Just a casual Saturday afternoon in the Pettway 

and Mitchell household.

Mmmmm, delicious.

Vegan food porn.

Good Morning, readers. I hope this chilly Tuesday morning finds you well.

Christmas is just a mere 18 days away. No doubt, most of you are busy planning out your social calendars or scrambling to finish up the last of your holiday shopping. These days, I find myself focusing more on what I will be baking this holiday, rather than what I will be wearing and buying. Who cares about presents when you have an awesome cake to eat Christmas morning? My thoughts exactly.

Over the next 3 weeks, I'll be posting updates about my baking adventures as well as sharing some of my favorite holiday recipes. Got family visiting? Need a cheap gift to give to your friends? Got the annual office Xmas party coming up? Never fear, I'll have all the recipes you need to get through the holidays.

This week, I'm tackling breakfast. What do you eat Christmas morning when you have your entire family coming over to open presents? Something fast, sweet and filling. I'm a huge proponent of breakfast breads and coffee cakes but I thought, this year, I would try something new- crumb cake. Crumb cake is a delicious hybrid of a cake and coffee cake. It's a moist, fluffy and buttery cake with a crunchy crumb topping, often sprinkled with powdered sugar or drizzled with frosting. Below, is a recipe I've modified from Ina Garten. I've switched out the blueberries for raspberries, added some vanilla yogurt and included a frosting that can be drizzled liberally over the top of your cake. Make this the day before and all you'll have to worry about Christmas morning is finding a large enough spatula to shovel out your family's slices.

Raspberry Crumb Cake
(Adapted from Ina Garten)

Streusel-

• 1/4 cup Sugar
• 1/3 cup packed Brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose Flour
• 
  
• Cake-

• 6 Tbsp room-temp unsalted Butter
• 3/4 cup Sugar
• 2 room-temp Eggs

1 tsp Vanilla extract

1/3 cup Sour cream

• 1/3 cup Vanilla yogurt
• 1 1/4 cups Flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 cup fresh Raspberries

Drizzle-

1 cup Powdered Sugar

2 Tbsp room-temp Butter

Coconut Milk

Grease and flour a 9" cake pan. I suggest using a spring-form pan.

Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. Stir in the melted butter and then the flour. Mix well and set aside.

• 
  
• In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on high speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until light. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla, sour cream and yogurt. 
• 
  
• In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Fold in the raspberries and stir with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out with a knife. With your fingers, crumble the topping evenly over the batter. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely.

With the holidays looming close on the horizon, I find myself fighting the urge to lock myself in my house and just bake for days on end. If you remember last year's post around this time, then you know how much I love to bake for my friends and family members. Since Thanksgiving is next week, I thought I would quickly whip up something to give out to a couple of my besties before leaving for California.

I can't remember when I first started cooking chutney but ever since that fateful day, people have been requesting my cranberry chutney for their parties and dinner tables. What's so great about this recipe is that it's incredibly versatile- serve it as a side with some turkey, slather it on some cinnamon bread with some butter as a quick breakfast or serve it with some cream cheese and crackers as an hors d'oeuvre. This scrumptious, crimson-colored spread is incredibly easy to make but immensely satisfying. When you're putting together your Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving feast this year, keep this recipe in mind- I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

Cranberry Chutney

12 oz. frozen or fresh Cranberries
1 1/4 cup Sugar
3/4 cup Water
1 large Apple (preferably Granny Smith)
2 tsp ground Cinnamon
1 tsp ground Ginger
1/4 tsp ground Cloves
1-2 Tbsp Orange zest

Begin by chopping up the apple into tiny bite-size pieces.

In a medium-sized sauce pan, combine all of the ingredients. Bring the mixture to a boil; stir constantly.

Reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 15-17 minutes. This will allow the mixture to thicken. (Tip- Want a chunkier chutney? Stir the mixture only once or twice while it's simmering. The more you stir the chutney, the gooier the cranberries will become.)

Remove from the stove. Let cool to room-temperature. Transfer to another container. Refrigerate several hours before using.

My life the last couple of weeks has been downright crazy and that's not about to change anytime soon.

Luckily, I find myself enjoying a bit of a respite this week. I've been meaning to create a few new fall cookie recipes, so, today, I actually sat down and devoted some time to working on them.

Below, is just one of those recipes- it's my take on a pumpkin spice cookie. The scrumptious pumpkin flavor and the fluffy, soft texture of this cookie is perfectly accented by the occasional crunch of a pecan and gentle but robust balance of spices. The cranberries, though tart, really pop with the crunchy, sugary topping. It's a simple recipe but these cookies are addictive. After just one bite, you'll find it hard to stop!

Vegan Pumpkin Cranberry Cookies

3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp packed Brown Sugar

1 cup Pumpkin purée

1/3 cup Vegetable oil

1 tsp Vanilla

1/8 tsp Salt

2 cup Flour

1 tsp Baking soda

1 tsp Baking powder

3 1/4 tsp ground Cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground Cloves

1/4 tsp ground Nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground Ginger

1/2 cup ground Nuts

3/4 cup dried Cranberries

Granulated sugar

Beat the brown sugar, pumpkin, oil, vanilla and salt together in a bowl.

Sift together the dry ingredients in a small bowl. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture. Beat until smooth. Fold in the nuts and cranberries.

Drop spoonfuls of the cookie dough into a bowl of sugar. Coat completely. Form into a ball. Place on a greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes. This recipe makes about 2 dozen.

Fall has reached the River City. The recent rain-soaked afternoons and chilly, mist-filled breezes have given way to an overwhelming need to be surrounded by all things comfortable, e.g. warm blankets, soft sweaters, a favorite warm beverage and of course, something sweet to nibble on.

Every year our neighborhood has a picnic the last weekend of September. It's meant to celebrate the end of Summer and herald the start of another Fall. When I was reflecting on what I'd like to bring, I thought about pumpkin-flavored desserts. It seems like most pumpkin desserts are quite plain. Instead of being paired with different flavors, they typically stand alone in a dish. I understand that pumpkins have a subtle taste, but, why not harness that lovely, earthy flavor and add it to something else to make it even better? Thus, the idea of a Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake was born.

Below, is a recipe I pieced together using several different recipes. The pumpkin cheesecake recipe, I adapted from Paula Deen. It's a creamy, softer cheesecake with a hint of pumpkin that interacts beautifully with the denser texture of the dark chocolate cheesecake. I actually got the dark chocolate cheesecake recipe from a Kroger ad. Kroger knows their stuff; no joke. I think what really ties the whole cake together is the ganache topping. It's subtly sweet so it doesn't overpower the other flavors, but, at the same time, it does give the cake a nice tart bite.

This Fall, I hope you can take some time out of your busy day to sit down and enjoy the little things, like curling up with a good book, drinking a nice warm cup of tea or even eating a piece of cheesecake while watching the leaves fall outside your window. Remember, Fall comes only once year. Don't let it go to waste!

Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake

2 cups Chocolate Graham Cracker crumbs
1 Tbsp Sugar
1/4 cup melted Butter

Dark Chocolate Cheesecake-
8 oz. softened Cream Cheese
2.5 oz. melted Dark Chocolate
1 room-temp Egg
1/4 cup  + 1 Tbsp Sugar
1.5 Tbsp Cocoa powder
Pumpkin Cheesecake-
10 oz. Pumpkin purée
16 oz. softened Cream Cheese
2 room-temp Eggs + 1 Egg yolk
4 Tbsp room-temp Sour cream
1 cup Sugar
2-3 tsp ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground Cloves
1/8 tsp ground Nutmeg
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp Flour
1 tsp Vanilla

Ganache-
3/4 cup Whipping Cream
6 oz. chopped Dark Chocolate
1 Tbsp Sugar

Butter a 9" spring-form pan. Chop/smash the graham crackers until they've reached a fine consistency. Stir in the sugar and melted butter. Press the crumbs into the bottom and sides of the prepared pan. Set aside.

Prepare the dark chocolate cheesecake by first melting the chocolate, either in a double-boiler or the microwave. Allow the chocolate to cool until it's lukewarm but still pourable.

In a large bowl, blend the cream cheese, sugar and cocoa powder together until smooth. Mix in the egg. Add the chocolate. Make sure to scrape down the sides. Pour the filling into the crust. Smooth out the top.

Prepare the pumpkin cheesecake by blending together the cream cheese and pumpkin purée in a large bowl. Mix until smooth. Add the eggs and yolk. Mix well. Pour in the sour cream, sugar and spices. Make sure to scrape down the sides. Finish by adding in the flour and vanilla. Mix once more. Pour the filling into the crust; spread it out evenly.

Bake at 350 degrees for 60-65 minutes. Let sit until it reaches room-temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours. It's best over night.

Once the cheesecake is completely firm, prepare the ganache topping. In a saucepan, heat the chocolate, sugar and cream. Stir until completely smooth. Let the ganache sit until it reaches room-temperature.

Pour the ganache into the center of the cheesecake and spread it to within a 1/2 inch of the edge of the cheesecake. Refrigerate the cheesecake for 1 hour to ensure the ganache is set.

If you want to get fancy, you can sprinkle the top with some edible glitter and drizzle some melted chocolate.

September is here, meaning the final days of Summer are upon us.

Lately, I've been obsessed with miniature food. No doubt this is due to my job. We make cake pops, pie pops and now 3" and 6" cakes. To foster this slowly building addiction, I've decided to take a traditional family recipe and miniaturize it for this month's post.

My grandmother's apple pie recipe is the epitome of comfort food. The flakey, buttery crust and juicy cinnamon-apple filling are drool-worthy. However, it's the crumbly streusel topping that makes this recipe unique. One bite of this pie instantly sends you back to the 4th of July picnics you used to have with your family and those hot, sticky summer days laying out at the pool. What better way to end the summer than with a pie?

Below is a standard 10" pie recipe. You can use a regular pie pan, or, if you want to try something new, grab an oversized muffin pan and create individual pies. Enjoy.

Grandmother's Mini Apple Pies

Crust-
1 1/2 cup Flour
6 2/3 Tbsp Shortening
4-5 Tbsp ice-cold Water
1/2 tsp Salt

Filling-
3 lb Granny Smith Apples
1/2 cup Sugar
3-4 tsp Cinnamon
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice

Topping-
1 cup Sugar
1 cup cold Margarine
1 cup Flour


Combine the salt and flour in a medium-sized bowl. Add in the shortening. Use a pastry cutter to break up the shortening into small, pea-sized pieces; the smaller the pieces, the flakier the crust. (Tip- if you don't have a pastry cutter, just use two knives and go in a crisscross motion).

Drizzle in a couple tablespoons of water. Use a fork to blend it together. If the dough is still too dry, sprinkle in some more water. You don't want your dough to be too gooey, so, do so sparingly. Once the mixture is fully combined, pat the dough into a ball.

On a floured cutting board, roll out the dough. Start from the center. Allow up to an inch of extra crust on the sides so you can crimp the edges.

When you're ready to move the crust, slowly curl it around the rolling pin. Unfurl it into the pan and press the crust against the sides of the pan. If you're making the mini-pies, first create a pattern that will fit properly into each muffin hole. Either use a large cookie-cutter or your knife to cut out the circles. Transfer them to the pan and press the dough against the sides of each muffin hole. Try to get the sides as even as possible. Fold the extra dough under. Use your index finger and thumb to crimp the edges. (Tip- if your crust is cracked, use a drop of water to remoisten it. Press the bits together so that it stays. You do not want cracks, otherwise your pie will leak.)

Prepare the filling by peeling, coring and slicing the apples in a large bowl. Sprinkle the sugar, flour and cinnamon over the apples. Use a spoon to stir everything together; you want the apples to be completely coated.

Pour the apples into the pie shell or oversized muffin pan. Arrange the slices to avoid air pockets. (Tip- Fill your dish until it's essentially overflowing with apples. They will shrink considerably.) Drizzle the lemon juice over the apples.

Prepare the streusel topping by combining the sugar and flour in a bowl. Cut up the margarine before adding it to the bowl. Mix everything together with the pastry cutter. You should have big pieces of margarine. Immediately sprinkle the mixture over the apples. Heap it on.

Bake at 400 degrees for 40-45 minutes (10"), 30-35 minutes (mini pies) or until the edges start to bubble.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. I honestly don't know where my year went. With my mother still recovering from her double-knee surgery, I find myself taking a much more hands-on approach to this year's celebration- i.e. I'm doing all the baking/cooking. You can definitely say that I've risen to the challenge. As I told my mom, Thanksgiving is like a decathalon for chefs and you better believe I've been studying Food Network as religiously as a Freshman student cramming for first semester exams. I've been stocking up on enough pricey cheeses, fresh herbs and obscure spices to make my parents cry from looking at all the grocery bills. I AM READY.

One of the easiest recipes in my arsenal, has to be my nana's coffeecake. The recipe dates back to 50s, a time when they loved their bundt pans and cake mixes almost as much as their first-born child. The fluffy vanilla cake pairs beautifully with the crunchy cinnamon pecan filling and sweet frosting topping. Serve it with a cup of coffee and it'll start your day off right!

French Vanilla Coffeecake

1 pkg French vanilla cake mix
1 pkg French vanilla instant pudding
1/2 cup Vegetable oil
1 cup Water
1 tsp Butter flavoring
4 room temperature Eggs

Topping-
3/4 cup chopped Pecans
2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 cup Sugar

Frosting-
1 cup Powdered sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla
2 Tbsp Milk
2 Tbsp melted Butter

In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients except for the eggs. Add in each egg individually, beating after each. Beat batter for 8 minutes- make sure to time yourself!

Sprinkle half of the cinnamon topping into the bottom of a well-greased bundt pan. Pour in half of the batter. Throw in the rest of the cinnamon topping and then cover with the remaining batter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

Remove from pan after 10 minutes. Let cool and then drizzle top with the frosting.

Fall has finally reached RVA. It's true- yesterday was a high of 65. I can now wear a scarf outside without receiving judging glances from passing old ladies in the supermarket.

Last night one of my friends celebrated her 22nd birthday. It was a dual party- a celebration of her birthday as well as the upcoming holiday, Halloween. It was a really small, intimate get-together. We met up at her quaint Church Hill apartment and everyone
brought along a dish to share. The twist- a significant portion of the people attending the party were vegan/vegetarian.

I am not vegan or vegetarian and until recently I really only knew 2 or 3 people who would actually consider themselves "vegetarian." Over the past 6 months, however, as I've gotten to know my new friends, I've also gotten better acquainted with the vegan subculture and, of course, vegan baking.

For most bakers, the idea of working without eggs, butter or milk is daunting but, let me assure you, it is completely possible to create delicious masterpieces without the help of dairy products; it's often healthier for you anyway. Below are two very easy cookie recipes that I've recently used to bake a nice fall treat for my vegan buddies. Vegans aren't the only ones who can enjoy these cookies- share them with your nonvegan family members, friends or coworkers, I'm sure they won't be able to tell the difference!

Courtesy of Ely Rusiecki

Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies

(Adapted from cookiemadness.net/)

1 1 /2 cups and 3 Tbsp Flour

1 1/2 tsp Baking soda

1/4 and 1/8 tsp Salt

3/4 cup packed Brown sugar

6 Tbsp Vegetable oil

3 Tbsp Honey/Agave nectar
3/4 tsp Vanilla extract
3 Tbsp Unsweetened apple sauce
3/4 cup Natural peanut butter (e.g. Smart Balance)

In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda and salt.

In a second bowl, mix the brown sugar, vegetable oil, honey, vanilla, apple sauce and peanut butter. Stir until smooth. I prefer to use honey in this recipe but some vegans are strongly against honey, due to the poor treatment most bees face. A good idea is always to ask. If you're willing to spend a little money, you can always use agave nectar which has a similar taste/consistency of honey but is actually made from plants.

Add the flour mixture to the brown sugar mixture. Stir until well mixed. Form the dough into tiny balls and place them onto ungreased cookie sheets. Use a fork to create a cross-hatch pattern.

Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes.

Let the cookies sit 3-5 minutes after taking them out of the oven, transfer them to a wire rack to continue cooling. Makes 32 cookies.

Courtesy of Ely Rusiecki

Vegan Maple/Almond Cookies
(Adapated from ChooseVeg.com)

1 1/2 cups Flour
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 tsp Baking soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Vegetable oil
1 Tbsp Vanilla
1 Tbsp Maple syrup
1 tsp Almond extract
Egg replacer, 1 egg
Cinnamon and Sugar

Mix the flour, sugar, soda and salt together in a bowl.

In a second bowl, mix the vegetable oil, vanilla, maple syrup, almond extract and the egg replacer. For those people new to vegan baking, egg replacer is a powder-like substance that, obviously, is used to "replace" the eggs in a recipe. A good brand is Ener-G Egg Replacer, which can be usually be found in Kroger, Whole Foods or any specialty food store.

Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients. Stir until well mixed. Form the dough into tiny balls and then roll them through a cinnamon and sugar mixture. Place the cookies onto greased cookie sheets. Flatten them slightly, so they can bake more evenly.

Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes.

Let the cookies sit 3-5 minutes after taking them out of the oven, transfer them to a wire rack to continue cooling. Makes 18 cookies.

September 21, the great autumnal equinox, has officially come and gone, meaning Fall is here. While Virginia continues to suffer through 90 degree temperatures, I dare to sport zip-up hoodies and home made vegetable soup in the comfort of my air conditioned home. I can't help it, my mind has already switched to "fall mode." I've bought my Martha Stewart Halloween guide and I currently have trips planned to an apple orchard and pumpkin patch in October.

During the Fall, in particular, I tend to become incredibly domestic. I have an urge to bake everyday, for everyone I know. The situation usually goes something like this: "Hey, I know you! You look hungry! Let me bake you a pie. You say you don't like pie? Well, how about scones? No? Pumpkin bread? Alright, here are 5 loaves."

There's nothing I love more than spending time with my friends and what better combination is there than food and friends? I guess this is my way of ensuring that those close to me have something to eat that's a little more nutritious than Doritos or leftover Chinese food.

So, when you're all by your lonesome this Fall, and Winter is looming ever so ominously on the horizon, remember that this recipe below- 1. is great with coffee, 2. bakes a lot and 3. freezes perfectly for months. Bake something for those dearest to you or start stocking up for the treacherous days of Snowacalypse 3. Who knows- the Great Pumpkin just might save the day after all!

Almond Pumpkin Bread

1 1/8 cup toasted, slivered Almonds
3 cups Flour
3 tsp Baking powder
3/4 tsp Baking soda
1 1/2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Ground ginger
3/8 tsp Ground cloves
3 large Eggs
1 1/2 cup Sugar
15 oz Can of pumpkin
3 Tbsp Vegetable oil
3/4 cup Evaporated milk
1 1/2 tsp Almond extract

Begin by toasting the almonds in the oven at 350 degrees until they are golden brown, about 5-7 minutes.

Sift together all the dry ingredients, including the spices.

Beat the eggs and sugar together in a large bowl until they're fluffy. Add in half the canned pumpkin, the almond extract and oil. Beat well. Add in some of the flour mixture. Beat well. Add in some of the evaporated milk. Beat well. Repeat the process until both have been evenly combined into the batter. Stir in the last of the canned pumpkin. Finish by folding in the almonds; make sure to save a few to sprinkle over the top of the loaves.

Pour  the batter into 3 medium-sized aluminum bread loaves.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.