Vegan Buckeye Brownies

Who doesn't like peanut butter and chocolate mixed together in any recipe, cause its awesome. For those who don't know what a buckeye is it's a a small ball of peanut butter dipped in chocolate and they are a little bit heaven in every bite. Now the wifey saw this on someone's Facebook page and it called for a box of brownie mix, but we can't be havin that round here so I veganized it. Now I ain't no pro-baker but I can make some brownies, they are soooooo much better when you make them from scratch. Now most peanut butter on the store shelves are made with normal sugar which we know has been bleached with bone char so we buy Earth Balance, it is so good and it don't even leave any funky after-taste in you mouth like some of the other vegan brands do. Let me warn you now once you make this recipe you will want to eat the whole damn pan, but you have to limit yourself cause it will go fast.

Vegan Brownies

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt 

a pinch of cinnamon (just a pinch)

1 cup of water

1 cup of oil (I used grape seed)

1 tbsp of vanilla extract (it seems like a lot but trust me)

Now this is real simple start by pre-heating your oven to 350 and line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper, I always do this first. Then mix all the dry ingredients in one bowl, and mix all the wet ingredients in another bowl the pour the wet into the dry and mix well. Pour the brownie mixture into the pan and smooth. Bake for 20 to 25 mins DON'T over bake there ain't nothing worst than a dry brownie. Set aside to cool.

The Peanut Butter Layer 

1 cup Earthbalance peanut butter

2 cups powder sugar

1/2 cup Earthbalance butter softened

1 tbsp coconut oil softened

mix all the ingredients till smooth set aside till the brownies are cool to the touch. Once the brownies are cool to the touch then gently spread the peanut butter mixture on top the brownies try to make a nice even layer. Set in the fridge while you make the chocolate layer.

Now the chocolate layer is the last thing you make after everything else. Now I used a double boiler method but you melt it in the nuker if you want.

The Chocolate Layer

6 tbsp Earthbalance butter

3/4 cup vegan chocolate chips

Place both into a double boiler or (make your own like I did below) melt and stir till well combined. Pour over top the peanut butter layer spread out evenly then let cool at least 1 hour in the fridge then cut into squares and enjoy.

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Vegan Homemade Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese

 
Well winter is coming very quickly round here so to get ready I am warming up some soup recipes. The first one on the list is tomato, my whole life this is my most favorite of all. The fact that it is so simple to make and they are so full of flavor the no preservatives makes it all that much better.

 Daiya cheese is the only vegan cheese that I buy and use, they melt perfectly and are so close to the "real" thing that keep checking the label to make sure that it is still vegan. The simpleness of this recipe is makes it cheap, fast and very fulfilling.

Tomato Soup

6-8 large ripe tomatoes chopped

1 large onion chopped

3 cups veggie stock

1 clove garlic

1 tsp black pepper

a dash of salt

a dash of  ground clove (not more than a dash this stuff is powerful)

3 tbsp flour

3 tbsp butter

Place the tomatoes, onions, veggie stock is a large pot and bring to a boil. After you bring to a boil turn it down to a nice rolling simmer and add the rest of the ingredeints and simmer for 20 mins. Now this next part can be tricky to be careful and try not to make a huge mess. Place the tomato mixture into blender and blend until smooth. While that is in the blender give pot a quick rinse and place back on stove and the butter and flour to a high heat to make a roux. Once it looks like a nice brown paste turn down the heat and the add a little tomatoe mixture at a time, with a wire whisk keep stirring to make sure that there is no lumps. Keep stiring till all the mixture is back in the pot, it will thicken up real nice and smooth. Cook on low for about 10 min and it will be ready to go.

The grilled cheese is very self explaining but just in case here we go 

4 slices of bread buttered one side

1 hand full of Daiya Cheddar Cheese (per sandwich)

Butter the bread on one side heat skillet and place bread in butter side down then the cheese then the other piece of bread butter up. Cook till brown then flip cook till cheese is melted. And if this is you first grilled cheese adventure then I feel really bad and happy for you.

Have fun and Enjoy. 

Almond Milk-Almonds Don't Have Nipples

A lot of my buddies keep making fun of the fact the we make our own almond milk, they keep asking where their nipples are. Well it only has 2 ingredients and it taste awesome, but to keep it at a 6th grade level I keep getting asked if almond have nipples-NO THEY DON'T. This is so easy that it is almost to simple and to good to be true. The only things needed is a good blender and a nut bag we got our nut bag here.

Almond Milk

1 cup almonds soaked at least 4 hours 

4 cups filtered water

Rinse your nuts ( heeeeheeeeee) off and place in the blender with 2 cups of the water and blend till smooth. Add the other 2 cups of water and blend for 30 more seconds. Over a glass bowl or measuring cup pour the blended milk into your nut bag, and squeeze your bag till all the almond milk is out and your are left with a slightly moist pulp.

There are a couple of add ins that some use like add a couple of dates or vanilla to the blending process to make a sweet milk. You can use the nut pulp for a lot for different recipes so either freeze it or use it with in a couple of days. This milk will be good to store in the fridge up to 4 days but ours never makes we use it to quickly.

Have fun and Enjoy.