This is a wonderful combination of sweet dates with salty olives and pungent rosemary brought to the lovely nutty flavor roasted cauliflower. What a dream. It was very easy to make this a vegan recipe by using vegan margarine instead of butter. This recipe would be a pleasing side dish for any meal, and especially at holiday times.

Yield: 8-10 cream horns (with either the chocolate chestnut or the pumpkin filling)

Ingredients:

for the chocolate chestnut filling:

• 1 cup chestnut puree *1
• 3/4 cup soy milk (or rice, oat, almond milk)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons vanilla, rum or brandy, (flavoring of choice)
• 1/4 cup vegan chocolate

for the pumpkin filling:

• 1 & 1/2 cups soy milk
• 1 ounce fine corn meal (very fine like flour, not coarse polenta)
• 1 tablespoon egg replacer (e.g. No Egg)
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3/4 cup sugar or 1/3 cup date puree *2
• 1&1/2 cups pumpkin puree
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
• 1-2 teaspoons allspice (or 1/4 teaspoon cloves)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom (optional but nice)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

for the cream horns:

• 8 sheets frozen vegan puff pastry, thawed
• powdered sugar to dust

Directions:

to make the chocolate chestnut filling:

1. Place the soy milk and sugar in a saucepan and simmer to dissolve the sugar.
2. Add the chestnut puree, chocolate and flavoring.
3. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly to mix and keep from scalding.
4. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Place in the refrigerator to harden. The chocolate chestnut filling can also be used warm to fill German-style pancakes or crepes.

to make the pumpkin filling:

1. Prepare the pumpkin puree in a bowl.
2. Add the ginger, 1 teaspoon of the allspice, cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt and cardamom.
3. Add the sugar or date mixture and mix well.
4. Taste, and adjust the seasonings to taste, you may want more allspice or cinnamon.
5. Pour the soy milk into a large pot.
6. Mix in the corn meal, egg replacer, cornstarch and vanilla. Stir and mix well while the soy milk is still cold.
7. Heat the soy milk mixture stirring constantly.
8. As it begins to thicken and warm, mix in the pumpkin mixture.
9. Keep stirring as the mixture heats and thickens.
10. Be careful not to get splashed by the bubbles as they can burn.
11. Stir the mixture vigorously, once it becomes very thick, remove from the heat and place in a bowl to cool down.

to make the cream horns:

1. Thaw the puff pastry sheets.
2. Pre-heat the oven according to the instructions on the package about 375 F / 190 C.
3. Slice each square of puff pastry into 6 even strips.
4. Carefully wrap the strips around the cream horn molds.
5. Bake the horns for 15-18 minutes or until they are lightly golden brown.
6. Remove from the oven, carefully remove the form from the pastry and allow to cool on a rack.
7. Once the horns are cooled, you can fill them with the chocolate chestnut or pumpkin filling. I used a cookie dough syringe, but a small spoon would work also. Fill each horn and dust with powdered sugar.

Notes:

*1 about 20-24 chestnuts, an X cut on the skin, roast in the oven, cooled and peeled, place in a saucepan, simmered for about 30 minutes until very soft, then puree.

*2 If a “Middle-Eastern” Import grocery is available, you can find pre-made date puree sold inexpensively in long bars. Otherwise it would be about 24 dates, de-seeded and chopped, in a very small amount of boiling water then pureed with a staff mixer or in a food processor.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Turkish kuskus (or similar large couscous)
• 2 & 1/2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon vegetable bouillon powder
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut in small pieces
• 1 red bell pepper, de-seeded and cut in small pieces
• 1 yellow bell pepper, de-seeded and cut in small pieces
• 4 spring onions, sliced thinly on the diagonal
• 1/2 cup sliced pitted dates
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 2 teaspoons agave syrup
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Bring the water to boil I a medium saucepan.
2. Add the vegetable bouillon then the couscous.
3. Lower the heat and cook the couscous until most of the water is gone and the couscous begins to soften. Then put the lid on, remove from the heat and allow the couscous to absorb the rest of the liquid and cool down.
4. While the couscous is cooling, cut the carrots, bell peppers, spring onions and dates.
5. Make the dressing by combining the ingredients and whisking vigorously.
6. Place the cooled couscous in a colander and place under the faucet with cold running water to rinse away the starchy stickiness.
7. Place the rinsed, drained couscous in a serving bowl.
8. Add the prepared vegetables and dates, and pour the dressing over.
9. Mix well and allow to season.
10. Shortly before serving optionally add cubed or crumbled soy cheese.
11. Serve at room temperature.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 100 grams red lentils
• 500 grams pumpkin, de-seeded cut in pieces
• 250 grams (1 can) crushed tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, leaves only
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 liter water
• 1 vegetable bouillon cube
• pinch of cayenne
• 10 dates, de-seeded and chopped
• splash lemon juice

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large pot.
2. Add the chopped onions and saute until glassy.
3. Add the rosemary and thyme, the pumpkin pieces and the red lentils.
4. Add the vegetable bouillon and cook the soup until the pumpkin is soft and the lentils are done.
5. Check from time to time and stir, as the soup becomes quite thick.
6. Add the tomatoes and the dates and puree the mixture until smooth.
7. Add a splash of lemon juice and season to taste with a pinch of salt and cayenne.
8. Garnish with coriander leaves or chili oil and serve hot.

Note:

We had so much fun, making these soupp bowls, enjoying the soup out of them and then eating them up as well. When we saw these at applepiepatispate we just had to try them. They were easy to make and the website gives good instructions on how to do the bowls. I did add a lot of herbs to the dough as well. We enjoyed this nice thick soup which tasted lovely.

Serving Size: 2

Ingredients:

• 2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
• 1/2 vegan dark chocolate bar
• 1 tablespoon vegan margarine
• 12 dates, de-seeded and chopped
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

Directions:

1. De-seed the dates and cut them into small pieces.
2. Place them in a small sauce pan, add 2 tablespoons of water and cook over a medium heat.
3. Stir to mix well.
4. Add the walnut pieces, and spices and mix.
5. Remove from the heat.
6. Preheat the oven to 220 (C).
7. Thaw 2 pieces of puff pastry and place in forms that have been oiled.
8. Picks the bottom of the forms lightly with a fork.
9. Fill the forms with the date/walnut mixture.
10. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the crust is golden.
11. While the pastries are baking, melt the chocolate in a small bit of vegan margarine until it is liquid.
12. Remove from the heat.
13. When the pastries are done, remove from the oven and allow to slightly cool.
14. Remove the tarts from the forms and drizzle with the chocolate.
15. Serve warm or cooled.

Yield: 12

Ingredients:

• 1 cup grated carrots
• 3/4 cup water blended with 1/2 cup chopped dates
• 3 teaspoons almond extract
• 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup wholewheat flour
• 1/4 cup chickpea flour or soy flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Grate the carrots and place in a bowl.
2. Chop the dates and add the water, allow this to sit for 10 minutes and then mix well, o puree.
3. Add the almond flavor to the date mixture and add to the carrots.
4. In a second bowl, put the coconut, and flours and 1/4 tsp. salt. Mix well, and then add the sweetened carrot mixture.
5. Mix well and allow to stand for 1o minutes.
6. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
7. Form the macaroons, but make sure not to make them too large, as then the outside will be too brown, while the inside is still too moist.
8. A size a bit larger than a walnut is what is recommended.
9. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Notes:

Adapted from http://library.thinkquest.org/C004833/recipes_en.shtml

Rum Balls

Recipe updated on December 3rd, 2006

Ingredients:

• 3 cups vanilla wafer crumbs or digestive biscuits
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1 cup pecans or walnuts, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup rum or bourbon
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1/3 cup corn syrup

Directions:
The trick to keep this vegan is to make sure the cookies are vegan.
Read the labels carefully, you can find vegan cookies and even vegan (no butter or honey) graham crackers.
Using a kitchen machine, or blender or food processor or a rolling pin (depending on what you have available), turn the cookies into fine crumbs.
Combine wafer crumbs and chopped nuts.
Add remaining dry ingredients in bowl and mix thoroughly.
I mix the corn syrup and rum together and then add to the crumb mixture, using a big spoon or fork, mix all together well. It will be a sticky mass.
You can put it in the refrigerator for a short time to harden a bit before making the balls, sometimes this makes it easier, or less sticky.
Roll into balls 1 inch in diameter then roll balls in either confectioners’ sugar or finely chopped nuts.
Makes 40-48 balls. Store in a cookie tin or Tupperware tightly sealed.
They flavor with time so by the time Christmas comes around they are quite tasty.

Almond Crescents

Ingredients:

• 1 cup margarine, room temperature
• 2 & 1/2 cups four, unbleached
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup almonds, ground
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tsp. almond extract

Directions:
Beat together margarine and sugar until very light and fluffy.
Blend in extracts.
Mix in flour and almonds.
Using about 1 T of dough for each, shape into logs and bend into crescents. Place on greased cookie sheet.
Bake 12 to 15 minutes at 350F until light brown.
While warm, roll crescents in confectioners’ sugar.
Cool on racks and store in a tightly sealed container.
Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Date & Rice Krispy Logs

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg. dates, seed removed and chopped
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 2 cups rice krispies
• 1 cup coconut flakes

Directions:
Remove the seeds from the dates and chop them into small pieces.
Place the dates in a large mixing bowl and add the hot water.
Stir the dates and allow to soak the water (about 15 minutes).
Continue stirring until the dates form a sticky mass.
Add the rice krispies and gently mix well.
Pour the coconut flakes onto a plate or a piece of wax paper.
Using a spoon, take about 1 tablespoon of the rice krispy mass and roll it into a little log shape.
Roll the little log in the coconut flakes and set into a cookie tin.

If there is a Turkish or Middle Eastern grocery store, you can buy date paste already prepared.