This Months Free Recipes - Barbara Kerr

Pumpkin Roll

This recipe has been a family favorite since I was a teenager. It was given to our family by a good friend, Jenny O'Hara. There isn't a Thanksgiving or Christmas that goes by without the traditional making of the Pumpkin Rolls. Since the rolls end up being 17-inches long, I love to freeze them, cut them in half and give away the smaller sized rolls as holiday gifts to our friends. The original recipe wasn't vegan, so it's taken me a few years to come up with this delectable replica. To choose just one is rather impossible for me, but this recipe might just be my favorite in the entire cookbook. Enjoy!

You'll need to plan ahead when making this recipe: Refrigerating the filling for 1-2 hours prior to filling the pumpkin roll will help the roll to hold its shape better. The Pumpkin Roll is time sensitive and its success depends upon proper cooking and cooling times. You must set a timer.

For the roll:

4 1/2 teaspoons EnerG Egg Replacer
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup milled cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup unbleached white flour

For the filling:

4 1/2 teaspoons Earth Balance Margarine
1 cup (8 oz. container) Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
1/2 cup fructose
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons + 1 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
4 - 6 tablespoons finely chopped toasted pecans (optional)

In a large mixing bowl whisk together EnerG Egg Replacer and water until foamy. Whisk in remaining 'roll' ingredients one by one until all are incorporated. Batter will be slightly thin.

Line a 17 X 11 1/2-inch cookie sheet with sides, with wax paper. Spray the wax paper with cooking oil. Pour the batter onto the cookie sheet and spread evenly to all corners.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 - 18 minutes. Cake will look spongy and dry. It should feel dry to the touch. (If it is too moist it will stick to the tea towel when you roll it up.) Cool 3-5 minutes in pan.

Next carefully pick up the cake using the wax paper and place cake, right side up, on a tea towel and roll lengthwise, towel and all. Cool exactly 15 minutes in fridge.

Slowly unroll and carefully remove the wax paper. Fill immediately spreading the filling to within 1/2-inch of bottom and side edges. Sprinkle with toasted pecans and re-roll.

Carefully lift roll onto a sheet of aluminum foil and wrap sealing along the top and ends. Place in freezer. When ready to serve remove from freezer and cut into1/2-inch slices and serve very cold. May store in the refrigerator or freezer.

To make the filling: In a blender place the Earth Balance Margarine, Tofutti Cream Cheese, fructose and vanilla; blend till smooth.

In a small bowl stir the water into the cornstarch to dissolve. Pour into a small saucepan and heat over medium stirring constantly. The cornstarch will turn into a whitish-clear ball. Immediately put cornstarch "ball" into the blender and blend. *If you wait until it cools it will NOT blend into the cream cheese

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Turtle Brownies

They really do taste as good as they look!

For the brownie:

1/2 cup water
1/8 cup EnerG Egg Replacer
1 cup Sunspire Vegan Carob Chips
1/4 cup Earth Balance Margarine
1 1/8 cups milled cane sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 teaspoon Rumford baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the caramel-pecan sauce:

1 1/4 cup Sucanat
1 cup lite coconut milk
2 tablespoons Earth Balance Margarine or vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups whole pecans

In a small bowl whisk together the water and EnerG Egg Replacer until foamy; set aside.

Melt carob chips and Earth Balance Margarine in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth, then remove from heat.

Stir in milled cane sugar, pure vanilla and "egg" mixture. Carefully stir in the whole wheat and white flour, baking powder and salt.

Spoon into a square 9 X 9-inch oiled baking stone or an oiled and floured 9-inch metal or glass pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes. Do not over bake.

For the caramel sauce, use a 1 or 2-quart heavy saucepan. Bring the Sucanat, coconut milk and margarine to 260 degrees F. Stir in pecans and immediately smooth over the top of the brownie. Cut into small squares.

Makes 16 small but sweet brownies.

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Orange Cranberry Flat Tops

These muffins do not peak in the middle. If you over-fill the muffin cups the batter will run over the sides of each cup and make them difficult to remove. This recipe can also be baked as a cake in a 9 X 9-inch pan for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup Earth Balance Margarine
3/4 cup milled cane sugar
2 tablespoons grated orange peel
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Rumford baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda

Soak cranberries in boiling water for 10 minutes. Puree in blender to chunky; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer on low speed, combine the margarine, milled cane sugar, orange peel and vanilla till smooth. Stir in the flour, salt, baking powder, soda and cranberry mixture.

Immediately fill oiled mini muffin cups using a 1-tablespoon scoop and bake at 350 degrees F for 12 minutes or until golden brown around edges.

Makes 4 1/2 dozen 1-tablespoon muffins.

"You never become truly spiritual by sitting down and wishing to become so. You must undertake something so great that you cannot accomplish it unaided." PhillipsBrooks

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Carob Mint Fudge

The graham crackers and mint give this fudge both an interesting texture and flavor.

3 cups Sunspire Vegan carob chips
3/8 cup (1/4 + 1/8) Silk Creamer original or French Vanilla flavor
2 teaspoons pure mint extract, or to taste
3 cups honey graham cracker crumbs (about 13 whole)

Melt carob chips with the creamer in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over low heat stirring constantly until smooth; remove from heat. Stir in mint extract.

Using a food processor turn the crackers into crumbs. Stir into warm carob mixture until well combined. This mixture becomes very stiff and you may need to use your hands to mix well. Press between layers of wax or parchment paper on a cookie sheet to 1/2-inch thick; freeze.

When ready to serve allow to sit out at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.Using a Bash-N-Chop (straight edged 6-inch piece of metal) press down through the fudge to cut it into squares or triangles to serve. Store in an air- tight container in the freezer or refrigerator.

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Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

Biscotti are a very hard and crisp hot drink "dunking cookie"

1 1/3 cups dried cranberries (1/4 lb.)
2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup milled cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Rumford baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon + 1 1/2 teaspoons EnerG Egg Replacer
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
1 cup salted shelled natural pistachios
2 tablespoons each Earth Balance Margarine & milled cane sugar as garnish

Soak cranberries in boiling water to cover in a small bowl until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain, then pat dry with paper towels.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Oil and flour a large baking sheet, knocking off excess flour.

Mix together flour, milled cane sugar, baking soda and powder, and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer at moderate speed until combined well.

Whisk together EnerG Egg Replacer and water until foamy; add vanilla and beat into flour mixture just until a dough forms. Add cranberries and pistachios and mix at low speed.

Turn out dough onto a well-floured surface and knead several times. Halve dough, then form each half into a 13-by 2-inch slightly flattened log on baking sheet, using floured hands and spacing logs about 3 inches apart. Bake in middle of oven until golden, 25-30 minutes. Cool logs on baking sheet on a rack 10 minutes. Rub optional margarine and sugar on hot loaves. Transfer to a cutting board and cut diagonally into 1/2-inch -thick slices with a serrated knife. Arrange slices, a cut side down in 1 layer on baking sheet (don't worry if slices touch each other).

Bake in middle of oven, turning once, until golden and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes total.

Makes about 3 dozen biscotti. Biscotti keep in an airtight container at room temperature 2 weeks.

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Pine Nut & Thyme Shortbread Cookies

1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup milled cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
1/2 cup Earth Balance Margarine

Toast pine nuts in a skillet over medium heat until medium brown stirring often.

In a blender or small food processor place nuts. Cover; blend or process until finely ground.

In a mixing bowl combine nuts, flour, milled cane sugar and thyme. Using a hand mixer on low speed blend in margarine until soft crumbs form. Using your hands knead dough into a ball.

Shape dough into balls using a 1-tablespoon scoop. Flatten to 1/2-inch thick using a small glass dipped in extra milled cane sugar between each cookie.

Bake at 325 degrees F for 15 - 22 minutes or until light and golden brown.

Makes 22 1-tablespoon cookies.

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