8.26.2011

• MONICA'S BAKING BONANZA •

VEGAN BANANA MUFFINS
One morning I felt like baking. It was overcast and cool and my sweet tooth kicked in. As I walked into the kitchen I saw some overripe bananas sitting in my fruit basket.  

After perusing cookbooks and online recipes for inspiration I decided to make some vegan banana muffins. 

Am I a vegan?  No.  

So, why vegan?  The thing is, I really don't like using butter; especially loads and loads of butter. I know baking without butter might seem unfathomable to some, but for me, it's a challenge I gladly welcome.  

As I gathered the ingredients to make these muffins, I realized just how simple this recipe truly is...there were no eggshells to worry about and I didn't have to wait impatiently for the butter to soften (since I wasn't using any). Basically this is what you need: overripe bananas, flour, cinnamon and literally a few other ingredients that are commonly stocked in every pantry.  




VEGAN BLUEBERRY MUFFINS
After a quick jog the next morning, I was in need of a caffeine fix.  I stopped by my favorite local coffee spot, picked up my usual iced latte, then I was off to the Sunday market "Uptown." 

As I wandered around the different stands I came across the perfect summer berries.  I was in a baking sorta mood once again, so I made sure to get extra blueberries.  Time for some vegan blueberry muffins. 

In all honesty blueberry muffins have always been my  favorite. They remind me of being a kid, Saturday morning cartoons, and weekend breakfasts with my family. I love how food can conjure up such fond memories. After whipping up the recipe, rather quickly I might add, the muffins were ready to be served in no time at all. They were pretty darn tasty and full of blueberry goodness.  



VEGAN BROWN SUGAR COOKIES
A few days later I was invited to lunch at a friend's house. I decided to bake something to bring to the luncheon. The first thing that came to mind was a cookie, specifically  a snickerdoodle,  minus the dairy.

I cranked up the oven yet again.  Since this was a new recipe I crossed my fingers as I put the trayful of cookies to bake. A few minutes later the enticing sweet scent of cinnamon and sugar filled the kitchen.  

Immediately upon taking the cookies out of the oven, I had to try one (or two)!  They were crispy, perfectly golden brown and tasted like cinnamon and molasses. I am also happy to report that when I shared them at the luncheon, they were gone in an instant! I have a feeling this recipe will come in handy when the holidays roll around.




For the muffins: an Iced Latte
For the cookies: a cup of PG Tips tea
When I bake, it's usually all about the classics...
1)  Nat King Cole:  Quizas, Quizas, Quizas
2)  Marvin Gaye:  How Sweet It Is
3)  The Shirelles:  Mama Said
4)  Van Morrison:  Into the Mystic
5)  Solomon Burke:  Cry to Me

•••Pin It•••

14 comments:

  1. Estela RomeroAugust 27, 2011

    I'm vegan and those banana muffins are delicious!!!! Highly recommend. I can't wait to try the brown sugar cookies next.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am looking forward to making the banana muffins for breakfast soon. Just a quick question? Can I only use white flour if that's all I have?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Liz...Yes, by all means you can substitute only using unbleached white flour instead of combining it with the wheat flour (and vice versa). Thanks for the question!
    ~Monica

    ReplyDelete
  4. Putting the blueberry muffins on my baking to-do list!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Gloria WalkerAugust 27, 2011

    They all look great. Thanks for sharing! I'm looking forward to your future posts.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Martha TaylorAugust 27, 2011

    I love muffins! Those cookies look really good too. I am going to try to make the cookie dough and use cookie cutters like you suggested. Do you know how long I should chill the dough for before using the cookie cutters?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Martha! I would recommended chilling the dough in the fridge for 1 hour. Thanks for the question!
    ~Monica

    ReplyDelete
  8. I LOVE blueberry muffins but I've never tried them vegan style. Sounds interesting,

    ReplyDelete
  9. Georgia B.August 28, 2011

    I like this alternative recipe for banana muffins. I have to watch my cholesterol so any baking that limits or omits butter and is still delicious, is great in my book.

    ReplyDelete
  10. LOVE LOVE LOVE the cookies!!! I made two batches this afternoon and my kids loved them.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I rolled the cookies in cinnamon sugar before baking, like snickerdoodles, and they were really yummy.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I am SO excited about having vegan options here on the new blog. Since we can't do dairy, I'm always looking for alternatives. Thanks so much, and we'll be trying all these recipes soon!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Cami: I think you will love the banana muffins & brown sugar cookies, they were my favorites...although, the blueberry muffins are pretty good too :) Looking forward to offering more vegan options in the future!
    -Monica

    ReplyDelete