My eyes are burning with fatigue, but my mind decides to bake something. Baking requires focus, accuracy, and it distracts me from the dream I had. I reattempt a failed recipe from the week before; a pumpkin scone. The truth is, I have never liked scones and I questioned why I bothered to make them in the first place. This kind of negative thinking only makes me grumpier than I already am and I put it out of my mind to focus.

As I measure out the ingredients, whisking the flours together, and testing out the spice ratio, I see more apartment lights flicker on. The sky is pale but the light coming in is a bit warmer. I put the scones in the oven and hope for the best. Barb comes into the kitchen, stretches her legs behind her, and purrs at my feet. In the mornings, she sucks up to me so I will get up and feed her. When her affection doesn’t work right away, she resorts to more aggressive tactics, which includes “brushing” my hair with her claws.

The apartment fills up with a spicy aroma and I feel much better when I take the scones out of the oven. They look perfect, a refined rustic appearance. I make myself some tea to distract myself from eating them straight off the pan. As the kettle boils, I step outside onto my balcony and breathe in the cool air. The sun is up and I can see people on the street with layers of sweaters and scarves walk toward the subway. The city wakes up and I can hear some construction workers start up their gear for the day’s work.

I whip up the glaze, adding a pinch of spice with each taste. I spoon the glaze on each scone and top with nuts. They are exactly what I wanted them to taste like; delicate, tender, and rich with spice.

I feel dizzy with sleepiness and head back to bed, my tea left undrunk. I pile the blankets on top of me and I fall asleep immediately. Maybe the scones were keeping me awake. 

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This recipe is adapted from The Faux Martha’s Pumpkin Scones.

Vegan & GF Pumpkin Walnut Scones

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

These scones are tender, sweet, topped with a spiced glaze and toasted walnuts. These are not health scones. These are the type of scones you hope to get in a coffee shop, served with a huge mug of steamy latte and a good book. Vegan, gluten free, and soy free. Best served the day of baking, but unglazed scones can be frozen for later eats.

Author: Jessica DeMarra

Recipe type: Dessert, Breakfast

Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten Free

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon ground flax seed + 3 tablespoons warm water
• ½ cup canned pumpkin puree
• 5 tablespoons full-fat coconut milk (shake the can well before measuring)
• 1½ cups Bob Mill's 1:1 GF Flour Blend*
• ½ cup GF oat flour
• ⅓ cup organic cane sugar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed
• 1 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice (I used The Kitchn's recipe for Pumpkin Pie Spice)
• ½ tsp. sea salt
• 
  
• Pumpkin Glaze
• 1 tablespoon canned pumpkin puree
• 1-2 tablespoons full-fat coconut milk
• ¼ teaspoon pumpkin spice
• ¾ cup powdered sugar
• ¼ cup toasted walnut pieces

Instructions

1. On a small piece of parchment paper on a plate, measure out 6 tablespoons of solid coconut oil. Place in the refrigerator until very solid. In the meantime, mix the flax and water together in a small bowl to gel and set aside.
2. In a bowl or measuring cup, mix the canned pumpkin and coconut milk together. Once the flax had gelled, whisk it the mixture into the pumpkin and coconut milk. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, pumpkin spice, sugars, and salt together.
4. Remove the coconut oil from the fridge, it should be very firm, and cut into small pieces.
5. With a pastry cutter, cut the coconut oil into the flour mixture until only pea-sized solids of the coconut oil remain.
6. Create a well in the centre of the flour mixture. Add the pumpkin/coconut milk mixture and stir until just combined. Overworking the dough melts the coconut oil too fast and will result in a tough, dense scone.
7. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place dough on the baking sheet and form into a 6" square. Using a pastry bench or sharp chef's knife, cut the dough into 8 even pieces. With the bench scraper or a wide spatula, loosen from the bottom and space out the scones onto the baking sheet.
8. Place the sheet in freezer and preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
9. Once preheated, remove scones from freezer and bake for 15 minutes.
10. Meanwhile, make the glaze.
11. Clean out the large bowl you used for the scone dough. Whisk together the coconut milk, pumpkin, and spices together. Sift in the powdered sugar and whisk until no lumps remain. Set aside.
12. Once the scones are done baking, let them cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire baking rack to cool completely.
13. Once the scones are completely cooled, spoon on the glaze and sprinkle with toasted walnut pieces.

Notes

*Or another GF flour blend with xantham gum

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1 glazed scone Calories: 321 Fat: 13.9g Carbohydrates: 46.8g Sugar: 21.6g Sodium: 286.9mg Fiber: 2g Protein: 4.2g

3.4.3177

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There is something special about a season changing; when the green leaves start to turn bright colours, ice cold glasses of fizzy kombucha turn into mugs of steamy tea, and we all get cozy in our thick knit sweaters. I hate to see Summer end but I love when Fall begins. The farmer’s market changes from berries, peaches, and corn to squash, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes. I no longer fear of turning on my oven and welcome roasted vegetables.

When I think of Autumn, I think of pumpkins. I don’t love roasted pumpkin so I usually stick to the canned version to make dessert or lattes. Raw canned pumpkin reminds me of baby food but when cooked in a recipe with lots of spices, it turns into a favourite. What else is my favourite? Chocolate.

Brownies may not seem like an Autumn Equinox recipe but when paired with pumpkin and warm spices, it gives me reason to celebrate shorter days and cooler weather. Mark, who claims not to love chocolate or pumpkin, loves these brownies. They are rich, fudge, and spiced with seasonal favourites. What isn’t to love about that?

What are your favourite Autumn eats?

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Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Brownies

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

36 mins

Total time

51 mins

 

Fall and baked goods go hand in hand. Perhaps because we no longer fear turning on our ovens now that it has cooled down. I love the mixture of chocolate and pumpkin spice, the spices enhance the chocolate taste. These guys are rich, warming, and crazy good. The total time does not include the cooling time and I know it is hard, but don't be tempted to take them out of the pan until they are fully cooled. I promise it is worth the wait! This recipe is vegan, gluten free, and soy free.

Author: Jessica DeMarra

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten Free

Serves: 12-16

Ingredients

• 3 ounces vegan dark chocolate, chopped
• 5 tablespoons coconut oil + more for greasing the pan
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla
• 1½ tablespoons ground flax seed + 4 tablespoons warm water
• ⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1 cup organic cane sugar
• ¾ cup Bob Mill's 1:1 GF Flour Blend
• 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice blend
• 1 cup raw nuts (I used a mixture of pecan and almond), ground into a course nut flour

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease an 8×8 inch pan with coconut oil. Create a sling using two pieces of parchment paper placed perpendicular to each other in the pan. Set aside.
2. In a non-reactive bowl, add the chopped chocolate and set over a pot with a few inches of simmering water. Melt the chocolate until almost all the chocolate is completely melted. Add the coconut oil, cocoa, and vanilla. Stir until completely smooth and mixed. Set aside to cool.
3. Meanwhile, add the ground flax seed and water together in a large bowl, mix, and side aside until it becomes gel-like. Add the pumpkin puree to the flax mixture and stir.
4. Add the cooled chocolate mixture to the bowl and stir until fully combined. Add the sugar and stir again.
5. Add the flour, cornstarch or arrowroot, baking soda, salt and spices. Gently fold these ingredients into the chocolate mixture. Add the ground nuts and fold until completely combined.
6. Transfer brownie batter to the prepared pan. Using your fingers, smooth out the batter until it is evenly distributed. Bake for 36-38 minutes.
7. Allow the brownies to cool completely but taking them out of the pan and cutting. The batter is very soft when warm so this recipe needs some time to cool down.
8. Serve with a Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte if you fancy!

Notes

**This recipe is adapted from The First Mess "Salted Coconut Caramel Brownies"

3.3.3077

The post Day 23 of Vegan MoFo: Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Brownies appeared first on Sprouts & Chocolate.

Unfortunately for us vegans, the syrup that Starbucks uses is not dairy-free (even when you get your latte with soy milk). Sighhh….guess I won’t be buying any $5 coffees this Fall (oh darn!) Turns out there are so many at-home versions of this drink so I decided to test some out. Now, I’m sure all the PSL die-hards will say that this isn’t like the real deal but you can make this version faster than waiting in line for one.

Mark loves the Starbucks drink so desperately asked me to veganize it for him. It was interesting to note that the real PSL contains no real pumpkin. What is it about Fall and pumpkin-everything only to abandon it until next year?

This version does have real pumpkin and a special little method to foam it up! I heated the ingredients in a small saucepan and when very warm (don’t let the milk boil!) I poured it into my blender which created a great foamy top. If you are fancy and have a milk frother by all means use it but the blender worked amazingly well for those who don’t own that gadget. Plus pouring it from the blender it a mug is much easier than from the saucepan.  Sprinkle the frothy top with a pinch of pumpkin spice, curl up with a thick novel, a comfy blanket and enjoy.

Happy (officially!) Fall! Do you enjoy pumpkin recipes during the year or just Fall specific? 

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Here I am Day 11 of the month long cooking (and eating!) vegan food fest that is VeganMoFo! While it has been a little stressful I organized my ideas for a few recipes on my fridge whiteboard calendar to make things a little easier for me since I started school and continue to work. So far, I am right on schedule with a few modifications here and there and couldn’t be more pleased by my organizational skills. I have never been much of a meal planner but now I get what the big deal is about! It is less hectic now that I am coming back from school and knowing my dinner is already in the fridge (along with my after school snack because apparently I am 5 years old). Also having a meal plan doesn’t force me to go on a serious snack quest when I come home from a long day and feeling extra hangry, consuming everything in my path. 

But what about breakfast? I have to admit I am pretty terrible with planning breakfast since it is always rush-rush for Mark and I in the morning. I usually stick to a smoothie but that was before I re-entered school and I definitely needing the extra fuel for my brain in the wee hours of the morning.

Mark is a huge fan of cereal but store bought just doesn’t fill him up as a meal and before you know it half of the box is gone. I needed to make a substantial breakfast to boost our energy before we head out.

Granola is always my first choice for cereal since I can make a lot of it at one time and it lasts all work/school week in an airtight container. Is it too early for pumpkin spice? I would say not since Starbucks came out with their Pumpkin Spice Latte in August! I have a love/hate relationship with pumpkin and its warm spices- I love it until I hate it. You know that song you play on repeat a zillion times and then you hear it on the radio for your zillionth and one time and all of a sudden you think “If I hear this song one more time I may lose it!” That’s my relationship with pumpkin. I eat EVERYTHING pumpkin for two months straight and never want to see it again [until next year that is]. Perhaps this year I will enjoy pumpkin in moderation? Haha who am I kidding?

 8 recipes down, 12 more to go!

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