Chocolate Truffles - When gluttony breeds with celebration...

So, one half of The Vegan Apron is turning 24 today - awwwww. In celebration of his birthday and steady decline into geekish antiquity, the female half of this Apron decided to make a no-holds-barred chocolate cake. And oho, did I! This cake will probably have you in a) a straightjacket or b) Weight Watchers for the next ten years.

So, the deets: this cake tooks aaaages to construct - I won't pretend it was some easy feat of culinary architecture combining both finesse and speed. Nope. Loads of finesse, no speed. The cake is a chocolate almond fudge, and it is topped with chocolate 'buttercream' and piped maroon chocolate rosettes. Then, in the centre, there is a pile of handmade chocolate truffles, dusted with icing powder, and topped with a delicate spiderweb of chocolate. I wrapped some decorative gold print paper around the sides for kicks, and the whole thing went to work with my husband today so his workmates could gorge themselves. This exchange occurred in g-chat after the cake had made a hoity-toity entrance at work:

Husband: hmm. how about that.
me: what?
Husband: the owner of a multi-million dollar, international software company just said "well done" to you on the cake.
me: 0_0

It all just goes to prove what Matt Ball of Vegan Outreach says: being a vegan isn't about deprivation. I have the waistline to prove it!

The Republican Cupcake: Rich and Thick

The Republican
Aheheh...the name says it all. Rich + thick!
The actual cake turned out a little fluffier and lighter than we would have liked, but the the icing? Oh. Sweet. Zeus. Portwine coloured peanut butter whip drizzled with (vegan) semi-sweet dark chocolate.

Yeasty Goodness

Handmade Garlic 'Pull-Apart' Bread
Is there anything more fun than making fresh bread? It really is like regressing to child hood - sticky hands, kneading dough, and watching incredulously as something magically grows. This garlic pull-apart was super easy and was nommy when eaten warm in front of some escapist teevee.

'Allo Duckie!

Your friends will be green with envy (yes I know, ha...ha...ha...) when they catch you ripping apart one of these zany duck-egg cupcakes. Marzipan = love.

Rollin' with the Sushi

Not just healthy - hearty! Although it can be difficult to approximate the wonders of professionally made, store bought sushi, we think ours comes pretty damned close. The marinated, lightly fried tofu in the middle helps. So what should we call this - Tofushi?

Lemony Snacket

These Lemony Snacket cupcakes are a thing of beauty, and utter self-indulgence. The cake is a soft banana cloud, and the icing is a whipped-to-hell concoction of tofutti 'cream cheese', fresh lemon juice and other goodies...

Be warned: they're more-ish. You'll find yourself at the gym afterwards!

Pic Post!

Food, food, food...where would we be without it? (Err, probably a lot skinnier.) Still, here's some delish pics of what we've been devouring lately.

Vegan Brekkie Fry-Up

Complete with soy bacon (NOM-NOM-NOM), rocket, sauteed garlicky mushrooms, split English muffins and those good ol' rib-stickers - baked beans - this fry-up was a delight to consume.

Late-night Banana Bread

Not to be confused with banana cake, its sweeter cousin, this bread had a rather strange effect on the male half of The Vegan Apron - sudden and unexplained swooning. Could it be the moist crumbs or the rough crunchy exterior? Could it be the immensely comforting cuddling-by-a-fire smell that wafted out of the oven? The mystery remains unsolved.