Vegan Effect

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 16 of December 2024     Christmas desserts need a thick brandy cream and this is the one for vegans.   Ingredients 1 tin of coconut milk (Check it is suitable for vegans because some are not) 2 tbsp of coconut cream 3 tablespoons of brandy (Most brandy is suitable for vegans but not all, so check out my vegan alcohol guide) 2 tbsp icing sugar   Method Pour the tin of coconut milk into a bowl.  Melt the coconut cream in a bowl. Take off the heat and add to coconut milk. Stir in the brandy. Place in a fridge to thicken Whip if you so desire. Results I very nice brandy cream that is sweet and flavourful.    I hope that you liked this blog and if you do try this recipe, please let me know how you got on and what it turned out like. You can leave a comment in the comments below.  

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 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 1st of December 2023 Actually, I had this dinner on New Year's Day at the beginning of the year.  However, it would make an excellent Christmas dinner and the leftovers can be used for Boxing Day dinner!  Providing these products are available, I would highly recommend them, which both came from Sainsbury's.   No-Turkey Crown Roast The No-Turkey Crown Roast in the image above was fantastic!  It cooked beautifully and maintained its moister making it juicy.  In addition, it calved really well and tasted so good.  It was great hot or even cold in sandwiches later. No-Gammon Roast The no gammon roast also cooked wonderfully!  It cut into slices without falling apart and had a great ham taste.  It was fine to have cold the next day too or even in sandwiches. I hope that you liked this blog and if you do try this recipe, please let me know how you got on and what it turned out like. You can leave a co...

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 13th of November 2023 Christmas is just around the corner and you need to start your Christmas cake now!  Yes, it needs time to soak and feed.  You will have to soak the dried fruit for a week or so and once the cake is baked, you will need to feed the cake with more brandy.  Don't worry, all will be explained in this post.  This cake is completely vegan and has an amazing taste.  Holds together perfectly.  

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 2nd of October 2023   What better way to celebrate a festival or just the weekend than with a slice of English apple cake?  This cake is flatter than most cakes, but is spread out more in a larger baking tin.  You can cut it into squares or into fingers. Notably, it is very easy to make and so tasty!

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 23rd of December 2022   Getting frustrated with the lack of vegan options lately?  Well, this one is so easy to solve.  It has just four ingredients and is ready in minutes, and you can make it as strong as you like.  In addition, it goes great with Christmas pudding or Christmas cake and is fine hot or cold. Notes I used almond milk because almond and brandy flavours go nicely together. Keeps for about a week in an airtight container in the fridge. Check the brandy is vegan. Makes 5 – 6 servings. Time, 10 minutes.   Ingredients 400 ml of vegan milk 60 g of sugar 25 g of cornflour 6 tbsp of brandy Method Except for 2 tablespoons of the vegan milk, boil the milk with the sugar while stirring until the sugar has dissolved.  Take off the heat. Mix the cornflour with the remaining milk and whisk it into the hot milk and sugar and put back on the heat. Keep whisking. Bring back to the boil and remove.  Stir in th...

  Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 16th of December 2022 Jingle bells, jingle bells… Yes, I am in the mood for Christmas and if you are too, this might be just the thing you were looking for!  It is sweet and fun, which is what people want at Christmas.  These little treats are the precursor to the mince pie.  You can serve them to your friends at your Christmas party and impress them with the history of the English Cuskynoles.

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 5th of December 2022 I have had these at Christmas for the last two years.  Although they might not be available this year,  there is still the possibility that they will be, so it is a great idea to look out for them at Sainsbury's.  They are usually only available in the lead up to Christmas and you will likely have to order them to avoid disappointment.  Nonetheless, these No Turkey Parcels from Plant Pioneer are amazing! 

By McDonald, T.   |  Date 17th of December 2021 Christmas as a child was the most exciting time of the year. The build up to Christmas and the anticipation of being with family and getting wonderful and exciting presents was indescribable. One of the best things about Christmas, for me, was visiting family. I would go to my uncle's and see my cousins. I would get to see my Mum, brother, Sister and Aunties. Visiting family meant dressing up and getting ready for the occasion, which only added to the fun. As a Child, Christmas was a guaranteed joyous occasion, a time of fun and celebration for all. The build up to Christmas would start early in the year. Unlike today, children would receive gifts, main gifts; big expensive gifts, at birthdays and Christmas although we would get some smaller gifts throughout the year. Since modern children have gifts all the time, perhaps the children of today have lost the sense of excitement and lost the lesson of patients. Throughout th...

By McDonald, T.   |  Date 11th of November 2021 It's coming up to Christmas, yay, but you don't know what to buy for your vegan loved one.  Don't panic!  Most vegans like our little luxuries; however, please remember most of us try to be plastic free as well, so packaging counts. Nonetheless, it is not that difficult to find something super cool as a gift.  Toiletries     Every vegan I know is on the lookout for vegan toiletries.  These can be a bit expensive and so we consider them a treat.   Although we find the best deals and know where to get the cheapest stuff, any of the more up market soaps are appreciated.   Shampoo bars Body Soaps   Deodorant Women's stuff Shaving soap Body cream Many shops do gift sets and will even wrap them up for you.   Try looking for presents that are not in plastic.  Gift sets Pamper gift set    Other gift ideas  Candles  Interesting Shops  Enviroli ...

By McDonald, T.   |  Date 10th of December 2021 Christmas is on the horizon and it is your first vegan Christmas.  What do you have for Christmas dinner?  Most people are going to want something traditional and mega exciting.  So, what do you prepare that is not going to disappoint yourself or your family?  You could leave it to the last minute or just take a chance on the day. However, everyone else will be doing a  rehearsal  of the big day in order to be sure of success.  Families never mind doing this.  You don't ave to pull out all the stops; nonetheless, its perfectly fine to test out the centrepieces for your Christmas dinner, such as the meat alternatives.  By this, I mean you can just test it out one Sunday for dinner or have it in the week with some low-key boiled veg.  Whatever you decide to do, I strongly advise that you start testing out ideas now if you are not certain what your diners will like. No Beef Wellingt...

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 3rd of December 2021     Looking for a tasty vegan festival dinner for Christmas or New year?  This Turkey Style Roast from Vbites could be the answer.  It cooks in about 45 minutes and you can carve it up like a joint.  Although it did seem a little strange at first when I took it out of the oven, it did taste really good.  I had it with some cranberry sauce, roast potatoes and vegetables.  Although it was not too much like turkey, I thought it was still all right and I would have it again. 

By McDonald, T.   |  Date 15th of December 2020 Every year almost everyone gets in a fluster over Christmas.  The shops will be packed out with frantic last minute shoppers looking for that ideal gift for a loved one.  In addition, many will moan and complain about Christmas because they don't know how to afford the expensive gifts or are just grumpy for a hobby.  With all this in mind, what is Christmas really about?  Christmas is a Christian festival that's about the birth of Jesus, the messiah and is celebrated on the 25th of December in the UK.  First let's outline the whole story with a timeline of events. Mary is visited by an angel and agrees to carry the child of God (Luke 1:26-38). Mary visits her cousin Elisabeth (Luke1:39-45). An angel tells Joseph, in a dream, it will be OK to take Mary as his wife (Matthew 1:18-24). Jesus is born in a stable because there is no room at the inn (Luke 2:7) An angel visits the shepherds (Luke 2:8-20) The thr...