Few phrases have the power to inspire a tantrum quite like the utterance of “vegetables for dessert.” While I’m sure this applies to toddlers, I’m referring to myself: an adult woman.
But a little treat and a serving of something wholesome don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Root vegetables (like carrots, beets and sweet potatoes) and botanical fruits with vegetable energy (like zucchini) get only sweeter when cooked. They help to create desserts that are just sweet enough by imparting simple cakes and quick breads with natural sugars — as well as moisture and vitamins.
I am itching to make Yewande Komolafe’s latest recipe, for the Portuguese and Brazilian cake bolo de cenoura. The crumb is tender and vibrant, like a sunset, from just a few carrots, and the batter is a breeze to make with the help of a blender or a food processor. (Read: No grating required!) While the use of sweetened condensed coconut milk in the satiny chocolate frosting isn’t traditional, it’s a personal touch that Yewande prefers for its subtle nuttiness.
Then there’s this delicately flavored olive oil Bundt cake from Jerrelle Guy. When the cake is sliced, its unassuming golden exterior gives way to stunning swirls of magenta, achieved by roasting beets, puréeing them and folding them into a portion of the batter.
While sweet potato desserts tend to be reserved for the fall here in the United States, the time of year should not hold you back from making Nik Sharma’s spin on bebinca, the Goan pudding cake. A dash of turmeric amplifies the potatoes’ amber hue, and the addition of maple syrup provides depth of flavor.
When it comes to baking with zucchini, the possibilities are nearly endless. You could make a rich loaf studded with chocolate chips, or you could divide the batter among muffin tins and top it off with a crunchy cinnamon streusel.
Zucchini loaves are easy to make dairy- and egg-free by using oat or soy milk and treating them as oil-based baked goods. Yossy Arefi’s vegan zucchini bread comes together in one bowl and is ripe for personalization: Toss in chopped nuts or chocolate, or swap in whole-wheat flour. Just don’t skip the sugar on top, which adds a bit of crunch and, for me, makes the quick bread feel less like breakfast and a bit more like dessert.
Vegan Zucchini Bread
One More Thing!
With spring finally here, I’m thinking of baking with one particular vegetable: rhubarb. I cook with it maybe once or twice a year, and the anticipation I feel is like that of a child’s the night before their birthday. (Adulthood is funny, isn’t it?) Once I get my hands on those neon stalks, I’m running to make Melissa Clark’s rhubarb custard bars. Custardy desserts are easily my favorite way to use the seasonal darling, with all that egg and sugar providing the ideal, rich foil to rhubarb’s mouth-puckering tartness.
I’d love to hear about your favorite vegetable (or fruit cosplaying as a vegetable) for baking. Write me, and see you next week!
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