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FAQs: Ask the Vegan Chef

Former restaurant chef Robin Robertson is a quintessential vegan queen of the kitchen. The author of 10 vegetarian cookbooks, including Vegan Planet and The Vegetarian Meat & Potatoes Cookbook, Robin answers your questions about vegan cuisine. From meat-free must-haves to keep in the kitchen to how to satisfy cravings for vegan French toast and much more, Robin shares years of experience and a wealth of expertise with you. Read on! (And to learn about her upcoming events and releases, visit Robin’s Web site at RobinRobertson.com.)

Baking

Q. I love baking and often try to veganize different recipes. Since vegetarian cookbooks and most other cookbooks include eggs, I often come across egg wash as an ingredient to A) act as a glue to hold pastry pieces together or make the pastry stick to the sides of a baking dish or B) give crusts and breads a nice shiny brown appearance. What can I use to perform the glue function and to enhance the appearance of my baked goods?

A. Usually a small amount of soy milk will do the trick for both functions. Here are some other options: For the “glue” function, try a small amount of cornstarch mixed with water. For a sweeter “wash” for dough, instead of using plain soy milk, try dissolving a small amount of sugar in the soy milk before brushing it on. Another option is to brush the dough with oil before and after baking to give it a nice shine. Use olive oil for savory recipes and canola oil (or another light, flavorless oil) for sweet recipes.

Q. What can I use as a replacement for honey in a cookie recipe?

A. In baking, it is best to replace a liquid sweetener with an equal amount of another liquid sweetener. Good replacements for honey include maple syrup, agave nectar, or Just Like Honey Rice Nectar, a rice-based syrup that looks and tastes remarkably like honey. Any of these would work great in your cookie recipe.

Q. Do you have any idea how I could make a vegan tiramisu? What do you use instead of egg whites and mascarpone?

A. Tiramisu is a favorite of my husband, so I’m always tinkering with ways to make it vegan. Tofu and tofu cream cheese are great stand-ins for the cheese and eggs. Here’s my latest version, which can be further enhanced with the addition of vegan whipped cream and chocolate curls:

Vegan Tiramisu
1 cup tofu
1 cup tofu cream cheese
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup brewed coffee, cooled to room temperature
4 slices vegan white or yellow cake, about 4x4 inches
1 Tbsp. cocoa powder

• In a food processor, combine the tofu, tofu cream cheese, vanilla, and all but 1 Tbsp. of the sugar, blending well.
• In a small bowl, combine the coffee and the reserved 1 Tbsp. of sugar. Brush the cake with the coffee mixture and arrange in an 8-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the cocoa powder. Spread the tofu mixture on top and sprinkle with the remaining cocoa. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Makes 6 servings

Q. Hello! I’m looking over brownie recipes, and they all have maple syrup in them. I really don’t like it; can it be omitted? Are there recipes without it?

A. There are a number of sweeteners that can be substituted for maple syrup in a brownie recipe, including sugar, agave syrup, or even applesauce or puréed prunes! There are also loads of brownie recipes available that don’t call for maple syrup—but some sweetener is needed, so it would be best to choose a different sweetener rather than omit it altogether. But it may surprise you to know that when maple syrup is used in a rich chocolate recipe, you don’t really taste the maple syrup—just the chocolate!

Q. Hello. I was wondering if you knew of a way to make vegan Yorkshire pudding.

A. Try this recipe from VegSource.com:

Yorkshire Pudding
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. salt
Ener-G egg replacer equivalent of 2 eggs
1 cup soy milk
1 cup very cold water
2 Tbsp. margarine, melted

• Preheat the oven to 425°F.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the flours and salt. Make a well in the center and add the egg replacer mixture. Stir together until just combined, then add the soy milk and water, a bit at a time. Stir until smooth, but don’t overbeat.
• Swirl the melted margarine around a shallow, 9x13-inch baking pan. Pour out any excess and reserve. Pour the batter into the pan and pour any remaining margarine over the top. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden on top and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool, then cut into squares to serve.

Makes 4 servings

Q. I tried out a vegan cookie recipe and used an egg substitute and vegan butter just as directed, but the cookies were really flat and ran all over the pan. They tasted great but looked awful. Do you have any suggestions for keeping the dough firm and not so flat?

A. To prevent your cookies from spreading too much, try one or more of these trouble-shooting tips:
• Bake the cookies on ungreased sheets.
• Cut back slightly on the amount of vegan butter that you use (because too much fat can cause the cookies to spread).
• Bake the cookies on cookie sheets that have been chilled in the refrigerator.
• You may need to adjust your oven to a slightly higher temperature to “set” the cookies. Be sure to keep an eye on them so they don’t burn!

Q. I’m looking for a recipe for Australian “Wacky Cake,” in which vinegar and baking soda replace eggs. I cannot find it in my recipe files. Have you heard of it?
—Heather

A. I found several recipes online that sound like the one you described. Here’s one version:

Wacky Cake
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. canola oil
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour an 8-inch square cake pan and set aside.
• Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl, mixing well.
• Combine the liquid ingredients in a separate bowl and add to the dry ingredients. Beat on medium until smooth.
• Transfer to the prepared pan and bake until set, about 30 minutes. Cool completely before cutting.

Q. I really miss being able to have millionaire’s shortbread, which has a fudge-like layer in the middle. All my recipes call for condensed milk. I have managed to substitute all the other things in the recipe but can’t find an alternative for condensed milk. Please, can you help?

A. For starters, sweetened condensed milk contains 50 to 60 percent added sugar, so one way to make a substitute is by adding a bunch of sugar or other sweetener to soy milk or silken tofu or a combination of the two, depending on the texture you want. Try this recipe:

Four oz. silken tofu
1/4 cup soy milk
1/4 cup sugar or maple syrup

Blend all the ingredients in a blender until very smooth. Adjust to your taste by adding more sweetener, if desired.
For a thinner consistency, add more soy milk; for thicker results, use a bit more tofu.

Q. I recently purchased some instant gluten flour to make my own seitan. However, it came without directions. How much water do I use per cup of gluten flour, and how much will this yield? What are the appropriate steps in making seitan?

A. Some people make their seitan using powdered wheat gluten alone, but I think that the results are too chewy. I prefer to make seitan with whole wheat flour, adding about 1/2 cup of powdered wheat gluten to the mix. Try the following recipe:

Homemade Seitan Seitan (wheat meat) is best when left to gently simmer for several hours. The cooking liquid may be strained and used as a stock in sauces, soups, and other recipes. (Note: The recipe can be cut in half, if you prefer.)
1 yellow onion, quartered
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 cup tamari soy sauce
2 bay leaves
3 qts. plus 3 cups water, or more as needed
6 cups whole wheat flour (about 3 lbs.)
1/2 cup powdered wheat gluten

Combine the onion, garlic, tamari, and bay leaves in a large pot. Add the 3 quarts of water, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer.

Place the flour and powdered wheat gluten in a large bowl and add the remaining 3 cups of water. Stir well to combine, adding a little more water if the dough is too dry.

Turn the dough out onto a flat surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place the dough back in the bowl and add enough warm water to cover. Let rest for 20 minutes.

Place the bowl holding the dough and water into the sink. Knead the dough in the bowl until the water turns white. Drain the liquid, then cover with fresh water and knead again until the water turns white. Repeat the process, using fresh water each time, until the water is almost clear. The dough should now be a smooth ball of wheat gluten, or raw seitan.

Divide into smaller pieces and add to the simmering stock. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1 to 2 hours.

Remove the cooked seitan and transfer to a baking sheet to cool. If you are not using the seitan right away, it can be portioned and stored submerged in its broth in the refrigerator in tightly covered containers for up to 5 days or frozen for several weeks.

Makes about 2 lbs.

Q. Do you have a recipe for vegan chocolate cake?

A. Try this yummy recipe for German Chocolate Cake by Chef Andrew C. Doyle, of the Taphouse Grill in Norfolk, Virginia. There are lots of other great recipes at www.VegCooking.com.

German Chocolate Cake
For the cake:
6 oz. dried apricots, diced
6 oz. (175 ml) water
3 Tbsp. egg replacer
3/4 cup water
3 cups (550 g) sugar
3 cups (400 g) all-purpose flour
11/4 cups (100 g) cocoa
3 tsp. baking soda
11/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
11/2 cups (350 ml) soy or oat milk
3 tsp. white vinegar
2 tsp. vanilla

For the icing:
2 cups (450 ml) oat milk
2 cups (350 g) sugar
11/2 tsp. vanilla
5 Tbsp. cornstarch (cornflour)
1/4 cup water
2 cups (125 g) coconut flakes
2 cups (200 g) walnuts or pecans, chopped

Soak the apricots in the 6 oz. water until soft, then purée both ingredients.

Whisk together the egg replacer and 3/4 cup water until foamy.

Place the apricot purée, egg replacer, and sugar in a large bowl and mix with an electric mixer until light in color.

Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to the bowl and mix.

Stir together the soy milk, white vinegar, and vanilla and let stand for about 10 minutes. Add to the bowl and mix until smooth.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour three 11-by-2-inch cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper. Divide the cake batter evenly among the three pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. Let cool completely before removing the cakes from the pans.

Combine the oat milk, sugar, and vanilla in a saucepan and heat, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved. Mix together the cornstarch and water to form a paste. Add to the pan in a thin stream, stirring until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat. Add the coconut flakes and nuts and stir until cool.

Ice one layer of the cake at a time until all three layers are assembled. Pour the remaining icing over the top of the cake. Work it down the sides, using your hands to press the icing into the sides of the cake.

Makes 1 3-layer cake

Q. I have had the best faux cream cheese icings for carrot cake at two different vegetarian restaurants (Le Commensal and Juice for Life), but I am unable to re-create them at home. My cake itself is wonderful (no help needed there), but the secret to the perfect icing remains a secret. Any tips?

A. The secret to great vegan cream cheese icing is … vegan cream cheese! Look for Tofutti’s Better Than Cream Cheese in the refrigerated section of your natural food store. Be sure to get the container marked “plain” or you may end up with onion-flavored icing!

Q. I am a new cook, and I’m wondering what I can use in place of eggs, white sugar, white flour, and butter in baking and cooking? The thought of including these ingredients in my food is no longer sitting well with me! I’m specifically looking for substitutes to use in sweets like cookies, sweet breads (such as banana bread), pancakes, and waffles.

A. It sounds like you need some vegan cookbooks that have all that stuff figured out for you! It’s tough to decipher substitutes on your own when you’re new to all this. But for now … as I discussed in a previous column, my favorite egg replacer for baking is Ener-G Egg Replacer, which is available in natural-food stores. It is made of vegetable starches. Use 1 1/4 teaspoon of egg replacer blended with 2 tablespoons of water to replace one egg. Here are some other egg-replacement ideas.

Butter can be replaced with a nonhydrogenated soy margarine, and some natural alternatives to sugar include agave syrup and stevia, but they can take some getting used to. For now, you might want to go with Florida Crystals; it’s still sugar but less processed. Replacing white flour can be tricky because wheat flour is so much heavier than white. You might want to experiment with a combination of oat flour (which is light and sweet) and wheat flour. But because baking is kind of like chemistry, you may need to try a few times before you find a combination that you like.

If you’re not ready to invest in vegan cookbooks, then check online for vegan baking recipes that use some of the ingredients you’d like to try. Good luck!

Q. I have tried baking vegan cakes and muffins both with and without egg replacer and have found everything to be too dense and wet. Also, I am having a hard time making the egg replacer combine with water—it’s always lumpy. I’ve had similar food at vegan restaurants like “teany” in New York City, and it tastes like the “real thing.” Any suggestions?

A. To make egg replacer mix with water, it’s best to add the water a little at a time and use a tiny whisk or even your fingers to blend it. Vegan baking involves a lot of trial and error. Offhand, it sounds like you have too much liquid in your recipes if they are too wet and dense. Try cutting back on wet ingredients and try again. If there is a particular restaurant that you frequent whose baked goods you enjoy, why not ask for advice? Perhaps you could talk to the pastry chef when the restaurant isn’t busy and get some pointers.

Q. I avoid baking things because I’m not sure how to use egg replacers. What’s your favorite kind of egg replacer? I’ve heard flaxseeds can be used. Can I use the flax meal/flour—or must I grind my own seeds?

A. Judging from all of the questions that I’ve received about egg replacers, people are eager to make use of their ovens. Here’s a quick crash course about baking with egg replacers.

My favorite egg replacer for baking is Ener-G Egg Replacer. It is made of vegetable starches. I use 1 1/4 teaspoon of egg replacer blended with two tablespoons of water to replace one egg.

Another good egg substitute for baking is ground flaxseeds. To replace one egg in baking, grind 1 tablespoon of flaxseeds to a powder in a blender. Add three tablespoons of water and blend until the mixture becomes viscous.

If your baked goods have a “chemical” taste, you might be using too much baking soda or baking powder in combination with the egg replacer in your recipe. Try cutting back slightly on one of these ingredients or add more “flavor” (such as vanilla extract, etc.) to improve the taste.

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