The Elegant Vegan

By Coreyamaro

My cousin inspired me to become a vegetarian, enter a monastery, live a life aware of beauty and fall in love with The Doors. She was my idol. My mentor. My cool cousin. My envy. I would follow her anywhere.

Neither of us became nuns. I am a pescetarian, she is a vegan, we both seek beauty in our daily lives and well Jim Morrison is buried in Paris.

Aunt Mary is my cousin's Shelley's mother. Aunt Mary is my mother's older sister.

My cousin Shelley the elegant vegan's    ALMOND CAKE   Ingredients:
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 2/3 cup vegan sugar
  • 3 and 1/2 tablespoons vegan butter
  • 3 tablespoons Tofutti sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons almond paste (I use more0
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 Ener-G egg ( PLUS ONE TABLESPOON OF APPLESAUCE)
  • 1/3 cup plain non-dairy milk
  • Cooking spray
  • 2 tablespoons toasted and chopped almonds
  • 1 teaspoon vegan powdered sugar
1. Lightly spoon the flour into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife.  Combine the flour in a bowl with the baking powder, salt, and cloves.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 2/3 cup sugar with the butter, sour cream, almond paste, almond extract, and Ener-G egg.  Beat at medium speed until blended.

2. Add the flour mixture and the milk alternately to the sugar mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.  Spoon the batter into a 9-inch round cake pan coated with cooking spray. 
 
(Note: because of the almond paste the batter will be a bit sticky - use a rubber spatula to spread to the edges of the pan if needed).

3. In a small bowl, combine the almonds and 2 tablespoons sugar; sprinkle evenly over the batter.  ( I do this after the cake has cooled. Almonds first then powdered sugar )    

Isn't this a neat looking tea cozy that my cousin has?

My mom took this photo of my cousin and I. 

Oh it is days like this that I wish we lived closer. I wish I could blink my eyes and bi locate wherever i wanted when I wanted. The hours felt like minutes at Shelley's. I think I might come back and help her write her cookbook (as the taster and dishwasher!):

The Elegant Vegan