Serving Size: 2

Ingredients:

for the pancakes:

• 2 cups wholewheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup soy milk
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons agave or maple syrup
• 1 capful vanilla extract
• oil for the frying pan

for the strawberry syrup:

• 1/2 cup strawberry jam
• 1/3 cup water
• splash lemon juice
• 1 pint of strawberries

Directions:

to make the pancake batter:

1. Place flour, baking powder salt and cinnamon in a large bowl.
2. In a smaller bowl, combine the soy milk, vanilla 1/2 cup water and the syrup.
3. Fifteen minutes before serving the pancakes, combine the wet ingredients with the dry and mix.
4. This will be a thick batter, allow the batter to set for 10 minutes.

to make the strawberry syrup:

1. Clean and slice the strawberries.
2. Add the strawberry jam, water and splash of lemon juice in a small sauce pan.
3. Mix well and bring to a gentle heat to melt the jam.
4. Add most of the sliced strawberries, saving a few as fresh garnish.

to make the pancakes:

1. If the batter is still too thick, use the other 1/4 cup of water to thin the batter. It should be a thick batter, but slightly liquid.
2. Heat a small amount of oil in a large non-stick frying pan and ladle the batter into the pan.
3. Allow small bubbles to form in the center of the pancakes, then flip over.
4. Serve the pancakes with strawberry syrup and garnished with a couple of fresh strawberries.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2-3 tablespoon sugar
• 1 & 1/2 cups prepared chestnuts, chopped
• 2 apples
• 1 tablespoon vegan margarine
• 1 lemon or lime juice
• 1 tablespoon agave
• pinch salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• pinch cinnamon

Directions:

1. Warm the water in a small saucepan.
2. Add the vanilla and 2 tablespoons sugar as well as the chopped chestnuts.
3. Cook the mixture on a low heat.
4. Cut the apples in half, remove the seeds and core.
5. Melt the vegan margarine in a frying pan.
6. Place the apples, cut side down in the melted margarine and cook the apples for 10 minutes to soften.
7. Puree the chestnuts to make a soft, smooth puree.
8. Season to taste with a pinch of salt and possibly another tablespoon of sugar or agave.
9. Remove the apples from the frying pan.
10. Zest the outside of the lemon or lime and squeeze the juice.
11. Mix the lemon and zest with the agave syrup.
12. Add the 1 tablespoon of sugar to the pan and cook to caramelize the sugar.
13. Return the apples to the pan and lightly dredge the apples through the caramelized sugar to coat the top of the apple. Place the apple on a plate to serve and dust with cinnamon.
14. Fill the hollow where the core and seeds had been with the chestnut mixture.
15. Drizzle the lemon zested syrup over the top or around the plate and serve warm.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 4 apples
• 9 frozen puff pastry squares, thawed (2 per apple plus one for decorations)
• 1/2 cup dried fruit mix – raisins, dried cherries, dried cranberries, goji berries or others
• 1 tablespoons sugar
• pinch cinnamon

for the vegan caramel sauce:

• 4 tablespoons vegan margarine
• 1/2 cup brown
• 1 cup vanilla soy milk
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• pinch salt

Directions:

1. Thaw the puff pastry squares.
2. Preheat the oven to the indicated temperature on the package of puff pastry.
3. Mix the dried fruit with the tablespoon sugar and pinch of cinnamon.
4. If using organic apples, you can leave the skin on, or if you prefer not to eat the skin, then peel the apple and remove the core.
5. Set each of the apples on 1 square of puff pastry.
6. Fill the cored area of the apple with the dried fruit mixture.
7. Place the 2nd square of puff pastry over the top of the apple.
8. Gently press the 2 squares of puff pastry together to completely seal the apple inside the pastry.
9. Using a cookie cutter of choice, cut out small decorations for the dumplings.
10. Moisten the under side of each decoration with water and place on top of the dumpling.
11. Bake in the oven for 18-25 minutes or until the pastry is lightly golden brown.
12. While the apples are baking, make the caramel sauce.
13. Heat the vegan margarine in a small saucepan.
14. Add the brown sugar, mix well and melt.
15. Mix the corn starch in the vanilla soy milk and add to the brown sugar.
16. Add the pinch of salt, and stir until the mixture has thickened.
17. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
18. When the apples are golden brown, remove from the oven.
19. Allow the apples to cool for a few minutes as they are very hot inside.
20. Serve each apple with caramel sauce drizzled on top.

Serving Size: 4

Yield: 1 tart

Ingredients:

• 4 sheets frozen vegan puff pastry, thawed
• 3 quinces, peeled and sliced in thick slices
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
• pinch cinnamon

Directions:

1. Place the sugar, water, vanilla seeds and cinnamon in a medium sauce pan.
2. Bring the liquid to a gentle boil, stirring to mix.
3. Peel the quinces and cut in medium thick slices.
4. Place the quince pieces in the syrup mixture and poach on a medium simmer until soft.
5. When the quince has become soft, remove from the sauce pan with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl.
6. Cook the poaching liquid until it is reduce to about 1/3 cup and is very thick. Remove from the heat.
7. Preheat the oven to 425 F or whatever the instructions say on the package of puff pastry.
8. Spray the tart form with cooking oil.
9. Thaw 4 slices of puff pastry or enough to cover the tart form.
10. Lightly flour your work surface, lay the puff pastry sheets slightly overlapping one another and using a rolling pin, roll them to make a 1 large pastry dough to fit the tart form.
11. Lay the pastry in the tart form.
12. Prick the bottom of the pastry dough with a fork in many random areas.
13. Pour the poaching syrup into the bottom of the pastry.
14. Place the poached quince pieces in the form and place in the oven to bake for 18 minutes or until the crust is lightly golden brown.
15. When the tart is done, remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 20 minutes in order to set the liquid.
16. Serve warm or at room temperature.
17. This tastes lovely with a cup of good coffee.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 2 apples, cored and sliced
• 3/4 cup apple juice

for the crepes:

• 1 cup chick pea flour
• 1 cup white unbleached flour
• 3 ¼ cups water
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1-2 tablespoon sugar

for the caramel sauce

• see Medjool Caramel recipe

Directions:

for the apples:

1. Heat the apple juice in a small saucepan.
2. Core and slice the apples and add to the hot apple juice.
3. Cook the apples just until they soften, then remove from the heat.

Make the caramel sauce before starting with the crepes.

to make the crepes:

1. Place the ingredients for the crepes in a medium large bowl.
2. Beat or whisk the batter to a smooth consistency.
3. Allow the batter to “sit” for 10 minutes and then whisk once more.
4. Heat a non-stick crepe pan and pour 1/3 of a cup of the batter into the pan.
5. Spread the batter around the pan with a crepe spatula or tip the pan to create an even crepe.
6. Cook the crepe until it has a dry surface.
7. Gently shake the crepe pan to loosen the crepe so you can flip it, or turn with a pancake spatula.
8. Continue until all the batter has been used.
9. You can keep the made crepes warm in the oven until all have been prepared.

to combine:

1. Place a crepe on each plate.
2. Using a slotted spoon, place 4-5 apple slices in each crepe.
3. Fold the crepe over and drizzle the caramel sauce over the top and along the sides.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 4 baby pumpkins
• 2 apples
• 8 chestnuts pre-prepared
• handful raisins
• handful dried cranberries
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon vegan margarine
• hot water
• date caramel sauce (recipe)

Directions:

1. Carefully using a knife cut a circle around the stem of the pumpkin about 1/4-1/3 of the way away from the stem to remove the stem and a bit of the top portion of the pumpkin.
2. Using a melon baller or spoon, scoop out the seeds and stringy parts. (I save he seeds to plant next year’s pumpkins).
3. If your apples are organic, then cut them in small pieces, discarding the core and seeds. Otherwise, peel the apple and cut in small pieces.
4. Place the apple pieces in a bowl.
5. Cut the prepared chestnuts in small pieces and add to the apple pieces.
6. Add the raisins and dried cranberries.
7. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together, sprinkle over the fruit mixture and mix well.
8. You will need about 2 cups of fruit mixture for the 4 small pumpkins, depending upon their size.
9. Spoon the fruit mixture into each of the small pumpkins.
10. Put a small dollop of vegan margarine on top of the fuit mixture so that as it melts it mixes with the fruit and pumpkin.
11. Place the pumpkins in a baking dish that has a lid. Don’t forget to put the pumpkin tops in there also.
12. Put the baking dish in the oven.
13. Add the water to a level 1/3-1/2 way up the pumpkins and put the lid on the baking dish.
14. Cook the pumpkins at around 415 F / 213 C for about an hour or until the pumpkins are soft and can be easily pierced with a sharp knife.
15. Meanwhile prepare the salty date caramel sauce. (see recipe)
16. When the pumpkins are done, carefully remove the baking dish from the oven. 
Using a slotted spoon or slotted utensil, carefully lift the pumpkins from the hot water and place on individual plates.
17. Allow the pumpkins to slight cool before serving.
18. We enjoyed the pumpkins with the salty date caramel sauce on top.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 4 ripe pears
• 4 tablespoons vegan margarine
• 4 tablespoons ground hazelnuts
• 4 tablespoons chopped almonds
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup vanilla soy yogurt or vanilla soy pudding
• 1 tablespoon ginger syrup
• 2 tablespoons chopped candied ginger pieces

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F / 177 C.
2. Melt the vegan margarine in a small frying pan.
3. Add the ground hazelnuts, almonds and sugar.
4. Stir to mix well and remove from the heat.
5. Peel the pears, slice length-wise in half and using a melon baller scoop out the core with the seeds.
6. Fill the cavity in the pears created by removing the seeds with the hazelnut mixture and place the pears in an oiled oven-proof baking dish.
7. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes until the pears are soft but not mushy.
8. Meanwhile, put the vanilla soy yogurt or soy pudding in a small bowl.
9. Add the ginger syrup and the chopped ginger pieces. (reserve a few as garnish)
10. Serve the warm pears with the gingered soy yogurt/pudding and garnished with a few candied ginger pieces.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup strained soy yogurt from 1&1/2 cups regular soy yogurt
• 1 lime, zest and juice
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup yellow plum compote or peach compote
• bit of granola
• slices of yellow plums and sprig of green (we used stevia, can be also mint or lemon verbena) as garnish

Directions:

For the yellow plum compote
we used Pascale Weeks’ Mirabelle (plum) Jam with vanilla and star anise recipe.

to make the lime soy yogurt:

1. Strain 1 & 1/2 cups of soy yogurt through a cheesecloth to remove the extra liquid.
2. Add the zest, juice and sugar and mix well.

to make the parfait:

1. Place a tablespoon or so of the plum compote in the bottom of a parfait glass.
2. Add a layer of granola.
3. Add 2-3 tablespoons of the lime yogurt.
4. Repeat the layers.
5. Top with a few slices of yellow plums and we added a bit of green using stevia leaves

Notes:

You can use any plum to make this tasty compote.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 4 pears, with stem left on, peeled
• 1 cup elderberry juice
• 3 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup white wine

Directions:

1. Place the elderberry juice in a small saucepan.
2. Add the cornstarch and mix well.
3. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
4. When the syrup has become very thick, remove from the heat and add the white wine to slightly thin it out. By not boiling the wine, it will retain some of the alcohol.
5. Peal the pears and submerge in the elderberry syrup.
6. If the pears are very ripe, you will not need to cook them for long – a minute or two. If the pears are slightly under-ripe and hard, they can be cooked longer and still hold their shape.
7. Allow the pears and syrup to cool.
8. Serve the pears garnished with mint leaves and optionally some non-dairy whipped topping.

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup polenta
• 4 cups water
• pinch salt
• 6 apples
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon + 1 splash lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon vegan margarine
• 1/2 cup apple cider or apple juice
• pinch salt
• 1/2 cup soy cream
• vegan cheddar to grate on top (optional)

Directions:

to make the polenta:

1. Bring the water with the pinch of salt to a boil.
2. Add the polenta (cornmeal) and stir.
3. Cook the polenta stirring until it thickens. Be careful of spattering boiling polenta as it can burn and hurt you.
4. When the polenta has become very thick, remove from the heat and pour into a casserole dish.
5. Cool in the refrigerator to harden.

to make the apple sauce:

1. Slice the apples thinly, into a bowl of water with splash of lemon juice.
2. In a saucepan, heat the lemon juice and sugar until the sugar has dissolved and has begun to turn a lovely amber color.
3. Remove from the heat and add the vegan margarine, swirl the pan to mix the bubbling mixture evenly.
4. 
Return to the heat add the cider or apple juice and a pinch of salt.
5. When the mixture begins to boil, add the apples.
6. Simmer until the apples become soft.
7. Add the 1/2 cup of soy cream and boil for about 2 minutes until the sauce thickens.

Serve slices of polenta topped with the apple sauce.
Alternatively, grate some soy cheese on top and bake until the cheese is melted.

Notes:

inspired by http://www.motherthyme.com/2011/08/polenta-with-caramelized-apples.html