Summer Camp, Feminism, and Apple Strudel

Well hey team!

It's been a while, huh? Since I've written at least, but not since I've baked, of course! Minus the nine weeks I spent working at the best summer camp in the whole wide world, I've been a baking fiend since school got out in May. I've also left my lover, Vegetarian, and moved on to the freshly handsome Vegan, but sometimes we call him Plant-Based Diet since I'm a real fan of honey. Needless to say, the transition has pushed me and challenged me in the best ways in terms of baking, and done much for me in the way of cooking as well. And I can't wait to share all of my culinary discoveries and experiments with all of you!

So speaking of sharing these recipes with you, I just realized I haven't even apologized for disappearing for four months. I am so sorry! Things have been wacky in the life of this new vegan and are just starting to settle down. I was taking a summer class and had no internet for a month, then went to HVC and of course, had no internet in the North Cascadian wilderness, and then came back for RA training, where I was broke and they fed us for free, leaving me not a whole lot in the way of baking supplies and ingredients needed. Last block I took Advanced Drawing, which screwed with my sleep hours like none other, and on top of that attended Choice USA's Annual Membership Conference on reproductive justice, where I met Gloria Steinem and saw incredible art installations with my friend Erin. But at last I have caught up on sleep and am fully thrown into block two: Feminist Research Methods. Well. I will stop discussing my life and continue on to what's really important here: apple strudel!

Fall always brings about cooking with apples, and this crisp pastry roll filled with fruit seemed like the perfect way to start off the season.

Ingredients

For the pastry:
•1 C vegan butter (2 sticks, and I recommend Earth balance)
•1 C silken tofu
•4 T agave syrup
•1 t vanilla extract
•large pinch of salt
•2 1/4 C flour
•1 t cinnamon plus 1 t sugar, mixed (for dusting just before baking)

For the filling:
•2-3 apples (I prefer to use Granny Smiths when I bake)
•3 T raisins
•3 T agave syrup
•1-2 t cinnamon
•4 T jam (I used strawberry because that's what I had in the house, but I would think an apricot or peach jam would be best here)
*You could also add in 1/2 C or 1 C of chopped pecans or walnuts, but I opted out as one of my roommates is allergic

Directions
Making the pastry: Beat the butter until fluffy, and then beat in tofu, agave syrup, vanilla, and salt. Gradually add the flour, stirring it in until you have reached a soft dough. Wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 2 hours, or until needed.

Making the filling: Core and chop the apples (peeling not necessary). Place in a bowl, and add the rest of the filling ingredients. Combine well.

Putting it all together: Preheat oven to 350˚F. Divide dough into two or three parts, and the filling into the same number of equal parts as well. Working on a lightly floured work surface or parchment, roll one part of the dough out into a rectangle approximately 18 by 12 inches. If you have halved the dough, your rectangle will be bigger, but go for the same dimensions on a larger scale. Spread one part of the filling over the pastry, leaving about 3/4" to 1" on the edges. Roll up pastry to enclose the filling, and transfer, seam-side down, to a baking sheet lined with parchment. Repeat with the rest of the dough and filling. Dust with cinnamon sugar mixture, and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Voila! Enjoy, everyone. And I am back in the blogging saddle!

Apple Blueberry (Pear) Crisp and Mashed Potato Sculpting

As I sat at my dining room table (ah, to be home) eating remnants of my Apple Blueberry (Pear) Crisp for breakfast, I realized I still had yet to post about Thanksgiving! I didn't do half as much cooking as I did for our RA Thanksgiving, but everything was there in full and oh-so-delicious. I made a crisp and after I realized my picture perfect dinner rolls were ruined (the shortening was from...well, I won't tell you when), I threw together an adapted version of Trader Joe's quick cornbread.

Upholding the single Thanksgiving tradition we have in our family, we also brought our annual mashed potato sculpting event from our house to the Pickels'. Read on...

Apple Blueberry (Pear) Crisp

Ingredients
•1 C flour
•1/2 t salt
•1 t baking powder
•1/2 C sugar
•1 1/2 t cinnamon
•1 egg
•1/3 C butter, melted
•5-6 C chopped fruit (I used apples, blueberries, and one pear)

Directions
Preheat oven to 375˚F. Fill an 8x8 square pan with fruit until just barely below the rim. Mix all dry ingredients together in a large or medium mixing bowl, and then add egg, stirring until mixture is coarse. Spread dry/egg mixture evenly across the top of the fruit in the pan. Drizzle with melted butter as evenly as possible, and bake for 30 minutes, or until top is just browned.

This crisp is great, simply because it is SO easy to make and it turns out delicious! Definitely a nice alternative to pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving, and also a great way to use up all of the frozen fruit that is hiding in your freezer.

5th annual mashed potato sculpting event!
Buy a large box of instant mashed potatoes. Make them using only water--adding butter and/or anything else is just a waste, and takes away from prime sculpting optimization! Divvy up the potatoes into 5 or 6 different bowls, leaving a large amount of white in the pot for a base color. Color the mashed potatoes in the bowls using food coloring to your liking, but remember, a little bit goes a long way. Make sure you pick up a cheap plastic WHITE table cloth to sculpt on, or get some large white paper plates. Then you're ready! 1, 2, 3...sculpt!

Mmm. Applesauce.

No, I didn't just get my wisdom teeth taken out. And neither did any of my friends. It is, however, fall, and apples are more than in season, and who doesn't want to eat hot, steaming, cinnamon-y, apple mush when it is supposed to snow this week? Exactly. Somewhat inspired by (but with a different recipe) PurpleFoodie's recent post, I made applesauce this evening.

My applesauce turned out delicious, if a little on the chunky side (this is due to the lack of potato mashers in dorms at CC), but oh so enjoyable all the same. Eating it hot was delicious, but I still have some leftovers to enjoy cold (or microwaved) later! Yum.

Ingredients
• 4 or 5 (depending on size) organic apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
•2 T brown sugar
•2 T white granulated sugar
•3/4 t cinnamon
•1/4 C water

Directions

Put water and sugar in saucepan over medium heat until sugar is mostly dissolved. Add apples and mix well until evenly coated. Cover. After 10 minutes or so, add cinnamon, and stir to coat apples evenly. After another 5-10 minutes, your apples should be soft enough to mash. This step is your call- if you want a smoother applesauce, leave mixture over heat for longer, and less time if you're going for a chunkier style. Remove from heat, and mash with a potato masher or fork until applesauce has reached your desired consistency. Let cool a little, and enjoy!