65th Primetime Emmy Award Predictions!by Randi / September 21, 2013
After a very busy weekend as a bridesmaid in my best friend’s insanely fun wedding, and after being awake and hyperactive for most of the past three days, I wrapped up my bridal party duties and hopped in a car to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. In that little town of Bethlehem, we raise our glass – you bet your ass – toooooo VEEEEEGAAAAAN TREEEEEAAAATS! La Vegan Treats!
Ok, anyway, I’ve been wanting to go to this very best, most famous vegan bakery for years. However, I could buy a lot of VT’s products at restaurants and cafes in Philly and NYC, so I just didn’t deem the trip urgent. I should have. Going to Vegan Treats in person is of course much more exciting, but also you get fresher baked goods, a wider selection, and, most importantly, soft-serve! Special thanks to my friend Elli for finally taking me!
Ok, anyway, I’ve been wanting to go to this very best, most famous vegan bakery for years. However, I could buy a lot of VT’s products at restaurants and cafes in Philly and NYC, so I just didn’t deem the trip urgent. I should have. Going to Vegan Treats in person is of course much more exciting, but also you get fresher baked goods, a wider selection, and, most importantly, soft-serve! Special thanks to my friend Elli for finally taking me!
Pumpkin & vanilla soft-serve
Those of you who know me know that soft-serve is one of my top five foods. It goes kale, chickpeas, quinoa, peanut butter, soft-serve. It’s the best thing ever, and I will go anywhere for it. House-made soft-serve at Vegan Treats is just another reason why making the trip to the storefront is so worth it. Today’s flavors were pumpkin and vanilla custard. Of course, I got the two flavors swirled, and it was insane. The pumpkin was very subtle, thankfully not overspiced or overcinnamoned as so many pumpkin goods often are. Somehow, the ice cream did not melt as fast as other ice creams would have on this warm sunny day, and the texture remained incredibly thick. I don’t know how they do it, but they concocted a crazy amazing texture. So delicious!
|
Elli and I also pretty much bought out the bakery case. How beautiful is this! That whole third row is filled with gluten-free goodies, which is cool, but they cost more, which kind of sucks. We spent obscene amounts of money, but everything freezes well, so it’s like an investment!
The best Vegan Treats creation is the famous chocolate peanut butter bomb, which you can see in mini form on the top far right. I think mini form might actually be preferable to the full size, because the ratio of peanut butter cream to cake is much higher (i.e., there’s more cream). I don’t know how they make that, but it’s mind-blowingly perfect, light and the right amounts of salty and sweet. At right, you can see the daily specials, which of course we bought and of course were delicious beyond belief. On the left are donut sandwiches filled with Bavarian cream. Man alive these were good. Somehow, the cream was light and thick and left absolutely no aftertaste, as so many vegan creams do. The donut a little sturdier than their other ones, in order to hold all of that cream. So good. On the right are cinnamony-sugary-appley? donut pretzels. Of course these were great, come on. I love soft pretzels so much, and I could get used to one in donut form.  Donut pretzel with crackly sugar coating |
 The most beautiful thing! Except for the car reflection  Wow  You can see where all the magic happens in the back  |
There’s also a selection of cookies, candies, cupcakes, whoopie pies, and more. It’s overwhelming but amazing. I really bought way too much. Let’s check out my haul!
Clockwise from top left: S’more cheesecake, donut sandwich with Bavarian cream, peanut butter bomb, Boston cream pie donut
Clockwise from top left: carrot cake, another peanut butter bomb, vanilla cake with peanut butter, vanilla, and chocolate parts, and a brownie with chocolate peanut butter icing. I love peanut butter. You can see where my mom already dug in the second she saw this box, before I could take a picture! Most of this is now frozen. Make sure I don’t forget about it, please!
The cannolis are also splendid
Do you believe how much I got! And I was trying to limit myself. Everything is too delicious for words. Most of this haul is safely frozen now, as everything freezes and thaws very well. Of course, I did eat a lot of it, and of course after days without rest I feel prettayyy prettayyy horrible right now. But it’s worth it! I can’t wait to go back when they have the rumored salted caramel soft-serve. If you are ever in eastern PA with a car and time on your hands, definitely make the pilgrimage to the wondrous Vegan Treats!
Related Posts
Cherry Orange Cornmeal Cake, or How To Have Polenta All Day Son
(Don’t call me son.) I know corn is evil because of GMOs and Monsanto and they’re all watching us through our webcams that we assume are turned off but never are &c. But, polenta is amazing and I can’t stop eating it, even if it will make me grow horns. No seriously. We’ve had it for regular meals (obviously), we’ve had it for breakfast, and now we’re having it for dessert in cake form. I’m sure you’ve all had polenta cake or cornmeal cake in your life but this is its first appearance on this section of this site so ya know happy new year.
Cornmeal is the same as dry polenta, so when you go to buy it, either works. Don’t get the prepackaged premade polenta that we would use in our fried breakfast. You want the flour-like grain for this. But don’t buy cornflour; in the UK that’s what they call cornstarch. There’s a lot to keep straight here.
You can use really any fruit you want here; any kind of berry would be great. I used cherries because I had to cut around the pits and stuff and I like to challenge myself. Also they are apparently supposed to be great help for painful lady cramps so ya know, if you make this it’s pretty much like taking medicine.
Did you hear Bill Cosby finally got arrested? Hooray for PA! I can see all of Pennsylvania!
You can use really any fruit you want here; any kind of berry would be great. I used cherries because I had to cut around the pits and stuff and I like to challenge myself. Also they are apparently supposed to be great help for painful lady cramps so ya know, if you make this it’s pretty much like taking medicine.
Did you hear Bill Cosby finally got arrested? Hooray for PA! I can see all of Pennsylvania!
CHERRY ORANGE POLENTA CAKE
|
Ingredients:
Directions:
|
Angelica… 
Eliza! 
and cherry |
my food photography brings all the boys to the yard |
they’re like it’s better than yours |
It’s turned out really yummy! Especially for something I didn’t test. Yeah, so the whole spontaneous vibe about this section of the blog usually works out (my shit’s delicious), but sometimes I see where testing could improve things. I loved the taste here, but it was super crumbly. It’s not a problem at all if you make a custard or eat it with ice cream, the liquid of which can help to hold it together or at the very least can help you focus on how lucky you are to be eating vegan ice cream instead of thinking about crumbly cake you ungrateful ogre. But when I make it next, I think I would add a few tablespoons of Aquafaba. And I’m going to suggest that you add it to yours too. Holy crap I just told my husband “I think next time I’ll add Aquafaba to see if it helps bind it” and he LITERALLY just said, “What the f*& why would you voluntarily eat something called Aquafaba? It sounds like a poison from ancient civilizations. Or like a witchcraft-generated medicine. A medieval crone would have been like ‘Here, take some Aquafaba to cure you of your black humours!'” He really said this.
ENJOY!
