Good Morning Coffee Banana Bread Muffins with Chocolate Chips

*note* far more photogenic if you click on the image. That said, I was not having much luck making these photogenic (they look ok in person!) *end note*

Mmmmuffins. I rarely ever express that sentiment. In my endless food snobbery I have dubbed muffins (and scones, and a few other items) the red headed step children of baking. They are comprised of the processed foods I try to avoid, rendering them entirely anutritious entities no better for you than any given dessert. Desserts, however, are often an artful playground for flavor exploration and combination, cooking technique and theory, or a decadence to bask in the pleasure of.

Muffins and scones tend to just be.. mediocre, unmemorable entites. There are exceptions, so I hear... And perhaps I would like to add my own to them one of these days. The above are quite tasty, and leave a glorious, clean after-taste that pleasantly lingers like a dear guest.

I do not know if I am going to post the recipe quite yet... I feel like I need to study The Muffin, and its respective concept. I feel like there is some sort of definition that my veganzied version did not quite achieve. Your own suggestions on what makes a muffin are welcome. In the meantime, the espresso/banana/chocolate combination is one from Brooklyn's "Baked" that needs not a recipe for one to explore.

Its 4:41 AM. I think I need sleep. I do have such a back log of things to post here, though... so many recipes getting lost in rime's sands...

The Best Chocolate Ice Cream ever (srsly, those dairy based bastards don't stand a chance)

I wanted to take a nice "on the cone" pic of this, or something, but it didn't last long enough for me to :(. Me and 4 friends made short work of it... I guess I'll just have to make it again, clearly. I am currently making a variation of it with light coconut milk, and 2 T cold pressed espresso, and some lecithin to make up for the lost fat (it isn't supposed to be low fat coconut milk, my beloved 小姐 just got it by accident... *result*, goood. One housemate couldn't believe it was vegan).
So this originally started as a simpler recipe on Chowhound, but who can ever leave well enough alone?

Oh yeah, btw. Look what toy I just got (or was gotten for me). Yeah, it is fun. I just got it today.

Soo, on to the recipe...


1 cup water
1 cup sugar (straight up vegan cane)
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I used Trader Joes bulky bars)
2 cups canned Thai coconut milk

2 T powdered chocolate (I used Valhrona)

2 T coconut butter
(I use Artisana, don't really know if there is competition)
2 T rum
pinch salt
1/2 t vanilla

1. Heat the water and sugar until the sugar has completely dissolved.
2. Coarsely chop the chocolate, add it to the syrup, and whisk until the chocolate has completely melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the powdered chocolate, coconut milk and salt until smooth, then whisk in the vanilla and rum.
3. Chill thoroughly, then freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

*note* I can't remember if I added 2T of soy lecithin granules, or not. I do not think I did, but I had intended to. So I know if I make this again, and it is not perfect, well. I actually think I may have used a few more changes than noted, but as expressed, I'll have to make it again :D. The recent batch I made used a can of light coconut milk, 2T lecithin, and 2T cold pressed coffee. We were quite happy with it.

Espresso Chocolate(x2) Chip Cookies

Oh how happy I am with these cookies! They are everything I could want. Complex, quality, robust, yet tender and well rounded. Oh, did I mention they are also quite rich?

Anyway... The first batch of these I made was a bust... Between veganizing recipes and trying them for the first time, I have my work cut out for me. The first ones I made did not have enough flour in them. I had my suspicions confirmed when the batter fanned out over the pan when I put them in the oven. I added more flour to the rest of the mix and sure the cookies were good but they had been over-beaten at that point. They were a very intriguing almost-shortbread style cookie... good but, hrh. The 2nd time I made them I added more flavor and voila!

So here is the recipe below. It includes cold pressed coffee, you could use regular espresso or instant coffee instead. I am just putting down what I used.


1 c 365 organic all purpose baking flour
3/4 c cocoa powder (I used part Hershey's, part Valrhona I think)
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 baking powder
1 T Bob's Red Mill egg replacer
1 T espresso beans, finely ground
8 oz by weight butter substitute (about 1 cup, I really need to keep to volume measurements).
3/4 c dark brown sugar (I used muscadova)
2 T light brown sugar (again muscadova)
1/2 c + 1 T granulated sugar
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 t kosher salt
2 T cold press coffee
2 T water
1 1/3 c (vegan) chocolate chips of choice

Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, ground espresso, and egg replacer. In the mixer bowl (or large bowl if doing this by hand) cream together butter replacement and sugars. Don't over-mix. Just get consistent. Make sure to scrape down sides if not hand mixing. The mix should still be cool.

Add the liquid ingredients and salt, stirring until just combined. Add the sifted ingredients in two parts, stirring gently until just combined. Add the chocolate chips and mix just enough to distribute. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to overnight.

When the dough has chilled, position racks in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350. Line sheets with parchment paper or use silpats. Get dough from fridge, and scoop up 1 inch balls (or whatever size you like, really). Set about 2 inches apart (or more for larger cookies). Bake for about 10 minutes, a little longer if you want them crisper. I baked them so they still looked a little 'raw' in the middle. When done, take out of oven, and transfer to a rack to cool off.

I liked these best still warm, but they keep pretty well for a couple of days after, in an air tight container.