Vegan Effect

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 2nd of December 2024 If you want to make your pecan pie a little more fancy for this Christmas holiday, why not add some bourbon?  Yes, adding alcohol to desserts will always make them a little more Christmasy!  This vegan pecan pie is great and I think it is perfectly ok to cheat a little and use pre-rolled pastry, just be sure it is vegan. 

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 25th of November 2024 Christmas is the time for baking!  If you would like to have a little treat that is like a Christmas cake, but much quicker and easier, this cake is for you.  It is full of flavour and different texture to delight the senses with every bit. It is full of fruit such as figs and cherries has nut too and looks great dusted with a little icing sugar.

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 4th of November 2024 Focaccia is great Italian bread that is easy to make and will impress any dinner guests.  It is light and soft with amazing bubbles, texture, and taste.  I have made a wholemeal version before using strong bread flour.  This time, I thought I would try the more common type using plain flour.  I was pleasantly suppressed on how it turned out. Hydration is at 84% Baker's notes Flour 100% (500 g) Water 80% (400 g) Yeast 1.4% (7 g) dry  [Fresh is 4% (20) g]  Salt 1.8% (9 g) Makes one 800 g focaccia Ingredients Plain flour 500 g Instant dry yeast x 7 g Salt x 9 g Water x 420 g Olive oil x 2 tbsp (you will need another 3 tbsp to grease the pan and more for on top) Apparatus Dough scraper Danish dough whisk Spatula Large mixing bowl Large baking dish  Method  Mix all the dry ingredients together and add the lukewarm water.  Use the Danish dough whisk to thoroughly combine the ingredie...

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 2nd of September 2024 I really missed Dutch apple cake, so I started looking around for a recipe.  I used to buy Dutch apple cake from Holland & Barrett, but they don't seem to do it any more.  I have tried to recreate that cake from memory and with no recipe to guide me. Much to my amazement, I couldn't find one suitable recipe anywhere.  Since I was really missing it, I decided to make my own by modifying a banana bread recipe I had made years ago.  This cake is stodgily delightful and sweet, which is exactly what I was looking for!

Written by   McDonald, T.    |  Date 8th of July 2024 This one of my favourite fruit breads because it's so easy and quick to make. There are many ways to make this bread, but this is a more common recipe that will make a mini loaf with about 14 serving. 

    By McDonald, T.   |  Date 20th of May 2024 I have tried making these before, but something was not quite right.  Last time I used flax egg, which may have added too much moisture.  I concluded that next time I would use an egg replacement such as Orgran and leave it in the oven for just a bit longer.

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 13th of May 2024 This is a bit of a combination between a fruit loaf and banana bread.  I love this bread so much and make it all the time.  It is great at any time of day as a snack or even as a dessert. It is easy to make and keeps for a week or more in the fridge.

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 6th of May 2024 This is a simple little cake made without oil for Pentecost. However, it is fine to have any time of the year.  It has a great texture and wonderful strawberry flavour.  Perfect for a little treat.

By McDonald, T.   |  Date 29th of April 2024 Although I'm not a great chocolate fan, occasionally, I do like some brownies.  I also like apples, so when I found this recipe, I just had to give it a go.  The original used 2 eggs, which I have to change; thus, I went for flax egg.

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 18th of March 2024 You will never believe just how easy this cake bread is. So tasty, so moist and good! The preparation is mega quick because all you have to do is mix it all together and pour the batter in a loaf tin and it is ready to go in the oven. No yeast, so no proofing it is ready so fast and bakes in 45 minutes. The result is a sweet tasting cake that you can cut into slices and eat like bread. Notes Don't beat the batter or it will turn out tough after baking.   If you use Green Ginger Wine, be sure it is vegan.     Ingredients  Dry  300 g of self-raising flour 120 g of dark brown sugar 2 tsp of ground ginger   5 crystallised ginger cut into pieces 30 g of grated fresh ginger 1 tsp of ground cloves 1 tsp of mixed spice 1/4 tsp of salt 1 tsp of baking powder Wet 40 ml of vegetable oil  240 ml of water  150 g (about 4 tbsp) of plan or vanilla vegan yoghurt 50 ml of ginger wine 2 ...

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Updated 11th of March 2024. This is very tasty and packed with nutrition and.  The bread has a beautiful crust and a dense crumb and is traditional for st Patrick's Day, which is coming up.  Even if you are just looking for an easy bread, this is quick and simple to make.  It takes less than an hour and is perfect for soups, stews, sandwiches, or toast. You could even just have it with butter and jam.

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 24th of January 2024 I love this loaf because it needs no proofing since it contains no yeast.  Once you have mixed all the ingredients together, you can put it straight in the oven.  This banana bread has a warm spiced flavour due to the mixed spice and rum soaked raisins.  Notes I used stevia to reduce the calories. Make sure you use really rib bananas.  Most recipes will tell you to mash with a folk; however, I use a masher, it's much quicker. I used dark rum to soak the raisins.  Check the rum is vegan.    Ingredients 3–4 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 400 g – 500 g peeled) 1 tbsp of caster sugar or stevia 200g of self-raising flour 100g of strong wholemeal flour 100g raisins soaked in rum or other flavouring 2 tsp ground mixed spice 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1 tsp of vegetable oil  120 ml of water Apparatus H 6 cm x W 11 cm x D 21 cm loaf tin Large mixing bowl Wooden spoon Ba...

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 8th of January 2024 These little tasty treats are just 43 calories per square.  I have wanted to try these for a long time and I'm glad to say that they were worth the wait.  They have a great texture and a lovely chocolaty flavour.  Ready in 30 minutes.

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 18th of December 2023 I discovered this by accident and I am so glad that I did! Although it is not a traditional seasonal cake, it can and does make a great addition to any festive season. For a vegan cake, it is surprisingly firm.  Although firm, this cake has a light texture and is moist with a good flavour that more than hints at the brandy.   Notes I used a kebab skewer or even a metal thermometer as a cake tester.   Works just as well.  I used almond milk because it goes well with the brandy. I'm using metric cups.   The vinegar is to react with the bicarbonate of soda.  It helps the cake to rise as does the baking powder, which also help to keep it soft and light.  Wait t'ill you see how to make the brandy frosting!    Makes a cake with dimensions of 22 cm x 11 Time, about an hour. Ingredients  Some vegan butter to grease the tin Wet ingredients 2/3 cup plain vegan yogurt 1/2 cup o...

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 11th of December 2023   This is something I have heard of, but never tried before.  Usually, we have traditional Christmas cake in my house, but last year I wanted to try something different and this was it.  Rest assured, I will be having it again this year too! At first, it seems like a lot of effort, but you will soon see that it is straight forward to make and definitely worth it.  However, it will need proofing and the dried fruit will need soaking, which will all take time, so plan ahead.  Notes I used French Brandy Marzipan and so used brandy to flavour the raisins and cranberries. I used almond milk. A good tip is to dust the soaked fruit with a little flour before adding the dough. You have 3 options with the marzipan:  Roll it out  Chop it up Have a thick bar of it running through the centre I soaked the dried fruit in brandy, but you can make it without the alcohol is you wish or use rum instead. ...

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 27th of November 2023   Whatever the occasions, this is a great treat to be had.  The rum soaks into the raisins and results in a perfect infusion of flavours. The rum adds flavour to the raisins while the raisins add sweetness to the run.  This beautiful bread as a great bready texture, yet is fruity and warming to the soul. Although it doesn't need it, you can choose to dust it with icing sugar.