Good day,
My family, at the very least, will recognize this recipe book. It is a little worse for the wear, since it is the first recipe book I ever received and has been much used. My mother noticed that I had an interest in cooking and baking, in particular, and decided this would be a good thing to encourage.
Margo Oliver’s Weekend Cookbook dates back to the mid to late nineteen sixties. Can’t believe I am saying this, but yes, it was that long ago. I was new to the world of teenagery, as I like to call it.
As you can see, this book shows its age with its worn cover, broken binding and faded title. The pages are covered with the remnants of ingredients from well loved recipes.
Some of the family favorites when I was young and which endured into my adulthood are Lazy Daisy Cake(my mom’s favorite), Yule Log (a Xmas must), Butterscotch Oat Thins, Pineapple Upside Down Cake and Orange-Lime Pudding.
Come to think of it, most of the recipes I made were from the baking sections. My mom took care of most of the main meals.
As a mother, I used a number of the Cookie, Square and Tea bread recipes from this very book. Family favorites were and still are, Best Brownies, Butterscotch Oat Thins, Delicious Cookies and Muffins made from the Banana Bran Bread Recipe.
When I became vegan, I put this book aside for the most part. I tried making the Best Brownies, which really are superb, using a chickens’ egg substitute. It just does not work. This recipe requires 4 chickens’ eggs which need to be whipped to a fairtheewell. One just cannot get the same result with a chickens’ egg substitute. So, sadly. I have had to set this recipe aside.
Slowly, as I became more accustomed to 100% plant based baking, I turned back to some of these recipes to see if they could be adapted. I am happy to say , I have had great success with several recipes.
So, when my firstborn, my boy, asked me if I would provide some baked goods for an upcoming department meeting at the CEGEP where he works as a professor, I said yes.
My son does not ask me for much, so when he does I like to help him out. Also, it gives me a chance to provide some vegan goodies as an alternative to the usual non vegan fare served at meetings.
1) Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
When I started with this project, I had some overripe bananas sitting in my fruit bowl. It seemed a good idea to use them to try out a new recipe, I had discovered on this great blog site entitled Love and Lentils. Don’t you just love the name?-of the blog, I mean.
I use my blender to mash up bananas, because it is super easy and also because I don’t like any banana lumps in my baked goods. But, you do what you prefer.
Cut the bananas into slices-the thinner you slice them the easier they will whir up.
Add a bit of liquid, juice, nut milk or water to prime the pump, as they say.
Use the pulse function until the bananas start mixing it up in the blender.
Blend until smooth. The finished product
I used four bananas which yielded 2 cups when smooshed up. The recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of banana, so I put the other half a cup in a small plastic container and froze it for another day.-who knows, maybe some more muffins.
Chocolaty Goodness2) Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies
The recipe for these delightful cookies can be found in The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau . They are easy to make, 100% Vegan and are the closest thing to the Non Vegan Best Brownies that I used to make. Try them out. You won’t be disappointed.
3)Buttescotch Oat Thins
See what I mean about the ingredient remnants.So, not vegan, what to do what to do. This is a simple fix. Instead of butter made from cow’s milk, I used Earth Balance Buttery Sticks. They can be found at most Health Food stores. I think that is it-no other substitutions required in this recipe.
4) Delicious Cookies
Some substitution is required here, but the result is worth it. This is an old fashioned type cookie in the best sense-chewy on the inside, crisp on the outside.
1)shortening-Earth Balance Baking Sticks
2)chickens’ eggs- flaxseed meal and water
3)nuts- dried fruit( personal preference)
Voila!All the treats are tucked safely in the freezer with DO NOT TOUCH OR EAT masking tape stickers stuck to the lids of the containers. I am not kidding! Sometimes I have to tape the containers shut with packing tape LOL! (but I digress)
If you would like to have copies of these recipes, post a comment on my blog and I will e-mail them to you, with pleasure, of course. There is already a link included for the muffins.
Grammie Annie’s Handy Dandy Vegan Baking Tips.
1) Follow my tips for “smooshing” banana and your results will be golden.
2) Earth Balance Buttery Sticks work well in recipes instead of butter made from cow’s milk, or lard made from nonhuman animals(except for pastry) or vegetable shortening(except for pastry)
3) Any nut or soy milk of your choosing is a good replacement for cow’s milk. I always use unsweetened-fewer calories.
5) Some recipes can be made cruelty free and others cannot. Recipes with a lot of chickens’ eggs in them are usually a wash. If you have success with such a recipe, please let me know. I love to learn.
Until next time,
May all beings be happy and free!
Anne
TREASURED FAMILY RECIPES VEGANIZED
Hi Anne
Loved reading this and I will be using some of your recipes. Already used your recipe for the banana chocolate chip muffins and they were yummy. They went down well at the allotment show in July too. I will look out for Colleen Patrick Goodreaus book.
Rachel Weightman
I enjoyed reading your comments about your creativity with family favorite recipes. We also veganized A LOT of our old family recipes and have so much fun doing it. One of our best was taking my mother/grandmother’s German Christmas dinner “dressing” that was usually made with pork sausage and hamburger and switching that out with minced mushrooms. Its absolutely perfect and we have it every major holiday with 9 other veganized family dishes. Have you since tried using aquafaba for that BEST BROWNIES recipe you mentioned having to “set aside” ?
Hi Joan,
Welcome to my website and thank you for reading this article. It is set up in an old format and it is kind of challenging to get through.
Congratulations on veganizing some tried and true family recipes. I find it easier to do with savory recipes than with sweets, I usually turn to recipes for sweets that great vegan chefs have already developed. so, no, I have not tried aquafaba in my Best Brownies recipe. Something to think about though.
Take care,
Anne