Vegan Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls & Making Roots

Well hello there! It's been a while.

Last time we talked I might as well have been a different person for all of the changes that have happened in my life, big and little, internal and external. It’s next to impossible to summarize, so I’ll just tell you a bit about what’s going on currently.

It’s practically summer in Tangier these days, which means this is the month of events and wrap-ups. I just finished two separate dance performances, one that I choreographed and danced in and another where my lovely friend Natalia directed and we both danced. Now I’m preparing for a showcase of my dance classes that I teach throughout the academic year and once that is over I can finally start to look ahead and begin anew with summer adventures & projects.

I guess the major change in me since last fall is a sort of focusing- a honing in- on what is important to me and where that will most likely take me in my foreseeable future. As a freshly-turned 23 year old (am I though?) I’ve realized dance is more than just a passion- it’s truly my career and my life. I train harder, dig deeper and push myself more than I ever have in this field. 

I also have started to finally form some roots. Even though my freelance work and endlessly itching wanderlust will keep me traveling, the wonderfully weird city of Tangier, Morocco, is a place I can call home now without flinching. In fact, it feels good to say it. This is my home.

I tell people that 3 things happened successively when I came to Morocco about a year and a half ago. First, I fell in love with the country. Then I fell in love with my work. And then I fell in love with a Moroccan. He cinched it. Yep- I’m getting rooted in this city, and I’m happy about it.

The lovely news about all of my projects and performances wrapping up this month, is that now I have more time for simple pleasures. Reading, writing, yoga in the sun, and of course, baking. 

I go through these weird phases where I get obsessed with using yeast in everything I bake. It's usually when my stress levels are higher and I need to knead some dough to get it all out. Hence, yeasted cakes, yeasted rolls, yeasted everything. Let's stop saying yeast and just look at how delicious these are:

It's strawberry season here, so time to get crazy. These rolls are fluffy, sticky, finger-licking goodness. No excuse not to make them.

Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls (vegan)
makes about 8 rolls

Filling

1 cup chopped strawberries

1 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp water

1.5 tsp cornstarch

1/4 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Dough

125g vegan margarine/earth balance

100g sugar

350g flour

5g yeast

160 ml lukewarm coconut milk

Icing

2 tbsp softened vegan margarine

3-4 tbsp coconut milk

2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla

Begin by mixing the yeast with 80 ml of lukewarm coconut milk until the yeast is dissolved. Whisk in 25g of the flour, then cover with a cloth and let sit somewhere warm to double in size and get frothy, for 30 minutes. 

Meanwhile, prepare the strawberry cinnamon filling by combining all of the ingredients in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir and let simmer until the strawberries get mushy and a compote forms. Take off the heat and let chill in the fridge until you're ready to use it.

Once the yeast is doubled, combine the remaining dough ingredients and knead until a sticky dough forms. If it is too dry, add a bit of water, one tablespoon at a time. Knead for about 5 minutes before transferring to a greased bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and let it sit in a warm place for another 45 min-1 hour.

Preheat your oven to 180ºC (350ºF) and roll out your dough into a large rectangle on a floured surface. Spread the strawberry filling evenly, leaving about a 2 cm border around the edges. Carefully roll the dough into a log and cut 8 slices, placing them in a greased baking pan. If any filling falls out during this delicate process, just use a spoon to tuck it back into the rolls once they are in the pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until they are risen and golden-brown on top.

While the rolls are cooling, prepare your icing by whisking together the margarine, 2 tbsp of coconut milk, powdered sugar, cinnamon and vanilla with an electric hand-mixer. Add more coconut milk a tablespoon at a time until it is a thick, dripping consistency.

Dollop the icing over the buns and serve warm. They are best eaten the same day, but they will last (if for some crazy reason you have extras) for another day or two in an airtight container.

~
I'm so happy to be back! Happy spring/early summer, everyone.

Vegan Coffee Crumble Cake

I had a friend from America who visited me in Tangier a while back. We were making plans with another friend of mine and while on the phone with him, I said "So are you still in the coffee?" My friend looked at me funny and said "Excuse me, what did you just say?"

"I asked if he was in the coffee- that's normal, right?"

Apparently I've forgotten how to speak english. Because here in Morocco, are you in the coffee is a perfectly acceptable way to ask if you are at a cafe.

And let me tell you- the cafe culture here is huge. Somedays, I wake up and leave my apartment around 9am and while walking past the cafe just next door, see an old man in his kandora with a glass of cafe au lait in front of him and a smoking cigarrette nestled in the ash tray. I go out, do my thing around the city, and coming back around 4 or 5pm, see the same man with what appears to be the same glass of coffee and the same cigarette, still burning at the same length.

At night, instead of overflowing bars and clubs, you'll find hundreds of chatty cafes filled with teens drinking cappuccinos, juices and hot chocolate. Sometimes on particularly social weekends, instead of bar-hopping like I would do in University, I find myself cafe-hopping to see different friends. I kind of love it.

Needless to say, I drink a lot more coffee here than I ever have in my life. And as if drinking loads of coffee wasn't enough, why not consume it in an edible form as well? This is not just coffee cake as in you-eat-it-with-a-cup-of-coffee cake. This is coffee-infused deliciousness.

Cinnamon Coffee Crumble Cake
vegan

makes 1 loaf cake

100 ml soy milk
150 ml strong coffee- cooled
60 ml vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon juice
225g granulated sugar
210g flour
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon

4 tbsp flour
50g brown sugar
30g cold vegan butter
1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 180º C and grease a loaf pan. In a large bowl, mix together the soy milk, coffee, oil, vanilla, lemon juice and sugar. Sift in the remaining dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Don't over-stir! Pour the batter into your pan and stick in the oven- it will bake for about 30-40 minutes total or until a tooth pick comes out clean.

Make the crumble topping as soon as you put the cake in, by combining all of the ingredients in a small bowl with your fingers. After the cake has been in the oven about 20 minutes, take it out, sprinkle the crumble on top and let it bake the remainder of the time. If you put the topping on right away, it will sink into the cake and, granted, still taste great, but won't look as pretty. Let the cake cool, slice, and enjoy with more coffee!

Peach Pie Crumble Bars

Okay, I have no excuse anymore. It's deep summer. I am finished with work (for the most part). I am on a sort of vacation and suddenly I have this funny thing called free time. What do I do with myself for the next month?

Here's my plan so far:
-travel until I'm broke
-read more books
-bake things for friends and make them happy
-write for this blog again

Actually, I've already got the first one covered. I am currently in the midst of a two week trip to Rome, Istanbul and Barcelona. Travel stories and photos coming soon.

In the meantime, I wanted to give you guys a little sweet taste of what I've been cookin' up in my kitchen. These bars are like a summery explosion in your mouth. Nothing beats butter, sugar and fresh peaches. Make these, sit on the grass with bare feet, soak up some sun, and be happy.

Peach Pie Crumble Bars
(vegan option)
adapted from The Tart Tart

makes about 12 bars

Crust:
245g flour
75g rolled or instant oats 
110g sugar
40g brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
180g cold butter, cubed (or can easily substitute cold vegan margarine for vegan option)
2 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water

Filling:
1 kilo fresh peaches or nectarines, cut into small cubes
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp orang blossom water (optional)
juice of half of a lemon
85g brown sugar
15g cornstarch

Preheat your oven to 190ºC. Start by mixing all of your dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the cold butter, using your fingers to combine until it reaches a sandy texture. Mix in the cornstarch and water and form 2/3 of the dough into a ball, placing in the fridge while you make the filling. The other 1/3 of the dough should stay crumbly, but you can put that in the fridge to chill out too.

Mix all of the filling ingredients in a bowl and stir well to coat the peaches completely. Set aside.

Take out your dough and press it into the bottom of a well-greased 9x9" pan. Spoon the peach filling evenly on top, and sprinkle with the remaining crumbly dough. Bake for about 45-50 minutes or until the top starts to turn golden brown. Let cool for about 15-20 minutes before cutting into bars.

Yes, I know it's hot and your oven will only make it hotter. These are worth it. Sorry not sorry.

Cinnamon & Sesame Apple Cake

Okay get ready- I'm gonna get a little philosophical on you guys today. Bear with me.

I try to write every day (uh huh sure) and the other morning I ended up writing about how I tend to think of life in chapters. I blame it on excessive reading ever since I was a kid- although what is excessive, really, when it comes to reading? Some of these life chapters are longer than others, but they always open out onto a new page. Fresh ideas, plot twists. Unexpected words put into unexpected sentences.

Ugh, sorry, I'll stop with the extended metaphor.

Sunshine, Spice & Everything Nice

For the past 2 months, every time I chat with friends or family from Minnesota, they start the conversation with well it snowed another 6 inches today, no big deal. 
Sorry guys, but I gotta say I don't miss that at all. I got my fix of snow and a white Christmas while I was home for 3 weeks in December, but that was all I needed. 

Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Scones with Honey Coconut Cream

They stare at me while I
craaave yoou

This is the song I was singing to these scones the whole time I made them. What, you don't sing to your food? Psh, crazy talk. All the cool kids do it.

Challenges & Quiche

I am the kind of person who likes a good challenge. For a while I was thinking of maybe moving to California or New York to find internships or continue my studies, which don’t get me wrong, are both incredible cities where someday I might like to live, but there was this weird pushy part of me that kept yelling “It’s too easy!” I felt this need to go somewhere that would seriously challenge me, teach me about different cultures, open up my mind, and from time to time make me feel as if I know nothing about the world at all.

And so I chose Tangier. Or, as they say, Tangier chose me. I’m not really sure yet.

Pumpkin Chocolate Breakfast Cookies

Oh boy. Time seriously flies when you're constantly moving around. After a little under 3 months in Berlin I am finally back home in Minneapolis for the holidays, seeing old friends, working at the restaurant, remembering how to drive on solid ice, and, of course, getting back into baking after a long hiatus.

Chocolate & Fig Biscotti

Hey there! It's been a while. I am finally finding things to keep myself busy in Berlin- writing, taking yoga and dance classes religiously, meeting more and more new people, and preparing for the next big adventure (more on that later).

Now that I'm settled a little bit here, I enjoy trying to have a morning routine. The only issue is now that it's the mid-November and it's getting cold and the sun can't decide if it wants to hang out with us or not, I'm having trouble sticking to anything either.