Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

There's only one thing better than cinnamon rolls, and that's Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls! I know you're probably getting sick of pumpkin recipes by now (who am I kidding!? You can never get enough pumpkin!) but pumpkin and cinnamon are a match made in Heaven, and they come together to make a perfect Autumn breakfast in these Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Adapted from Taste of Home

Makes 12

For the cinnamon rolls

4 1/4C flour, divided

2 1/2tsp active yeast

1/2C pumpkin purée

2/3C almond milk

2Tbsp sugar

4Tbsp vegan margarine, divided

Egg replacer powder for 1 egg

1/4C water

2tsp cinnamon, divided

1/8tsp allspice

1/8tsp nutmeg

1/2C packed brown sugar

For the cream cheese frosting

1/2C dairy free cream cheese

1/4C almond milk

1tsp vanilla extract

2-4C powdered sugar*

In the bowl of a stand mixer stir together 1 1/2C flour, the egg replacer powder and yeast.

In a small saucepan mix together the pumpkin, milk, water, sugar and two tablespoons of margarine and heat until it is almost melted. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly until the mixture is hot to the touch but not scalding. 

Pour the pumpkin mixture into the flour and yeast and mix until fully incorporated. Add the rest of the flour (holding back 1/4C as you may not need it) and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, the nutmet and allspice and mix until everything is combined and a soft dough comes together.

The dough should form a ball and not stick to the sides of the bowl. If it does, add the remaining 1/4C of flour. 

Once the dough comes together set the mixer to medium speed and knead for about 6mins, until the dough becomes nice and elastic. Form into a ball with your hands and return to the bowl. Cover with a plastic shopping bag and leave to rise for an hour or until doubled in size.

Turn the risen dough out onto a floured surface and knead for a minute. Roll into a large rectangle and spread with the remaining two tablespoons of margarine. Sprinkle over the brown sugar and one teaspoon of cinnamon and roll as tightly as you can into a long roll. Cut into 12 equal pieces and place in a greased baking dish.

Cover with the plastic bag once again and leave to rise for 30mins.

Bake in an oven preheated to 175 for 20mins. Remove from the oven and leave to cool while you make the frosting.

To make the frosting cream together the cream cheese, vanilla and almond milk until smooth. Add the powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency *(2C for a pourable glaze and 4C for a spreadable frosting) and then pour or spread over the warm rolls.

Serve warm with a nice cup of coffee for a wonderfully comforting breakfast.

Goody Good Stuff Sweets Review

The fab folks over at Goody Good Stuff sent me a package of goodies to try! I'm always up for trying new vegan sweets - and these are brilliant!

Goody Good Stuff is an all-natural gummy sweet range which uses plant-based ingredients as opposed to the gelatin that most gummy sweets use. You can find them in health food shops, some sweet shops and online.

Cola Breeze are deliciously fizzy gummy cola bottles! These are a childhood classic and probably my favorite of the ones I tried. I love fizzy sweets and especially like sucking the sour sugar off of these!

Summer Peaches are a peach-y treat! These gummy sweets have a slightly firmer texture, and have a really lovely peach flavor without being overwhelmingly sweet. These would be great on top of some Peach Cupcakes!

The Tropical Fruit sweets are so good. I love that each fruit gummy actually tastes of the fruit it looks like - the banana ones actually taste of banana! I've never had banana flavored gummy sweets before and really loved them!

Being a sour sweet enthusiast the Sour Fruit Salad was right up my street! I especially loved the pear ones and would definitely buy them in the future.

Carrot Cake Cheesecake

I love it when two beautiful things come together to make an even more beautiful thing. And that's exactly what has happened with this amazing Carrot Cake Cheesecake! Vegan cheesecake is really easy to make, and I've previously tried making Strawberry and Chocolate Fudge Cheesecakes, and thought I would try something different this time!

Sweet, creamy vanilla cheesecake is swirled with spiced, moist carrot cake to create this delectable dessert.

Carrot Cake Cheesecake

Adapted from here

Serves 8

For the cheesecake mixture

9oz dairy free cream cheese

1C silken tofu

3/4C sugar

1tsp vanilla extract

2tsp flour

Egg replacer powder for 2 eggs

1/4C water

For the carrot cake mixture

1 1/4C plain flour

1/2tsp baking soda

1/2tsp baking powder

2tsp ground cinnamon

1/2C vegetable oil

2/3C sugar

1/3C light-brown packed sugar

Egg replacer powder for 2 eggs

1/4C water

1tsp vanilla extract

1C finely shredded carrot

Preheat the oven to 150 and grease a springform tin.

Put all the cheesecake ingredients into a food processor and blitz until the mixture is completely smooth. Set aside while you make the carrot cake mixture.

In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the sugars, oil, water and vanilla until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and mix until everything is well incorporated. Fold in the carrot and spoon a cup of the mixture into the bottom of the tin. Spread evenly over the bottom and then drop 1/3 of the cheesecake mixture in large tablespoons over the carrot cake layer, don't spread it out at all. Pour the remaining carrot cake mixture over the top and smooth over. Finally pour the rest of the cheesecake mixture into the tin and spread to level the mixture out.

Bake for 25mins at 150 and then increase the temperature to 175 and continue to bake for a further 20mins until the cheesecake is nicely risen and there is still a jiggle when you shake the tin. Leave to cool in the tin and then refrigerate overnight before removing from the tin to serve.

Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Reading List #1

I don't know about you, but I love to read. Especially if what I'm reading is full of vegan recipes! I've got so many cookery books that they have their own bookcase! I thought it would be fun to start a feature on Floral Frosting all about vegan stuff I've been reading.

I'm starting off this series with a triple whammy of vegan reads - a magazine, a cookery book and a zine!

I was super excited when this magazine caught my eye at my local health food shop! I occasionally buy Vegetarian magazines but am often disappointed at their lack of vegan recipes, so how exciting is it that the UK now has a 100% Vegan lifestyle magazine!? 

Vegan Life Magazine is jam packed with interesting recipes, articles and information about everything vegan! The first issue had lots of Asian inspired recipes, an interesting article about the ethics of keeping your own hens and shared a list of the top 10 Vegan Cheeses for a wine and cheese night! At the moment you can get a yearly subscription for less than £15!

I'm always on the lookout for new cookery books (even though I have so many!) And when I found out that Áine of Pea Soup Eats had written a vegan cook book I knew I had to have it! Áine is an incredible cook and her book Keep It Vegan is jam packed with delectable recipes for everything from Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins to Butternut Squash Macaroni Cheese! 

I'm fairly new to the world of 'zines', and Reap What You Sow is actually the first zine I've ever bought! Written by the super talented Abigail Stevens, a journalism graduate who works for The Vegan Society, this zine is perfect for new and old vegans alike. The first edition is particularly great for non-vegans or new vegans, as it explains lots of basics about veganism (it includes a list of non vegan E-numbers which I have found really helpful) and has plenty of great recipes for things like simple vegan Mayo and Fried Seitan 'Chicken'. 

I'm really excited about the future editions of this zine, especially as I will be writing a lot of the recipes for it! You can buy the first edition for only £1 here.

What have you been reading recently? I'd love to hear your recommendations!

Caramel Peanut Cupcakes with Chocolate Fudge Frosting & Peanut Brittle

Yesterday my son Hal was 6 months old, and to celebrate I decided to make some cupcakes! I went with a peanut flavored cupcake as we used to call him 'Peanut' when I was pregnant before and we knew that he was a boy. 

I thought making peanut brittle would be really complicated, but this recipe is so easy and is all done in the microwave in under 10 minutes!

Caramel Peanut Cupcakes

Recipe adapted from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World

Makes 12

For the cupcakes

3/4C almond milk

2tsp apple cider vinegar

1/2C smooth peanut butter

1/3C oil

2/3C sugar

2tsp caramel extract

2Tbsp ground flaxseeds

1C + 2Tbsp plain flour

1tsp baking powder

1/2tsp baking soda

1/4tsp salt

For the frosting

10oz vegan dark chocolate chips

1/2C soy cream

For the brittle

1 1/2C peanuts

1C sugar

1/2C golden syrup

1/4tsp salt

1Tbsp vegan butter spread

1/2tsp baking soda

Preheat the oven to 180 and line a muffin tin with cupcake cases.

Mix the milk and vinegar together and set aside to curdle. In a large mixing bowl cream together the peanut butter, oil, sugar and caramel extract. Add the milk mixture and mix until well incorporated. Add the ground flax and mix. Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix until just combined. Spoon into the cupcake cases until they are 2/3 full and bake for 20mins. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Put the chocolate chips and soy cream in a small pan over a low heat and stir constantly until the mixture is smooth and all the chocolate has melted. Set aside to cool. Once the mixture has completely cooled spoon it into a small bowl and refrigerate for an hour. After an hour it should be nice and thick.

To make the brittle mix together the peanuts, sugar, salt and golden syrup and microwave for 3 1/2mins. Remove from the microwave and stir well. Microwave for a further 3 1/2mins.

Stir well and add the butter. Mix until the butter has completely melted. Add the baking soda and mix quickly. Pour onto a well greased baking tray and spread out evenly. Leave to cool completely before breaking into chunks.

Finish the cupcakes by spreading them with the Chocolate Fudge Frosting and topping them with pieces of the Peanut Brittle.

White Pumpkin Rolls

I love baking my own bread, but I rarely get the chance to now that I'm usually rushing around after a cheeky little monkey! But I decided to bake some bread rolls for my October Crafternoon a few weeks ago, and as everything was Autumn themed I made them into the shape of little pumpkins! They turned out so well, and were really easy to make.

These would be a perfect accompaniment to your Thanksgiving meal, and I know I will be making some for mine.

White Pumpkin Rolls

Makes 12

1 lot white bread dough (I use this recipe)

6 whole pecans, cut in half lengthways

Preheat the oven to 125. 

Separate your dough into 12 equal pieces and roll into balls. Use a pair of scissors to make five cuts in each ball. Place on a lined baking tray and stick half a pecan nut into the center of each roll. Bake for 12-14mins until risen and nicely browned on top.

Serve hot from the oven with vegan butter spread.

Peanut Butter Cup Tart (UPDATED)

As you may have gathered from my blog, I love Peanut Butter! And in my pre-vegan days I scoffed many a Peanut Butter Cup, they're one of the few things that I miss as a vegan (I know in the US you guys have Justin's PB Cups, lucky devils! But in the UK we just have to make our own!) The other day I was really craving a peanut butter cup and suddenly this tart popped into my head! 

It's basically a giant peanut butter cup. Yep. You're welcome!

Peanut Butter Cup Tart

Serves 8

15 bourbon biscuits

1Tbsp vegan butter spread

2Tbsp, heaped smooth peanut butter

1C smooth peanut butter

1C powdered sugar, sifted

1tsp vanilla extract

200g vegan dark chocolate

2Tbsp vegan butter spread

1/4C salted peanuts
1tsp flaked salt or fleur de sel

Pulse the biscuits in a food processor until finely ground. Add the butter and peanut butter and pulse until everything is combined and starting to stick together slightly.

Press into a greased tart tin or a spring form cake tin. Set aside.

Using a wooden spoon mix the icing sugar into the peanut butter, once most of the sugar is mixed in use your hands to knead it into a smooth dough and pat down into a thick disk. Place in the tart tin and use your fingers to press the mixture out to the edges and smooth down the top. Set aside.

In a small saucepan over a medium heat melt the chocolate and butter together until just melted. Remove from the heat and pour into the tart tin. Hold the tart tin and tilt it in a circular motion to spread the chocolate evenly over the top of the tart. Sprinkle the salt over the pie and use the peanuts to create a border around the edge of the crust. Place in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight.

Before serving remove the tart from the tin and cut into slices. Serve with squirty soy cream or a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream.

Chai Pumpkin Oatmeal//Rebel Kitchen Review

I was recently send a box of goodies from the kind folks over at Rebel Kitchen and was very excited to try their mylks! I had previously tried their Orange Choc Mylk but none of the others so was very much looking forward to tasting all the other flavors.

Rebel Kitchen are fighting refined sugar by producing delicious coconut mylks in various flavors made with natural and nutritious ingredients such as date nectar, fruit and cacao. They make drinks for kids and adults alike and can be found in supermarkets throughout the UK and online.

I opted to try the adult mylks first, I am an adult after all! These come in bigger cartons and have screw-top lids so you can transport them easily without spillage.

The Matcha Green Tea Mylk is delicious! I was slightly disappointed that it isn't actually green (I do love the bright color matcha powder tends to give things) but the mylk is sweet and tasty and a great source for a breakfast drink for on-the-go.

The Chocolate Mylk is seductively rich and dark, with a nice strong cacao flavor. The date nectar really brings out the sweetness in the chocolate, this would be great blended into smoothies with banana and peanut butter!

The Chai Mylk is beautifully sweet and spicy. I found this mylk to be a bit of a strong flavor so preferred it mixed into almond milk for a subtler chai taste. I loved it in my Chai Pumpkin Oatmeal, perfect for chilly autumn mornings!

Next I tried the kids mylks! These come in little cartons with straws and would be just perfect for school lunchboxes! I will definitely be buying some when Hal starts school.

The Choco Mylk is deliciously sweet, a lovely chocolate milkshake.

The Orange Choc Mylk is amazing - I love Chocolate Orange flavored anything, and although the flavor is subtler than the others, it's really satisfying!

The Banana Mylk is lovely, you can really taste the fresh crushed banana! I would love to blend this up with some frozen bananas to make some yummy soft serve in the summer!

My favorite flavors were definitely the Matcha Green Tea Mylk and the Orange Choc Mylk! I could drink these all day long!

As a side note, I particularly like Rebel Kitchen's packaging! It's hilarious!

This Chai Pumpkin Oatmeal is perfect for a cold autumn morning, especially if you were up at 5am like I was! (Oh the joys of parenting!) Sweet and spicy, topped with caramelized pear slices and chopped pecan nuts this breakfast will warm up any cold day.

Chai Pumpkin Oatmeal 

Serves 1

1/2C whole rolled oats

1/2C Rebel Kitchen Chai Mylk

1/2C almond milk

1/2tsp cinnamon

1/4tsp nutmeg

1/2 a pear, cut into thick slices

1Tbsp maple syrup

2tsp chopped pecans

Put the oats, milks and spices into a small saucepan and mix until well combined. Simmer over a medium heat, stirring often until the oatmeal has thickened and some of the liquid has been absorbed (about 10mins)

Place a frying pan over a high heat and add the maple syrup. Place the pear slices in an even layer and cook until slightly browned on that side, around 3mins. Turn over and cook for a further minute to brown the other side. 

Serve your oatmeal topped with the caramelized pear slices and sprinkled with the chopped pecans.

Cinnamon Swirl Loaf with Toasted Almonds

Don't you love recipes that are really easy but make something that looks really impressively complicated? I do! This Cinnamon Swirl Loaf is deliciously sweet and spiced, and is the perfect thing to bake on a cold Autumn day like today.

Don't be fooled by how complicated it looks, this loaf is so simple to make! And you can impress your friends and family with a deliciously fancy loaf!

Cinnamon Swirl Loaf with Toasted Almonds

Makes 1 loaf

2 1/2C plain flour

1 7g sachet instant yeast

1C hot tap water

1Tbsp sugar

1/2tsp salt

5tsp dairy free butter spread

1/2C soft brown sugar

2Tbsp cinnamon

4Tbsp powdered sugar

1 1/2tsp water

4Tbsp toasted slivered almonds

In a small jug combine the sugar, yeast and water and mix with a fork. Set aside for a minute to go frothy.

Dump the flour and salt into a large bowl or the bowl of an electric stand mixer and make a well in the center. Pour in the yeast mixture and mix thoroughly until the dough is smooth and all the flour is incorporated into the mixture. Knead until the dough is soft and elastic, about 5mins in a mixer or 10mins by hand. Form into a smooth ball and place in the bowl. Cover with a plastic bag and leave in a warm place to double in size, this should take about an hour.

Once the dough has doubled in size tip it out onto a floured surface and knead for a minute or so. Roll it out into a large rectangle, as big as you can and spread the butter spread on with a spoon, making sure you cover all of the dough well. Sprinkle over the sugar and cinnamon as evenly as you can and carefully roll into a large sausage shape. Try to roll it as tightly as you can.

Cut the dough sausage in half length ways and squidge the top ends together to secure. Turn the dough pieces so that the cinnamon sugar mixture is facing upwards. Braid the loaf by twisting one piece over the other, over and over until you reach the other ends. Make sure that as you are twisting the dough you keep the cinnamon sugar side up. Secure the ends together and then make into a circle shape, securing the ends together again. Place on a baking tray cover with a plastic bag. Leave to rise again for 20mins.

Bake in an oven preheated to 350/180 for 20mins, until nicely golden and risen. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the icing by mixing together the powdered sugar and water and once the loaf is cooled drizzle with the icing and sprinkle with the toasted almonds.

Serve warm with a cup of tea.

Store in an airtight container for 3 days.

Pumpkin Pie Dip

I adore pumpkin pie, I remember the first time I tried one that my mum made and how delicious it was! As much as I like to bake a pie, it does take quite a bit of time and effort so I tend to only bake them for special occasions - I will definitely be baking a Pumpkin Pie for Thanksgiving this year! But when I'm craving Pumpkin Pie but don't want to slave away in the kitchen for hours I make this dip.

I kid you not it tastes EXACTLY like Pumpkin Pie filling! But it takes about two minutes to throw together. I like to serve this with apple and pear slices, and some speculoos or gingernut biscuits to dip. You could even make some little leaf shaped cookies out of pastry and then it would really be like the pie!

Pumpkin Pie Dip

Makes 2 cups

1/2C dairy free cream cheese

1C pureed pumpkin

1/2C liquid sweetener (sweet freedom/agave/maple)

1/2C powdered sugar

2tsp cinnamon

1tsp nutmeg

1/8tsp allspice

1/8tsp cloves

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth and thick. Either serve immediately or place in an airtight container in the fridge until serving.

Keeps well for 3 days in the fridge.

Pumpkin Spice Syrup

This week's posts are all Autumn themed - aren't you excited that it's finally October!? And what better way to start the week off with a Pumpkin Spice Syrup recipe.

I'm obsessed with everything Pumpkin Spiced, so naturally I was really excited when a couple of years ago Starbucks brought the Pumpkin Spice Latte to the UK! However my excitement quickly disappeared when I discovered that not only does the Starbucks PSL not contain any real pumpkin, it is also laden with dairy. I spent lots of money buying Pumpkin Spice Syrup, but wasn't overly impressed as you couldn't taste the pumpkin flavor and it was too pricey.

Thankfully, I came up with this recipe and it's so delicious! (And cost effective!) I made it to give as favors for my October Crafternoon  and thought I would share the recipe here so you all can make your own Pumpkin Spice Latté's at home!

Pumpkin Spice Syrup

Makes 6 cups

2 1/2C water

2C white sugar

2C brown sugar

5tsp cinnamon

1/2tsp nutmeg

1/2tsp cloves

1/2tsp allspice

1 vanilla pod (optional)

1/2C pumpkin puree

Put the sugars and water in a large pan over a medium heat and whisk while the sugar melts. Once all the sugar has completely dissolved add the spices and pumpkin puree and whisk again to incorporate. Add the vanilla pod and simmer on a low heat for a further 10mins, whisking occasionally, until the syrup has thickened slightly. Pour into jars or a large bottle and leave the vanilla pod in the container to give an even better flavor. Leave to cool and then store in the fridge for up to 5 weeks.

Add a tablespoon to coffee for an autumnal treat!