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Chocolate Peanut Butter Mug Cake

In Baking, Dessert, Recipes, Sweet by MurielLeave a Comment

If you’re feeling a craving for chocolate cake but baking a whole cake would be a curse in the making, then try this 1-minute microwave mug cake. Yes, it’s indulgent. But at least it just makes one portion, so you definitely won’t end up devouring a whole cake and suffering the predictable guilt afterwards.

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Palmier

In Baking, Recipes, Sweet by MurielLeave a Comment

This is the perfect recipe for last-minute pop-ins from friends. Just make sure you have puff pastry defrosted (or defrost on low in the microwave). It’s a bit naughty (puff pastry has saturated fats, and there’s quite a bit of sugar in the recipe) – but that’s ok from time to time!

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Aquafaba Meringues

In Baking, Recipes, Sweet by MurielLeave a Comment

I remember when a meringue was still the holy grail of vegan kitchen experiments, before aquafaba was discovered (almost simultaneously, in different kitchens) 🧁 Since then, it’s become a must-have in vegan kitchens everywhere—and thank goodness it’s so accessible! Just a can of chickpeas (or other beans) will give you the gift of this magical bean water.

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Vegan Dog Treats with Peanut Butter & Oats

In Baking, Recipes by Muriel5 Comments

It’s time to get the vegan dog treats out! There’s something really special about sharing your home with a furry companion, and learning each other’s quirks. As I mentioned in my post about vegan dogs, not only can dogs thrive on plants, but it’s way better for the planet, and for the wallet.

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Berliner Pfannkuchen

In Recipes by MurielLeave a Comment

When in Berlin, have a Berliner? Or make a vegan one? Yep, I’ll take the bait. I’ve just moved to Berlin for who-knows-how-long, and I thought I’d celebrate the occasion by trying my hand at veganising the city’s traditional pastry. It’s very similar to a doughnut: a light, sweet dough that’s fried until it puffs up, then filled with jam and covered with sugar.

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Vegan Crêpes

In Baking, Breakfast, Dessert, Recipes, Sweet by MurielLeave a Comment

I had a bunch of fun in the kitchen trying out different ways to make crêpes (i.e. thin, delicate pancakes, in the French style). Flapjacks (the thicker version, what Americans call pancakes) are super easy to veganise and they’ve been my go-to for years, but somehow I was always intimidated at the thought of trying vegan crêpes, since I’d always thought that eggs were an essential ingredient, and making it work without them would be near-impossible.

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Quinoa Banana Muffins

In Baking, Breakfast, Recipes, Snacks by Muriel1 Comment

I tried out a variation on vegan banana bread that is gluten-free and sugar-free, using quinoa flour as a one-to-one substitute for wheat flour. And it’s wonderful! I used the quinoa flour from Woolworths, but you can also just buy quinoa and process it into a flour using a food processor or Nutribullet. This flour is a fantastic option for gluten-free baking, since it’s much more nutrient-dense than other gluten-free flour blends that use potato starch and other low-protein flours.

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Vegan baking substitution guide

In Baking, Blog, Practical tips by MurielLeave a Comment

I’m going to share a secret with you. The best way to create great vegan recipes is to take your favourite non-vegan ones, the ones that were handed down from your parents, grandparents, great-grandparents… and swap out the animal-based ingredients for vegan alternatives. Most of the time you can get away with straightforward swaps (e.g. cow’s milk can pretty much …

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How to substitute eggs in baking

In Baking, Blog, Practical tips by Muriel4 Comments

Oh, eggs. The baking ingredient with the most complex and interesting properties: no wonder pastry chefs everywhere rely on them for their beautiful creations. But fear not, vegan culinary geniuses have cracked the secrets*. The trick is to understand why chicken’s eggs play such a big role in baking, and then to find egg substitutes that best mimic the most important …