Christmas and Vegan Pumpkin Muffin クリスマス・ビーガンかぼちゃマフィン

 

日本語のレシピは　ビーガン、ベジタリアン情報満載の　Hachidory から　ご覧下さい。

Christmas is here!

The festive season creates the excitment in our hearts.
Though it may not be so exciting this year for many of us, it is a very good opportunity for us to be humble and think what the true meaning of Christmas is.

 

Most of the Japanese people do not have any particular religion, and may be because of that, Japanese people tend to be generous to all the religions.

 

My most favorite Christmas tree made of wood, has music box in it which makes Christmas music.

 

I am not a Christian, but I love Christmas.

I waited for Santa on Christmas Eve when I was small.

I went to the Catholic boarding high school, and during those days, my day started with the prayer and I read the bible.

 

I used to love midnight mass on Christmas eve. 

We walked to the bigger church on a snowy day and I was so impressed by the quiet beautiful night of white and dark blue.

When we arrived at church, I was totally fascinated by the solemn and beautiful atmosphere there.

 

My most favorite Christmas ornament.

The electrical piano converted to a display shelf for tiny Christmas decorations.

My student gave me this.  She got it from Denmark some time ago.   I like her too.

 

But I never thought to be a Christian.

Now I am interested in learning about all the religions, and I sometimes think of myself fortunate not having any particular religion as I can see each of them without bias. 

 

Today’s recipe is pumpkin muffin decorated with vegan cream.

If you decorate it with false holly, it would be perfect for a  Christmas table.

 

I am writing the same recipe in Japanese in vegan information site “Hachidory”. 

If you can read Japanese, please visit there too. 

I pasted some links to learn about the farmed animals who are suffering especially during Christmas season as many Japanese like to enjoy chickens and cakes rich in cream and butter.  

 

Vegan gingerbread house made by me and my kid students. 

 

Christmas is the day to share our joy and happiness, and show our compassion to all people and to all the living creatures in this world.

That is the true meaning of Christmas.

 

 

 

 

Kabocha Muffin / Pumpkin Muffin

 

 

Ingredients (for 8~9 small muffin cups) 

 

(A)      Dry ingredients 

l  120g cake flour  

l  1.5 tsp Baking powder

 

(B)      Wet ingredients 

l  60g syrup of your choice - beet sugar syrup, barley malt syrup, maple syrup  

l  100g plant-based milk of your choice – soy, almond, oatmeal

l  60g vegetable oil of your choice – canola, grapeseed. rice

l  2 tsp citron juice of your choice – yuzu, lemon, lime

l  Grated peel of citron of your choice – yuzu, lemon, lime

 

(C)      90g pumpkin – weigh without peel and seeds

 

For assembling

Oil free vegan cream

Freeze dry strawberries – optional, alternatives→ holly, fresh strawberries

 

 

Utensils required

 

Oven

Muffin mold

Grater – rough

Sifter

Bowl

Whisk-manual

Spatula

Scraper

Scale

Measuring spoons

Toothpick or thin stick

 

 

Procedure

 

1.      Preheat the oven to 180℃

 

2.      Grate the carrot with the grater.  Or you can cut to thin small pieces with a knife.

 

3.      Sift the cake flour and baking powder together.

 

4.      Mix all the ingredients of (B) in a bowl with a whisk till incorporated well. 

 

 

5.      Add grated pumpkin and mix well.

 

6.      Add sifted flour and mix. 

＊Try not to mix too much, otherwise the dough may not rise satisfactory when baked.

 

7.      Transfer the dough to the muffin cups.  Pour up to 80% of cups and leave some space for rising.  Put in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes.

 

8.      Check with a stick if the muffin is completely cooked or not by inserting it into the cake.  If the stick came back dry, it is done.  Cool down on the rack.

 

9.      Decorate with cream when the muffins are totally cooled down.

 

 

Muffin sliced halves.

The cake is not fluffy but rather dense as lots of pumpkin was added.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the table and dishes that I taught in Christmas cooking class recently.   Foods are all vegan but looks gorgeous, doesn’t it? 

The participants were not vegans, but all impressed, repeatedly saying “Delicious and wholesome !!”

 

 

 

Happy cooking!