Category Archives: Thanksgiving

Fall is my favorite season; it’s hard to like the three others as much when it’s so full of wonderful produce like pumpkins and apples!  This is why I am so glad that my birthday comes around with it, I get inspired to make delicious desserts for others, and (mostly) myself, using these ingredients.  I went apple picking a little ways away from where I live and had a surplus of local, organic apples; and what better way to use them then in cupcakes?

Servings: 20 Cupcakes

Ingredients For Cupcakes:

• 1 ½ Cups
  Unbleached All Purpose Flour
• 1 ½ Cups Whole
  Wheat Flour
• 2 tsp. Baking
  Soda
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1 ½ tsp.
  Cinnamon
• ½ tsp. Nutmeg
• 1 Cup Oil
  (Olive, Coconut, Grapeseed, Canola, etc.)
• 1 Cup Sugar
• ¾ Cup Fig Puree,
  Blended Figs
• 1 ½ Tbsp.
  Vanilla Extract
• 1 Tbsp. Apple
  Cider Vinegar
• 3 Cups Chopped
  Apples, about ¼” Squared
• 1 Cup Chopped
  Pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to
   350°F. Combine flours, baking soda, salt,
   cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Sift together until there are no
   chunks. In another bowl combine oil, sugar, fig puree, vanilla, and apple
   cider vinegar; stir together until even and smooth.
2. Mix the wet
   mixture into the dry mixture and combine very well, then add in the
   chopped apples. The mixture will be very chunky, so take about 3 quarters
   of it and place it in a food processor; pulse together until the apple
   chunks are much smaller and the batter is more of a paste. Add that batter
   back to the unblended portion along with the pecans and stir together.
3. Using an ice
   cream scoop, scoop batter into cupcake pans with liners so that the batter
   is about ¾ of the way up on the liner. If you are using two cupcake pans
   at the same time place them on two different racks in your oven and bake
   for 12 minutes, then switch racks and bake for an addition 10-12 minutes
   or until your toothpick comes out clean. Set on cooling rack and continue
   on to making the frosting.

Ingredients for Frosting:

• 2 Cups Raw
  Cashews, Soaked for 2 hours or more
• 2 Tbsp. Maple
  Syrup
• 1 Tbsp. Agave Nectar
• 2 tsp. Vanilla
  Extract
• ¾ Cup Water
• 1 tsp. Cinnamon

Directions:

1. Place all
   ingredients into a high-speed blender, and puree until very smooth. Cool
   in refrigerator for 30 minutes, then spread roughly 1 Tbsp. of frosting
   per cupcake.

Ingredients for Apple Chip Garnish:

• 2 Small Apples, Cored
  and Sliced thinly
• 2 Tbsp. Brown
  Sugar
• 1 tsp. Cinnamon

Directions:

2. Preheat oven to 350°F, place apple slices on baking sheet and
   sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon over them. Bake for 10-12 minutes or
   until the edges start to curl up a little bit. Take them out to cool then
   garnish the cupcakes with them.

Every year for Thanksgiving I have a tradition. I give a donation to an organization that I feel is really making a difference. Back in my struggling student days it may only have been $20, if that’s all I could afford, but it was always something. It seems appropriate since Thanksgiving is all about giving thanks. This year we have chosen to support Vegan Outreach. It’s our way of giving thanks for the great work that they do. This year, through the generosity of matching donors, any donation made to Vegan Outreach before December 31st will compound that thanks because it will be doubled.

Thanksgiving dinner itself is not necessarily the best time to stridently promote veganism. You could end up unintentionally alienating your family members. It is however a great time to learn which approach to take with each person. Listen, this Thanksgiving, to your relatives. What are their health concerns? Do they like to cook? Are they animal lovers? What better gift for the holidays than something that reflects their needs. With the plethora of books promoting veganism and plant based diets there is something for everyone. Give them the book for Christmas (or Chanukah or Kwanza) that will most resonate with them. Next year they may be thanking you – for better health, great new recipes, or a more peaceful spirit. It is really important to give each individual the item that will most appeal to them. We love The China Study because we love science, but many people prefer the Engine 2 Diet because it is more straightforward and practical. We share both often, keeping in mind the person on the receiving end. We always try to give the one most likely to make a difference in their life. Some people prefer DVDs to books. Tailor the gift to the recipient. Just because you love The Face on Your Plate doesn’t mean that it will be well received by your uncle Joe who loves to hunt. If his cholesterol is high and he is on blood pressure meds then Caldwell Esselstyn’s Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease may be a far better choice.

Even if you don’t succeed in veganizing your relatives completely, the materials that you provide them with may lead to more openess and a better understanding of your position. Something, that someday, could take them all the way forward. Later this month, we will publish a list of our holiday gift suggestions, based on needs and likes of the people who may be receiving them. Until then, we’d love to find out what some of yours are. Please share them with us.