PETA2 // The Stuff // What to Eat // Some Assembly Required // Sweets

Yes, ma, it is possible for me to eat cake. Yes, pa, I still have a sweet tooth. Dammit, yes, I’m vegan, but I’m human, too! Of course I like chocolate! Veganizing food is as easy as … tofu cream pie.

Candied Apples

6 large, firm red apples
6 chopsticks
3 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 cup water
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. red food coloring

Thoroughly wash and dry the apples to remove any wax. (If wax is on the apple, the candy coating will not stick.)
Remove each stem and replace with a chopstick.
Grease a cookie sheet.
In a large pot over medium heat, combine the sugar, syrup, and water. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
Bring to a boil without stirring. Boil until the temperature reaches 300°F (150°C) on a candy thermometer, or until a teaspoon of the syrup separates into brittle threads when dropped into ice water.
Remove from the heat. Quickly mix in the cinnamon and the food coloring.
Carefully dip the apples into the syrup, making sure to cover most of the apple. (If the syrup starts to harden, reheat.) Drain over the saucepan.
Set on the cookie sheet, spacing evenly. Cool before eating.

Makes 6 servings

Pumpkin 'Cheesecake'

12 oz. firm silken tofu, puréed
8 oz. nondairy cream cheese (try Tofutti brand at Tofutti.com)
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup granulated sugar
3 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 prepared graham cracker crust

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Purée all the ingredients except the pie crust in a food processor and pour into the graham cracker crust. Bake in the oven for 50 minutes.
Allow to cool for 30 minutes, cover with plastic wrap or the top of the pie container, and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight before serving.

Makes 8 servings

Chocolate Chip Paradise

Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Combine the baking powder, salt, and flour in a small bowl. Set aside.
Using a handheld mixer, combine the margarine, sugars, banana, vanilla, and water in a large bowl, mixing till creamy.
Slowly add the flour mixture, stirring until just combined.
Stir in the chocolate chips.
Drop by rounded spoonful onto a greased cookie sheet.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

Makes about 24 cookies

Tofu Cheesecake

Blend the sugar, tofu, and cream cheese in a blender until smooth.
Add the vanilla extract and blend again.
Pour into the pie crust and refrigerate until firm.

Makes 10 servings

Marci's Almond Joy Pie

Put half the chocolate chips in a bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Stir. Add 2 Tbsp. of the nondairy creamer and microwave for 30 seconds.
Stir until dark, shiny, and smooth (microwave for a little longer if still lumpy after stirring) and spread over the bottom of the pie crust.
Prepare the pudding with the soy milk. Before cooled, stir in the coconut, then spread into the pie crust and put in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Prepare the remaining chocolate with the remaining nondairy creamer as directed above and spread on top of the pie.
Sprinkle with the almonds and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Variation: If you can find it, try Goya brand coconut pudding mix in place of the vanilla pudding mix for an even tastier pie. It can sometimes be found in the Mexican section of really big grocery stores.

Makes 1 pie

Rockin’ Sugar Cookies

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Mix the flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl.
Melt the margarine in the microwave, until liquefied. Add to the dry ingredients.
Gradually mix in the vanilla extract and the vegetable oil.
Add the sprinkles.
Drop by the teaspoonful onto a greased cookie sheet.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool before eating.

Makes 24 cookies

Autumn Frosted Caramel-Apple Cake

For the Cake:

Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Grease a 9-inch round cake pan. Set aside.
Mix together the apples and sugar in a large bowl and let stand for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until a syrup forms.
Mix the flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl and add to the apples.
Add the remaining ingredients and combine well.
Transfer to the prepared pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

For the Caramel Frosting:

Melt the margarine in a saucepan.
Add the brown sugar, salt, and soy milk.
Bring to a boil over low heat and boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove from the heat and let cool.
Add the powdered sugar and the vanilla.
Beat with an electric handheld mixer for about 3 minutes, until smooth.

Makes 10 servings

Banana-Raisin Loaf

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Mash the bananas and add the sugar, combining until well blended.
In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
Stir in the banana mixture and the vanilla and blend thoroughly, then add the raisins.
Pour into a loaf pan and bake for 1 hour.
Be sure to let cool before slicing.

Makes 8 to 10 servings

Starbucks-esque Blueberry Scones

Preheat the oven to 400°F and grease a cookie sheet lightly with margarine or oil.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Add the sugar, margarine, lemon juice, and soy milk or rice milk and mix until just combined.
Stir in the berries and gently mix. Do not overmix!
Drop the dough in 6 or 7 circular clumps on the cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned on top.

*Variation: You can use raspberries instead of blueberries, or you can use both.

Makes 6 to 7 scones

Fab Fruit Tart

Mix the pudding, sour cream, and coconut milk together with an electric beater on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Sprinkle the macadamia nuts in the bottom of the crust, then pour in the filling. Stick plastic wrap to the surface of the pie and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
Top with the sliced bananas, coconut, and more nuts as desired.

*Variation: Instead of the cracker crust, you could go with a pie crust and a tart pan, and that would make it super-fancy. Try omitting the nuts, and top it with fresh blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries. Or, try topping it with kiwi and mandarin orange slices.

Makes 1 tart

Yummy Fruit Pie

For the Crust:

For the Filling:

Put the crust ingredients into a food processor and process for 2 minutes, until finely ground. Scrape down the sides of the container and process for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the mixture holds together when squeezed between your fingers. Transfer the crust mixture to a 9-inch pie pan or cake pan. Using your hands, press the crust mixture to evenly cover the bottom of the pan. Set aside while preparing the filling.
In a small bowl, mix the agar-agar flakes and the apple juice and set the mixture aside for 10 minutes to allow the flakes to soften.
Rinse out the food processor container, add the bananas, and process for 2 minutes, or until very smooth and creamy. Add the agar-agar mixture, dates, and lemon juice and process for 1 minute.
Pour the filling over the prepared crust. Cover the top of the filling with a piece of parchment paper, place the pie in the refrigerator, and allow to chill for 2 or more hours. Just before serving, decorate the top of the pie with the sliced strawberries.

Makes one 9-inch pie

Moist Flop Cake

For the Cake:
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 20-oz. can crushed pineapple

For the Frosting:
8 oz. Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
1/2 cup soy margarine
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp. orange extract

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Grease and flour a 9x13-inch pan.

Combine the flour, baking soda, and sugar in a bowl. Then add the pineapple, including the juice, and mix well.

Pour the mixture into the pan and bake for 20 to 30 minutes.

Combine the cream cheese and margarine, then slowly add the powdered sugar, followed by the vanilla and orange extracts.

Makes 1 cake

Baked Oatmeal and Apple Dessert

Margarine
1 lb. apples, peeled and sliced thin
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup lemon zest
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
Pinch baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup melted margarine

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Using a bit of margarine, lightly grease an 8-inch-by-8-inch-by-2-inch heatproof dish.

In a frying pan, cook the apples with 3 Tbsp. of sugar and water over medium heat until all the water evaporates. Sprinkle with lemon zest and set aside.

Mix the remaining sugar, rolled oats, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Stir in the melted margarine and mix thoroughly.

Spread half of the oat mixture over the bottom of the prepared dish, then make a layer with the apples, and cover with the remaining oats. Bake for 35 minutes. Topping with a scoop of soy ice cream is optional but highly recommended.

Makes approximately 8 servings

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

1 box Duncan Hines spice cake mix
1 15-oz. can pumpkin
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mix all the ingredients together with an electric beater or stir really well for about 2 minutes. Pour the batter into a paper-lined cupcake pan, filling each cup two-thirds full. Bake for 22 to 24 minutes.

Variations: Add chopped walnuts, pecans, dried cranberries, raisins, or chocolate chips to the batter. If you’re not going to frost them, sprinkle the top with cinnamon and sugar before baking.

And if you’d rather make a cake instead of cupcakes, simply follow the cake pan directions on the box and increase baking time by 3 to 5 minutes.

Makes 10 to 12 cupcakes or 1 cake

Wicked Good Fudge

6 oz. soy creamer
1 bag vegan dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup chopped walnuts

Boil the creamer and add the chips. After it’s all melted, add the cocoa and walnuts and pour into a bowl or baking dish. Refrigerate for about 2 hours. Remove and cut into squares.

Makes about 2 dozen squares

Vegan Rice Krispy Bars

1 cup corn syrup
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter
6-8 cups puffed rice cereal

Put the corn syrup and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and stir in the peanut butter and puffed rice. Press into a greased 9x9-inch pan and cool. Cut into bars.

Makes about a dozen bars

Vegan Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup vegan margarine, softened
1 1/2 cups tightly packed brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 ripe, mashed banana (if the banana peel isn't spotted black, cover the mashed banana
with the juice of half a lemon for about 15 minutes before incorporating into the
mix)
3-5 teaspoons vanilla (be generous)
2 Tbsp. water
1 3/4 cups all-purpose or whole-wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2 1/2 cups rolled oats (quick oats work well)
2 1/2 cups vegan chocolate chips

Preheat the over to 375°F. Cream the margarine and both sugars together. Add the well-mashed banana, mix well, then add the vanilla and the water. The water will try to separate; keep mixing with a figure-eight motion and add the dry ingredients, in the order above, by 1/2-cup increments. The final batter should be almost too dry to hold the chocolate chips. If it isn’t, the amount of flour or oats is incorrect so you should add more or less, according to the problem. Bake for 9 to10 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet. If you want a harder cookie, you can bake them longer, but they may come out too hard so be careful. Leave them on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before moving them to a plate or a wire rack to cool.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

Peanut Butter Pie

1 8-oz. container vegan cream cheese
1 cup vegan sugar
1 tsp.vanilla
1/2-1 cup peanut butter
1 16-oz. container nondairy whipped cream
1 graham cracker pie crust

Mix together the vegan cream cheese and the sugar. Add the vanilla and the peanut butter. Fold in the whipped cream. Pour into the crust. Place in the freezer until hard, about 3 to 4 hours.

Makes 1 pie

Fudge Brownies

3/4 cup lite silken tofu, crumbled
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup unsweetened, roasted carob powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup unbleached cane sugar
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup walnuts

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mist an 8x8x2-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Place the tofu, water, maple syrup, carob powder, oil, and vanilla extract in a blender and process until completely smooth. Place the remaining ingredients except the walnuts in a medium mixing bowl and stir until well combined. Pour the blended mixture into the dry ingredients and stir. Fold in the walnuts. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 40 minutes. Cool, cut, and serve.

Makes 10 brownies

Carrot Cake

For the cake:

1/4 cup cinnamon applesauce (or equivalent substitute for 2 eggs)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup soy margarine, softened
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup vanilla soy milk
1 cup carrots, finely grated (or a large jar of strained-carrot baby food)
1 cup walnuts, chopped

For the frosting:

8 oz. Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
1/2 cup soy margarine
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp. orange extract

Preheat the oven to 325°F and grease and flour a 9-inch square pan. Combine the first 9 cake ingredients, mix them well, and stir in the carrots and walnuts. Pour the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Bake for about 45 minutes, take out, and let cool.

For the icing, combine the cream cheese and margarine and, when mixed, slowly add the powdered sugar, followed by the vanilla and orange extracts.

Makes 1 cake

Strawberry-Pear Crisp

1/2 qt. strawberries
4 ripe pears
Cinnamon, to taste
1 cup date-sweetened granola
2 tsp. vanilla
1 stick vegan margarine

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Dice the fruit, add the cinnamon, and put the mixture into a pan. Mix the granola, vanilla, and cinnamon with the margarine and spread generously over the fruit. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Yummy Berry Muffins

2 cups unbleached white flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2 medium-sized bananas)
1/2 cup maple syrup or barley malt
6 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. lemon extract
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, raspberries, or cranberries

Heat the oven to 375º F. Grab a large bowl and throw in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Then toss the remaining ingredients, EXCEPT the berries, into a medium-sized bowl and mix. Pour this into the flour mixture and stir until just combined but not too long or the muffins might end up being tough. Add the berries, stirring to distribute them thoroughly in the batter. Spoon into a greased muffin pan until two-thirds full and bake for about 20 minutes or until the muffins have risen and are firm and slightly golden on top.

Makes 8 to 10 muffins

Coconut Cake

For the Cake:
8 oz. silken tofu
1 lb. plus 5 oz. sugar
2 cups coconut milk
12 oz. coconut flakes
1 cup canola oil
1 lb. plus 4 oz. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

For the Icing:
1 lb. soy margarine
1 lb. powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup coconut milk

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Put the first 5 ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and purée until thick and uniform in texture. Add the last 3 ingredients and process until smooth. Pour the batter into 2 (9-inch) parchment-lined cake pans that have been coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for about 1 hour. Let cool.

For the icing, mix the ingredients until smooth. Spread on the cooled cake.

Vegan Banana Bread

3/4 cup tofu
1 cup of sugar
1/4 cup oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup ripe bananas, mashed
2 cups whole wheat flour (or any other flour)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup walnut pieces

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Blend the tofu in a blender until smooth and creamy. Pour into a mixing bowl and beat in the sugar, oil, vanilla, and bananas. In a different bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Beat everything together, then fold in the walnuts. Pour into an oiled or greased loaf pan. Bake for about 1 hour.

Simple Sugar Cookies

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup oil
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
Egg replacer equivalent of 1 egg
Cinnamon and sugar, to coat

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix the wet ingredients in a measuring cup (make sure they’re blended well). Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Using your hands, form the dough into a big ball. (If it sticks together well, then it’s the right consistency. If not, add a bit of water and mix it well.) Form the dough into cookie-sized balls and roll them into the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten each ball a little bit. Bake at 375°F degrees for about 7 minutes.

Makes about 18 cookies

Pumpkin Pie

3/4 lb. tofu
1 16-oz. can pumpkin
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
1/3 cup oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. molasses
1 unbaked 9-inch pastry crust

Preheat oven to 350°F. Blend all ingredients except the pastry crust in a blender until smooth and creamy. Pour this mixture into the unbaked pastry shell. Bake for 1 hour. Chill and serve.

Makes 1 pie

Sugar-Free Carrot Cake

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups water
1 1/4 cups dates, chopped
1 cup raisins
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 cup carrot, shredded
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

Lightly oil a 9-inch springform pan and set aside. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside. In a small saucepan, combine the water, dates, raisins, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. In a large bowl, place the shredded carrots, pour the hot liquid mixture over them, and allow to cool completely. Add the walnuts and orange juice concentrate to the carrot mixture and blend well. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir well to combine. Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan. Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Serve plain or with frosting.

Makes 1 cake

Chocolate Fudge

6 Tbsp. vegan margarine
1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup soy milk
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Lightly grease a 5x9-inch loaf pan using a little of the margarine. Put the remaining margarine, sugar, cocoa, vanilla, and soy milk in a heatproof mixing bowl. Place the bowl over simmering water and stir until smooth. Add nuts if desired. Pour the mixture quickly into the prepared pan. Chill thoroughly and cut into squares.

Makes 2 to 3 dozen squares

Brownies

1/2 cup oil
1 1/2 cups flour, sifted
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cocoa
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup walnuts
2 large, ripe bananas

Grease medium-sized pan. Mix all the ingredients together until smooth. Pour into the pan. Bake in a 350°F oven for 30 to 40 minutes. Cut into squares. Serve.

Banana Muffins

3 ripe bananas
1/4 cup oil or melted margarine
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional—see other options listed below)

Mash bananas (overripe ones make the best bread). Add oil/margarine and sugar. Mix well. Sift the flour, salt, and baking soda together and add to the banana mixture. Mix until the flour is blended (do not beat). Pour into muffin pans or a bread pan and bake at 360°F until a toothpick comes out clean.

Optional: Add a handful of walnuts, oatmeal, raisins, chocolate chips, currants, coconut, or all of the above!

Chocolate Dream Shake

4 cups frozen bananas, cut into 2-inch chunks
1 cup soy milk, rice milk, or other nondairy milk
3 Tbsp. cocoa or carob powder
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla

Thaw the frozen banana chunks for 5 to 10 minutes. Toss all the ingredients into the blender and puree for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

For a thinner shake, add extra soy milk. For an extra treat, try adding almond or peppermint.

Makes 4 servings

Chocolate Shake

Tofutti® vanilla almond bark “ice cream”
Tofutti® New-York-style chocolate “ice cream”
Vanilla soymilk

Combine half of each container of Tofutti in a blender and add soymilk until the shake has the thickness that you desire. Blend and drink up!

Makes 1 serving

Citrus-Kissed Shortcake

Safflower oil, for oiling the cookie sheet
3 cups unbleached flour
1/3 cup unbleached cane sugar
1 Tbsp. orange zest
1 Tbsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup vegan margarine
1 1/2 cups tofu sour cream or soy yogurt
1/3 cup orange juice (or substitute soy milk, rice milk, or another nondairy milk of your choice)
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Use a little safflower oil to lightly oil a nonstick cookie sheet then set it aside. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, orange zest, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and stir well. Use a pastry blender to cut in the vegan margarine until the mixture has a coarse, crumby texture. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and stir. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and use your hands to pat the dough until it is about 3/4 inch thick. Dip a 3-inch cookie cutter of any shape into a little flour, cut 12 sections out of the dough (re-dipping the cutter into the flour as needed), and transfer them to the prepared cookie sheet. Bake them at 400ºF for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350ºF and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until they are light brown on the bottom. Allow them to cool slightly before serving.

Makes 12 servings

Chocolate Devastation Cake

Dry Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 Tbsp. aluminum-free baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda

Wet Ingredients:

1/2 lb. extra-firm tofu, drained and cubed
1 1/4 cups grade-B maple syrup
1 1/4 cups canola oil
3/4 cup vanilla-flavored soy milk
1/4 cup black-cherry concentrate
1 Tbsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 325°. Oil and flour two 8-inch springform pans. In a medium bowl, sift the dry ingredients together. In a blender, blend the wet ingredients together until they are smooth. Whisk the tofu mixture into the dry ingredients. Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake in the center of the oven for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow them to cool for about five minutes before removing from the sides of the pans. Be sure that they are cooled completely before removing the bottom of the pans. Frost with chocolate icing (see below).

Chocolate Icing

1 cup cocoa powder
1 cup maple syrup
1 1/4 sticks soy margarine, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
Toasted sliced almonds, for garnish (optional)

Process the cocoa powder, maple syrup, soy margarine, and vanilla in a food processor fitted with a steel blade until the mixture is silky smooth. Spread about 1/3 of the icing on top of one of the layers of cake, place the second layer on top, and cover the top and sides of the cake with the remaining icing. Press the almonds onto the sides of the cake.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

A**-Kickin’ Fudge!

2 sticks margarine
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 cup Quik chocolate mix
1 cup peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla

Melt the margarine and mix with the powdered sugar. Add the Quik and mix again, then mix in the peanut butter and the vanilla. Spread mixture into an 8 x 8-inch or 9 x 13-inch pan and chill. This is the best stuff on Earth—sure to make you wish you’d grown up on the stuff! Store leftovers in fridge (as if there would ever be leftovers!).

Chocolate Pudding

1 pack silken tofu (firm), crumbled
2/3 cup unbleached cane sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
21/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Blend all ingredients in a food processor until creamy and thick. Chill.

Fruity Crisp Yummies

1 stick margarine, melted
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup soy milk
Fruit (whatever and however much you want)

Put melted margarine in baking pan and mix the rest of the ingredients together. Bake at 375ºF until the fruit is cooked and the top is browned. Put a fork in it!

Cake Mix Cookies

Any vegan Duncan Hines cake mix
2 sticks vegan margarine
Egg replacer for 2 eggs
1 bag vegan chocolate chips (Ghirardelli)

Mix ingredients together and drop like cookies on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Refrigerate the dough before baking for best results.

Chocolate-Nut Tofu Pie

1 12-oz. pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 12-oz. pkg. firm silken tofu
1 tsp. of vanilla
11/2 cups nuts, optional
2 9-inch Keebler reduced-fat graham cracker crusts

Melt the chocolate in a microwave or slowly melt it in a saucepan on the stove. In a blender, combine the chocolate, tofu, and vanilla. Blend until very smooth. Stir in the nuts (optional). Pour the mixture into a graham cracker crust. Chill several hours or overnight. Done!

Mud Puddle Cake

1 cup all-purpose biscuit baking mix
1/4 cup Hershey's cocoa
3/4 cup Silk Creamer and 1/2 cup corn syrup mixed together
3/4 cup Hershey's syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup hot water
Whipped topping or soy ice cream (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375ƒF and grease an 8-inch-square baking pan. Combine the baking mix and the cocoa in a medium bowl. Stir in 1 cup of the creamer/corn syrup mixture, 1/4 cup of the Hershey's syrup, and the vanilla until blended and spoon evenly into the greased pan. Then put the rest of the creamer/corn syrup combo, the remaining 1/2 cup syrup, and the water in a small bowl and pour the liquid mixture carefully over the mixture in the pan, but do not stir. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the center is set and the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. Let stand for 10 minutes and spoon into dessert dishes, spooning the chocolate "mud puddle" from the bottom of the pan over the top. Serve warm with whipped topping or soy ice cream. Be sure to cover and refrigerate any leftovers ... actually, you can disregard that because there won't be any leftovers!

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Enlightenment Bars

1 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Few pinches cinnamon
1 cup all-natural crunchy peanut butter
Granola

In a saucepan, mix the first 5 ingredients and cook until it comes to a boil-be sure to stir it constantly! Turn off the heat and mix in the peanut butter. Then add the granola (however much you want in order to obtain the desired consistency). Pour into a baking pan and chill until firm.

Makes 8 to 10 servings

Creamy Tofu Dessert

1 10 1/2-oz. package silken tofu
3 Tbsp. fructose
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Process all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth and creamy.

Makes 3 servings

Watermelon Lemonade

Bring the sugar and water to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved. Press the watermelon with the back of a spoon through a fine mesh strainer and discard the pulp left in the strainer. Combine the watermelon juice, sugar syrup, and lemon juice in a 2-quart pitcher and chill. Add the club soda to the juice mixture just before serving. It’s best served over ice.

Makes 2 quarts

Vegan Cheesecake

For the Crust

For the Filling

For the crust, preheat the oven to 325°F. Mix the graham cracker crumbs and granulated cane juice in a medium bowl. Add a dollop of margarine to the mixture and stir with a fork until well blended. Transfer to a 9-inch pie pan and make the crust by evenly pressing the crumb mixture across the surface of the pan. Bake until lightly browned and firm, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let the crust cool completely before adding the filling.

For the filling, preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the tofu cream cheese, silken tofu, granulated cane juice, arrowroot powder, lemon zest, and vanilla in a food processor. Process, scraping down the sides of the bowl several times until smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour the filling into the cooled crust. Bake for 50 minutes. Turn the heat off, but leave the cheesecake in the oven until the edges are set and lightly browned but the center still wiggles just a bit, about an hour. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Wrap tightly and chill at least 4 hours.

Remove from the fridge and add strawberries on top right before serving.

Makes 1 cheesecake

Blueberry Pandowdy

1 1/2 cups blueberries
1/4 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. oil or margarine
3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup unbleached flour
1/2 cup Sucanat
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup oil
1 cup soy milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

• Put the blueberries, sugar, and oil or margarine in a pan and heat until gooey.
• Mix all the other ingredients in a bowl.
• Pour half the batter into an oiled 8 x 8-inch baking pan.
• Spread the melted blueberry mixture on top, cover with the remaining batter, and bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes.

Makes about 6 servings