Yield: 8 hand pies or 1 large pie

Ingredients:

for the crust:

• 2 & 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3/4 cup vegan margarine
• 1/4 cup coconut fat other vegan fat
• 1/2 cup soy yogurt, cold
• 1 tablespoon soy milk or water to brush the crust
• 1 tablespoon sugar for sprinkling

for the pie filling:

• 2 cups rhubarb, chopped
• 1 large jar or can cherries
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon or ginger as optional flavoring
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch or tapioca

Directions:

to make the crust:

1. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl or food processor.
2. Cut in the vegan margarine and coconut fat or other vegan fat.
3. The mixture should resemble sand.
4. Add the soy yogurt and mix to form a ball.
5. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 1/2 hour.

to make the filling:

1. Clean and chop the rhubarb.
2. Combine the ingredients in a saucepan.
3. Mix in the cornstarch while the liquid is cold.
4. Heat the mixture until the sauce has thickened. Make sure to stir the mixture often so that it does not stick or scorch.
5. When the mixture has thickened, remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

to make the pie:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 F / 190 C.
2. Separate the dough into 2 sections, return 1 to the refrigerator while you work with the other.
3. Roll the dough out to fit into the pie form or individual pie forms, or for the hand pies.
4. It should be about 1/4 inch thick.
5. Place the dough in the pie forms or if you are making hand pies, place the bottom shapes on a baking parchment lined cookie sheet.
6. If making a pie, or individual pies, prick the bottom dough in various places with a fork.
7. Fill the pie with the filling. If making hand pies, be careful to not overfill the shape.
8. Take the second half of dough from the refrigerator and roll it out.
9. Cut strips to form a lattice for individual forms, or roll out for a full top, or roll out and cut for hand pies, which ever you have decided to make.
10. Carefully place the top dough forms on the pies.
11. Crimp the edges of individual hand pies with a fork.
12. Lightly brush the top with soy milk or water.
13. Sprinkle the tops with sugar.
14. Bake in the oven for 25-35 minutes or until golden brown.
15. Allow to cool slightly before eating as the inside of the hand pies is very hot and can burn.

Notes:

Of course if you do not have rhubarb, just a cherry filling or any berry filling is also fine.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

Cherry Layer:

• 1 lb. sour cherries, pitted
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cups water
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons cognac
• lemon peel (about 2 inches)

“Cream ” Layer:

• 1 container soy whipped topping (e.g. Soyatoo), cold
• 1 container heavy coconut cream, cold
• 2-3 slices pumpernickel bread
• 2-3 vegan amaretto cookies or vegan biscotti
• 2 ounces hazelnuts, finely chopped
• 2-3 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Decoration:

• 2 tablespoons grated chocolate
• 4-6 cherries
• chopped hazelnuts

Directions:

1. Place the pitted cherries, sugar lemon peel and water in a small pot, bring to a boil and then cook on low heat for 5 minutes.
2. Mix the cornstarch with a bit of cold water and add to the cherry mixture.
3. Stir until the juice thickens and becomes clear.
4. Remove from the heat and allow to slightly cool.
5. Add the cognac to the mixture.
6. Place the cherries and sauce in the bottom of 4-6 parfait glasses.
   (Alternatively you can use cherry pie filling bought from a store, then thickened with the cornstarch and then the cognac added. I would suggest only cooking the cherry juice in that case, and adding the cherries after it has thickened, as there is no need to double cook the cherries.)
7. Toast the pumpernickel. This is best done in the oven, as it may crumble in a toaster. Toast until it is completely dry and slightly toasty.
8. Put the dried pumpernickel and other cookie (amaretti, biscotti ) in a food processor and process to fine crumbs.
9. Add the finely chopped hazelnuts to the crumbs.
10. Place the cold soy whipped topping and coconut cream in a large bowl and whip until light and fluffy.
11. You will want about 1 & 1/2-2 cups of whipped topping.
12. Add the sugar and vanilla and whip once more.
13. Gently fold in the crumb mixture into the whipped topping.
14. Place 1-3 tablespoons of the whipped topping on top of the cherry mixture.
15. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
16. Serve the treat dusted with grated chocolate, a cherry and a few hazelnut pieces.

Note:
We found the mixture to be even more flavorful after 2 hours and even the next day. The crumbs, mixed with the whipped topping became softer and more flavorful with time, rather than the ones made and eaten right away. All of them were a delicious treat.

Yield: 1 cup

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup vegan cream cheese like Tofutti’s ‘Better than Cream Cheese’
• 20 fresh cherries, pitted and chopped
• 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Directions:

1. Bring the vegan cream cheese to room temperature.
2. Wash the cherries, cut in half and remove the pits and cut the rest into small pieces.
3. Do this over a small bowl to collect the chopped cherries and the juice while preparing.
4. Add the 1 teaspoon of sugar and stir the cherries well, this will help to draw more of the juice from the cherries.
5. Chop the walnuts.
6. Add the walnuts to the cherries.
7. Add the vegan cream cheese to the cherries and gently mix.
8. Season to taste. We enjoyed the flavor at this time, however if you wish it to be sweeter you can add agave syrup, maple or more sugar.
9. Also optional is cinnamon, but we did not want to overpower the blend of walnuts and cherries.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup pitted fresh cherries
• 2 tablespoons poppy seed
• 1 egg replacement
• 3/4 cup soy milk
• 1/4 cup Earth Balance or other vegan margarine, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F / 190 C.
2. Prepare muffin tins or cups with spray oil.
3. Clean the cherries, pit and cut into small pieces.
4. Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, poppy seeds and sugar.
5. Add cherries and stir gently to blend.
6. In a separate bowl, mix the egg replacer in the soy milk and melted vegan margarine.
7. Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir to mix. (It will be a stiff batter)
8. Spoon the batter into prepared muffin tins.
9. Bake muffins at F / 190 C for 25 to 30 minutes.

Note:

adapted from http://www.fresh-fruit-daily.com/cherry-muffins.html

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 container of plain soy yogurt
• 1 tablespoon of raw cashew butter
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
• 1 & 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup polenta
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 & 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3 egg replacements
• 1 & 1/2 cup soy milk
• 4 tablespoons soy margarine, melted
• 1 jar pitted cherries in syrup
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• nonstick spray

Directions:

To make the vegan cream cheese:

1. Place a cheesecloth or other finely woven material in a sieve.
2. Put the soy yogurt in the cheesecloth and allow to drain for 3-4 hours.
3. When the soy yogurt has drained, spoon the condensed yogurt into a small bowl.
4. Add the powdered sugar, cashew butter and vanilla.
5. Mix well.

To make the cherry sauce:

1. Pour a bit of the cherry syrup in a small bowl, to use dissolving the cornstarch.
2. Place the rest of the cherries and syrup in a small sauce pan.
3. Add the cinnamon.
4. Dissolve the cornstarch and add to the cherries in the pan.
5. Heat, stirring until the sauce thickens and becomes clear.
6. Remove from the heat.

To make the waffles:

1. Combine the dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.
2. Mix the egg replacements into a second medium-sized bowl and beat until frothy.
3. Drizzle in the soy milk.
4. Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients, along with the melted soy margarine.
5. Mix with decisive strokes from the bottom of the bowl, until all the dry ingredients have been moistened.
6. Lightly spray the hot waffle iron on both the top and bottom surfaces with nonstick spray.
7. Add just enough batter to cover the cooking surface-approximately 1/2 cup for a standard waffle (1 cup for a Belgian waffle).
8. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, depending on your waffle iron. Don’t over-bake- you want it crisp and brown but not too dark.
9. It’s okay to peek.
10. Place the cherry sauce on the waffles and the cream cheese on the side, enjoy.

Notes:

You can also use Soyatoo or other vegan whipping cream instead of the vegan cream cheese.

Ingredients:

• 1 jar (720 ml) cherries in syrup
• 1 tbs. cornstarch
• 1 large container (500 grams) vanilla soy yogurt or vanilla soy pudding
• 1 tbs. tapioca flour (optional)
• garnish with a dusting of pure cocoa

Directions:

• Make the Vegalicious Brownies ahead of time.
• Put the entire jar of cherries and syrup in a sauce pan, with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch.
• Cook, stirring constantly until the syrup thickens.
• Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
• Open the container of vanilla soy yogurt and add 1 tablespoon of tapioca flour to thicken the soy yogurt. Beat well with a mixer.
  This step is rather optional as it is my experience that it will not become as stiff as whipped cream. You could use vanilla soy pudding as an alternative, however this was meant to be more as a cram sauce or a mascarpone over the cherries. The vanilla soy yogurt works well as an alternative.
• Just before serving, dust with pure cocoa.
  Use a sieve to create very fine dust over the white soy topping.