VegNews’ most recent newsletter includes two excellent resources for this year’s Global Vegan Waffle Party: The Guide to Vegan Chocolate, and The Guide to Vegan Cheese. They list a lot of options, so now you have no excuses. Only thing I’d add is Love Street Living Foods, a producer of delicious raw organic vegan chocolate from our area.

Makes 2 cups

If you’ve been craving a vegan waffle topping recipe that’s a cross between fudge and chocolate cheesecake, dark and moderately sweet with a slightly fermented and savory edge, I can totally relate.

That’s exactly how I came up with this waffle spread recipe, building upon Russell James’ basic cashew nut cheese recipe from his Raw Nut Cheese Recipes ebook. You can spread it on waffles, or after it’s thickened and ripened a bit more in the fridge for a few days, slice it into bite-sized pieces and eat it alone as a dessert.

• 2 cups raw cashews
• 1 cup water (for a slightly more fermented flavor, you can also use rejuvelac as described at Sunny Raw Kitchen)
• 1 teaspoon probiotic powder*
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup brown sugar**
• 2 tablespoons molasses (preferably blackstrap)
• 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

Soak the cashews in room-temperature water for 20 minutes. Drain the cashews and place in a blender with the 1 cup of water (or rejuvelac prepared in advance) and probiotic powder, mixing at high speed until smooth. Stop to scrape down the sides of the blender pitcher as necessary.

Put the mixture in a sieve or colander lined with cheesecloth (I used extra-fine cheesecloth and doubled it), placed over a bowl to catch any water. Then put a weight on top to help push out water. I use a jar filled with water as James suggests, with one addition: I then place the jar atop a flat-bottomed plastic bowl with a diameter just slightly smaller than that of the sieve. The bowl helps to distribute the weight for more even pressing. Don’t worry if that much water doesn’t drip out, as the cheesecloth itself will absorb some of the water.

Allow to culture at room temperature for 24 to 48 hours. I chose the midpoint of James’ recommendation, allowing it to sit between 36 and 40 hours. Then remove the cultured mixture from the sieve or colander, and place in a medium bowl. Add the cocoa powder, brown sugar, molasses, nutritional yeast, and salt. Stir until well blended and smooth.

If you simply can’t resist, enjoy at this step, spread atop your favorite vegan waffle, alongside a glass of pinot noir. (Some wine recommendations at Barnivore or Veg News.) Otherwise, place the remainder in a small bowl in the warmest part of your refrigerator (usually the veggie crisper) for 1-2 days, where it will thicken just a bit more and the tartness from the culturing will become slightly more pronounced. We finished it within a week, so we didn’t get a chance to experiment with any serious aging.

Jo Stepaniak’s now-classic Uncheese Cookbook originally got me interested in homemade dairy-free cheese possibilities–including desserts similar to cheesecake. While some of her great recipes utilize miso to add a bit of that fermented flavor, the actual culturing of the nuts with probiotics takes things in another direction. (This is how Dr. Cow vegan cheeses does it, but with a bit more practice and know-how.)

I am curious to try a variation on this recipe as well: vegan chipotle chocolate cheese. I do have a bit of raw smoked chipotle cashew cheese aging in my new “cheese cave”–a re-purposed wine refrigerator that I got a good deal on–and may try a cocoa + chipotle hybrid spread in the near future. If you try something like this and it turns out well, please let me know!

*Note: You’ll need to check each brand of probiotic to confirm whether it comes from a non-dairy source. I can’t comment on the different results that different probiotic strains/blends may produce–sources I’ve read so far suggest that most probiotic powders will do the trick. I used New Chapter All Flora, a non-dairy-derived blend of several strains that James includes in his examples. If you buy capsules instead of powder, you’ll need to break open enough capsules to get a teaspoon of the powder, and then discard the shells of the capsules.

**Note: If you’re not a big fan of dark chocolate (i.e., with a cocoa content of above 50%) you may wish to experiment with adding a bit more brown sugar.

The 2012 suggested Global Vegan Waffle Party theme is Chocolate ‘n’ Cheeze! Chocolate, of course, can include any sweet or savory waffle topping incorporating cocoa, ranging from fudge sauce to cocoa-infused chili or mole sauce. As for vegan cheese or cheeze, a range of commercial vegan cheese options are available, including a few that are quite meltable or spreadable. Homemade cheeze also presents an opportunity for creativity.

As always, there’s no requirement to follow the theme, or you can modify as you prefer. Please sign up to host and share/like/tell your friends.Why chocolate and cheeze? First, I really enjoy these two food categories, having started to explore them in more depth over the last year. Secondly, they’re relatively popular in general, but many people are hesitant to try vegan versions of their favorites.

If you’re in need of ideas for yourself or guests, a few sources immediately come to mind. Chocolate Covered Katie, to my knowledge, is the go-to site for vegan chocolate recipes. Not to mention great photos that will make you want to start each meal with dessert. There are also a few noteworthy topping recipes in both the Global Vegan Waffle Cookbook and my recent Vegan Chocolate Seduction, alongside recipes inspired by Justin’s Chocolate Hazelnut Butter and Liz Lovely’s Chocolate Moose Dragons.

As for cheeze-related topping recipes, Jo Stepaniak’s Uncheese Cookbook remains one of my favorites, especially as her spice combinations inspired a few of the savory waffle recipes in the GVWC. Alisa Fleming’s comprehensive Go Dairy Free
also includes recipes created from several bases.

I’d also like to experiment with some cultured (strong and sharp if possible) homemade vegan cheeses that would spread nicely on vegan waffles, and I’m hoping we can entice some creative guests of our local party to do the same. The Sunny Raw Kitchen has a basic cashew cheeze recipe that looks promising, along with several delicious-looking variations. I have yet to try some of the recipes from the Raw Nut Cheese ebook I recently purchased.

I look forward to hearing about your event, and your own vegan chocolate and cheeze waffle topping adventures!

Makes 4 cups

We needed a dish to take to a potluck recently, and chocolate pumpkin cookies quickly came to mind. I looove dark chocolate, and we had several cans of pumpkin on hand. However, we were already taking some cookies from Vegan Chocolate Seduction, and I was in the mood for mousse. This fall or winter holiday topping is great served up in a fancy glass or dish, or of course, on top of a vegan waffle.

• 3/4 cup vegan chocolate chips, melted
• 1/4 cup vegan margarine, softened
• 12 ounces firm silken tofu
• 1 (15-ounce) can pureed pumpkin
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons rum (optional)
• 2 tablespoons molasses (preferably blackstrap)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg or mace

Combine the chocolate chips and vegan margarine in a small bowl,  and heat in the microwave at 45- to 60-second intervals just until the chocolate is melted and most lumps can be stirred out. (Time may need to be adjusted depending upon your microwave’s power.) Alternately, melt the mixture in a small saucepan over low to medium heat, heating just until the chocolate has melted and stirring constantly to avoid burning the chocolate.

Combine the softened chocolate chips and margarine with all other ingredients in a blender, and process until smooth. This is a thick mixture, so you may need to stop the blender several times to push the unmixed portion down near the blades with a large spoon or spatula before replacing the lid and turning the blender back on. If you sense you’re maxing out your blender’s power and size capacity, you may find it easier to divide the mixture into two portions, blend them separately until smooth, and then blend them back together at the end.

Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving, as the mixture will thicken a bit as it cools. Serve on top of freshly baked vegan waffles, or in a pompous-looking serving cup or dish.

To make it extra fancy, top the topping with finely chopped candied ginger and chopped chocolate chips or semisweet baker’s chocolate.

I’m giving away one hard copy of the Global Vegan Waffle Cookbook with its newly-designed cover, and one hard copy of the new Vegan Chocolate Seduction. (Both to the same person.)

To enter, all you have to do is comment on this post’s link at the Facebook Vegan Waffles page * with an answer to the following: For whom would these two books make great gifts, and why?

You’re allowed to include yourself as the potential gift recipient, and the gift-giving occasion could be Christmas, Winter Solstice and Yule, a birthday, etc.

I’ll pick the one I find the most convincing, and if I just can’t decide after checking the list twice, I’ll randomly select from the finalists.

Deadline is noon Eastern (UTC -5) on Saturday, and I’ll be sending them out USPS Priority Mail on Monday. Best wishes!

By the way, Seduction is now also available in epub format through Barnes and Noble.

*If you don’t have a Facebook account, you can comment here on the blog.

This basic but delicious sauce has topped many vegan waffles, and has long been a staple of our annual parties. With a richer, more bittersweet chocolate flavor than most store-bought chocolate syrups, it complements many fresh fruit toppings, as well as vegan ice cream. Makes about 3/4 cup.

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup vegan margarine
• 1/4 cup soymilk or other nondairy milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients except the vanilla extract in a small saucepan. Stir constantly and briskly over medium heat until half a minute after it begins to boil. Continue to scrape the bottom to incorporate any dry cocoa and keep it from burning. Immediately remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Don’t eat it all before you have a chance to spoon some onto a waffle!

While perfect for Valentine’s Day, these vegan waffles are great anytime. Dark, sweet chocolate and spice warm up the taste buds. These moist and cakelike treats can follow dinner, or you might serve them to that special someone for a desserty breakfast or brunch in bed.

These are a special treat just for signing up for the news/updates list – because you have an extra-special place in my heart.   Look for it in the text of the automated final confirmation email, and enjoy the recipes already on this site.

Or, you can find this recipe in either The Global Vegan Waffle Cookbook or Vegan Chocolate Seduction.

If you’re already on the email list and want a copy, send a quick message stating “I want my Hot Chocolate Molasses Waffles!” and I will get right on it.