Jennifer McCann is the author of a new cookbook called The Vegan Lunchbox, which is based on her award-winning blog, VeganLunchBox.com.
In her cookbook, she provides well-balanced vegan menus that are easy,
quick and irresistible to kids. She also offers tips on the fruits and
veggies that the pickiest kids will eat, product recommendations (to
order the bento-style lunchboxes Jennifer mentions in this show, go to LaptopLunches.com), and an allergen-free index to suit any family’s dietary needs.
Jennifer
is a stay-at-home mom who lives, cooks, and eats in Washington State.
She enjoys hiking, reading, knitting, sewing, homeschooling her
8-year-old son, and spending time with her adorable neices. She also
founded and coordinates the group Tri-Cities Vegetarians and Friends,
which celebrates vegetarian cuisine in the Mid-Columbia region of
eastern Washington, where she lives.
Vegan Twinkies
Makes 16 Twinkies
For
this recipe, you’ll need the Hostess Twinkies Bake Set, complete with
baking pan, icing injector, spatula, and cowboy-style Twinkies
container. If you can't find an actual Hostess set, do a Google search
for "cream canoe baking set" and you'll find many brands to choose from.
Preheat oven to 350º and make the batter:
1 T apple cider vinegar
1 ½ scant cups plain soymilk
2 1/8 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. kosher salt
1 1/8 cups sugar
½ cup oil
1 ¼ tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. coconut extract
Place
the apple cider vinegar in the bottom of a liquid measuring cup and
fill the cup with soymilk to equal 1 ½ cups. Stir well and set aside
(the mixture will curdle).
In a large mixing bowl, stir together
the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another
mixing bowl whisk together the soymilk mixture, canola oil, vanilla,
and coconut extract. Add the wet to the dry ingredients and beat until
smooth using a hand-held mixer, stopping once to scrape down the sides
of the bowl.
Spray the baking pan with nonstick spray and fill
the cups just under halfway full (about 1/4 cup). Bake for 15 minutes,
or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean.
Let the
cakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn them out (running a
thin plastic spatula along the sides helps release the cakes) and set
them on a wire rack. Let them cool completely before filling.
Make the cream filling:
1/4 cup non-hydrogenated shortening
1/4 cup non-hydrogenated margarine
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 T barley malt powder (gives the filling a sweet, marshmallowy taste; not to be confused with malted milk powder)
Beat
together the shortening and margarine with a handheld beater or stand
mixer. Add the powdered sugar and beat until completely light and
fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and malt powder and beat for
another 2 minutes.
Fill the icing injector and poke and squeeze out about one tablespoon into three locations in the underside of each cake.
This
will make about 16 Vegan Twinkies with cream filling, but do us adults
a favor and fill some with puréed organic strawberry jam instead. Or
dip them in chocolate icing and make Australian Lamingtons.