More from the Veganomicon: Jelly Donut Cupcakes

My husband loves sweets.  He also loves cupcakes and jelly donuts.  When I gave him the Veganomicon and told him to choose a recipe, of course, he choose Jelly Donut Cupcakes.  He's been very patiently waiting for me to make them during the last three weeks.  I finally made them last night.  Here's what happened.

Here I am mixing the cornstarch, apple cider, almond milk mix.

Mixing the wet and dry ingredients.

Filling the cupcakes.  I've found that a scant 1/3 cup will fill the cupcakes about 3/4 full

Filled cupcakes awaiting the jelly

I didn't quite get the jelly in the center of the cupcake, but it still looks good.

Cupcakes waiting to be put in the oven.

Finished cupcakes.  It's slightly magical how the jelly sinks and the batter covers it.

All they need is powdered sugar.

As the recipe states, these cupcakes are much better the next day after the tops harden.  I didn't care for these because they were too sweet for me, and I didn't like the nutmeg.  My husband thought the nutmeg gave them a more authentic donut flavor, but wants me to make another batch without the nutmeg just to be sure.  I will be making these for my husband again, but I probably won't eat any.

Veganomicon Review: Part I

This review is a few days late, and I apologize for that, but I figured it was better to put this up late than never at all.  Here are my thoughts on The Veganomicon.

Layout

• Is the layout clear?
• Yes, I thought this book was very clearly divided into different sections such as introduction, recipes, and meal plans.
• Are you able to easily tell the ingredients apart for the instructions and the notes?
• Notes and ingredients are written in a different font and tips are boxed off, so this was very easy to follow.
• Are the instructions easy to follow?
• Yes, I did read a few of the instruction wrong, but that was my fault for not turning the page.
• Are the recipes numbered or is the section labeled?
• Sections are labeled and easy to use.

Aesthetics

• Does the cookbook feature photos?
• In the middle of the book there is a photo section.
• If yes, is there a photo for every recipe?
• No, I love cookbooks with a lot of photos, but for a book this size a photo with every recipe cannot be expected.
• Do the photos of the recipes look like the actual results?
• Yes, the photos are very realistic and not fussy.
• What kind of paper is the book printed on?
• The paper is thick and off-white.  It has a nice feel to it, and unlike the glossy paper in many cookbooks, I can actually write notes in this book without smearing the pen.
• How is the quality of the photos?
• The quality does not look professional, but I really like that.  These are realistic looking photos, and I appreciate that.

Recipes

• How many recipes are in the cookbook?
• I didn't count, but I think around 250
• What kinds of recipes will you find in this cookbook?
• There is a little bit of everything here: brunch, sandwiches, pastas, desserts, etc.
• Is there a theme to the recipes?
• No theme, but the recipes are all dinner type dishes to be served in a home.
• Are the recipes complex or simple? would they be good for seasoned cooks and/or beginners?
• I thought most of the recipes were fairly simple.  I've been cooking for a long time, but this is only my second vegan cookbook.  I think this book is appropriate for anyone.

Ingredients and supplies

• Are the recipe ingredients easy to find?
• I live in a really tiny Mid Western town, and I did not have any problem finding any of the ingredients.  I also like that some of the recipes are marked supermarket friendly for people in my situation.
• Are there any items that stand out as being expensive or specialty?
• Rice paper and a bamboo sushi mat would be difficult to find here, but other than that, no problems.
• Are there particular appliances that will be required such as blenders, juicers, dehydrators, ect?
• Occasionally a food processor is suggested and the above mentioned rolling mat.
• Does this cookbook provide additional useful information?
• I use this book all the time as a reference for cooking grains.  I can never remember how much water and time rice requires, so this book is pulled out every time.
• What additional information beyond recipes does this cookbook include? Is it easy to follow?
• This book has a section at the beginning about grains and vegetables.  I think the instructions are great and would be helpful for people who are afraid to cook without a recipe.

Recipes I've made:

I've made several recipes from this book, but only have pictures of a few.  Here's what I made and what I thought:

Creole Stuffed Peppers

I thought these stuffed peppers were amazing.  I come from a family who has always made very traditional beef-stuffed peppers.  These were just as good if not better than the original.  The recipe had a lot of steps, but it was worth it.  Next time, I might make the filling and add stuffing to it to get rid of a few steps.

Chocolate Chip Brownie Waffles

My husband is a huge fan of dessert for breakfast, so I knew I had to make these.  They were too sweet for breakfast for my tastes, but I will be making these again and serving with ice cream for a dessert.  These had a great chewy brownie texture and were very easy to make.

Banana-Nut Waffles (Pictured below)

I'm not a huge fan of walnuts because I think they're bitter, so next time I'll use pecans, but these were a great breakfast.  They made a very large batch, so I froze most of them, and they will be quick toaster breakfasts in the future.  Like all of Isa's waffle recipes, these were easy to make.

Black Bean Burgers

Yum!  I was surprised with these at first because I was expecting more of a burger texture, but after the first few bites I decided I loved these.  I had trouble getting them thin enough, but I have a burger press now, so I will be remaking these this week to see if I can get a crispier texture.  I think this an excellent burger alternative.  This was my first time working with vital wheat gluten, I really like the texture it has, and I think I'm ready to try making seitan now.

Snobby Joes

My husband requested these, and I was out of chili powder.  I subbed a hotter pepper powder, so I wasn't able to eat very much of these sandwiches.  I liked the texture and flavor.  It was very close to a sloppy joe with meat that I'm used to.  I will make these again with the correct ingredients.

Lemony Roasted Potatoes (Pictured below)

If I had correctly read the recipe these would've been great.  I didn't look at the second page, and as a result, had underdone potatoes.  We ate these with supper and were very underwhelmed.  However, I had these leftover the next two days at lunch, and they got better each day.  I think this would be a great side for a Greek meal.  I will be making these again.

Smlove Pie

There are a lot of steps to this pie, but it is worth the time.  My husband requested this recipe.  I ended up making him 2 of these in one weekend because he polished off the first so quickly.  This was fed to many people who had never had, and couldn't believe there was tofu in it.  I sometimes make the maple pecans and put them in salads.  This will be a favorite dessert for many years to come.

Jelly Donut Cupcakes (full post on this next time)

Lemony Roasted Potatoes, underdone here.

I can never make "pretty" waffles.

My overall impressions of the book are good.  This is a book that I will go to time and time again.  I feel this way about all of Isa's books.  I think this book is easy to use and has a variety of recipes and tips that make it an important addition to any cookbook collection whether vegan or not.