Tag Archives: dessert

RAW Mango Cheesecake

05 Tuesday Mar 2013

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Deutsche Version / German version

Okay, I am kind of proud of this one. I just recently got into raw “baking”. I’m not a raw foodist, as you can see on this blog, but I love play around with raw food preparation! For me, it’s a really creative approach that offers so many new possibilities and new flavors! Some of them are worth sharing…

Like this one.

mango cheesecake

RAW Mango Cheesecake. It does not only look delicious, it really is! Don’t compare raw cakes to baked treats. They are not an imitation – they are different, a whole new thing. See them as an alternative or as a very tasty addition to your diet!
Raw cakes are usually quite rich – you might want to cut smaller pieces than you’d do with a regular cake.

RAW Mango Cheesecake

RAW Mango Cheesecake

 Ø about 20cm / 8 inch

For the crust:

  • 3/4 cup (about 100g) pitted dates
  • about 1/2 -3/4 cup nuts or seeds (I used sesame seeds and almonds)
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt

For the filling:

  • 3/4 cup (100g) cashews 
  • 4-5 pieces dried mango (my pieces more rather big, use more if your pieces are rather small)
  • 4 tbsp coconut butter
  • 1/2 cup (about 50g) xylit (or sweetener to taste)
  • 1/4 tsp powdered vanilla
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 – 3/4 (about 125ml)  cup water

Crust: Either grease your pan with coconut oil or like it with baking paper. Put nuts / seeds in a food processor and mix until coarsely ground. Add the other ingredients and mix until combined. (Add more dates of the dough is to dry and add more nuts if it’s too moist. It’s hard to give exact amounts here cause it all depends on the moisture of your dates!) Put the dough in a baking pan (Ø about 20cm / 8 inch), form the crust.

Filling: Put all the ingredients in a blender and mix! You might want to soak the cashews before blending of your blender is not that strong. Add more water if needed. Pour the cream into the prepared crust. Lick off the spatulas and spoons you used. (This step is essential. DON’T skip ;) ) Put in the refrigerator over night or until the cream firms up.

raw mango cheesecake

Yummy! When a friend taste-tested the cake, he was like “Wow… this is really… cheesy. It’s like cheesecake…”
Even though I’d definitelly not say that this is a one to one cheesecake alternative,… the cashews definitelly yield a cheese flavor. And the mango coconut combo fits the cake really well. Even though I almost had the whole cake for myself, it did not last long until it was gone… hey, I am writing exams. I need brain food! And it seems like the little guy in the pic (no, he was not the test-taster) feels the same about this cake.

raw mango cheesecake

You can freeze the leftovers, too. You might also find the frozen cake easier to cut (even though I had no problems cutting the cake when I left it in the refrigerator over night). Freezing the cake is especial great, when you are making a raw cake for just one or two people. You can eat the frozen cake straight from the fridge… I promise, it’s the best ice-cream cake I ever had!

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Caramel Cheesecake – Fairytale come true

17 Sunday Feb 2013

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Sweet times on Playful and Hungry!

I always thought, a cake can’t taste like cheesecake if it’s made from tofu. I was proven wrong. It took some trials and experimenting – but the result was a delicious AND healthy, vegan cheesecake. It’s high in protein and you don’t have to feel bad about eating it for breakfast. Or Dinner. Or lunch…

Piece of cheesecake

It’s might not be 1 : 1 like a sugar-loaded, non vegan cheesecake. But the consistence is perfect and it tastes just as good as any cheesecake I’ve ever tried! Give it a chance!

Using Whole Cane Sugar yields the wonderful caramel flavor! If you want a caramel cheesecake, don’t replace it! If you don’t care so much about the caramel flavor, you could also replace it with stevia or xylit or any other sweetener.

Fariy cheese cake

So… once upon a time, there was a little fairy. And what do fairies do all day? Exactly! They sparkle, twinkle, flutter around and eat cake. Today, it just had to be a cheesecake. Voila.

Fairy plate

So she got out her pink plate…, well, no. She just did some magic and conjured it up.

fairy and cream

Pling! One wink with her wand, and she had a whole plate full of cream…

Time to have some Caramel Cheesecake!

Whole Caramel Cheesecake

Caramel Cheesecake
Inspired by this recipe, Ø about 20cm / 8 inch 

  • 1 package (350-400g) firm tofu
  • 1/2 cup (70g) cashews
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) almond milk
  • 1 tbs vinegar
  • 3 tbs lemon juice
  • 1 ripe banana (can be omitted . use slightly more sweetener) 
  • 6 tbsp soy yogurt
  • 1/4 cup stevia (or more whole cane sugar – which also means more caramel ;) ) 
  • 3/4 cup (100g) Whole Cane Sugar (add more if you like it sweeter!!!) 
  • 1/2 tsp powdered vanilla or 1 tsp vanilla extract

Put all the ingredients in your high speed blender or food processor and mix! Pour into a slightly greased backing pan and bake for about 45 minutes (350 F / 200 C).
Allow the cake to cool down before cutting it!

Oh, by the way… you can be looking forward to a RAW vegan Mango Cheesecake. Just saying… ;)

Fairy on Cheesecake

Greeting from Fairy Land!

Indian Rice Pudding

10 Sunday Feb 2013

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The last one of our little Indian series! But I am sure you will see more Indian recipes here. Indian food tastes like home to me. I learned cooking with indian dishes. So it’s always something special for me!

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A good Indian meal needs a great dessert! And a good Indian dessert is rich, creamy and yummy!
So here’s another traditional one: Indian Rice Pudding. It’s easy yet delicious!

Rice Pudding

 

And obviously I am not the only one who likes it ;) Must be an indian Elephant whose trunk ended up in pudding…

Indian Rice Pudding 

  • 1 cup white basmati rice 
  • 4 cups almond milk
  • a pinch of salt
  • sweetener: agave syrup, xylit or your favorite one!
  • optional: 1 tbsp rose water and 4 capsules cardamom

Heat milk in a pot and add rice. Cook and stir, some plant based milks burn pretty fast! Add salt, spices and sweetener of choice! (I used agave. As milk, I used a rather rich and thick homemade almond milk. I guess it was somewhere between milk and cream. Store bought cream works too, though!)
When the rice is soft and done (after about 15 min), either mash it with a masher (yes, the one you’d use for potatos!) or mix / puree it with your blender or hand mixer. I actually prefer the mashed version, but it depends on the consistence you want to achieve: creamy like pudding or a sweet rice. You choose.
Decorate with chopped pistachios! Enjoy!

Rice pudding

Note: Cardamom and rose water are not for everyone. I love cardamom, but I know as many people who hate it, too. It’s a typical spice for Indian dishes and desserts though. However, make sure that you like the spices before you add them all!

 

Healthy Date Nougat

05 Tuesday Feb 2013

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Nougat – a divine combination of cocoa, hazelnuts and sugar!

Date Nougat

Usually, it contains a lot of sugar. Just like the famous spread from Europe that starts with a “N” and ends with “utella”. Here’s the good message: These little pralines taste just like that spread! They are perfect for cold winter days. Maybe enjoy with a cup of hot cocoa? Or as a snack, to keep you going!

I love any kind of date-nut candy when I am studying. They give you lots of energy and help to concentrate. And they taste delicious without any white sugar or artificial flavors. It’s nature’s best candy!

Okay… this candy is not only for winter time… however, let’s have a look at the winter village…

Date Nougat Lego

Transporting the date nougat! Destination: Tanya’s desk. Oh, I like that. The little guys still have to learn how to cook, though…

Date Nougat Lego 2

Another transport! Now, this is urgent! Had to take the post van!

Okay… we’ll go back to winter wonderland! But I guess I should share the recipe first! Well, here you go.

Delicious Date Nougat

Date Nougat 

  • 1 cup soft dates 
  • 3/4 cup coarsely ground, roasted hazelnuts *
  • 3 tbsp cocoa
  • optional: 1/2 tsp  cinnamon or pumpkin spice (recommended for a lovely winter candy!)

Chop dates with a sharp knife into very small pieces. Add ground hazelnuts, cocoa and spices and mix the dough with your hands. Add more nuts if it’s too sticky. Form small balls  with your hands and put on a plate. Don’t store these candies in a box or jar, they need some fresh air. You could either store them at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Of course you could make the dough using your food processor. However, I wanted to try not using any expensive, fancy tools… it works just as great using a knife and your own two handy! And hands are easier to clean than your food processor, keep that in mind!

* Roast hazelnuts: Put raw hazelnuts on a clean baking tray. Roast in the oven at 200 C / 36o F for about 10-15 minutes. Let them cool down and put them in fridge or refrigerator for a few hours. Now put your roasted nuts in a blender or food processor and grind them coarsely (pulse works best). Cooling the nuts in the fridge before grinding them helps to prevent them from turning into nut butter! I love nut butter – but it’s just not what you need in this recipe…
Don’t have a blender / food processor? I recommend using one part store bought chopped hazelnuts and one part store bought ground hazelnuts (hazelnut flour / meal). Carefully roast the ground and chopped nuts in a pan or use them straight from the bag.

* Want to keep it RAW? Just don’t roast the hazelnuts! It’s a little different, but still delicious!

Date Nougat Winter Village

Back to winter wonderland. It’s been snowing. It’s been snowing date nougat pralines! Oh, I like that kind of weather… Winter and I could become friends…

Actually, that reminds me of that movie. Cloudy with a chance of… date balls!

Date Nougat Winter Village

Time to shovel the snow (or date balls!). Hey, Guys… could you tidy up the kitchen, too? Please?

Lassi – The indian way of milkshake

29 Tuesday Jan 2013

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No indian meal without a lassi.

Mango Lassi

Lassi is a popular and yogurt based indian drink. It can be both sweet or savory. Traditional Lassi is savory, often yogurt is blended together with water and spices like roasted cumin and coriander seeds. It’s said to help your digestion when enjoying an indian fest, too.  The most popular way to enjoy a sweet lassi is mango lassi. It’s refreshing and not as filling as a milkshake. And it tastes really great!

If the mango you use is ripe enough, you won’t need any additional sweetener. At least, that’s what my tastebuds told me. Feel free to add  agave, sugar, stevia or blend in some dates. Whatever works for you is fine!

Another thing I like about Lassi: It’s so simple! No fancy ingredients! Okay, you can add fancy ingredients like rose water, but you don’t have too!

Mango Lassi 2

Mango Lassi 

  • 1 cup yogurt (I used soy) 
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 ripe mango, cut into cubes *
  • Optional: a dash of cardamom or 3 cardamom pods
  • Optional: 1 teespoon rosewater

Put everything in your blender and mix. That’s it! Enjoy  Lassi with an indian meal or just like that!

Note: Cardamom and rosewater are not for everyone. I love cardamom, but most people I know don’t… so please make sure you like it before you add it to your lassi! I warned you!

* No fresh mango on hand? Use some pieces of dried mango! Soak before mixing or use a high speed blender, it does the job!

Lassi 3

You might have noticed that there was no mini fig here. You’re still on the Playful and Hungry website, don’t worry. I must have been out of sorts when I was taking these pics… and probably really hungry, too!

Okay. I just can’t do this. I just can’t post this without a playful pic. That’s just not right! So here you are. The hippie is one of my favorites. However, I definitelly need a female hippie to identify with…

Let’s make the connection between Lassi and my playful hippie picture: Many hippies travelled to india! =D There you go!

hippie and horse

Frosty the Snowman – Lunch before Christmas

16 Sunday Dec 2012

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Time for some easy food art!

Frosty the Snowman

 

Here’s Frosty the Snowman for lunch!
Food can be so much fun, why shouldn’t you play with it ;) .

You don’t need much to make your snowman lunch, but it looks great. It’s a nice idea for kids – or for yourself.

Frosty

This is more an idea than a recipe, but here’s what you need!

Frosty the Snowman

  • 2 slices whole wheat bread
  • chocolate spread
  • cream cheese (I used my homemade cream cheese, you could use tofuti, too)
  • 1 hazelnut, cut in two halves (eyes)
  • 2 small carrot (nose)
  • small raisins (mouth)
  • lettuce or baby spinach (scarf)

Lego and Frosty

 

Time for a snowball fight – I prefer the Lego version, as it’s less cold…

Oh, the chocolate spread I used for the head is homemade, too! I will post the recipe some time soon!

Have a great Christmas time!

Gingerbread Pancakes – Breakfast before christmas

13 Thursday Dec 2012

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Time to get festive!

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One thing I love about christmas time are all the spices! Cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, all spice… I love them all. They warm me from the inside when it’s freezing outside…

There are all these foods they only sell around Christmas. One of them is “Lebkuchen”, which is the German equivalent to gingerbread. But it’s more like a soft gingerbread and the spice mix is slightly different. The most famous one is the Nuremberg gingerbread. Try it if you get a chance! (I might be posting a recipe for “Lebkuchen” / soft gingerbread before Christmas, too, stay tuned!)

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To cut a long story short: “Lebkuchen” tastes great and so do pancakes (I guess I don’t have to tell you!) – so let’s combine both things! That’s what we did for breakfast today. It warms you form the inside and fills you up for a while because it’s whole wheat. And it’s a really delicious and easy way to make pancakes just a little bit different than usual!

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Gingerbread Pancakes / Lebkuchen-Pancakes
serves two

  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 1/4 cups water
  • 2 tbsp soy flour
  • about ten chopped walnuts (1/8 cup)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tbsp stevia
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp “Lebkuchen” spice mix OR ginger bread spice mix OR one dash of each: Cinnamon, cardamom, muscat, all spice, coriander, ginger, cloves, mace)
  • dash of salt

Mix all the ingredients, adding just as much water as you need to create a pancake batter (the texture should be like a thick cake batter). Put about one tablespoon of dough in a non-sticking pan and cook at medium heat until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip and cook until browned.

Serve with maple syrup. Or vanilla sauce, chocolate syrup, agave syrup, apple sauce… whatever you want! And remember – those are wholewheat pancakes. They will really fill you up! This a breakfast for two hungry people.

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But if you’ve been building snowmen and pancake skiing all morning, like this little friend of mine, you probably are hungry. However, don’t worry, the delicious smell that comes from the spices should be enough to make everyone crave these pancakes.

One more, just because I like it.

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Apricot Bars – Snack time!

01 Saturday Dec 2012

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I was a little unsure about the naming – are they energy bars? But why do all things to be functional? And no, they are way to delicious to be no more than energy bars…

Are they pop tarts? They are similar – but there is way more stuffing! (Which is the very best part…)

So… Apricot Bars it is. Because… that’s what they are, after all. And delicious, they are really delicious, of course. But delicious is not really descriptive…

Apricot Bars

 

Oh, don’t let those Bars deceive you. They are definitelly not the most pretty thing… But one of the most tasty ones I’ve made lately. And, remember, if things are not that visually appealing, you might not have to share that much…

IMG_4762

 

Apricot Bars 

For the dough:

  • 225g  / 1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour 
  • 50g / 1/4 cup ground hazelnuts
  • 100g / 1/2 cup margarine or vegan butter
  • 2-4 Tbsp water
  • soy cream or soy milk

For the filling:

  • 225g / 2 cups dried apricots 
  • 250ml / 1 cup apple juice
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 50g / 1/3 cup raisins

Coat a baking pan with baking paper or slightly grease it with margarine. Mix the whole wheat flour and ground nix. Add the margarine and as much water as needed. Knead either with your hands or the food processor until combined. Put the dough in the refrigerator for about 30 min.

For the filling, put the dried apricots, apple juice and cinnamon in a pot and boil the mixture for a few minutes until the apricots are really soft. Let it cool down and blend in your blender (or food processor) until really creamy. Stir in the raisins. That’s your filling!

Roll out one half of the dough and cover the ground of your baking pan with dough. Put the filling on top of it, roll out the second half of dough and cover the bars. Brush some soy cream or milk on top (it adds a nice glaze) and bake for 20-25 min at 200 C or 350 F.

IMG_4760

 

Remember this guy? Yes, he also loves apricot bars. Maybe it’s the golden orange color that appeals to him? And don’t worry, he didn’t need his axe to cut them… they are rather soft.

IMG_4724

 

All those secret beauties! I am getting hungry looking at this picture, honestly! This is actually a really old recipe, an accidentally vegan one, which I already made before I was vegan! And I don’t know why I haven’t made those bars in such a long time…

 

The one and only female knight. I think she looks angry. She needs something to eat. People always get grumpy when they are hungry!

Bon appetit!

Mini Pumpkin Pies – no bake

28 Sunday Oct 2012

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Make it small. I like small sized food. Small cookies = more cookies. Small cupcakes = more cupcakes.

Small pies = more pies!!!

And you have a whole pie to yourself… I think that’s great. Plus it’s no bake, so these pies are not only really cute, but also fast and easy to make. Could you ask for anything more?
Oh, and by the way… I think pumpkins are the only reason why fall has a right to exist at all. (You have to know that I don’t really like any season but summer. And yes, I know, I live in a very bad spot concerning my weather preference…).

Come on, they are cute!

The filling is rather a pumpkin pudding, or a pumpkin cream. But it’s one of the most delicious thing I had lately. If you add some corn starch, you could even use this cream as a filling for baked pumpkin pie.

For the crust: It’s raw crust, made from dried fruit, nuts and oats. You could actually use any kind of nut and dried fruits like dates, figs, apricots… I just used what I happened to have in the house. Feel free to use whatever you have on hand!

Mini Pumpkin Pies

  • 100g (1/2 cup) raisins
  • 80g (1/2 cup) almonds
  • 50g (1/2 cup) rolled oats
  • cinnamon
  • 200g (one can) pumpkin puree
  • 3-4 Tbsp Maple Syrup
  • 175g (6 oz or half a package) silken firm tofu
  • additional sweetener to taste
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ginger and cardamon
  • dash of salt, nutmeg and cloves

For the crust, combine the raisins, almonds rolled outs and a dash of cinnamon in your food processor (or vita-mix like blender). Press the dough into silicon muffin pans are into tartlet  pans. It should look like this:

For the filling, mix pumpkin puree, tofu, maple syrup and spices in your food processor or blender (I used homemade pumpkin puree, but it won’t make a big difference). Taste test and add more sweetener, if you like.
Fill the pumpkin cream into the crust and you’re ready to enjoy miniature pumpkin pies!

Spider, pink flower, bat. Nothing wrong here!

Trick or treat…

Great, “This is Halloween” is stuck in my head right now! I guess I will have to watch the movie some time soon… eating mini pumpkin pies and thinking of other Halloween food.

Happy Halloween!

Do you go to a Halloween Party and will you dress up?

Simple Apple Pie Smoothie

21 Sunday Oct 2012

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I never expected it… but this smoothie really taste like apple pie filling! It’s fresh, raw, foamy, yummy. The dates yield a delicious caramel flavor and sweetness. The almonds make it extra creamy and perfect.

I made this so often for breakfast this week. Seems to be my favorite right now. Another great part: It’s not pricey! Apples are the seasonal fruit right now, at my grocery store, it’s the freshest and cheapest thing I can get.

But what I like best about this smoothie: It’s so easy! I usually have all the ingredients at hand. You only need one kind of fruit! Just apples, no more.  And you won’t believe how delicious it is until you tried!

Apple Pie Smoothie
one big Smoothie

  • 2 apples, cut into quarters
  • 1/8 cup almond (about one hand full)
  • about 5 dates
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup ice cubes
  • 1/4 cup water or as needed
  • optional: some oats or flaxseed – make it a breakfast!

But everything in your blender, ice cubes first. Add as much water as needed for desired consistence. Blend – and enjoy! If you like your smoothie even sweeter, you can add some stevia.

I put some oats and flax seed in my smoothie as a breakfast – the oats make a great “pie crust”. You could also crumble some graham cracker on top of your smoothie. Or decorate it with some cream and cinnamon!