!!! DESSERTS
Our childhood friends were envious of our mom’s exotic culinary ways in the kitchen. She would serve us galbi, Korean-style short ribs, ja ja mein—buckwheat noodles in a rich, dark sauce with tiny cubed potatoes, topped off with cucumber slivers and scallions—and omi rice, a mound of fried rice covered with a flat omelette so thin you could see through it. Our mom never took shortcuts; she was always cooking up a storm, and as long as she wasn’t preparing Western food, we knew we were going to dine like royalty. Yet one thing was always missing—dessert. Even though she’s a chocoholic, desserts just weren’t on the Korean menu.
Our American friends always had desserts, though, and so would Justin.
How best to end a meal—and our cookbook—than with these sumptuous desserts? From our Golden Butter Cake to our Peach Cobbler to Justin’s 5-Star Truffles, your child will always feel special in the sweetest way. And that is how it should be.
Applesauce Cake with Dream-Cheeze Glazing
When it comes to baking for children with egg allergies, applesauce is a godsend. It’s also a fantastic way to sneak fruit into a diet. This cake had been a staple in Ginger’s kitchen for years, but the minute non-dairy cream cheese became available on the market, she couldn’t resist experimenting with a sweet glaze to finish off the cake. When Justin first tried it, he was admittedly nervous, especially now that he understood the serious nature of his allergies. But fear not. His eyes lit up like they did on his first birthday when he tasted vanilla ice cream cake—only this time, no hives.
Success!
CAKE
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus some for dusting the pan
2⁄3 cup soy butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
1 cup raisins
GLAZE
8 ounces non-dairy cream cheese
1⁄3 cup soy butter
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and lightly flour an 8 × 8 × 2-inch cake pan.
In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the applesauce and beat until smooth. Stir in the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cornstarch, and water. Mix in the raisins.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Set aside to cool.
To make the glaze, using an electric mixer, cream together the non-dairy cream cheese and soy butter. Sift in the confectioners’ sugar. Add the vanilla and whip until creamy. Glaze the cake while it is in the pan and then cut to serve.
Yields one 8-inch cake
A Birthday Cake for Justin
We made this cake for Justin’s second birthday, and now a birthday isn’t a birthday without this cake. One slice of this rich, moist, chocolate chip–studded cake is never enough. Though made without eggs or butter, amazingly this cake can stand up to any cake, even one from a fancy bakery box.
CAKE
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2⁄3 cup canola oil
2 cups water
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup dairy-free semisweet chocolate chips
BUTTERCREAM ICING
½ cup vegetable shortening, preferably non-hydrogenated
½ cup soy butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons soy milk
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and beat until smooth.
Pour the batter into the prepared pans. The batter will be thinner than your usual cake batter. Fear not, this cake is rich and moist. Bake the cakes for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
To make the buttercream icing, in a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together the shortening and soy butter. Beat in the vanilla. Add the sugar a cup at a time, beating it in well. Add the milk and beat until light and fluffy.
Once cakes are cooled, ice to your heart’s content.
Yields one 9-inch layer cake
Tip: Cut out parchment paper rounds, line the bottom of the cake pans, and lightly flour for easier release of the cakes.
Golden Butter Cake
Our mom is famously the original chocoholic in our family; however, she’s also a pound cake freak. So for her birthday, she usually requests this “buttery” cake with chocolate icing. Having polished off her first bite, she’s been known to exclaim, “I can’t believe it’s not butter!”
CAKE
1½ cups soy butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 cups vanilla soy milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup soft tofu
4 cups cake flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
CHOCOLATE DECADENCE ICING
1 cup soy butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2⁄3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ cup vanilla soy milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon sea salt
2½ cups confectioners’ sugar
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray; cut out parchment paper rounds, line the bottom of the cake pans, and lightly flour for easier release of the cakes,
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together the soy butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla soy milk, vanilla, and tofu and mix until combined; the consistency will be a bit lumpy.
In a separate large bowl, combine the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and, using an electric mixer, mix on low for 2 minutes. Increase the speed to high and beat for 2 minutes more, or until thick and creamy.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans. Bake the cakes for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
To make the chocolate icing, in a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together the soy butter, cinnamon, and cocoa until smooth. Add the vanilla soy milk, vanilla, and salt and mix until thoroughly combined. Add the confectioners’ sugar, ½ cup at a time, and mix in on low speed. Once all the sugar is combined, beat on high speed for 3 minutes more, or until light and creamy.
Once cakes are cooled, ice to your heart’s content.
Yields one 9-inch round two-layer cake
Peach Cobbler
In the sixth grade, Justin began studying the Westward Expansion. Because our mom often tunes into old Westerns like Wagon Train and The Virginian (they take her back to her fondest days in this country), Justin was familiar with the cowboy eating experience—chewing on jerky, and eating beans off of tin plates.
But then one of the students’ moms brought in an example of food from that period: a peach cobbler. Naturally, all of his classmates gobbled it up while Justin watched.
“She said she made it in a Dutch oven,” he told his mom.
Hint, hint.
Our peach cobbler is made in a conventional oven, but is every bit as tempting as any made in a Dutch oven. Wonderful with soy ice cream or soy whipped cream.
PEACH FILLING
6 large ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and cut into thin wedges
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons cornstarch
COBBLER BATTER
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
6 tablespoons unsalted soy butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
¼ cup boiling water
TOPPING
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons white sugar
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
In a large bowl, combine the peaches, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Mix well and pour into a 9 × 11-inch glass baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in another large bowl, make the batter. Combine the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the soy butter and mix with your hands until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the water until just combined.
Remove the peach filling from the oven and drop large spoonfuls of the batter over the peaches. Sprinkle the peach cobbler with the cinnamon-sugar topping. Bake the cobbler until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
Yields 10 to 12 servings
Deep Dark Chocolate Pudding
Even though Justin is in high school now, there are certain foods we remember feeding him for the first time, and this is one of them. Our memory: His anticipation at our sides while we prepared this pudding, his young face as the spoon went toward his lips, and the smile that followed. No disappointment here—a silky, velvety, chocolaty treat is part of what childhood is all about.
2 tablespoons cornstarch
½ cup sugar
¼ cup high-quality unsweetened cocoa powder
2½ cups soy milk
1 tablespoon soy butter
6 ounces semisweet chocolate (62% cocoa content), chopped
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the cornstarch, sugar, and cocoa. Slowly whisk in approximately ½ cup of the milk and continue to whisk until smooth in texture. Slowly add the remaining milk, and cook, continuously whisking, until thick, about 3 minutes.
When the mixture has thickened, remove the pan from the heat. Slowly stir in the soy butter, chopped chocolate, and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated.
Divide the pudding among individual ramekins or serving bowls. Serve immediately or refrigerate, covered tightly with plastic wrap, until chilled.
Yields 4 servings
Apple-of-My-Eye Pie
When we discovered an all-natural dairy-free apple pie at the market, we were thrilled. We brought it home and sliced it up.
“Here, Justin!”
After a few bites, however, Justin seemed less than thrilled. Soon we understood why: Neither the crust nor the apples were completely cooked through. The next time we bought the pie, it was fine. Yet over time, the pie proved inconsistent; sometimes it was good, sometimes underbaked.
When you turn out your own pie, it’s perfect every time!
APPLE PIE FILLING
½ cup soy butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ cup water
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup lightly packed light brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
7 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
PIECRUST
2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon sea salt
2⁄3 cup shortening, preferably non-hydrogenated
6 tablespoons cold water
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the soy butter. Add the flour and stir until the consistency is pasty. Add the water, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Set aside.
To make the piecrust, in a medium bowl, combine the flour and salt. Using a fork or pastry cutter, cut in the shortening until the mixture is crumbly. Slowly add the water, and toss with a fork until the dough forms a ball. Divide the dough into 2 balls, one slightly larger than the other.
On a floured surface, roll out the larger ball to fit a 9-inch pie pan. Transfer the dough to the pie pan and fill with the peeled and sliced apples. Pour the reserved butter mixture over the apples.
Roll out the second dough ball, cut slits into the dough, and use to cover the top of the pie. Pinch the edges of the dough together. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350°F and cook for 35 minutes longer, or until the apple filling begins bubbling through the upper piecrust slits.
Yields one 9-inch pie
Justin’s 5-Star Truffles
Fungi truffles from the ground are often described as “diamonds in the kitchen.” And when it comes to rustic-looking chocolate truffles—named after the real thing—they’re the diamonds in our shop, eliciting countless “mmms” from our customers all day long. Fortunately, Justin can eat chocolate—dairy-free dark chocolate, that is. Since our shop’s House Truffle is laced with heavy cream and butter—pure poison to Justin—we had to experiment like any good food scientist in the kitchen lab. Sous chef Francie helped Ginger create the perfect cocoa-dusted truffle just for Justin. These sinfully mouthwatering nuggets of pleasure, with a hint of cinnamon, rival any in our shop.
When our young food critic tasted his first truffle, he raised five cocoa-covered fingers and exclaimed, “Five-stars!”
Then he high-fived us both.
You can make these truffles with or without a chocolate shell. True, this process is a messy one but a fun, kid-friendly project. Like finger painting!
TRUFFLES
16 ounces dairy-free semisweet chocolate chips
2⁄3 cup soy creamer
6 tablespoons soy butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1⁄3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
OPTIONAL CHOCOLATE SHELL
2 pounds dairy-free semisweet chocolate chips, for chocolate shell (optional)
In a large glass microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips and soy creamer. Microwave for 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Add the soy butter and vanilla and continue to whisk until velvety. Pour the chocolate mixture, known as a ganache, into a 13 × 9 × 2-inch glass baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
In the meantime, combine the cocoa and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside. When the ganache is chilled, using a mini ice cream scoop, form 1-inch balls.
If coating with an optional chocolate shell, freeze the balls for 2 to 3 hours. If not, roll each ball in the cocoa-cinnamon mixture. The truffles are ready to eat now, or store in the freezer or refrigerator in an airtight container.
To make the optional chocolate shell you need to understand tempering. Tempering chocolate is a process of heating and cooling chocolate for dipping, allowing the crystals in the chocolate to be distributed and suspended evenly throughout the final product to ensure the perfect snap, taste, and beautiful patina to your truffles. If you don’t temper the chocolate, bloom will occur: cocoa butter separates from the chocolate, causing it to cast a white film.
Put two-thirds of the chocolate chips into a large microwave-safe glass bowl. Set aside the remaining one-third of the chocolate chips. Place the bowl in the microwave oven on half-power and heat for 1 minute. Remove from the microwave and stir. Repeat this process at least 5 times, or until the chocolate is completely melted, making sure not to burn the chocolate. Remove the bowl from the microwave; the temperature of the chocolate should be approximately 110°F. Stir in the remaining one-third chocolate chips; the temperature of the chocolate should cool down to approximately 85°F.
Now the messy process begins! You can use a fork, but your fingers work better: Hold a frozen ganache ball with two fingers and dip it into the warm bath of chocolate, covering the entire ball. Shake off excess chocolate from your fingers. Place the coated ganache ball onto a wax or parchment paper–lined baking sheet and repeat until all the balls are dipped. Allow your truffles to set for 10 minutes.
For the finishing touch, place half the cocoa and half the cinnamon in a large plastic ziplock bag. Place half of the set truffles into the bag and gently shake until each truffle is coated. Repeat the process to coat the remaining truffles.
Serve your 5-Star Truffles at room temperature, or store in the freezer or refrigerator for future indulgence.
Yields about 45 truffles
ALLERGY REPORT 2011–2012
AGE: THIRTEEN
Despite the allergist’s recommendation for Justin to undergo RAST blood tests, we waited almost a full year before subjecting him, and frankly us. It’s painful to get your hopes up, only to have them dashed. And, of course, imagine the child: Although Justin was a brave kid who rarely complained, we’d be kidding ourselves to think that his spirits went unscathed by being the most allergic child in his class, year after year. It was July, and soon Justin would be entering the eighth grade. No longer our “little guy,” he was taller than both of us now and his voice was changing. We hoped for one more change.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to start out the school year on a good food note?
On the day of the appointment to learn the blood test results (the doctor’s office wouldn’t divulge the results over the phone), Francie was too nervous to go with Ginger and Justin. The image of her nephew drinking milk had been playing like a film in her head every day. But that didn’t mean he could drink milk today. Nearly two long hours after the scheduled appointment, she finally got the call from Justin.
“The doctor says I’ve outgrown my milk and egg allergy!”
Yelling in the background was Ginger, who couldn’t contain her excitement. “And his peanut numbers were low, too! The doctor’s confident he’ll outgrow his peanut allergy someday!”
Apparently, Justin tested negative for milk and egg allergy. But before he could celebrate with a milk shake or an omelet, he would have to undergo a cooked food challenge that could be performed at home with both allergens cooked into muffins and baked at 400 degrees for a minimum of twenty minutes to break down the milk and egg protein, thus reducing the possibility of a severe allergic reaction. If there was no reaction, Justin would undergo the next test—an in-office raw food challenge.
Ginger, however, just wasn’t quite comfortable with conducting the cooked food challenge at home, and insisted it be done in a controlled environment. So be it.
On the day of the “Cooked Milk and Egg Challenge,” Francie met Ginger, Justin, and Skip at the allergist’s office. All of us were cautiously excited.
Ginger, as instructed by the allergist, had previously made a dozen muffins, containing one cup of milk and two eggs that she had baked at 400 degrees for twenty minutes, and had brought several of these muffins with her. However, we soon learned she was supposed to bake some muffins containing milk and other muffins containing egg. That way, if Justin had a reaction to a muffin, they could identify which allergen was the culprit. Darn it, the in-office food challenge was cancelled.
“But based on his RAST results,” the allergist confidently stated, “you can do the challenge at home.”
We left the office a bit deflated by the setback. A little nervous, too: Conduct the food challenge at home?
Back at home, Ginger went to work in the kitchen, making a batch of muffins with a cup of milk—basically our Round-the-Clock “Milk” Muffins but substituting real milk for the soy milk. The doctor’s orders were to initially have Justin eat one-sixth of a muffin and wait twenty minutes. If he had no adverse reaction, Ginger was to give him another portion, until Justin had digested half the muffin. We followed our instructions and.…
Success!
The following day, we gave him one-third of a muffin every twenty minutes until the whole muffin was gone.
Success!
The day after that, we began feeding Justin one muffin a day for a week. Then we repeated this at-home food challenge with muffins that also contained two eggs.
Success!
The time had come for another food challenge in a controlled environment, but this time we were talking a raw food challenge.
* * *
We returned to the allergist’s office in August toting a bag of shredded cheddar cheese, a carton of milk, and a digital camera—after all, this could be The Big Day! Justin’s appointment was for 9:30 A.M. Francie took two pictures of Justin on the examination table waiting for the nurse. We held our breaths, and looked at the clock above the examination table. Tick, tock. The nurse brought in his food sample, just a few shreds of cheddar cheese, on a white plastic spoon. As Justin was taking his first taste of cheese, Francie snapped another picture.
Justin winced. “This tastes weird!”
“Of course it does,” Ginger told him. “You’ve never tasted real cheese before.”
He shrugged, unimpressed. “I like my cheese better.”
All eyes were on the patient. Momentarily, the allergist joined us. At first Justin seemed fine but in a few minutes he said: “My throat feels a little funny.”
The allergist didn’t panic. She asked Justin if he felt like his throat was swelling or closing up.
Justin shook his head. “It just felt strange, but it feels fine now,” he said.
The allergist indicated that Justin might be reacting because this was the first milk protein to touch his throat since his first birthday. But soon a tiny hive developed on his neck. She explained that the hive could be either allergy- or emotionally induced. After all, there were a lot of nerves going around the room. She asked the nurse to bring Justin some Benadryl.
“To be on the safe side,” the allergist said, “why don’t you continue your home food challenge, slowly increasing Justin’s muffin intake to a few a day with meals and in lieu of other snacks? That will build up his tolerance, and we can retest him in the near future.”
“OK,” Ginger said as we all exchanged sighs. We’d been hoping for a more celebratory day. Definitive news.
Just then Skip noticed something. By now it was past ten o’clock but the clock read 9:44.
“Doctor, I think your clock stopped.”
The allergist looked surprised. “You’re right.”
Later that day, Francie loaded the pictures onto her laptop. That’s when she noticed something unusual: In the picture of Justin waiting for the nurse, the clock on the wall read 9:39. In the picture where he took his first bite of cheese, it read 9:44. But the clock never moved past that minute. In other words, that’s when the clock stopped.
We took this as a sign: Perhaps Justin was on his way to outgrowing his allergies—but now wasn’t quite the time.
* * *
In the summer of 2012, we decided it was time for another raw-food challenge in the doctor’s office. Justin was a little tentative—anticipating an allergic reaction is never fun and, indeed, nerves alone can cause hives!—but he was ready to give it another try. After all, living an allergy-free life would be a dream come true. However, when we called to make an appointment, the office receptionist informed us that Justin’s doctor had just given birth to twins, and was on indefinite maternity leave. Like the clock, maybe this was another sign. Instead of starting the process over with a new doctor, we decided to wait on the raw-food challenge and continue with our home food challenge—cooking eggs and milk into Justin’s food in order to build up his tolerance. Was Justin a little disappointed?
“Nah,” he replied. “How can I be disappointed when I eat like a king?”
Yes, Justin was happy, and that’s all that really mattered.