first sugar free desserts, now vegan... what's next?

Recently, we were asked to create a special dessert for a colleague who was departing us and moving on to "bigger and better things." Not such a challenging proposition, until we realized that the dessert needed to be vegan. That's right, no butter, no eggs, no cheese, no milk... well, you get the picture. Now that's a challenge!

Drawing on seasonal ingredients-- including the abundance of fresh sugar pumpkin and cranberries-- we created a vegan pumpkin cheesecake, created with tofu, tofu "cream cheese," fresh stewed pumpkin, and spices. The crust was comprised of raw oats which we toasted, sweetened, and flavored with vanilla. To complement the light and creamy texture, we prepared a "jelly" of fresh cranberries and pine nuts, infused with a hint of sweet sage. Altogether, it was a delicious dessert, that both our vegan and non-vegan guests enjoyed!

Moving forward, we feel confident and excited about experimenting with more sugar-free and vegan cooking and baking!