Vegan Effect

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 4th of December 2023   I love a nice juicy pear, but today I wanted it to be a bit different, so I decided to bake some with a few spices. The pear came out delightful and soft with plenty of flavours to excite the taste buds.

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 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.

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 20th of November 2023 This soup is surprisingly sweet.  Both the carrots and the parsnips have a sweet taste; however, the sweet spicy flavour of the Green Ginger Wine just takes it to a new level.  I like this soup because it is so tasty and filling.  Furthermore, it provides a huge amount of vitamin A.

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 6th of November 2023      This is a handy little sauce to have in your repertoire because you can use it in so many ways.  It adds something different to the desserts other than just cream or custard.  You can use it in cake fillings too.  Simple to make and great tasting.

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 11th of October 2023 This dish goes well with anything such as potato, rice, quinoa, buckwheat, or couscous.  The sauce is as easy to make as it is versatile.  The prunes give it a sweetness while the vegan feta and onion blend their flavours together magnificently. 

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 23rd of October 2023   This is a simple no yeast bread that goes great with soup or as a lunch box filler.  You can cut it open and fill it with anything you like.  This tasty bread is so easy to make and is finished in under 35 minutes.  Because it doesn't use yeast, it needs no time to proof.