I hit the vegan dessert jackpot today when I tried a recipe I found for vegan crème brûlée. I've been looking around for a good crème brûlée recipe for a while now and was tossing up between a few. I made my final decision when I came across a website which listed 9 Vegan French Dessert Recipes. The link took me to a recipe from Vegan Good Eats. I had come across this recipe before, and it was on my list of ones to try but since it was such a straight forward recipe I decided it was going to be the one.
While I was gathering up all of my ingredients I thought that I had run out of vanilla essence so I decided to substitute it for half the amount of butterscotch essence that I bought from Weigh 'N' Pay. There are times in life when you know you made a really good decision, and this was one of them. The butterscotch essence made this taste like some high quality creme caramel. I'm actually so impressed with this recipe. The texture was what I wanted it to be. Smooth and creamy.
This recipe is also a bit healthier than your average non-vegan crème brûlée. There was none of that cream or coconut cream (that some other vegan recipes use) which is quite high in bad fats. This is definitely a good alternative to the usual decadent creme brulee.
This vegan crème brûlée also was so quick and easy to make. It was ready within an hour of starting.
So in conclusion, what more could you possibly want from a dessert? It's tasty, easy and guilt-free :)
Vegan crème brûlée
Makes 4 large ramekins
Ingredients:
- 3 cups unsweetened almond milk (I used 2 cups almond milk and 1 cup soy milk...but that's only because I ran out of almond milk)
- 1/3 cup cashew butter (You can also just use a heaped 1/3 cup of raw cashews and put them in the food processor on high until it forms a paste)
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used 1/2 teaspoon butterscotch essence)
- 1 teaspoon arrowroot powder
- 3/4 teaspoon agar powder (not flakes)
Directions:
- Place all the ingredients in a
blender and go to town until smooth.
- Strain through a sieve. You’ll remove some of the impurities of the cashew butter.
- Let sit for 10 minutes, enough for the agar to soak up.
Bring to a boil slowly, stirring frequently. Once it boils, reduce the heat and
stir constantly for five minutes. Do not walk away as it only takes a few
seconds for the mixture to over boil and overflow.
- Distribute between six ramekins and allow to set for 30-45
minutes at room temperature. You can serve it either at room temperature or put them in the fridge and serve them cold (Agar
actually does not need refrigeration to set, so it will set nicely either way)
- Sprinkle a think layer of sugar on top and using a torch,
brûlée the crème. Although you can also use the broiler for this, make sure the
oven door is open while you do to avoid recooking the custard. It’s a little
trickier.
I have been going on and on for ages now about how I want to get my hands on some hazelnut extract. Well finally I came across it by pure luck while I was looking for other ingredients. There is a great shop called Weigh 'N' Pay on Whitfords Ave in Woodvale. It is a bulk food store which has all of your baking needs as well as many ingredients that you normally find in health food stores, but in bulk. I really love this store and it has made my life a lot easier because they sell a lot of the products that I can't find in the grocery stores like Woolworths and Coles.
Weigh 'N' Pay have so many different flavour extracts and on this trip I picked up hazelnut and butterscotch. I will be back for some of the others at a later date :)
I used the extracts to make hazelnut hot chocolate with butterscotch whipped cream. Vegan of course. It is a very rich and creamy drink, so it's probably better in small servings or else you might feel sick. It is perfect for all you people with a sweet tooth, and it was a great way to warm up my night and help me to unwind and relax.
Vegan Hazelnut Hot Chocolate with Butterscotch Whipped Cream
Serves 1
Butterscotch whipped cream:
- 1 can coconut milk (or a can of coconut cream)
- 3 tablespoons icing sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon butterscotch extract
Directions
- Place the can of coconut milk/cream into the fridge and leave overnight.
- Open the can of coconut milk. There will be a firm, waxy layer on top.
- Scoop out this firm layer coconut cream that has solidified at the top of the can.
- Stop as soon as you reach the water at the bottom of the
can; don't include anything but the solid cream. (You can use the water
in smoothies, or just drink it straight.)
- Place this cream in the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large bowl.
- Turn your mixer or hand beaters to high speed, and whip the coconut cream for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Whip until it becomes fluffy and light, with soft peaks. Mix in sugar and butterscotch extract.
Hot chocolate:
- 1 cup soy milk (or other non-dairy milk. If you use vanilla soy milk then omit the sugar and vanilla essence)
- 1-2 tablespoons cocoa powder (depending on how strong you like your hot chocolate)
- 1-2 teaspoons sweetener (depending on your taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon hazelnut extract/essence
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla essence
Directions
- Heat all of the ingredients in a pot until hot (not boiling).
- Pour into your favourite mug or glass and top with the butterscotch whipped cream.
