SERVES 8
TOTAL TIME: 55 MINUTES
Gingerbread is a holiday must.
| 1 | cup Earth Balance “butter” |
| 1 | cup cane sugar |
| 2 | teaspoons grated fresh ginger |
| ½ | cup molasses |
| ½ | cup warm water |
| 2½ | cups whole wheat pastry flour |
| 1 | tablespoon baking soda |
| ½ | teaspoon salt |
| 2 | teaspoons powdered ginger |
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Cut an 8-inch round of wax or parchment paper. Grease and flour the side and bottom an 8-inch round cake pan and fit the prepared paper in the bottom.
3. In a large bowl, beat the Earth Balance “butter,” sugar, and fresh ginger together until the mixture is light.
4. In a separate small bowl, mix the molasses with ½ cup warm water.
5. In another bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, salt, and powdered ginger together.
6. Add the molasses mixture to the Earth Balance “butter”-and-sugar mixture.
7. Add the flour mixture and stir just until the ingredients are blended but with no large lumps.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
9. Allow the gingerbread to cool in the pan and invert to remove.
SERVES 4
TOTAL TIME: 20 MINUTES
Crepes are always a huge hit. You won’t see them served that much anymore. So do it—don’t be scared! They are no harder than pancakes.
| 1½ | cups whole wheat flour |
| ½ | teaspoon sea salt |
| 1 | tablespoon tapioca flour or arrowroot |
| 2½ | cups water |
| 1 | tablespoon canola oil, plus extra for cooking Earth Balance “butter” |
| Cane sugar |
1. Heat your crepe or sauté pan over medium heat.
2. Sift the flour, salt, and tapioca flour through a fine-mesh strainer or sifter into a large bowl. Whisk together.
3. Add the water and oil, and whisk again until well combined.
4. If you are using a nonstick pan, use only a very light coating of oil. Ideally, use a pastry brush to spread out a very small drop of oil.
5. Use a 
-cup measuring cup to scoop the batter.
6. Hold the pan at a 45-degree angle, pour in the batter at the top of the pan, and quickly swirl the pan in a circular motion to spread out the batter into a very thin layer. Adjust the amount of batter to suit the size of the pan you are using. The crepes should be very, very thin.
7. Cook for about 3 minutes on the first side, or until bubbles appear over the whole crepe. Flip and cook for about 1 more minute.
8. Fold the crepe in half, then in half again. Lay it on a plate or baking tray while you work on the others.
9. Serve immediately with a generous helping of Earth Balance “butter” or cane sugar. Or serve with the Strawberry-Rhubarb Crepe Filling below.
SERVES 10
TOTAL TIME: 5 MINUTES
Here is a yummy filling!
| 1 | cup frozen strawberries, thawed |
| 1 | cup frozen rhubarb, thawed |
| ¼ | cup agave |
| Pinch of sea salt | |
| 4 | cups banana, cut into half-moons |
1. Blend the strawberries, rhubarb, agave and salt until smooth.
2. Either fill the middle of a crepe with some sliced bananas and about 2 tablespoons of the sauce, or just top the crepes with both the bananas and the sauce and enjoy.
SERVES 8
ACTIVE TIME: 20 MINUTES
TOTAL TIME: 35 MINUTES
I love to use an old tin mold. It’s not that much trouble to make an ice cream bombe, and it’s so much more festive than a scoop of ice cream. All you need is a mold, which you can pick up anywhere or order online. You can use dairy-free vanilla ice cream. When I was growing up we had a wonderful chef who used to make this. I loved seeing the ice cream come out of the mold and be garnished with chocolate or fruit.
| 1 | gallon dairy-free ice cream |
| Shaved dark chocolate or berries or both |
1. Remove the ice cream from the freezer and mix in a bowl to soften, about 10 minutes.
2. Press ice cream into the mold, stopping an inch or two from the top.
3. Shave in dark chocolate or add a layer of berries.
4. Cover with remaining ice cream.
5. Put in freezer until frozen solid, about 2 hours.
6. Hold mold under hot water for a few seconds and invert onto a plate.
7. Remove mold from ice cream and sprinkle bombe with shaved dark chocolate.
SERVES 14
ACTIVE TIME: 15 MINUTES
TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR AND 15 MINUTES
These delicious bars are a great grab-and-go snack.
| 2 | cups organic unsweetened almond milk |
| 1½ | cups organic steel-cut oats |
| ½ | cup chopped pecans |
| ½ | cup raisins |
| 1½ | cup ground flaxseeds |
| 2 | teaspoons vanilla extract |
| ½ | teaspoons ground cinnamon |
| 2 | Pink Lady apples, cored and grated |
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.
3. Transfer to a foil- or parchment paper-lined 9-inch square baking pan; press down mixture and smooth out the top.
4. Bake until firm and golden brown, about 1 hour.
5. Let cool in pan.
6. Cut into squares and serve warm or at room temperature.
MAKES 50
TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR AND 45 MINUTES
Who doesn’t love PB&J? And with the added benefits of dark chocolate?
PEANUT BUTTER FILLING:
| 7½ | ounces dairy-free white chocolate, chopped |
| ¼ | cup Earth Balance “butter” |
| ¾ | cup peanut butter |
| 1 | teaspoon sea salt |
CHOCOLATE CUPS:
| 1½ | pounds bittersweet dairy-free chocolate, chopped and tempered. Most high-quality chocolate is already tempered. Check the label, because the process is complicated. |
| 50 | (1¼-inch-wide), sturdy foil cups |
 |
cup seedless raspberry jam or currant or grape jelly |
| Sea salt, for garnish |
FOR THE FILLING:
1. In a small saucepan, melt chocolate in Earth Balance “butter.”
2. Stir in the peanut butter and salt.
3. Transfer the filling to a piping bag fitted with a medium tip
FOR THE CHOCOLATE CUPS:
1. Spoon the tempered chocolate mixture into a piping bag fitted with a small tip.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Set half the foil cups on the sheet and fill them with chocolate. Tilt the cups to coat them completely, then pour the excess chocolate into a bowl.
4. Turn the coated cups upside down on the baking sheet and let stand for 30 seconds.
5. Turn the cups right side up and let stand until the chocolate is firm, about 10 minutes.
6. Repeat to make the remaining chocolate cups.
FINISH THE CUPS:
1. Half-fill the cups with the peanut butter.
2. Spoon a rounded ½ teaspoon jam over the peanut butter.
3. Pipe chocolate on top of the jam
4. Tap gently to level the chocolate.
5. Top with a few flakes of sea salt.
6. Let stand until set, about 15 minutes.
Ice Cream Bombe. The little critters I got in Merano, Italy at their Christmas fair. They are made from bark.
