Tofu Chocolate Pudding or Ice Cream

Tofu Chocolate Pudding or ice cream

Adapted from: https://traditionalplantbasedcooking.com/vegan-chocolate-pudding/

Ingredients

• 1 container silken or soft tofu
• 3 - 5 tablespoons cocoa powder (or less)
• 4 tablespoons maple syrup or other sweetener
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons water
• Optional toppings: Berries, bananas, and/or non-fat whipped cream with or without cinnamon

July 2026: Made without cocoa - instead blended in a ripe banana!  The water then is not needed, already results in a loose pudding.

Procedure

1. Combine the ingredients until smooth in a blender or food processor OR CAN WHISK BY HAND
2. Portion into four containers
3. Okay to eat right away, but nicer after refrigerated for an hour or so (or freeze)
4. Add toppings

Pineapple Earthquake Cake/Custard

A few years ago Mary from Panama shared a delicious cake recipe that I have made several times.

When I was thinking of recipes for birthdays I had sort of assigned this one to use to celebrate our son's birthday, but the ingredients weren't used and were sitting in the pantry staring at me almost everyday.

I ended up eating the bag of chocolate chips - can't believe I did that! and I froze the cream cheese so it was preserved.

Last night we had students over and I thought it would be nice to make a dessert with what I had in the house.  It was delicious.

Preheat oven to 350

Bottom of 9 * 13 pan 

sprinkle about 1/4 cup coconut and 14 cup chopped pecans.

Mix together

Yellow Cake Mix

Can of pineapple chunks - blended smooth

3 eggs

less than 1/4 cup canola oil

pour on top of the coconut and pecans

Heat together

7 T butter

8 oz cream cheese (this had been frozen)

3.5 cups powered sugar

(This was very liquid so I added about 1/4 cup coconut and a few nuts)

Spoon over the cake mixture. It was so loose it spread evenly on it own so I did not have the earthquake effect I expected.)

Place in the 350 degree oven for 30 minutes

Then add foil to the top and bake 15 minutes more

It was still too jiggly so I turned the oven off and left in for a long while more, maybe 30 minutes!

It was still a little jiggly, but after that was placed on the counter to cool for about 45 minutes before putting in the frig.

Slice dried pineapple so very thin.

Served with a small scoop.  Each serving was two scoops.  Topped with whipped cream.  Sprinkled some coconut, pecan and dried pineapple.

There were ten plates served.

I gave most of the left overs to the two guys who helped set up the VR software for the event.  One had come to the house last fall when I also made a dessert that he remembered as being delicious too! So at least in his mind I made good desserts!

It was more like custard than cake, so very different than the original earthquake cake! Yum!

Of the original ingredients I just have some coconut, that I will probably end up freezing.

And next year will suggest cheese cake for my son's birthday, maybe that will be better choice for him....  Hopefully he'll come over then so we can make it together!

Pumpkin Magic Cake

I made this for the Fall Game Night for the students and it was a hit.

An easy way to make a pumpkin pie - as a cake crust that is very cool looking!

Preheat oven to 350

Step One - Cake layer
1 box of yellow cake mix PLUS ingredients needed to make (eggs, water, oil)

Follow the directions on the box, put the batter in a 9x13 pan.

Step Two - Pumpkin layer
1 (15oz) can Pumpkin Puree
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Combine ingredients (or just follow the directions on the can for pie) and pour carefully on top of the batter already in the pan.

Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes.  Test with a toothpick, should come out clean when done.  The cake may look darker than usual.

Set on counter to cool, then put in the frig.

Step Three - Frosting Layer a

1 c heavy cream

whip until peaks form

Step Four - Frosting Layer b

1 (4 serving size) box vanilla instant pudding mix
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup cold milk

Combine until the pudding starts to get firm, then fold into the whipped cream

Spread on the top of the cooled cake, serve or refrigerate then serve.

Adapted from: http://www.jocooks.com/bakery/cakes/pumpkin-magic-cake/ and http://www.iwashyoudry.com/2013/10/07/pumpkin-magic-cake/

Cindy's Cherry Cheesecake

1 package graham crackers
1/3 cup sugar
6 Tbs butter, melted
8 oz package cream cheese
1 pint whipping cream ( I usually only use about 3/4 of this)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
1 can cherry pie filling

Crush the graham crackers (I usually put them in a Ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin).  Pour them into a bowl, add the sugar and melted butter.  Mix them together, pour them into a pie plate or 8" square pan.  Pat them into place and bake at 350 for 7 minutes.  Let cool completely.

Put cream cheese in mixer bowl.  Wait 1/2 hour to let cream cheese soften.  Turn mixer on low and mix cream cheese adding whipping cream, powdered sugar, vanilla and almond as you run mixer.  Mix until thick.  Spread over graham cracker crust.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Before serving open cherries and spread them over the cream cheese mixture.

Made for Alex's 25th BIrthday.  Cindy/Alex/Maria

Trader Joe's: Almond Croissants

Easy to make - delicious and impressive looking!

Just need to put on oiled or paper the evening before you serve so they can defrost and rise.  Then bake in 350 over for 20 minutes.  Yum!

Earthquake Cake

Once at home we relaxed a bit - then Alex and I made Earthquake Cake....

Ready for Oven

EARTHQUAKE CAKE  (From Lib-quilter Mary in Panama)

1+ c. chopped pecans and.or walnuts
1+ c. coconut
1 chocolate cake mix (or make your own from scratch)
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1 stick butter (1/4 pound)
1 box powdered sugar (approx 4 cups)

Spray PAM in a 9x13"  inch pan. Sprinkle nuts, then coconut on bottom of pan. Mix cake mix according to directions (see note below) and pour over nuts and coconut.

Baked

Melt butter and cream cheese together. Add the powdered sugar to the butter/cream cheese mixture. Stir to blend. Drop this mixture in blobs on top of cake mix by spoonfuls. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until done.

Note: Most often, I add 1/2 cup grated baking chocolate (preferably organic chocolate from the chocolate farm next door to us) to a packaged cake mix. And then I often sprinkle chocolate nibs on top. Nibs are the crushed (but not ground) roasted cacao beans.

It was delicious and cuts up very pretty slices with the nuts and baked in frosting peeking thru the dark cake batter.  

We had to add about 20 minutes to the baking time.  






We had with milk and enjoyed the experience of making it and eating it!

Added later:  The cake is even better after being refrigerated!

Made for the evening before Alex left Boston for San Diego.

Pecan Pie

This year I just got a frozen 9 inch crust from Windmill Farms and made the pie following these directions (except I added some butterscotch chips on the bottom of the crust).  The chips did not add much flavor I think so okay to skip that step.  Maybe chocolate chips would be fun to add another time.

Incredibly easy pie to make.

http://karosyrup.com/recipe_details.asp?id=485

Makes one pie.

Prep Time:  5 minutes
Bake Time:  60 to 70 minutes
Chill Time:  2 hours
Yield:  8 servings

• 1 cup Karo® Light OR Dark Corn Syrup
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon Spice Islands® Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) pecans
• 1 (9-inch) unbaked or frozen** deep-dish pie crust

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.


2. Mix corn syrup, eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla using a spoon. Stir in pecans. Pour filling into pie crust.


3. Bake on center rack of oven for 60 to 70 minutes (see tips for doneness, below). Cool for 2 hours on wire rack before serving.


4. **To use prepared frozen pie crust: Place cookie sheet in oven and preheat oven as directed. Pour filling into frozen crust and bake on preheated cookie sheet.


5. RECIPE TIPS: Pie is done when center reaches 200°F. Tap center surface of pie lightly - it should spring back when done. For easy clean up, spray pie pan with cooking spray before placing pie crust in pan. If pie crust is overbrowning, cover edges with foil.


6. NUTRITION TIP: To reduce calories, substitute new Karo® Lite Syrup for the Karo® Light or Dark Corn Syrup.


7. High Altitude Adjustments: Reduce sugar to 2/3 cup and increase butter to 3 tablespoons. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.


8. VARIATION: coarsely chopped walnuts may be substituted for pecans to make a walnut pie.

Brownies - Untried Recipe

Chocolate Brownies

1 Box Devil’s Food Chocolate Cake mix
1-15oz can 100% pumpkin
½ cup water

Mix the three ingredients together. Pour into a greased 9” X 13” pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Found this in a quilting blog post: http://backroads2ca.blogspot.com/2011/08/angie-steveson.html

Sounds like something to try out.