Vegan Buckeyes

First they made more than 100 delicious vegan sandwiches. Then they taught us how to bake with whole grains. Now Celine Steen and Tamasin Noyes have teamed up again to show us how to make delicious bite-sized eats with their newest title, Vegan Finger Foods.

Featuring more than 100 finger-friendly recipes than span from from sweet to savory, elegant to casual and simple to decadent, VFF has something for everyone. Celine’s gorgeous photos grace every few pages of the book, making it delight to look at as well as an inspiration to cook from. As with their previous titles, Tami and Celine have included helpful icons with each recipe that indicate whether it is quick & easy, make ahead and/or has gluten-free potential.

What I love most about VFF is the endless creativity and care that’s clearly been put into each recipe. Something magical happens when Tami and Celine put their heads together to create a cookbook, and it’s always a joy to see what they come up with. From pulled jackfruit mini tacos to black forest jars to corn fritters with tomato-thyme gravy and portobello BLTs, there is something for every taste preference and occasion!

I decided to try VFF’s Better Buckeye recipe first which produced an amazing melt-in-your-mouth texture with a subtle hint of cinnamon that was perfectly finished off with a twirl of melted chocolate and a sprinkle of sea salt. Since I loved them so much I’m excited that they’ve not only agreed to let me share the recipe here, but are also offering a free copy of Vegan Finger Foods through this post!

To enter, just leave in the comments section your favorite finger food and I’ll randomly choose the winner on May 18. Please leave in your comment your email or some way to contact you in case you are the winner. Shipping is limited to US and Canada only. Good luck!

Congratulations to Tina, winner of this giveaway!

Table of Contents

Better Buckeyes

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• Author: celine steen and tami noyes
• Yield: 12 buckeyes

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Description

Published by Fair Winds Press, 2014.

Buckeyes are a tradition in Ohio, but we opted to update them. We reduced the amount of sugar, so ours aren’t cloyingly sweet, and added puffed rice cereal for a surprising crunch! While we were at it, we added a bit of cinnamon, too, because peanut butter loves cinnamon. And so do we.

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Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons (28 g) vegan butter
• 1/2 cup (128 g) no-stir creamy peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegan milk, if needed
• 3/4 cup (23 g) natural puffed rice cereal
• 3/4 cup (132 g) vegan semisweet chocolate chips
• Kosher sea salt, to garnish

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Instructions

1. Line a rimmed baking sheet with wax paper or a silicone baking mat.
2. Using a hand mixer, cream the butter, peanut butter, and vanilla in a medium-size bowl. Mix in the powdered sugar and cinnamon. The mixture may be slightly crumbly. Add up to 1 tablespoon (15 ml) milk, if needed, to make an easy-to-form dough that is the consistency of very thick frosting. Using your hands, mix in the cereal.
3. Put the mixture into the freezer for 15 minutes (up to 45 minutes), until the mixture is firm enough to shape easily. Roll into 12 balls, using 1 tablespoon (20 g) of dough per ball. Place the balls on the baking sheet, and refrigerate while melting the chocolate chips; they can also be frozen for 30 minutes to help them firm up, if necessary.
4. Using a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips over simmering water, stirring constantly.
5. Remove the buckeye balls from the refrigerator. Stick a toothpick into a buckeye ball, and dip into the chocolate mixture to nearly cover, but still leaving a bit of the dough exposed to look like a buckeye. Return to the baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining balls. Sprinkle each with a pinch of salt.   Refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until the chocolate is set. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Notes

• It’s important to use no-stir peanut butter here (brands vary), or you’ll need to dramatically  increase the sugar to get the right texture.
• If you don’t have a double boiler, see the alternative method in the Nutty Caramel Chocolate Bites (page 141).