Vegan Choco Peanut-Butter Mini-Cake (Whole Wheat)

 

This is the first eggless cake I have ever baked that is successful! It is moist, soft and fluffy, simply amazing! The best part is..it is vegan and fat-free! Applesauce is used to replace butter and oil, thus this is so guilt-free to eat. I put my 12-cavity brownie pan to use again to bake this cake, this is so good and require no cutting of the cake after baking, perfect size, beautiful! Alternatively, you can use a 8-inch round or square cake pan if you double/triple the size of this recipe, or you might even wanna explore using a muffin pan instead?! Anything thing is possible in baking, don't be afraid to explore, you have nothing to lose! Update me if you do, LOL!



Perfect size & shape using 12-cavity brownie pan!



Dietary: Vegetarian, Vegan.Make About 8

Ingredients

DRY 
 1 cup or 130g whole wheat pastry flour
 1 tsp baking powder
--
WET
 1/3 cup granulated sugar
 1/2 tsp salt
 1/2 cup applesauce
 1/2 cup non-dairy milk (soy, rice, almond etc)
 1/2 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
--
 160g or 1/2 cup vegan semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (or choco chips)
 1/3 cup almonds, chopped (optional)

Methods
1. Sift dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.

2. Preheat oven to 195℃.

3. In another bowl, whisk all the wet ingredients together until smooth. Pour the wet into the dry ingredients bowl and mix well with a spatula. Lastly, gently fold in the chocolate chips and almonds (if using) until well combined.

 

4. Pour the batter into a prepared individual brownie pan, maximum 3/4 filled (or round/square cake pan), sprinkle some chopped almonds on top, if desired.

 

5. Using a oven thermometer, ensure it is at the right temperature 195℃. Pop it into the oven for about 25-28 minutes or till the top looks cooked. Begin testing doneness shortly after 20 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the centre, if it comes out clean with chocolate but no batter, it's done!

 

6. Remove individual cake from pan and let rest on wire. Serve with hot coffee or tea, perfect tea break!



This is how the batter looks like.



In the brownie pan, before popping into the oven.

Tips

☼ If you are using the 8 inch pan, you will need to bake a longer time like 30-35 minutes.  When the top looks brown, insert a toothpick into the centre of the brownies, if it comes out clean, it is done!
 

♂ 12-Cavity Brownie/Bar Baking Pan - Where To Buy?

 

Almost all brownie recipes called for a specific pan size because variations can throw off baking times and affect texture. If the pan is too large, the brownies will come out thin, dry and hard. If the pan is too small, the batter will rise too high and result in brownies that are too cakey.

 

But seriously, why would I want to buy so many different sizes of brownie pans just to make brownie? So I decided to get this 12-cavity brownie/bar pan with individual slots which is designed for even heating and guarantees perfect size and shape of brownies, and with any size of brownie recipes, I could use this! Oh yeah, not forgetting that I do not have to cut the brownie myself, perfect for lazy-baker like me, LOL. Instead of doing cup cake, I use this for square cake, double usage, now that's value for money!

Check out my recipes that use this brownie pan:
☼ Vegan Chocolate Almond Brownie 
☼ Vegan Choco Peanut-Butter Cake

 

 

 

☼ SGD9.90

Available at Phoon Huat.
Location: Various in Singapore.

☼ USD13.50
Brand: Wilton
Available online at Amazon

♥ Learning a new cuisine is actually not that challenging, it is the process of understanding & finding the ingredients in your area which is tedious and time-consuming. Thus, I am most willing to share with readers (Singapore, Malaysia and international) where I get the most value-for-money ingredients that are slightly uncommon. See more of the great, affordable & healthy stuff I am always get.

 

Vegan Chocolate Almond Brownie (Whole Wheat)

 

 

Brownie? Certainty not that Girl Scouts you are thinking, LOL. Chocolate brownie is a flat, baked square or bar developed in USA. How is brownie different from cake? Both are chocolaty and have spongy. The main difference is the ingredients used which affect the texture and taste. Brownie recipes do not call for baking powder like in cakes, it also uses less flour and more cocoa. Brownies are chewy and baked very flat and dense with a crackled top, whereas cakes are light and fluffy with a smooth and even top covered with frosting.

I have tried a few eggless brownie recipes but didn't get it right because baking with whole wheat flour is always more challenging, even in brownie which is supposed to be dense. This is really my best.. best whole wheat brownie experiment; dense, chocolaty and soft. It is cakey on the outside and fudgy in the middle!



Look at how perfect the shape & size of brownies are!

Almost all brownie recipes called for a specific pan size because variations can throw off baking times and affect texture. If the pan is too large, the brownies will come out thin, dry and hard. If the pan is too small, the batter will rise too high and result in brownies that are too cakey. But seriously, why would I want to buy so many different sizes of brownie pan just to make brownie? So I decided to get this 12-cavity brownie/bar pan with individual slots which is designed for even heating, and it guarantees perfect size and shape of brownies, and with any size of brownie recipes, I could use this! Oh yeah, not forgetting that I do not have to cut the brownie myself, phew. Click here to see how the pan looks like and where to buy.

 

Dietary: Vegetarian, Vegan.
Make About 9

Ingredients
DRY
 145g of whole wheat flour
 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
 2/3 tsp baking soda
 1/4 tsp baking powder
 -----
WET
 1/2 cup brown sugar
 1/2 tsp salt
 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
 3 Tbsp olive oil
 180ml water
 2 tsp apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar
 4 Tbsp applesauce or 1/4 cup over-ripe banana (mashed well)
-----
 1/4 cup chocolate chips
 1/4 cup chopped almonds or walnuts, divided

 

Methods

1. Sift dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.

 

2. Preheat oven to 175℃.

 

3. In another bowl, whisk all the wet ingredients together. Pour the wet into the dry ingredients bowl and mix well with a spatula. Lastly, gently fold in the chocolate chips and almonds until well combined.

 

4. Pour the batter into a prepared individual brownie pan, maximum 3/4 filled, sprinkle some chopped almonds on top, if desired.

 

5. Using a oven thermometer, ensure it is at the right temperature 175℃. Pop it into the oven for about 15-20 minutes or till the top looks cooked. Begin testing doneness shortly after 13 minutes. Insert a toothpick, if it comes out clean, it's done!

 

6. Remove individual brownie from pan and let rest on wire. Serve with hot coffee or tea, perfect tea break! 

Batter: max 3/4 filled

Aww... beautiful crackled top!

Tips

☼ The perfect moment of doneness is the first moment a toothpick inserted into the centre of the brownies comes out clean. Underbaked brownies tend to be wet in the center especially those in the middle of the pan, while overbaked brownies are likely to be dry and hard.

♂ Applesauce (For Baking) - Where to buy?

I was trying so hard to skip this applesauce ingredient because I do not wish to stock up too many ingredients for my baking interests. But applesauce seems to be difficult to skip because it is very commonly used in vegan baking to act like the fat to keep the flour protein to mix completely with the wet ingredients and forming a rubbery texture. Slowly, I have fall in love with it! For some vegan baking recipes, I can totally use applesauce to replace butter or oil, how great is that?! I used this mostly in baking muffins, cakes and brownies, do check out my recipes!

 

If you do not bake often, why not consider making your own applesauce in smaller quantity? Look quite simple, I will try it when my bottle of applesauce runs out [smile]. 

 

Applesauce is indeed an ingredient that is more common in the West and for vegan baking, it is so uncommon in Singapore that even Phoon Huat does not carry it. Thus it took me some time to find this Seneca brand (read more about this product) at some outlets of Cold Storage. I think the price for this applesauce is quite reasonable, taking into consideration that only a few tablespoon of applesauce is required in one baking.  Alternatively, you can use mashed over-ripe bananas instead, but take note that you might get that taste of banana in your baking, well that is actually not a very good idea.



Seneca Brand - No Sugar Added Apple Sauce



 

 

Where to buy?
Made in USA.
Weight: 666g  

☼ SGD3.90 (Equivalent to SGD2.90 for 500g)
Available at Cold Storage.
Seen at Novena Square outlet.

☼ SGD3.30 (Equivalent to SGD2.50 for 500g) ☆Best Buy!
Available at NTUC.
Location: Various in Singapore.
Seen at Toa Payoh outlet.
 



S&W Brand - 100% Gravenstein Applesauce





Before I found the above Seneca brand which is cheaper, I use S&W brand  which I found at Sunlik Trading, but this location is not exactly very convenient and there is only one store on this island. Surprisingly this shop is actually quite a simple old shop, a far cry from their well-done website. It is also not as well-stocked as Phoon Huat, and the stuff are more expensive, but they do carry more quality chocolate.

However, I an not in favour that this brand because of the added sugar and corn syrup.
 

Where to buy?
☼ SGD4.20 for 500gm.

Made in USA.

Available at Sunlik Trading Pte Ltd.
Location: Bugis, Singapore.

☼ SGD5.55 at Cold Storage.
Seen at Novena Square outlet.

 
♥ Learning a new cuisine is actually not that challenging, it is the process of understanding & finding the ingredients in your area which is tedious and time-consuming. Thus, I am most willing to share with readers (Singapore, Malaysia and international) where I get the most value-for-money ingredients that are slightly uncommon. See more of the great, affordable & healthy stuff I am always get.

 

Hearty Brown Rice Porridge

 

 

 

Who says porridge is only for the sick? This recipe is a dish that I cooked over again and again, I can eat it day and night, without getting tired of it. And the best is.. it is so nutritious and guilt-free! I have cooked this for my family members who are not feeling well, they commented that this dish really opened up their appetites! Plus, using brown rice.. this is healthy to the max!

 

You probably noticed all these porridge photos look different, this is because these are cooked over different days.. different veggies every time! You can choose a few from the selection of veggies I recommended below, or you can just use any veggies in your fridge, just explore! But do not put too much for each type, or else you will end up having more veggies than rice, LOL! It happens to me all the time!

 
Dietary: Vegetarian, Vegan
Serve 2

Ingredients
 3/4 cup brown rice
 3 cup water
 1 tsp ginger, grated

Choose a few types you like:
Veggies (A) 
 Black fungus, chopped
 Potato, chopped
 Small floret cauliflower
 Carrot, chopped
 Chinese cabbages chopped
 Green beans, chopped
 Any mocked fish/mutton, chopped
Veggies (B) 
 Fresh shiitake mushrooms, chopped
 Needle mushrooms
 Firmed tofu, chopped
 Beansprouts
 Homemade seitan (minced pork) 

Seasoning
 1 Tbsp light soy sauce or Braggs Liquid Aminos
 1 Tbsp vegetarian mushroom oyster sauce
 2 tsp sesame oil
 1 tsp Marmite yeast extract (refer below)
 Pinch of white pepper 
  
Garnish
 Spring onions, chopped
 Coriander, chopped
 Fried shallots
 Vegetarian sambal shrimp bites 

Method
1. Place washed rice, water and ginger into a large heavy-bottomed pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Have the pot half covered with lid.

 

2. Reduce the heat to medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom, until the rice has slightly broken down.

 

3. Add veggies (A). Continue to boil for about 10 minutes or until it reaches the consistency of porridge. Cook to your own preference, if you prefer it more soupy and thinner consistency, add more water.

 

4. When the mixture has reached your consistency, add veggies (B), cook for another 3-5 minutes. Stir in seasoning and mix well.

5. Serve hot with the garnishes and condiments of your choice. 


Marmite - Yeast Extract

Seitan - Minced Meat (Asian & Western Style)

 

Seitan is made from vital wheat gluten, and is a protein with a terrific texture. Although this is well-stocked in vegetarian grocery stores, I would like to give it a shot because homemade seitan is preservative-free and definitely more budget friendly.

It is surprisingly quite simple! The long simmering of the broth imparts a wonderful depth of flavour to seitan. Store these in you fridge for quick meals with your porridge and soup noodles any time! Well, though this is good whole wheat gluten, it is recommended to eat in moderation since it is still gluten. It applies for all food. Use all-spice powder if you are making the western minced meat, and Chinese 5 spice powder for the Chinese style.
 

Ingredients

Broth
 2 tsp canola oil
 4 spring onions, roughly chopped
 2 dried chilli, chopped
 2 garlic cloves, crushed
 1500ml water

 1 Tbsp soy sauce or Braggs Liquid Aminos

Seitan

 115g vital wheat gluten  
 1 tsp all-spice powder or Chinese 5 spice powder 
 1/2 tsp cayenne or chilli powder 

 250ml water

 2 Tbsp soy sauce or Braggs Liquid Aminos

 1 tsp sesame oil

 

Method

For the Broth:

1. Heat oil in a medium pot and sauté spring onions, dried chilli and garlic until aromatic.

2. Add 1500ml water, soy sauce and bring to boil, and reduce to simmer. Partially cover and simmer while you prepare the seitan.

For Seitan:

1. In a huge and wide mixing bow, whisk together vital wheat gluten, all-spices and cayenne powder.

 

2. In a separate bowl, combine 250ml water, soy sauce and sesame oil.

 

3. Add wet ingredients to the dry, mixing with a spatula until combined. The mixture will be stiff and rubbery. Do not worry about the excess liquid in the mixing bowl.

 

4. In the mixing bowl, knead for 2 minutes. Set aside for 10 minutes and knead for another 1 minute.

 

5. Divide the dough into 4 equal sections. Gently stretch each piece with your hands.

 

6. Add the seitan pieces to the broth, partially cover the pot and simmer for 45 to 60 minutes, turning occasionally until it is firm and has fully expanded. The seitan will expand a lot, so add more water if necessary .

 

7. Turn the heat off, take the lid off and let sit for 15 minutes or until ready to use. Remove from broth and use as desired.

 

The dough after kneading.
Ok.. I know this does not look appealing, but I upload this
so that you know you are on the right track!



After simmering for about 20 minutes.

Notes

☼ Seitan can be made in advance and kept in water or cooking liquid for 1 week in fridge, or up to 3 months in freezer. If refrigerating, change the water every 2 days.

   

Hearty Brown Rice Porridge with Minced 'Pork'
Click for recipe



Eggless Chewy Choco-Chip & Almond Cookies (Whole Wheat)

 

Look at the crunchy, chewy inner!

I did some researches on how to get the cookies chewy and crunchy,  wanted to try my hands on some chewy cookies, and here it goes! I adjusted a few ingredients and also the baking time to ensure the cookies turn out chewy. The best part is I am still using healthy whole wheat flour, and not unhealthy white refined flour, read more. So this is kinda guilt-free to eat! Try it out, and let me know your results.

 

Dietary: Vegetarian, Vegan.
Make about 1 dozen

Ingredients

DRY 
 1 cup or 130g whole wheat pastry flour

 1/4 tsp baking soda
 1/2 tsp baking powder

 Powdered Egg Replacer for 1 egg (follow instruction of product)

 ---

 2 Tbsp white sugar
 3 Tbsp brown sugar
 1/4 tsp salt
 1/4 cup or 60g unsalted butter or vegan butter, melted into liquid state & cool
 3 Tbsp or 60g almond, chopped (or any nuts)
 1/2 tsp vanilla extract/essence
 1 Tbsp non-diary milk (I used soy milk)
 1 Tbsp water
 1/4 cup chocolate chip, divided

Method

1. Sift or mix well all dry ingredients. Set aside.

 

2. Preheat the oven to 200℃. In a bowl, melt the butter in the oven.

 

3. In another bowl, mix sugar and salt well. Pour in the melted butter and whisk. Add in the rest of wet ingredients: nuts, vanilla essence, milk and water.

 

4. Fold in the mixed flour until it becomes cookie dough. Lastly, add chocolate chips so that it does not break up or melt, leaving some for sprinkle later. Mix until well-combined.

 

5. Shape cookie dough into balls using hands or a small ice cream scope, simply drop dough onto prepared baking tray. Flatten the dough and ensure enough space in between cookies. Sprinkle some chocolate chips on top.

 

6. Using a oven thermometer, ensure it is at the right temperature 200℃.  Pop the dough into the oven for about 10-13 minutes or until golden brown. Keep an eye after 8 minutes. 1-2 minutes can change the result of your cookie greatly.

 

7. Cool on wire rack, and store in air tight container. Best served with English tea!



The dough should feel soft yet firm.

Place the cookies in a glass jar, looks so cool!

 

Tips

☼ Guide to making chewy cookies:

  - higher baking temperature
  - shorter baking time
  - higher proportion of flour
  - higher proportion of baking soda and baking powder

  - higher proportion of egg (powdered egg replacer)

  - higher proportion of brown sugar

  - lower proportion of fats (i.e. butter)

  - use melted butter instead of room temperature ones

  - mix melted butter with sugar, instead of creaming

☼ This recipe has been adjusted for the result of chewy cookies. 

☼ Replace almonds with walnuts, cashew or pecan.
 

♂ KAI Multi-Usage Kitchen Aid

KAI (Japan) Multi-Usage Kitchen Aid

When it comes to cooking, the most difficult and tedious part is mincing herbs especially garlic and onion. So I decided to give this Japan innovated product: multi-function kitchen gadget a shot. I just received this today at my doorstep and is thrilled to share with you! 

 

I love kitchen gadget that is multi-function, this will ensure I do not chuck it inside the cabinet after awhile, just like the toy that has lost its "freshness" to a small kid, LOL.

 

This has triple function as:-

- Grater for Herbs & Seasonings

- Salad Spinner

- Egg and Cream Beater

 

You can check out the video on demonstration on how it works, very fun and useful.

 

Triple Functions in One Gadget!



This is how fine the onions are after a few spin!
You can spin lesser to get roughly chopped onions.



Where to buy?
I bought this at a good deal at SGD21.90 from a online group deal, claimed to be SGD79.00 as the original price, but I doubt it is really so pricey. If there are no online deal for this, you can visit their website for enquiry on this product, Code: DA-5050.

Isetan Singapore
Retailing at SGD35.90
 

♥ Learning a new cuisine is actually not that challenging, it is the process of understanding & finding the ingredients in your area which is tedious and time-consuming. Thus, I am most willing to share with readers (Singapore, Malaysia and international) where I get the most value-for-money ingredients that are slightly uncommon. See more of the great, affordable & healthy stuff I am always get.

 

♂ Soy Sauce (Braggs Liquid Aminos) - Where To Buy?

Mr & Mrs Bragg sure have the rights to brag about their natural liquid aminos, also known as soy sauce. This is very popular in the west. It does not contain sodium benzoate as preservative which is commonly present in all soy sauce. Although this is about 2-3 times the price of our typical Chinese soy sauce in our local supermarkets, the health benefits and taste of this product is worth every penny! I love its unique taste, it really brings out the dishes a lot.. literally!
 

About This Product

Bragg Liquid Aminos is a Certified NON-GMO liquid protein concentrate, derived from healthy soybeans, that contains Amino Acids in naturally occurring sodium. This is an excellent, healthy, gourmet replacement for Tamari and Soy Sauce, it is not fermented or heated and is Gluten-Free.
 
Ingredients
- NON-GMO soybeans
- purified water

 
Health Benefits
• A source of delicious, nutritious and life-renewing protein.
• Taste you will love, nutrition you need.

• Contains important healthy amino acids
• Great on Salads & Dressings, Soups, Veggies, Rice & Beans, Tofu, Wok & Stir-frys, Tempeh, Potatoes, Gravies & Sauces, Macrobiotics.

Contains
• no salt added of any kind (land or sea)
• no MSG
• no chemicals
• no artificial colouring
• no alcohol
• no preservatives
• no Gluten
• Certified NON-GMO
 

For FAQ of this product, click here.

 



 Weight: 946ml

Where to buy?

In Singapore 
☼ SGD15.00
Available at Yes Natural Organic
Location: Clementi, Tiong Bahru & Geylang, in Singapore.

☼ SGD16.00+-
Available at Zenxin Agri-Organic Food
Location: Pasir Panjang in Singapore.

 

☼ SGD16.10 
Available at NTUC.
Location: Various in Singapore.

☼ Can also be found at major supermarket's health food section, organic & health stores

In Malaysia
☼ RM29.90 (Equivalent to SGD12.00) ☆Best Buy!
Available at Zenxin Agri-Organic Food

Location: Various in Malaysia.

 

Online

Buy this at iherb at USD9.28 (Equivalent to SGD12.80)
Buy this at Amazon.  

 

♥ Learning a new cuisine is actually not that challenging, it is the process of understanding & finding the ingredients in your area which is tedious and time-consuming. Thus, I am most willing to share with readers (Singapore, Malaysia and international) where I get the most value-for-money ingredients that are slightly uncommon. See more of the great, affordable & healthy stuff I am always get.