Vegan Banana Almond Waffle Goodness con Bangin' Blueberry Topping

Saturday mornings are the best.  Just me, Jordan, good jams, and breakfast preparation.  Last week, it was tofu scramble, biscuits and "bacon" (fakon) gravy.  This week, it was waffles with blueberry topping, bananas and pineapple.  Oh, and a cup of Shenandoah Joe's Sumatra Blue Batak.  (I picked up some whole beans from Whole Foods yesterday.  Maybe Jordan will give you a description in his coffee blog. ;-) )

These waffles were delicious -- definitely the best I've made.  I still want to tweak the recipe a bit as they were a bit chewy.  As I made them, these are hearty.  If you're a fan of super light and fluffy waffles, these may not be for you.  The chewiness and heartiness could probably be reduced by reducing the amount of wheat flour used as well as by using half of a banana rather than a whole.  Nonetheless, they were scrumptious.

Vegan Banana Almond Waffle Goodness

2/3 cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup unbleached white flour  (Or, preferably, 1 cup whole wheat pastry four, 1/3 cup white flour)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
1/8-1/4 cup softened vegan margarine (I found that 1/8 cup was plenty, but if your waffle maker has a problem with sticking, add a bit more)
1-2 tablespoon sugar
1 (or 1/2) very ripe banana
3/4 - 1 cup almond/soy/rice milk
splash of pure almond extract
splash of pure vanilla extract (both of these to taste.  I'm big on taste, so I added about 1/8 tsp vanilla and 1/4 tsp almond)

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium sized bowl.  Cut butter into dry ingredients.

In a smaller bowl, mash banana and sugar together thoroughly.  Add milk.  (Begin with 3/4 cup.  If you feel the batter is too thick, add more milk.  This depends a lot on the ripeness of the banana -- if the banana is very soft/mushy, less milk will be needed.)  Add vanilla and almond extract and mix together.  Having some small remaining lumps of banana is fine.

Add banana mixture to dry ingredients.  The batter will be quite thick, but don't be afraid of adding that extra milk if you think its too thick.

Cook according to your waffle maker's directions.

(This batter would allow for a number of additions including chocolate chips, walnuts, figs, blueberries, strawberries, or almost anything your imagination can think up.  Just adjust the almond and vanilla flavoring accordingly.)

Bangin' Blueberry (No White Sugar-Poison) Topping
1-2 cups frozen blueberries
1/4-1/2 cup blueberry-pomegranate juice (this adds tartness and emphasizes the blueberry-ness.  Apple juice would work well too.)
1 tablespoon light agave nectar
cornstarch as needed (probably about 1 tsp or so.  I just added a little bit at a time until it was thickened)


In a small sauce pan, heat blueberries, juice, and agave over medium-low heat until blueberries have softened and the mixture is slightly bubbly.  Slowly add small amounts of cornstarch, whisking until well incorporated, until topping is thick enough for ya.

A note on the agave nectar --  I am trying to learn how to use this in place of sugar.  It has 1.3x the sweetening capability of sugar, and is significantly better for the body.  Check out this website to learn a little more about it.  Obviously, it will be biased and might suggest it is better than it is, but it is good for basic information.

Raspberry Chocolate Ganache Cake

My birthday this year was AWESOME.  It all started by dinner at a delish Indian restaurant with my girls Anna and Rachel, which was, it turns out, a decoy for the surprise party waiting for me at home.  Jordan the wonderful pulled it off beautifully, without my having a clue.  This was all on Friday, the 28th.  Saturday, the actual day commemorating my birth, we went to my parents' house for lunch (I had asked my mom to make one of my favorite casseroles) and then headed to Richmond.  We stayed in our favorite spot, the Linden Row Inn, formerly a group of row homes in which Edgar Allen Poe lived for a short time. For dinner, we hit up Ipanema, a delicious restaurant near VCU that serves up some of the most delicious vegan/vegetarian food on this side of the nation.  (I got a vegan caesar salad with grilled tofu, which is definitely worth the trip to Richmond.)  On Sunday, we hit up a local coffee shop, Lift, and then headed to the Virginia Science Museum.  For lunch, we hit up a place called Crossroads which is a coffee shop/restaurant that served mediocre vegan food.  I wouldn't recommend it to friends.

Anyway, the real reason for this post is to share my birthday cake recipe.  This year, primarily because I wanted to give it a shot, and partially because of extenuating circumstances, I made my birthday cake.  And, may I just say...It was scrumptious.

To emphasize this point, I must tell you, my grandfather ate a rather large slice of this cake.  My grandfather is a strictly steak and potatoes kind of guy and he typically refuses to eat anything which he suspects to be vegan.  He ate the entire piece and actually (grudgingly) said that it was "good."

I'm fairly new to baking, so, I stuck to the recipe I found for the most part, but I pulled from several sources.  The end result was a Chocolate Raspberry Ganache Cake.  I'm not even going to pretend it was remotely healthy.  But, hey.  It was my birthday.

Raspberry Chocolate Cake (adapted from Raspberry Blackout Cake)

1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I used cake flour)

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups soy milk

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup raspberry preserves (I used Nature's Own -- a balanced mixture of tart and sweet)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups sugar

*Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  
*In a large bowl, combine oil, preserves, vanilla, and sugar with a mixer until the preserves and sugar are disolved.  
*Slowly add in the dry ingredients, making sure they become fully incorporated.
*Pour into lightly greased pans (this will make enough for two springform pans)
*Bake at 350 for 40 - 45 minutes.  


Chocolate Ganache Filling
1/3 cup almond milk (soy or rice milk would work fine as well)
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (Ghiradelli are made without milk, there are other vegan options available as well)
2 tbs maple syrup


*In a small sauce pan, bring the almond milk to a boil.  Lower heat and add chocolate chips and maple syrup.  Mix with spatula or whisk until smooth.
*For this recipe, place in refrigerator for approximately an hour until it reaches a spreadable consistency.


Chocolate Icing
1/2 cup softened vegan margarine
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tbs vanilla
2 tbs almond/soy milk
1/4 cup cocoa powder


* Mix margarine until it is smooth.  Add in other ingredients and mix thoroughly.


TO ASSEMBLE!
*Spread remaining raspberry preserves on the bottom layer of cakes.  
*Lightly spoon and spread ganache over raspberry preserves.
*Add the second layer of cake.
*Add icing!
*Top with raspberry truffles if you so desire.