Enjoy without remorse! 🙂