But here’s the hard part: how can I truly convey the amazingness of this book? Because if you’re like me, maybe you’re used to “healthy” deserts and maybe you’re familiar with raw foods, and maybe you know that things can taste totally wonderful and fantastic in their own right, but maybe not *actually* like the thing they’re supposed to be modeled after. Do you know what I mean? Maybe?

Like, a raw burger is great and a raw taco is delicious, but . . . you’re not fooling anyone, really. Y know?

Except, then there are these cupcakes. THESE CUPCAKES! And I know you’re like, “But really, cupcakes? No way, of all the things that wouldn’t work raw, there’s just no way . . . ” And friends, I know. Except, YES!

Miniature lemon cupcakes with raspberry jam and lemon cream frosting.

Let me tell you about my friend Katie. She’s a foodie just like me, and we often share our treats and test recipes with one another. A few weeks back she came over for a walk, and as she left I gave her a couple of raw lemon poppyseed cupcakes I’d whipped up.

A few hours later I got a text: “OMG Those cupcakes are amazing!” The next day, she ordered the book, and the next time I saw her she brought some mini cupcakes of her own (pictured above). She’s made multiple recipes from the book and everybody she gives them to just can’t believe that they’re raw. They ALWAYS get rave reviews.

And of course, I’ve had just the same experience.

Blueberry cupcakes with cinnamon crumble, a huge hit at a toddler b-day party.

Guys, this book is seriously fantastic. It’s colorful and adorable and obviously crafted with love. It boasts 25 fun and creative cupcake recipes – everything from the classic chocolate chip cupcakes with chocolate frosting, to the exotic vanilla orange cupcakes with goji cream frosting. No dehydrator required! Everything I’ve tried has been spot on. And of course, it’s all gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan!

Natalia is a great writer and is nice enough to include a thorough introduction, with kitchen tips and a shopping list. Every single recipe includes a gorgeous photo, and if I’m going to be perfectly honest, I’d say the investment is worth it for the food porn alone! But best of all, Natalia is a wonderful woman who is forging her own path, following her own truth, and doing things her own way. She is self published and self funded and incredibly inspiring. I’ve had the pleasure of spending time with her on more than one occasion, and I’m always left wishing I could pick her brain just a little bit longer.

In other words, she’s super rad and deserves your support!

Dark chocolate mimi cupcakes with chocolate almond frosting. My favorites!

Cupcake Heaven would make an awesome gift for any aspiring raw foodist or health-conscious chef. You can buy it on Amazon or directly through Natalia’s site (ebook available). I just can’t recommend it enough, and I’m sure you’ll love it too.

Anyone out there tried these recipes? I’d love to hear from you!

However, most raw desserts are centered entirely around nuts: crumbly walnut crusts and chewy almond cookies and silky cashew cheesecake, and on, and on. They’re delicious and they’re nutritious, but nuts carry a few of their own issues. For one, they’re quite high in calories. But more importantly, they can be rough on digestion. I find that too many nuts will disagree with me, especially in combination with fruit. It’s a common phenomenon and many people experience it – Damian calls it “nut belly”. Or more like, “nut belly, groooooan”.

So recently I’ve focused creating amazing raw desserts that are totally nut-free. And I’ve had some awesome success! This recipe, for example, brought to my palate a sensation I hadn’t thought possible to experience while raw: perfectly buttery, perfectly flakey, perfectly perfect pastry crust. It’s magical.



The secret ingredient is coconut flour, my new favorite ingredient. My particular coconut flour was sent to me by Coconut Secret, and not to sound like an ad or something but man, this stuff is revolutionary! It’s completely changed my ideas of what’s possible in the world of unbaking. Seriously life changing! Coconut Secret is a great company and they have an awesome little line of raw products (which I’ll talk about another time), but you can get coconut four from many sources. I’ve seen it in a bunch of different bulk bins. (As a note, not all coconut flour is raw, so double check if that’s important to you).

Strange new ingredient aside, these treats come together quickly and easily.


Ingredients:
Crust:
1 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup alt milk
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted (more for greasing)
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Filling:
2 cups dried apricot halves, soaked at least 4 hours
2 cups water

Instructions:
Use coconut oil to grease an 8″ baking tray. Combine all crust ingredients in a mixing bowl and completely combine. If you need to melt the coconut oil, you can float it in a small bowl within a larger bowl of hot water. Once the batter is mixed, press it into the bottom of the baking tray.

Place all soaked apricots in a blender or food processor. Add enough of the soak water to form a thick but smooth paste – probably just over a cup. When the apricots are fully blended, spread them evenly on top of the crust.

Refrigerate to set for a few hours.



Perfect for tea time. Enjoy!

Vanilla bean sugar is a decadent gift for your favorite gourmand or aspiring epicurean. It adds elegance to everything it touches, from coffee to cupcakes. And of course homemade gifts really come from the heart! This one’s pretty simple, too, so it’s great for you last-minute folks. You just need:

3 cups organic sugar
2 whole vanilla beans

and then you:

1) Place your sugar in a large mixing bowl.

2) Use a small sharp knife to split each vanilla bean.

3) Make sure you let your assistant smell real, fresh vanilla for the first time.

4) Carefully scrape the seeds into the sugar. Cut each bean into pieces and add them to the mix.

5) Mix well and transfer to jars. Make sure that a few pieces of vanilla bean end up in each jar.

And that’s it! Decorate, wrap, or otherwise adorn as you see fit. Vanilla sugar will keep for ages, and you can even keep adding more sugar as the bean will continue to infuse over time. Enjoy!

However.

We are currently at the peak of apple season, and if you’d have told me 5 years ago that apples were to become my favorite fruit, I’d have called you a crazy person. Yet . . . here I am with this unquenchable adoration. I blame the Pacific Northwest, and the exquisite apples that grow here!

My favorite variety, hands down, is the Honeycrisp. And this year’s crop, which I’ve been snatching up each weekend at the Farmer’s Market, well . . . hoo-boy! These are so juicy, so crispy, so explosively flavorful it makes me want to cry. Seriously, it’s a profound emotional experience to eat something so pleasing!





It would truly take a special treat to honor these autumn treasures. And apple crisp, warm and brown sugary and nostalgic of childhood, seemed just the ticket. Of course, it would need a twist to really do these apples justice. Enter Miss Rosemary!


Sayward’s Honey Rosemary Apple Crisp

Ingredients:
3 medium Honeycrisp apples (can sub another tart/sweet variety, like Braeburn or Pink Lady)
1/4 cup evaporated cane juice
1 heaping teaspoon whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon dried and crushed rosemary leaves
pinch of nutmeg

1/2 cup rolled oats (not instant!)
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 heaping tablespoons coconut oil, plus more for the pan (can sub vegan butter)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla


Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350º. Using your fingers, grease a small baking dish with coconut oil to. *Please note this recipe is on the small side and bakes best in a bread loaf pan. If you’re feeding more than 4 or if you want leftovers, you should double it.

Slice the apples ~1/4 inch thick. In a mixing bowl, combine the apples with the next six ingredients (through nutmeg). Toss thoroughly and then transfer this mixture to the baking dish.

In another bowl add the final five ingredients and mix until it forms a small crumble. Spoon this on top of the apple mixture.

Bake at 350º for 30-40 minutes, until the top is a bit browned. Serve warm with vegan ice cream (I used hemp of course).

Try not to cry, ha!

I was so enamored of this precious pumpkin. I knew I had to do it justice, to create something really special. Lucky for me, a pumpkin goes a long way! I spent the whole weekend carving, chopping, blending, juicing, and otherwise altering the darling orb into all manner of delightful delicacies. But first things first, the prep work:





The heavy melon was washed and halved, the innards removed. The seeds were cleaned and set aside for roasty toasty. From there, it’s a blank canvas . . .


Raw Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

Crust –
2 cups almond pulp leftover from making almond milk (can sub soaked almonds)
1 cup pitted dates, soaked at least an hour
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup cacao nibs
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Filling –
2 cups cashews, soaked at least 2 hours
1 cup fresh pumpkin juice
1/2 cup agave syrup
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves





Instructions:
Combine all crust ingredients in a food processor and pulse to blend. You’ll have to keep scraping down the sides to get it good and mixed. It should be pretty smooth. Press it into a pie pan that’s been greased with coconut oil. (see above) There will be extra. EAT IT! It is divine, I think it tastes like buttery cinnamon toast from when I was a kid. Put the crust in the freezer and allow it to ‘set up’ for at least an hour.




Juice your pumpkin (rind and all!) I used a little over a quarter of the pumpkin to get a cup of juice. Save the pulp!!! If you don’t have a fancy juicer don’t fret. Just blend it all up in your food processor or blender (you may need to add the tiniest bit of water) and then pour it through a nut milk bag, cheesecloth, or mesh strainer. Voila! Juice! (You can do this with anything, fyi. You don’t need a fancy juicer to drink fresh veggie juice!)





Combine all filling ingredients in a food processor and blend thoroughly, pausing every so often to scrape down the sides. You want it as smooth as possible.

Remove the crust from the freezer and gently pry it loose from the pan. (this is not necessary, but I think it makes a prettier presentation) Pour in the filling and refreeze a minimum of 2 hours before serving. After initial freeze the pie can be stored in the refrigerator. There will probably be extra filling. EAT IT! It is autumn on a spoon and conjures all the nostalgia of the season.

Enjoy! Seriously guys, this pie is SO GOOD. Even Damian, a raw skeptic, was totally sold. He couldn’t believe it was raw. It tastes *just like* ‘real’ pumpkin pie!







Remember how I told you to save the juicer pulp? (and this goes for all your juicer pulp, always) It’s a super fibrous, flavorful ingredient that can act as a base for endless dishes, like crackers, muffins, and sauces. Me? I made mine into a smooth and spicy potato pumpkin soup. Sorry, no recipe for this one, I was cooking-by-taste and just for fun. It sure was scrumptious though. And purty:





With half a pumpkin remaining and my head still spinning with inspiration, I cleaned up the kitchen, made my necessary preparations, and hit the sack to dream sweet dreams of orange-fleshed feasts. In the morning I woke with renewed excitement. It was pumpkin-for-breakfast time! And to a girl like me breakfast usually means one thing: smoothie!


Raw Pumpkin Breakfast Smoothie

Ingredients:
1/3 cup rolled oats, soaked overnight in 2/3 cup acidic liquid (I used water kefir, you could use lemon juice in water)
2 cups cubed raw pumpkin
1 large frozen banana, broken into pieces
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
water to thin, if needed

Optional –
1 tablespoon agave or 2 pitted dates (if you like it sweeter)
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds (will add nutty flavor + great nutrients)
handful fresh greens (will change the color and add super nutrition)





Instructions:
Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend blend blend until very smooth. Makes 2 ‘drinks’ or 1 ‘meal’.

I may or may not have followed this up with pie . . .





Four days later and I’m *still* working my way through this first pumpkin! Tonights dinner is Indian-inspired pumpkin curry. I can’t wait! I can’t get enough!

And what about you guys? What are your favorite ways to use autumn’s glorious orange globe?

Big Ass Salad (BAS). I’ve been eating *lots* of these! This one featured [organic] crispy crunchy romaine, cucumbers, radishes, red onions, red bells, avocados, carrots, chia seeds, and hemp hearts – tossed in lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil.

Raw Wraps! Stuffed with sunflower seed paté, cucumber, carrot, leeks, and avocados, served with a turmeric tahini dip.

Cinnamon Rolls. I made these for Damian’s first father’s day, and they were very much enjoyed by both him and my father-in-law. I didn’t actually have any, but I’ve made the recipe before and can attest that they are maybe the most delicious, and most naughtiest, breakfast food on the planet. =)

Strawberries! I growed these myself, ain’t they cute? I think this handful went straight into my blender (before I realized Waits reacts to them).

Wakame seaweed salad. This puppy packs something like 50% of my RDA for iron, and about 25% for calcium. I like it with sesame oil, lemon juice, sesame seeds, crispy cucumber, slivered onion, and a side of avocado slices. Mmm delicious!

Black bean and quinoa salad, with onion, tomato, avocado, black olives, and plenty of homegrown cilantro. This is a summer staple, and SO GOOD. Damian scoops it up on organic corn chips; I use it as filling for raw cabbage leaf ‘tacos’.

Remember when I showed you all the cherries that Damian harvested from our tree? Well, this is what I did with them!

For Damian I baked miniature cherry pies. How friggin’ cute is that??!

For myself I made raw chocolate cherry tartlets. Oh. My. God.

Plant Blood! For this veg*n vampire, muahaha. Cucumber-cilantro-celery-watermelon, plus the watermelon rinds (which are really good for you!) My first homemade green juice! Also, can you find my family hiding in this pic? ;-)

Damian bought me a raspberry bush for my first mother’s day. Isn’t that so sweet? This is the first teeny harvest. Harley was very interested . . .

My first batch of kimchi fermenting on the counter. Success! I’ll post a tutorial soon, this stuff is so amazing and crazy good for you!

Raw sushi! With chunky almond paté in place of rice, filled with cucumber, avocado, and red bell pepper. Served with kimchee (store bought).

‘Peanut Butter & Jelly’ green (pink?) smoothie. Such a treat!

This was an amazing farmer’s market stir fry, sublimely simple with sesame, tamari, garlic, and ginger. Featuring snap peas, sweet onions, tempeh, and shiitaki mushrooms. We eat this weekly these days – just had a variation tonight!

I honored the first peaches of the season in this raw tart. The peaches sit on a bed of vanilla cashew cream and are garnished with fresh berries and a generous dollop of raspberry cashew cream. Um, yeah. AMAZING

I’ve been so inspired around food lately, just loving this delicious, health-giving, high-raw fare. I’m coming up on my 2 year Veganniversary, and I’m really feeling so grateful and so delighted to be veg*n! To explore and enjoy such diverse plant-based cuisine, it’s so powerful! Such a positive force in a mindful life.

So what about you? What foods have you been enjoying lately?

I don’t even love almond that much, but I was out of vanilla extract at 11 o’clock at night, with sandwich cookies on the brain. Something had to be done.

And thus, I stumbled upon these babies in a fit of culinary creativity. Simple, exquisite, and still my favorite cookie almost a year after their inception.

My non-vegan neighbors just had a baby (yay!), and I whipped up a batch of these for the homecoming. A few days after dropping them off, I got this Facebook message from brand-new-Dad, “— has a baby asleep in her lap, otherwise she says about your cookies: nom nom nom, best cookies, nom nom nom . . . ”

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Cookie Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 cup evaporated cane juice

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup Earthbalance™ or margarine

1 teaspoon almond extract

1/4 cup alternative milk

handful vegan chocolate chips

Frosting Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup Earthbalance

2 teaspoon plain alternative milk

1 teaspoon almond extract

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, cream the Earthbalance™ and sugars. Combine with the almond and soy milk, mixing well.

Pour the wet into the dry and add the chocolate chips, stirring until it just comes together.  Spoon the dough onto a lined sheet, and bake for 10-15 minutes, depending on how big you’re making them. Pull them out still a bit soft – they’ll harden up as they cool off.

Cool the cookies on a mesh rack. When they are completely cooled (at least an hour), match them up in pairs by size and shape. For each pair, frost the bottom of one and then smoosh the other on top. SMOOSH!

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons cold Earthbalance™ or margarine

3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

2 tablespoons whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon sugar

dash of salt

2 tablespoons cold alternative milk of choice

Instructions:

In a large mixing bowl, combine everything but the alt milk. Use a pastry blender or two knives to cut in the Earthbalance™. This should produce a coarse meal.

Then, add the alt milk a little at a time. Mix only until the dough forms up. Wrap this in saran wrap and form into a pancake. Chill for at least an hour before use. Makes one pie crust.

I’ve used this recipe for miniature cherry tarts, traditional cherry pies, and a pumpkin apple crostata last fall. Now peach season is cresting, and I can’t wait to get my hands on some giant, fresh farmers market beauties!

Enjoy!

To my dear, dearest readers,

Did you know that we’re coming up on three whole months since this little project went live?  And did you know that I’ve blogged every single work day since launch? Every.  Single.  One.  Not that I’m complaining, because I love this, I truly do!!  But man . . . it can be exhausting.  

Tonight I’m really tired.  And so, tonight there’s no official post.  Tonight is for relaxing with my favorite microbrew.  Tonight is for snuggling my husband and catching up on junk sitcoms. (30 Rock)  Tonight is for lemon cupcakes and chocolate + raspberry cupcakes, and also a slice of cake that’s nearly the size of my head. (all vegan, oh of course)  

I think one of the most important parts of being a hard worker, is knowing when to let yourself off the hook.  So, consider me ‘let’!

Have you been pushing yourself extra hard?  How about giving yourself your own version of a cupcake interlude? I’ll bet you deserve it!

At the end of 2008, I began a massive and comprehensive overhaul that affected every aspect of my life.  It’s been really awesome.   One small prong in this multi-pronged approach was an attempt to curb my raging sweet tooth. I decided to kick off the new year by going an entire month without any refined sugar.  Proudly, I declared that in January, I would be sugar free.

A few days later, the realization of my mistake came crashing down on me.  My birthday is at the end of January!  So . . . no birthday [cup]cake?!  Initially I was horrified at the thought, but quickly I realized that this dark error had a bright side. This would be the perfect opportunity to try out a new recipe idea I’d been rattling around in my brain!

Like most veg*ns, here at HQ we rely on a lot of Greek and Middle Eastern food.  We heap on the hummus, we get freaky with falafel, and we’re passionate about pita!  But the one thing we’re missing from this Mediterranean masterpiece, is the dessert.  Baklava, the traditional regional sweet, is based around layering butter and honey – two decidedly un-vegan ingredients.

Not that I’d let something as trivial as that stop me! And so I devised this veganized version, especially for me on my sugar-free birthday.  And wow, let me just say, “Deeeeelicious!” 

So here you go: a Baklava that’s healthier, cruelty-free, and equally as palate pleasing, to compliment and complete your next Mediterranean feast.

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons Earthbalance™, more for greasing the dish

8 oz. phyllo dough (Athens brand is vegan, as are most others) 

20 oz. (about 2 1/4 cups) raw chopped walnuts 

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cardamom

1/8 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup water

1 cup agave sweetener

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon orange zest

1 cinnamon stick

Instructions:

Remove phyllo dough from freezer and allow to defrost – about 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 325º. 

Chop the walnuts and then spread them out on a baking sheet, roasting them in the oven until they are lightly browned (about 10 minutes).

Place toasted walnuts in a mixing bowl and add the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, salt, and almond extract.  Toss to coat.

Raise oven temperature to 350º.

Put the Earthbalance™ in a bowl and melt it in the microwave (a few seconds should do it).

Carefully unfold the defrosted phyllo dough on the countertop. It will dry out really quickly, so keep it covered with a damp dish cloth.

Using a bit of cold Earthbalance™, grease a square glass baking dish. 

Place one piece of phyllo dough in the bottom of the dish – it may not fit perfectly, which is fine.  Using a pastry brush, lightly paint the phyllo with the melted Earthbalance™. Add another piece of phyllo, rotating it if you need, to evenly distribute around the dish. Brush it with Earthbalance™.  Remember to replace the damp towel each time you pull from the stack of phyllo dough – it will dry out fast!  Continue this process until you’ve got 8 sheets of phyllo and 8 layers of Earthbalance™ in the bottom of your dish.

Add a third of the spiced walnuts evenly over the phyllo. 

Repeat these steps with 8 more sheets of phyllo and Earthbalance™, and another third of the spiced walnuts. Then do it once more, finishing off the spiced walnuts. Top this off with 8 more sheets of phyllo, buttering between each one. 

***  you will not finish the package of phyllo dough, but it re-freezes just fine

You need to cut your Baklava before you bake it, because it will be too flaky once it’s done.  Use a very sharp knife and make sure that you cut all the way through the bottom layer!

Place it in the oven to bake for 30 minutes, until golden.

While the Baklava is baking, you can cook up the syrup.  In a small saucepan, combine the water, agave, lemon juice, orange zest, and cinnamon stick.  Simmer over low heat and stir to avoid burning.  The sauce will thicken up in about 10 minutes.  When it is done, fish out the zest and cinnamon stick.

When the Bakalava comes out of the oven, let it cool for about 5 minutes before adding the syrup.  Pour the syrup evenly over the  pastry, making sure it gets in all the cracks and thoroughly soaks through.  Allow the Baklava to cool completely before digging in.  Dig in!