UGH. I recently decided to cut down on my sugar intake. as I was driving to work, I got a phone call. this question was asked: "what are you doing?" and what was I doing? chowing down on CHOCOLATE CHIIPS. IN MY CAR. seriously addicted to sugar! ouch!! so out the door. refined sugar gets the boot.
agave nectar is my new schteez.
now you should pose this question: "yes, Lauren, but how does one replace dry sugar with liquid sweetener?"
and I will answer in this fashion: "well, dear listener, for every 1 cup of sugar replaced, use 3/4 c of agave. also buy Babycakes by Erin McKenna, owner of Babycakes NYC (vegan, mostly sugar free, mostly gluten free, kosher, blah blah blah)."
This replacement can be tricky though, because you should then lower the other liquid content in the recipe (like the milk-ish liquid) by 1/4 c, but do not lower the oil. this is why i hate cookies. without sugar to make it crunchy, it becomes a cakey sponge. a delicious sponge, but a sponge nonetheless. and thats not what you want to eat when you have the urge for cookies!!
so i have no solutions for you. im stuck. if you can help me, please do.
end.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Thursday, January 12, 2012
no sugar? whaaat?
Hey kids,
it's been awhile. mostly because i have been working 7 days a week for 3 and 1/2 months. why, you ask? because this is what one does to oneself when one decides to become a pastry chef. becoming a pastry chef with no experience is, while gratifying, exhausting and does not pay well. so guess who gets to have two jobs?
I am learning so much though! it's like being in pastry school, only I actually get paid to have other people eat my pastries. fun!
But at home, I am still baking. in my spare moments. and because i try to avoid eating whatever it is that i make, i bake for other vegans. Lately, i've been on a mad kick with Erin McKenna's babycakes book, which is vegan, mostly gluten free, and mostly sugar free. they are fun recipes to mess around with, because the dry-liquid ratios are already so foreign that messing with Erin's perfect formula seems completely demented and uncalled for, but..i cant help it.
The following recipe i have made, i dont know, several thousand times for a certain health-nut vegan. we call them fauxns (pronounced 'fone', as in fake-scone):
2c whole spelt flour (note: this is NOT gluten free!)
1 tbsp baking powder
1tsp salt
1/3 c coconut oil, plus more for brushing (Erin measures all of the liquids in dry measuring cups, what a maniac!)
1/3 c agave nectar, plus more for brushing
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 c hot water
1 c fresh berries (the favorite around here is blueberry, but i've made blackberry, rasberry, and apple cinnamon)
cinnamon for sprinkling
mix drys, mix in liquids until a thick, almost dry dough is formed and all the liquids are incorporated. add the hot water, and stir just until incorporated, then fold in the berries until marbled. scoop about 1/4 c batter onto sheet lined with parchment paper, brush with coconut oil and sprinkle with cinnamon. bake at 350 degrees for 7 mins, then rotate the sheet 180 degrees, and bake for another 7 minutes. they should be slightly browned and firm. once out of the oven, brush with agave, and let rest on sheet for 20 mins, then move to drying rack.
the word is, eat them 'toasted, with tea.'
it's been awhile. mostly because i have been working 7 days a week for 3 and 1/2 months. why, you ask? because this is what one does to oneself when one decides to become a pastry chef. becoming a pastry chef with no experience is, while gratifying, exhausting and does not pay well. so guess who gets to have two jobs?
I am learning so much though! it's like being in pastry school, only I actually get paid to have other people eat my pastries. fun!
But at home, I am still baking. in my spare moments. and because i try to avoid eating whatever it is that i make, i bake for other vegans. Lately, i've been on a mad kick with Erin McKenna's babycakes book, which is vegan, mostly gluten free, and mostly sugar free. they are fun recipes to mess around with, because the dry-liquid ratios are already so foreign that messing with Erin's perfect formula seems completely demented and uncalled for, but..i cant help it.
The following recipe i have made, i dont know, several thousand times for a certain health-nut vegan. we call them fauxns (pronounced 'fone', as in fake-scone):
2c whole spelt flour (note: this is NOT gluten free!)
1 tbsp baking powder
1tsp salt
1/3 c coconut oil, plus more for brushing (Erin measures all of the liquids in dry measuring cups, what a maniac!)
1/3 c agave nectar, plus more for brushing
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 c hot water
1 c fresh berries (the favorite around here is blueberry, but i've made blackberry, rasberry, and apple cinnamon)
cinnamon for sprinkling
mix drys, mix in liquids until a thick, almost dry dough is formed and all the liquids are incorporated. add the hot water, and stir just until incorporated, then fold in the berries until marbled. scoop about 1/4 c batter onto sheet lined with parchment paper, brush with coconut oil and sprinkle with cinnamon. bake at 350 degrees for 7 mins, then rotate the sheet 180 degrees, and bake for another 7 minutes. they should be slightly browned and firm. once out of the oven, brush with agave, and let rest on sheet for 20 mins, then move to drying rack.
the word is, eat them 'toasted, with tea.'
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