_My lovely business partner Lou comes up with the most amazing recipes and they are vegan at that! This is one of her breakfast creations that got her in as this week's guest chef!

Waffle Batter
1 1/3 cups of all purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup of almond milk
3/4 cup of porter or other dark beer - i used the choc porter
1/4 canola
1 tsp pure vanilla extract


Preheat the waffle iron. in a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and sugar. Make a well in the centre and add milk, beer, oil and vanilla. Mix together until combined. Spray waffle iron with cooking spray and cook waffles according to manufacturers directions. Serve with choc drizzle and cashew nut cream (can purchase at Whole Foods).

Chocolate Drizzle:
1 cup almond milk or your non dairy preffered milk
1 cup of vegan choc chips
1 tsp vanilla extract

in a saucepan with rounded sides bring milk to boil. bring the heat to low and add choc chips stirring constantly until chips are dissolved. Add the vanilla, remove from the heat, and let cool.

Makes 6 six inch round waffles or 8 x 4 inch square waffles

This cake was great!  A nice mix of flavours, a moist but not dense cake, and a fantastic icing that topped it off perfectly.  I put it on the table outside of my office and less than 10 minutes later this was all that was left.  My friend Susanne snapped this picture right before the last of it was taken!

Cake:
1/2 cup butter (I was out, so used half a cup of vegetable oil, no problem)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp maple extract
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease 8" pan.  Cream butter, add sugar and keep creaming until fluffy.  Beat in eggs one at a time.  Add maple flavouring.  In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add mixture in 3 parts alternately with milk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour.  Stir in walnuts and pour into pan.  Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes until done.  Cool, then frost.

Cream Cheese Icing
2 8-oz packages of cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
2 cups icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Cream together butter and cream cheese.  Add vanilla, and then gradually mix in the icing sugar.

Both recipes from Allrecipes.com
Theresa

Crust:
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/8 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
Filling:
2 packages cream cheese (softened)
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp grated lemon peel
1 tsp vanilla extract
Topping:
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Set your oven to 350F. In a bowl combine the crust ingredients and press into a 8" springform pan. In another bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs and beat on low until just combined. Add the lemon juice, peel and vanilla and mix just a little. Pour into the crust and bake for 55 min or until the centre looks almost set. Remove from oven and let it sit for 5 minutes.

Mix topping ingredients together and spread over the top of the cheesecake. Return to the oven for another 5 minutes, remove from oven and let it cool. Best if you can refrigerate it overnight and then let it warm up to room temperature again before serving.

I topped off the cheesecake with some blueberries and icing sugar to give it a wintery look but it's amazing as is or with any other berry toppings too!