Petite Cranberry (or Chocolate) Orange Scones

It has been a LONG time...
My camera has been out of commission for quite some time, and with the burdens of school and travel, I've been out of touch with my experimental side. Yes, I've created some pretty amazing dishes during my absence, and it's a pity that I cannot list all the recipes or photos...but no worries, even with the temporary image-less recipes, I plan on getting back into the posting groove for the holidays ;)

Tonight, my tummy had a hankerin' for some cranberry orange scones...how could I resist the urge to replicate one of my favorite scones?!! Dane, of course, isn't a scone man and the little giddy reaction he had to my sudden excitement and urgency to bake was stifled by the word: SCONE. Even worse to him, the addition of "cranberry orange". So, how did I fix the problem? I agreed to halve the batch and omit the cranberries and throw in a handful of chocolate chunks! BIG smile on Dane's behalf. The man will eat ANYTHING that has chocolate in it.

Petite Cranberry (or Chocolate) Orange Scones:

1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1/8 c. sugar
1 1/2 t. baking powder
tiniest pinch o' salt
1/8 c. margarine
1/4 c. dried cranberries (or chocolate, if using)
1 t. fresh orange zest
1/4 c. soy creamer w/
3 drops of apple cider vinegar (to make faux buttermilk)
1/2 of an ener-g egg replacer (optional)

Didn't use the following icing drizzle, but will include in case you're interested in a sweeter scone:

1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 T. orange juice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Mix together all dry ingredients in a large bowl (except the cranberries) and cut in the margarine until the mix looks like coarse crumbs.
Stir in the orange zest.
Stir in the egg replacer and faux buttermilk, stir, then add the cranberries (or chocolate) and stir again until everything is combined.
Flour your hands and knead briefly.
Place the dough onto an ungreased 9x13 pan.
Lightly flour your hands again, then spread the dough out into a rectangle about 1/3 inch thick.
Using a knife, or a dough scraper, cut into small triangles by slicing first into squares, then diagonally.
Do NOT separate!
Bake for 12-15 minutes until lightly golden.
Drizzle icing over them if desired.
Separate and serve warm!

Diz's Easy Butter Pecan Rum Cake

I couldn't decide between...
a butter pecan, cinnamon swirl, or rum cake--so I mixed them all together with a yummy french vanilla base! This layered bundt cake was created out of indecisiveness and curiosity.

Diz's Easy Butter Pecan Rum Cake:

Cake:
1 box of vegan french vanilla cake mix
4 Ener-G egg replacers
1/2 c. 50/50 mixture of Smart Balance Light and expeller-pressed canola oil
1/2 c. REAL rum
1/2 c. unsweetened soy milk
1/2 c. toasted pecans
vegan "butter" flavored spray

Streusel:
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 t. cinnamon
2 T. Smart Balance Light

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Combine first five cake ingredients, mix well. Set aside. Mix together the streusel ingredients in a pourable cup, like a measuring cup. Thoroughly spray a bundt pan with the butter flavored spray and sprinkle the toasted pecans onto the bottom in an even layer. Pour a half of the cake mix on top of the pecans, then pour the streusel mixture on top of it. Lightly and evenly pour the remaining cake mix in. Use a spatula to smooth and level out if necessary. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool off for 20 minutes before removing cake from pan. I thought serving it with fresh strawberries was exquisite!

Easy Black Forest Bundt Cake!

Easy, Not-Too-Fattening, Chocolatey Cake...
The original non-vegan version of the recipe was found on 'Zaar posted by Chefiebig.

Easy Black Forest Bundt Cake:

1 (18 oz.) box of vegan chocolate cake mix (pudding in the mix preferred)
3 Ener-G egg replacers
1 T. pure almond extract
1 (21 0z.) can cherry pie filling
1 c. vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips
(A tiny splash of non-dairy creamer or soy milk if mixture is too dry.)
Powdered sugar (optional, for dusting)

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Pour into a well greased Bundt pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for at least 20 minutes before turning out onto a rack to cool completely. Try this with some vegan topping like Rich Whip or homemade whipped "cream"!