Blackcurrant vanilla muffins (vegan version)

This recipe survived in my kitchen for a year and I thought it really is worth sharing. These are the simplest muffins from what I bake. After lots of trials with other muffin flavors I have to say they also taste the best to me. They are something I don't forget and keep coming back to, like these oatmeal cookies and this banana bread.

Kovrizhka, grandma's spice cake (vegan version)

I was thinking about the menu for a Russian food cooking class and this kovrizhka came to mind. Kovrizhka is a kind of spice cake, baked in Russia and Ukraine, which I loved to make when I was in my teens. Since then I somehow forgot about it, which is unjustified given how tasty and simple it is. It fit really well into the class menu, so I went to search for the recipe.

Spanish churros

Have I said already how much I love churros with hot chocolate? I first tried them in Barcelona at a Christmas fair. I was standing there on the snowy Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes holding a paper cone of long hot and crispy sugary doughnuts in one hand and a plastic cup of thick dark majic in the other hand... and had no spare hand whatsoever.

Everyday banana bread (vegan version)

I was not going to make this post because it's a little bit like posting the fried eggs you normally make yourself for breakfast. However some of my friends got interested, so I thought why not. It's not the first time that I see the simplest things getting way more resonance than something more sophisticated. After all this breakfast or snack food adds so much pleasure to your everyday life.

Tamarind and fresh ginger cake (vegan version)

This time of the year I constantly feel like something spicy. This cake came out very Asian - with intense sweet dark muscovado sugar and sour tamarind. Fresh ginger, cinnamon and black pepper create a spicy explosion, but there is almost no texture, it disappears right after it gets into your mouth.

Apple and walnut muffins (vegan version)

There are definitely nice things about starting autumn. My dad came home with a case of Antonovka apples he got at the farmers market. I could tell what was in his bag standing 5 meters away from him. The apples instantly filled the house with their strong aroma. I couldn't help baking apple something. Not that I don't like them fresh, but I can't stand cold food this time of the year. These apples beautifully develop their flavor when baked and they are strong enough for you to taste them in muffins.

Basil and olive oil muffins (vegan version)

In my series of vegan muffins I had to come up with something savory sooner or later. My dad is especially fond of low sugar food, but everybody else also seems to enjoy savory cookies, pies etc. That's why quiches got so much traction with us. Anyhow one day I thought about something like pesto muffin. Intense green and with mind blowing basil aroma.

Pumpkin and walnut muffins (vegan version)

It looks like there is a pattern in my vegan baking. Things work out exactly from the second attempt. That was the case with banana upside down cake as well as oatmeal cookies. Now the pumpkin muffins did the same and I can’t tell you how happy I am at breakfast time.

Chewy oatmeal cookies (vegan version)

The crispy oatmeal cookies I got last time were fine, but I’ve always been much bigger on soft and chewy cookies. So since then I’ve been thinking about developing a chewy version. These chewy (almost gooey) cookies worked right from the first attempt. This must be because I finally got a good book on American baking.

Crispy oatmeal cookies (vegan version)

I'm getting more and more enthusiastic about vegan baking. After the banana upside down mini cakes worked I got these wonderful oatmeal cookies. My first attempt one them I'm embarrassed to describe. At the second one however they even surprised me. They came out deliciously light, crispy and airy. The combination of cinnamon, nutmeg and orange gave them a touch of heat and feast.

Banana upside down mini cakes (vegan version)

I recently got interested in vegan (eggless and dairy free) pastry. After my several unsuccessful attempts on this, banana upside down mini cakes finally worked perfectly. They came out really flavorful and full of aroma, airy, tender and moist at the same time. I had a great breakfast. So for the first time since these experiments started I really feel like sharing a recipe.