Nutcracker Sweets

I asked my sister Cynthia if I could include her NUTCRACKER SWEETS in this blog, and she said that was fine. She had gotten the recipe from the mother of a friend of her daughter, but thought she might have changed it a little, plus she gave it this name. I have made these for the dance school's fund-raising refreshment table during The Nutcracker Suite, where they seemed to sell well and no one knew they were eating a vegan treat. Try to find fresh pecans to make them with, as that is the most important ingredient.

 

INGREDIENTS

Crust

2 cups  — organic white flour and/or whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup — organic brown sugar

1/2 cup — organic plant-based butter

Sprinkle — vanilla

Middle Layer

1 cup — pecans

 

Next Middle Layer

2/3 cup — plant-based butter

1/2 cup — organic brown sugar 

Top Layer

1 package — dairy-free malt-sweetened chocolate chips

 

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, stir together two cups of organic white flour or whole wheat pastry flour and a cup of Sucanat, which is an organic brown sugar. With a fork, mix in half a cup of Earth Balance or organic Smart Balance non-hydrogenated butter substitute. Possibly you could try this with a bland oil, like sunflower, but since the rest of the ingredients are expensive, I have yet to experiment. I added a sprinkle of vanilla.

Curried Nuts

CURRIED NUTS are a simple vegan treat to make for a holiday party. In a heavy frying pan, roast about two cups of whole raw almonds mixed with some cashews. 

My cashews were already roasted and were supposed to be salted, but someone seemed to have forgotten to put the salt on, so this seemed like a good use for them. As they roasted in the pan, to which I added a very small amount of olive oil, probably a half teaspoon, I added a sprinkle of curry powder, tamari, and some nutritional yeast to taste. 

Keep stirring them and trying an almond every now and then, until they seem roasted enough and before the spices get burned. 

 

                                           

 

I made my own curry powder, and it had cayenne in it, so these nuts were hot. Your curry powder is probably different. I like the book The Spice Box for some good curry powder and garam masala recipes, as well as a lot of Indian food recipes. 

 

Making these is a quick way to have something special to bring or to serve to guests. Store them in a tin when they cool off. Mine all got eaten, so storage was no longer an issue.

Holiday Meal

Check out my last March's entry for SAVORY ROAST GLUTEN AND GRAVY as the centerpiece of a holiday meal. You cook the double batch of a rectangular slab of seasoned gluten the day ahead, and then lay it over the stuffing, also surrounding it with the stuffing. 

I know this doesn't sound very good in the telling, but those of us who can eat and enjoy seitan or gluten enjoy this dish. You can carve it up and use a knife to cut it into smaller pieces on your plate. It is chewy and not made up of anybody's muscle and flesh.

 

The GARBANZO FLOUR GRAVY has a yummy piquancy and rich flavor that enhances the mashed potatoes. You might be able to find garbanzo flour where gluten-free baking products are sold. Conversely, the gluten powder may be found in a larger natural foods or co-op store or where baking products are sold.

 

Make the recipes for the gluten and gravy, and then read on for all the other parts of the meal — the stuffing, creamed onions, mashed potatoes, mashed carrots and turnips, and cranberry relish.