The Wicked Good Vegan

Today I’m hosting the April 2013 edition of the Gluten-Free Ratio Rally, and I couldn’t be more excited! The theme this month is shortbread. And endless summer…

For this June’s edition of the Gluten-Free Ratio Rally, I tackled vegan, gluten-free bread. The result? A bread that’s soft and chewy on the inside and crusty on the outside, which can be made into rolls or loaves. No gluten? No gums? No eggs? No problem.

These bagels are chewy on the inside and crispy on the outside. The dough is stretchy. They don’t fall apart when boiled. And yet there’s neither gluten nor gums in them. Sensitive tummies of the world, rejoice! (For those of you on RSS: pop on over to the WGV to check out the site updates! Huzzah!)

Few things say joy like chocolate chip cookies. If there’s a vegan in your life, or someone who happens not to be able to tolerate gluten, then I promise that you’ll make that person’s day by baking them chocolate chip cookies that they can eat. Make a baker’s dozen and keep one for the baker!

Soy-free, gluten-free, vegan anything might first cause one to ask oneself, ‘What IS in it…?’ but I promise that good things come in restricted boxes. For this month’s edition of the gluten-free ratio rally, I tackled the quintessential pumpkin pie. The recipe basically consists of three stages of stirring things and a ridiculous amount of time in the oven. I bet that you can’t guess the secret ingredient in the filling!

For July’s installment of the Gluten-Free Ratio Rally, we were challenged to make fresh pasta. Ingredients? Flour and eggs. All that I had to do was figure out how to replace the flour and the eggs… Easy, right? I ended up making long, flat noodles (tagliatelle) in a creamy artichoke sauce. This is a luxurious summer meal.

June’s installment of the Gluten Free Ratio Rally is pâte à choux, or choux pastry—a fluffly little thing used to make everything from éclairs to churros. Somehow, Ryan talked me into making cream puffs with it. Given that it’s been exceptionally summery, I decided to try a refreshing cardamom and rose water mix—the same flavours that make Indian lassis so refreshing. These lighter-than-air pastries are sure not to weigh you down in warmer weather.

These are the best vegan baked goods that I have ever tasted. It’s almost certainly due to the clotted cream, which adds a wonderful layer of creaminess to the scones and sweet jam. Invite your friends over for tea and amaze them!

My installment of this month’s Gluten-Free Ratio Rally is a sweet little apricot-orange bread. The apricots add a nice moisture to the bread, which can be baked as one large loaf, three small loaves, or muffins! Throw in some raisins or other additions, bake for a bit, and enjoy the delicate crumb and unique flavour profile of this quick bread.