Vegan MoFo 6: Dessert Desperation

Continuing my habits of refusing to grocery shop and of eating really junky food, I was faced with the challenge of coming up with dessert using what I had here. I had flour and sugar, but no butter substitute, no shortening, no plant milk, no chocolate chips, no nut butters. That means my classics and go-tos were out.

I turned to my cook book shelf and hoped that Tofu-1-2-3 might help me out. I found a brownie recipe for which I had almost all of the ingredients. Normally, I am wary of brownie recipes. I've have a lot of bad luck in that arena. Except for those from Hannah Kaminsky's Blondies and Brownies e-book, very few brownie recipes have ever worked for me. (Check out the Cafe au Soja Lait, pictured below)! The only complaint I have about the book is that the recipes require ingredients that I don't have RIGHT NOW. Otherwise, that book is off the hook.

Despite the ingredient issues, I wanted to make it happen. The only thing I was missing for the Tofu-1-2-3 recipe was the chocolate chips, but I did have a bag of grocery-brand, accidentally vegan butterscotch chips, so as far as I was concerned, the problem was solved.

The first thing that concerned me was that the bake time was about three times what the book indicated - and I like the undercook so that I don't have to listen to people whine about "cakey" brownies.

Then they turned out cakey. Oh well, no sharing then! Well, they're also a little oily, which might trick some peopele. They also turned out super, stomach-churningly sweet. Now, that's in part because of the chips. They're cheap and while they'll give you the butterscotch, they're also a little waxy and horrible in their own way.

It's also the fault of the sweeteners. I have strong feelings about using maple syrup in baking, and these bad boys called for a whole cup, which I didn't even have. I used maybe 5/6 of a cup.

Despite all this, they are doing their part. I don't mind icky-sweet brownie bites. I'll freeze them and eat them all month week long. Besides, they are rocking a crispy, nearly-crinkly top that I haven't had anywhere else.

I feel obligated to mention that no one should judge Tofu-1-2-3 for this. It's a great book to have around, especially when someone complains that they don't like tofu. The Spinach Dip in Bread Crust is one of my favorite appetizers to serve to guests; the Spicy Peanut Noodles are some of the best I've had; and the Ginger Carrot Soup is super comforting.

It occurs to me that I haven't actually used this book since my newbie vegan days though, so maybe now is a good time to open in back up to do something other than ruin some brownies.