Impressive desserts for your vegan Valentine
Some people are intimidated by the idea of cooking for vegans. There are so many restrictions that don’t apply to food for other eaters that it can be easy to run scared. Don’t worry, though – as a student of the baking and pastry arts, you have a definite leg up on making seriously decadent vegan desserts for the animal-friendly Valentine in your life. Try these ideas on for size:
Avocado cacao mousse
The Kitchn has an incredible recipe for avocado cacao mousse. We’re talking a semi-healthy, totally raw, incredibly delicious mousse that no one would even know was vegan unless you told them. Cue the angels. Typical classic mousse is made with eggs and cream, no-nos for vegans. Avocado is a great replacement for them, and healthier too! The Kitchn uses cacao and coconut nectar to sweeten the dish with a some vanilla extract and a touch of salt, all blended and then left in the fridge to chill. You could also add fruits like raspberries or blueberries for extra sweetness and color.
Peppermint patties
Is your lovebird’s diet vegan and gluten-free? No problem. Oh She Glows has a crazy good recipe for peppermint patties that are perfect for your Valentine’s day. She uses almond milk, coconut oil, cashews and a few other ingredients to make these marvelous little patties. You can use a cookie cutter to make special shapes like hearts and stars or go for a more traditional look with cupcake liners. Add some red sugar sprinkles for a dash of sparkle and your sweetheart will love these thoughtful, minty delights.
Apple pie
Typical apple pie includes butter and eggs, but 86 Lemons blogger Dreena Burton uses nuts to make her on-point pie crust. You’ll need a food processor for this one in order to turn flour, sugar, salt and other vegan ingredients into doughy pie crust. She uses maple syrup and coconut sugar for sweetness, along with Fuji and Spartan apples. If you have an apple corer, that’s awesome, but you can slice the fruits by hand if you have the time. Want to kick this desert up a notch and make it a bit more Valentine’s-themed? Write something special in the top crust. You could also use a cookie cutter to cut a bunch of little hearts and artfully arrange them as a topical crust decoration. Whip up a quick smashed banana “ice cream” as a topping and you’ll have one happy V-Day.
