Iced Vovos - vegan

I have been having some fun veganising some classic sweets in the last few weeks. Using aquafaba (the juice from a can of beans, mainly chickpeas), sweets with marshmallow have been fairly easy to make.

Iced Vovos have been on my list of things to veganise for some months, I got the final push when a lady (a member of Australian Vegan Foodies) mentioned a lovely story about her granddad and how iced Vovos reminded her of him. 

So here is my first attempt. I think the cookies are a bit on the dry/crunchy side. They probably could do with less cooking at the start and letting them dry out more once the marshmallow icing is drying in the oven. I baked the cookies for 15 minutes but seeing the final results I think that 8 minutes would be sufficient.

Ingredients

For the cookies

90gms of nuttlelex (or other vegan butter/margarine that is able to be creamed)

200gms of raw caster sugar

80gms of aquafaba

370gms of flour

2 tsp baking powder

For the icing

120gms of sugar

70gms of aquafaba

1/2 tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp vanilla extract

Queen pink food colouring (optional)

To assemble

150 grams of finely grated dessicated coconut
300gms of raspberry jam

Method

To make the cookies

1. Sift flour and baking powder and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
3. Prepare two cookie trays by lining them with baking paper.
4. With hand mixer, cream the nuttelex until it turns pale. 
5. Add the sugar one tablespoon at a time, and keep mixing on high with the hand mixer until all the sugar is incorporated.
6. Add one tablespoon of aquafaba at a time, while continuing to mix on high.
7. Once all aquafaba is incorporated, add the flour mix, and using a flat knife, mix it with the butter mix.
8. Turn out the mix onto a floured surface, to make a soft dough. Do not over knead, just enough to bring the dough together.
9. Roll out the dough between two pieces of baking paper, roll it to approximately 4 millimeters.
10. Cut the dough into rectangles using a cutter or with a knife. 
11. Place on a baking tray covered with baking paper, and bake for 8 minutes.
12. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

To make the icing/marshmallow

1. Place aquafaba in the bowl of a stand mixer.
2. Mix initially on low speed and turn it to high when the mix is frothy.
3. Mix for approximately 10 minutes until stiff peaks form.
4. Add one tablespoon of sugar at a time, and continue mixing, until all sugar is mixed in.
5. Add food colouring if desired.
6. Add the xantan gum and mix for two more minutes.

To assemble

1. Place the mashmallow mix in a piping bag with a small star tip.
2. Pipe stars all long each long edge of the cookie, and cover imediately with coconut.
3. Once all the cookies are done, shake off any excess coconut and place in the oven at 100 degrees celcius for 20 minutes. This will allow the marshmallow to set.
4. Remove cookies from the oven and allow to cool.
5. Heat the raspberry jam in a pot on the stove. When it has become runny, strain it using a fine mesh metal strainer.
6. Spread the hot strained raspberry jam down the middle of the cookie and allow to cool.

Store in one layer in an airtight container.

Makes 24.

Alfajores de dulce de leche cubiertos en chocolate

I love love love alfajores. I do not make them often, and I've never made them covered in chocolate before.

But here they are, they are easy, and yummy!!!

I used Callebaut dark chocolate buttons, but you can use any vegan chocolate of your choice.

Ingredients

120gms Plain flour
120gms Self Raising flour
125gms Nuttelex (or other vegan butter/margarine that can be creamed)
100gms raw caster sugar
4tbs (60gms) aqua faba

To assemble

1/2 a can of soy "dulce de leche"
300gms of vegan dark chocolate

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Prepare a cookie sheet by lining with baking paper.
3. Sift flours together and set aside.
4. Cream the nuttelex with a hand mixer until light and fluffy.
5. Start adding sugar to the nuttelex whilst mixing, ensuring that it stays light and creamy.
6. Add the aqua faba,  one tablespoon at a time, whilst you continue to mix. Ensure that each tablespoon is fully incorporated before adding the next. This will ensure that the nuttelex/sugar/aquafaba mix stays light and fluffy and doesn't separate.
7. Using a spoon add all the flour to the mix and then gently fold in.
8. Scrape all the contents of your bowl onto a well floured bench.
9. Lightly knead, until the dough comes together. Do not over knead of the dough will become tough.
10. Roll out to about 5 millimeters between two pieces of baking paper.
11. Cut with a round cutter, i used one that was about 4cm in diameter (about one inch), and place on the prepared cookie trays.
12. Bake for approximately 8 minutes. The cookies should not brown.
13. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
14. Once cool, spread about 1 tsp of "dulce de leche" on a cookie, and press another cookie to join together.
15. Once sandwiched all the cookies with the dulce de leche, melt the chocolate.
16. Dip each cookie in the chocolate, and remove using two forks. Place on a cookie tray to set.

If you can't get dulce de leche, you can fill these with anything you like, but it is traditional to use the caramel. You may also like to try making a caramel with dates. 

Enjoy!!

Edited 6 Nov 2016
After posting this recipe, I was given this link by Katrina Stuart of Plantified, for a vegan soy condensed milk which can be turned into Dulce de Leche.

Yesterday I tried it, I doubled the recipe and did not add the butter. I ended up simmering it for three hours. It is superb. So for those who cannot get dulce de leche ready made, then this is the best option. Actually, it is the best option hands down. I will never buy the ready made dulce de leche again. This one is too good. I want to play around with the sugar used to get a more carmelly flavour, but the texture is amazing. Thanks Katrina!!!

For those in Australia, I used 2 litres of Soy Milky, and raw organic sugar from Woolies.