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Vegan Brownie Recipe

May 20, 2013 by Kathryn Morrison

I’ve tried various vegan brownie recipes that I haven’t been thrilled with… I know, how do you mess up brownies? But the texture would always be off, or they were crispy and I couldn’t get them out of the pan. I had a chocolate craving the other night though, and I finally found a recipe that actually came out pretty well.

Brownie

I might tweak it next time by using a bit less oil. I ended up adding a little extra cocoa powder because they seemed too wet from oil, but otherwise they turned out well. They were easy to get out of the pan, and they were fudgy and soft like a brownie should be. The recipe came from All Recipes. They were so yummy I didn’t wait to get a photo of the whole pan as you can see. We just dug right in! If you have a favorite vegan brownie recipe, share it in the comments!

Pan of Brownies

Ingredients:

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 cups vegan white sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup water
1 cup vegetable oil (I’d cut this to about 3/4 cup next time – maybe even 1/2 cup)
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips (optional)
1 cup nuts (optional)

Directions:

  • Preheat the oven to 350°.
  • In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Then add the water, vegetable oil, and vanilla. Stir until the batter is completely combined.
  • Add the chocolate chips and nuts if desired. I just used chocolate chips in this batch, but I like walnuts in brownies too.
  • Pour the batter into a 9×13 inch baking pan and smooth it out.
  • Bake the brownies for 25-30 minutes until a knife poked in the center comes out clean. Let them cool down a little before cutting them up or they’ll fall apart. Enjoy!

Posted in Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Spring Planting – Potted Herbs and Hanging Baskets

May 14, 2013 by Kathryn Morrison

I finished up what I think will be the last of my spring planting, but at the rate I’ve been acquiring plants I can never be sure! For Mother’s Day I potted up a little herb garden for my mom. It was so cute, I decided to make one for myself too. I don’t have a good picture of my mom’s pot of herbs, but I chose the same pot (the green one in the top picture) and similar herbs to use for mine. I had too many herbs to fit in one pot, so I filled up two.

Herbs

Herbs

It’s expensive to buy fresh herbs at the grocery store, and buying a little herb plant costs about the same as one bunch of herbs. It seemed to make sense to just plant herbs that I use often to keep on hand. There’s a flower market every year about two blocks from where we live, and they had a big selection of herbs. I ended up getting Silver Edge thyme, creeping Prostrate rosemary, dwarf sage, apple mint, dill, sweet basil, and Mini Purple basil.

Dill

I’m not convinced that the dill and Mini Purple basil are going to make it, but the rest look pretty hardy. The mini purple basil just doesn’t seem to be thriving as much as it was when I first bought it, and the dill promptly threw itself over sideways as soon as I planted it. We’ll see if it rights itself again.

Dill

The neighbor’s very friendly cat also came over for a snuggle, which he does just about every day.

Neighbor's Cat

He also rolled around in the potting soil getting himself all dirty. Sometimes I think he’s trying to move in with us because he hangs out at the back door quite often. The neighbors have dogs and I think he knows we’re an all cat household and wants in on that. He’s a real sweetheart.

Neighbor's Cat

And last but not least, I potted up some hanging baskets for the front porch. I got the hanging pots at Joann Fabrics for a good price. They were $19.99 to start, but were 50% off, and then I had an additional 20% off coupon so they were only about $8 each. Then, of course, add in the plants which were about $40 total, so it ended up being about $28 per hanging basket. Pre-potted ones in that type of basket can run a bit more than that at most garden centers, usually $30-$40 around here, so we saved a little bit by doing it ourselves. We filled the hanging baskets with Calibrachoa (Callie’s Peach), Dichondra (Silver Falls), and Amstel Begonias (Dark Britt).

Hanging Baskets

So that’s just about it for our spring planting. Are any of you planting up any herbs or flowers? What’s in your garden this year?

 

Posted in DIY | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments »

Virtual Vegan Potluck – Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie with Fresh Berries

May 11, 2013 by Kathryn Morrison

Welcome to the third Virtual Vegan Potluck! It’s been great to see this grow so much each time! In case you just happened upon my blog and don’t know what the Virtual Vegan Potluck is, it’s a blog circle of recipes by vegan and vegan friendly bloggers. You can start at the beginning by going to Vegan Bloggers Unite, or see the blogs before or after me in the potluck by following the Go Forward and Go Back links at the bottom of this post. I’m excited to be participating again, and I’ve brought one of my favorite dessert recipes to share!

This recipe originally came from Vegetarian Times many years ago, and I’ve made a few modifications to it over the years. This pie is pretty easy and quick to make, and it’s perfect for sharing! Who doesn’t love peanut butter, chocolate, and berries? I wish I could give each of you a slice in real life!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

I make the crust from scratch because many store bought graham cracker crusts aren’t vegan. Most graham crackers contain honey, but Nabisco Originals don’t. Making a graham cracker crust from scratch isn’t too hard and doesn’t take much time. I think they’re tastier than the store bought versions too! You can also use ginger snaps, vanilla or chocolate wafer cookies, or any other type of cookie or cracker that is dry and crumbly to make a crust. That’s one of the things I like so much about this pie, it’s easily customizable. In addition to changing the flavor of the crust you could substitute almond butter or cashew butter for the peanut butter, and you could top the pie with anything you like – nuts, vegan whipped cream, bananas, etc. Make it your own!

Graham Cracker Crust Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 10-11 whole crackers)

1/4 cup sugar

dash of salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

5 Tbsp melted vegan butter (Earth Balance or organic Smart Balance)

Graham Cracker Crust Directions:

  • Preheat the oven to 375°.
  • Place the graham crackers in a ziploc bag and seal it shut. Use a rolling pin or a wooden spoon to crush the crackers into crumbs.
  • Pour the crumbs into a mixing bowl and add the sugar, salt, and cinnamon to the crumbs. Stir until combined.
  • Melt the vegan butter and drizzle it over the crumbs. Mix it with a fork until combined.
  • Pour the crumbs into a 9 inch pie plate. Press them into the bottom of the pie plate and up the edges. They should stick together. If any holes form, make sure you fill them in.
  • Bake the crust for about 10-15 minutes. If the sides of the crust slouch down after baking, gently use the back of a spoon to push the crust back up the sides of your pie plate. Let the crust cool fully before putting the filling in.

Ingredients for Pie Filling:

  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 12-oz. container silken tofu
  • ½ cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • berries for the top

Directions for Pie Filling:

1. In a food processor or blender, combine the silken tofu and maple syrup and blend until smooth. Add the peanut butter and blend it again until it’s smooth.

2. Melt the chocolate chips, either using a double boiler or heating it in 30 second intervals in the microwave until melted. Stir the chocolate frequently as it melts. Add the melted chocolate to the food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Pour the filling into your cooled graham cracker crust. Smooth the top out and refrigerate the pie at least 20 minutes to firm up.

4. Place the berries on top (or use your topping of choice). You can use fresh berries when in season or thawed frozen berries other times of the year. Keep the pie refrigerated. Enjoy!

Be sure to check out the rest of the potluck by following these links! The blog before me is Mama et de Bebe Hawk and the blog after me is Deerly Beloved Bakery. You can also start at the beginning by visiting Vegan Bloggers Unite!

go_bck-300x257 go_forward-300x243

Posted in Food Blogs, Recipes, Vegan Blogs, Virtual Vegan Potluck | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 29 Comments »

Liebster Blog and Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Awards

May 4, 2013 by Kathryn Morrison

Lidia from Vegan Bloggers Unite and Air Eater has nominated me for a Liebster Award! And Poppy from Poppy’s Patisserie|Bunny Kitchen nominated me for the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award! Thanks Lidia and Poppy! You should check out both of their blogs if you haven’t already! Vegan Bloggers Unite features guest posts from all kinds of vegan bloggers and contains a blogroll that’s a great way to browse around and find new blogs and recipes. Lidia’s other blog, Air Eater, features vegan and gluten free recipes. Poppy’s blog, Poppy’s Patisserie|Bunny Kitchen features some really yummy looking vegan recipes. Check them out!

Since I was nominated for two blog awards and the Liebster once before as well, I’m going to bend the rules a bit. A lot of the blogs I follow I have either already nominated for the Liebster last time or Lidia nominated, so rather than nominate another 23 blogs or repeat nominations, I’ll just nominate a few more for each. Here are the rules for how the Liebster Blog Award works.

The Rules:
• Post 11 random facts about yourself.
• Answer the 11 questions made by the person who nominated you.
• Create 11 questions for the bloggers you pass the award to.
• Choose 11 bloggers to pass the award to and mention them in your post.
• Go to their blogs and let them know that they have been nominated
• No tag backs.

11 Random Facts about me:

  1. I have no middle name.
  2. I hate mushrooms, which is weird for a vegan I think. Lots of vegan food contains mushrooms, but I can’t stand them. I keep trying them every now and then to see if I will grow to like them, but the texture is awful and they don’t seem like food.
  3. I used to not like olives, artichokes, and eggplant, but now I do like them. This is why I keep trying mushrooms.
  4. I like to travel, and I would really like to go to Iceland someday (among many places).
  5. I really want to take a couple months and drive across the US stopping at interesting places along the way.
  6. Someday I would like to write and direct my own feature length film. I have already started on a couple different scripts, but they’re only partially written.
  7. I am a big fan of This American Life and Radiolab.
  8. I have had a lot of pets since I was a child… a parakeet, 2 hamsters, 2 gerbils, a guinea pig, 2 cockatiels, 5 cats, and a handful of fish.
  9. I enjoy working with my hands and have been pushing myself to learn more DIY skills over the last few months.
  10. I have a cat that likes to eat everything…shoe laces, towels, plastic bags, wooden doors, curtains, blankets, cat beds…so I have to pretty much baby proof everything for him.
  11. My favorite flowers are daffodils followed closely by ranunculus.

Lidia’s Question

1. What was the first dish you ever prepared by yourself?

I can’t remember. I’ve been cooking and baking with my parents for as long as I can remember, so the first thing I prepared entirely by myself was probably when I was a young teenager. Most likely it was a cake or cookies or something like that.

2. How adventurous are you in your cooking/baking?

I like to try using new ingredients and recipes from various cultures and regions. I will pretty much try any food as long as it’s vegan. With that said, I do tend to get in ruts and make the same dishes for dinner, but I like to mix it up and find new recipes and ingredients to try when I get bored of the same meals. I also like to make modifications to recipes and rarely follow them exactly as written.

3. What gave you the inspiration to write your blog?

My first inspiration to create The Vegan Kat was the question I would often get, “What do vegans eat?” This was always a hard question to answer because vegans eat a lot of different things. I thought it would be a good idea to start compiling and sharing some recipes so that I had something to point to when asked this question. Also, the blog is helpful as a way to keep track of my favorite recipes, some of which only existed in my head or were scattered about in different places. The blog is an easy way to reference back to recipes and always have them on hand and ready to share with others. Also, I wanted it to be accessible to people who aren’t vegan, but might want to try out a vegan meal or who needed ideas to cook for a vegan friend or relative.

4. What’s your favourite movie?

My career is as a producer and I went to school for TV & Film, so picking a favorite movie is a bit of a challenge for me! I have a lot of favorites so I’ll just list out a few – Amelie, Easy Rider, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Moulin Rouge, Pariah, Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet, The Fantastic Mr. Fox. I’m sure I’m missing a few. I tend to like movies that are realistic with a fantastical element.

5. What book can you not live without?

This is a tough one. My favorite books are A Handmaid’s Tale and the collective works of Kurt Vonnegut. I love to read and have loved many other books, but Margaret Atwood and Kurt Vonnegut always stand out to me. And of course, my Dad is also an author (www.murdomorrison.com). He has written a few books now and is working on another!

6. What’s the best concert you’ve ever seen?

Another tough question! Again I don’t think I can come up with just one answer. Some of my favorites that I’ve seen perform live are Ben Sollee, Erin McKeown, Weezer, Kaki King, Jess Klein, and Jose Gonzalez.

7. How many times have you moved in your life?

I think 7 times, unless I’m missing one.

8. Who inspires you?

So many people inspire me. I would say my first inspiration is my family. Everyone in my immediate family is very talented and creative in their own ways, and being the youngest of the family I always looked up to them and learned a lot from them. In the broader world, I am inspired by Ira Glass for his storytelling on This American Life, Jad Abumrad for his storytelling and editing on Radiolab, all of the musicians I listed in answer #6, Baz Luhrmann, Dee Rees, Margaret Atwood, Kurt Vonnegut, many of the people I have interviewed for segments over the years, Edie Windsor, the Gee’s Bend quilters, Gwen Marston, Vincent Van Gogh… this list could really go on forever.

9. What’s been the best dish you’ve ever made?

It’s too hard to pick just one, so here are a few of my favorite recipes from The Vegan Kat.

Cinnamon Buns from Vegan Yum Yum

Cardamom Cookies

Griddle Scones

Potato Latkes

Stuffing

Pumpkin Bread with Oatmeal Crumble Topping

10. Do you have any fur babies?

We have three cats, Tucker, Zoey, and Juniper.

11. What are your blog goals?

My blog goals are to continue to post new recipes, try new ingredients and new foods, post more about my art, and just continue to grow and hopefully provide recipes that people are interested in trying out.

My questions for the nominees:

  1. What’s your favorite book that you think everyone should read?
  2. What movie or TV series would you recommend watching?
  3. What’s one of your favorite recipes?
  4. If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
  5. If you enjoy traveling, where is your dream destination and why?
  6. Where’s your favorite place that you have travelled even if it’s somewhere close to home?
  7. What are some of your hobbies beyond your blog?
  8. What did you want to be when you grew up? Did you become that?
  9. Stealing one from Lidia… who inspires you?
  10. Name one thing on your bucket list.
  11. Who is your favorite musician or band?

My nominations for the Liebster Blog Award:

And now, the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award:

sisterhood-of-world-blogger-award

The rules for Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award are:

1   Visit and thank the blogger who nominated you.
2   Acknowledge that blogger on your blog and a link back.
3   Answer 10 questions given.
4   Nominate up to 12 bloggers for Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award, provide a link to their blogs in your post, and notify them on their blogs.
5   Copy and paste the award somewhere on your blog.

10 Questions:
What is your favorite color?   — Blue, Green, Purple… I kind of love all colors.
Your favorite animal?   —  Cats, elephants
Your favorite non-alcoholic drinks?  — Peet’s Pumphrey’s Blend Tea, soy lattes, apple cider
Facebook or Twitter?   —  Facebook
Your favorite pattern?   —  plaid, stripes, polka dots
Do you prefer getting or giving presents?  — Giving, especially homemade ones
Your favorite number?    — I don’t really have one
Your favorite day of the week?    — Saturday
Your favorite flower?    — Daffodils and Ranunculus
What is your passion?   —  filmmaking, photography, quilting, cooking, working with my hands, creativity

My nominations for the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award!

 

 

Posted in Food Blogs, Vegan Blogs | Tagged , , , , | 23 Comments »

Vegan Ice Cream Cake

April 25, 2013 by Kathryn Morrison

Growing up, my mom would make me ice cream cakes for my birthday sometimes, and I wanted to try recreating that in a vegan version. I often make my own vegan ice cream and I have a really yummy chocolate cake recipe, but I wanted to try making a yellow cake. I’m so partial to chocolate cake, that I had actually never made a vegan yellow cake. I started hunting around for recipes and one in particular popped up in a few different places. I’m not exactly sure where it originated, but I followed the recipe from the blog The Ramblings and Recipes of a Vegan Goddess. It baked perfectly, rising up nicely, but not too high so it was still easily stack-able. This will definitely become my go-to recipe when I want to make a yellow cake.

I also followed the butter-cream icing recipe from that blog post. I added in some lemon extract and it tasted good and did the job, but it came out more like a thick glaze or thin icing than I was expecting. I probably need to adjust the ratio of powdered sugar to vegan butter next time, or I’ll use the chocolate peanut butter frosting that I make for the Moosewood Chocolate Cake. If you have a good vegan icing recipe that you like, feel free to post it in the comments. I haven’t found a basic vanilla one that I love yet.

For the ice cream filling, I made a basic vegan ice cream base and added in fresh strawberries and chocolate. The fresh strawberries made the texture of the ice cream a little too icy, but fresh fruit tends to do that. It was still yummy though! I would recommend using my Mint Chocolate Chip, Coffee Chocolate Chip, or Almond Pistachio recipes, or invent your own flavor! You could also use a store bought vegan ice cream.

Ingredients for Ice Cream Layer:

2 cups soy creamer
1 cup soy milk divided
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
3/4 cup of sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla
Any extracts or add-ins you choose

Directions for Ice Cream Layer:

  • Note that the ice cream needs to be made the day before so it can be frozen into the same shape as the cakes over night.
  • Mix 1/4 cup of soy milk with 2 tablespoons of arrowroot powder and set aside.
  • Heat up the remaining soy milk, soy creamer, and sugar over medium heat until boiling.
  • Remove from heat and add the vanilla and any other extracts you choose. Then add the soy milk and arrowroot powder mixture. The liquid will thicken because of the arrowroot powder.
  • Put the mixture in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours to fully cool. Freeze according to your ice cream maker directions. The bowl for the ice cream maker usually has to freeze over night before churning.
  • In the last few minutes of churning, add anything else you choose to create the flavor you want – for example chocolate chips, cookie dough, nuts, candy, etc. Line an 8 or 9 inch cake pan with parchment paper, and pour the mixture into the pan. Place it into the fridge overnight to firm up.

Cake Ingredients:

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups cold water
1 cup vegetable oil
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp vanilla extract
4 Tbsp lemon juice

Cake Directions:

  • This recipe makes two 8 or 9 inch cakes for layering. Preheat oven to 375°. Line the bottom of two 8 inch or 9 inch cake pans with parchment paper. Lightly oil or grease the top of the parchment paper and sides of the pans.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl, combine the water, oil, and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
  • Once the batter is mixed, add the freshly squeezed lemon juice. The lemon juice won’t make the cake taste lemony. The acidity of the lemon juice interacts with the baking soda to help the cake rise. Give the batter a quick stir to combine the lemon juice and then immediately pour the batter evenly into the two pans.
  • Bake the cakes for 25-30 minutes. They are done when a toothpick or skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes. Then, gently turn the pans over, supporting the cake with your hand, until the cake comes loose from the bottom of the pan. Flip it over onto the surface you want to ice the cake on. Gently remove the other cake from the pan and place it onto a plate or cooling rack with the bottom facing up. This will make it easier to layer the cakes once they’re cool.
  • Allow the cakes to fully cool. You can put them in the fridge to speed up the process. You don’t want them to be warm since you will be layering ice cream in the middle and it will melt.

Assembling the Ice Cream Cake:

  • While your cake layers are cooling, make your icing. Choose your own favorite icing recipe, try The Vegan Goddess’ recipe, or if you want a chocolate frosting try the Moosewood recipe.
  • Once the layers are completely cool, you are ready to start assembling. Your first cake layer should be on the tray or surface that you want to use to ice and serve the cake. If the cake top is very rounded and puffy, you might want to slice the top off to make it flat. When I made this recipe, however, this wasn’t necessary. Pop the ice cream layer out of the cake pan, using the parchment paper to help you pry it out if needed. Place the ice cream layer centered on top of the bottom cake layer. Place the top cake layer on top of the ice cream layer.
  • Ice the top and sides of the cake. You can decorate the top however you like. I decided to keep it simple, and I dusted some cocoa powder over the top and placed a strawberry in the middle. Keep the cake in the freezer until you’re ready to serve it. If it melts, the ice cream and frosting will run down the sides, so you don’t want to leave it out too long.

Posted in Holidays, Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments »

New Spring Garden Additions

April 22, 2013 by Kathryn Morrison

This past weekend I feel like I visited every garden center within a 20 mile radius. Okay, it certainly wasn’t every one, but we went to at least 7. I wouldn’t say I have a green thumb. I’m actually not that great at keeping plants alive, which is maybe why I’ve come to adore succulents and cacti so much. They don’t die as easily. I’ve been trying to learn more about gardening in hopes of keeping our new landscaping efforts alive and well. We’ve been doing tons of yard work, and have made some pretty big changes.

I could kick myself for not taking a before picture to show how big the change has been, but let me set the scene. The front of the house used to have 8 Emerald Green Arborvitae. Three were behind the bushes you see in the photo. Two of those bushes used to be near the tree and we moved them back to be in a row of four. There was also a large unidentified bush in the back on the right. The other 5 arborvitae were in a row right behind the tree. Basically there were so many bushes you could barely see the house. We dug up and moved all of the arborvitae to the back yard. The large unidentifiable bush wasn’t in great shape, so we cut it down and dug out the root ball.

Update! I did find an old picture after posting this! Here it is:

Picture 2

As you can see in the photo, all that work left us with a blank slate this past weekend, hence the many garden center trips.

Starting with a Blank Slate

We put in a lot of new small plants around the tree including Elijah Blue Fescue, Silvermound Artemesia, marigolds, coleus, and candytuft.

New Flowers

Blue Fescue, Marigolds, Silvermound Artemesia, Candytuft, Coleus

We also potted a few plants for the steps and the porch including Gerbera daisies, ranunculus, and some more coleus and Candytuft.

Gerbera Daisies

Red Ranunculus

Yellow Ranunculus

I couldn’t resist adding a few new little succulents to my growing window garden. I’ve been eying up various types of stonecrop, and had to buy this cute little light green one when I saw it. I got a couple other little succulents to add to the pot.

Succulents

I also fell for this tiny little fern. It’s hard to get the scale from this photo, but the fern is only about 3 inches tall and I potted it in a little bonsai pot.

Fern

And here’s another shot of the whole window succulent garden.

SucculentWindowGarden

It got really cold out the past couple nights, so I’m hoping that the outdoor plants survive. They seem to be doing okay so far. Hopefully we are past the point of frost! Anyway, all of this gardening has kept me from cooking as much, but I do have a few new recipes in the works for upcoming posts. I just wanted to share what I’ve been up to these past couple weeks. I’m glad to have most of the gardening finished. Turns out it’s also a good way to meet neighbors! Everyone who walked by said hi and commented on the gardening. It helped keep up the momentum to continue working even though it was pretty exhausting at times. I have to say, despite the hard work, it was also fun and I’m happy with the results of my first time landscaping efforts!

Posted in DIY | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Vegan Pie Crust Recipe

April 10, 2013 by Kathryn Morrison

Homemade pie crust is one of those things that can be intimidating to make the first time, but it’s actually not that hard. I got a new pie plate and a pie bird for Christmas, so I wanted to try them out. I veganized a pie crust recipe from The Joy of Cooking to make an apple pie a little while back and the crust came out perfectly. Everyone has their own way of making pie crust, but this one works really well for me.

Growing up, my mom always made her own pie crusts, and she’s really good at it. Maybe I’m just spoiled, but I think homemade pie crust is so much better than frozen store bought crust! It’s really worth the effort to make it yourself. Try out this recipe with your favorite filling. It makes enough for the top and bottom crust for a 9 inch pie plate. It could also work as the top of a pot pie if you added in some savory spices like thyme or rosemary.

A few tips before you start… The recipe calls for using ice cold water. The reason that you want cold water is so the shortening and vegan butter don’t melt in the dough. On that note, the shortening and vegan butter should also be cold when you start working with them. Don’t leave the vegan butter out to soften up. Another important thing is not to overwork the dough or it will get tough. Just do enough to get everything combined. The amount of water you need to add can also vary greatly depending on a lot of different factors. Just pay attention to the dough and only add a little at a time until you have just enough. If you’re wondering what a pie bird is, it’s a little ceramic bird that is open on the bottom and the beak. It helps vent steam out of your pie while it bakes. They help prevent the filling from boiling up and breaking through the crust.

If you want some very detailed and more scientific info about making pie crust and the various factors that come into play, check out this post on Serious Eats called The Food Lab: The Science of Pie Dough.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp vegan sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup Spectrum vegetable shortening
1 cup vegan butter (Earth Balance or Smart Balance) or another cup of vegetable shortening
1/3 + 1 tbsp (and maybe more) of ice cold water

Directions:

  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Stir so they are well combined.
  • Break the vegan butter and shortening into chunks and add them to the dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter or fork, cut the shortening into the dry ingredients. The mixture will start to form crumbs, with some of the shortening and vegan butter remaining in about pea size clumps. Don’t over mix it. It should be dry and crumby, not pasty like a dough or batter.
  • Slowly drizzle 1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp of ice cold water over the mixture. Using a spatula, gently cut the water into the mixture so it’s evenly distributed. It will start to form into balls of dough that should stick together if you press them together. If the dough won’t come together, continue to add ice cold water 1 tbsp at a time until it does. The dough should be a little on the dry and flaky side however, so don’t add too much water. You can use your hands or the spatula to gently coax the dough together. It’s not going to look smooth like bread dough. It will be a rougher texture. It’s okay to still see little bits of the shortening and butter in the dough. Don’t overwork the dough. Just do enough to get everything combined.
  • Separate the dough into two even balls and wrap them tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate them for at least half an hour, but it’s best to leave it several hours.
  • When you’re ready to use the dough, preheat the oven to 425°. Roll the dough out on a floured surface using a floured rolling pin until it has formed a circle big enough for your pie plate. If any holes form, patch them with extra dough. Using the rolling pin to support the dough, pick it up and place it flat in the pie plate. Pinch off excess dough that hangs over the sides.
  • If you’re using a pie bird, place the pie bird in the middle of the crust and fill the pie with your favorite fruit filling around the pie bird. The bird’s head should be sticking out of the top of the fruit. Then roll out the dough for the top in the same way you rolled the bottom. Lift it up with the rolling pin and place it on top of the filling. Cut a little x in the center of the dough so the head of the pie bird can peak through the crust. Crimp down the edges of the dough to form a seal, removing excess dough as you go. If you aren’t using a pie bird, you’ll want to poke the top crust with a fork 6-8 times around the top so the steam can vent.
  • Before baking the pie, I brushed on a little soy milk and sprinkled on some cinnamon sugar, but this is optional. I like the texture and golden color it creates on top though.
  • Bake the pie at 425° for 30 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350° and bake 30 to 45 minutes more. The top of the pie should look golden brown and you should see thick juice bubbling around the edges when it’s done. Pull the pie out of the oven and let it cool. Enjoy!

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