Vegan Baking #2 - Muffins

Okay, this is kind of cheating, because I did not bake this muffins. Nor do I have the recipe. Lidia served them at bookclub on Sunday and they were delicious. So, in the interest of vegan blog cross-promotion, I thought I'd put up the picture and the link to Lidia's blog - http://moretolovevegan.blogspot.com/ - in the hopes that this will result in some updating on her part, including the recipe for these delicious apple and walnut muffins!

Vegan Baking - Cupcakes

So, Emily and I decided it would be nice to bake cupcakes. After trips to three supermarkets we managed to gather together the ingredients. I would post the recipe, but I don't actually have it. If anyone really wants it, let me know and I will hook it up. I'm just mostly lazy. But they are basic vanilla cupcakes with raspberry buttercream icing, and the recipe can be found in Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. They are incredibly sweet and awfully pretty.

Las Vegan

This muffin is from Las Vegan. Las Vegan is a wonderful place for muffins, but it's never fucking open. Okay, sometimes it's open. The muffins come in a bunch of flavours, such as sour cherry and almond, banana and spicy apple. This one was pear and pecan and it was amazing. They have this crusty, sugary top which is so delicious and they taste really good warmed up a little. As a side note, you may care to know that if Las Vegan is closed, Doctor Java on the corner of Smith and Gertrude Streets also sell these muffins.

Las Vegan also sell vegan cake, calzone, snacky things like apricot balls. Stuff like that. It's open I think Tuesday thru Thursday? 11-3? But don't quote me, cos I'm not sure. Maybe just call them before you go there - 9415-9001.

Las Vegan, 22 Smith St, Collingwood

Soul Mama

I don't like the staff at Soul Mama one bit. I find them to be obnoxious, and they make me uncomfortable. The view at Soul Mama is rather nice though, overlooking the water at St. Kilda. And the cake was okay. We had chocolate cake and another cake which was something in the vein of choc-chip pear. They both came with soy cream, which Emily and I have decided is tasteless and only exists to moisten cake. Look, the cakes were really good, but the wait staff were annoying and the chai was pretty bad. And this place is a bit of a wank. But whatever, if you're in St. Kilda it's not an awful option for a cake date....

Soul Mama, St. Kilda Sea Baths, 10 Jacka Blvd, St. Kilda

La Panella

Out in the grunge of Preston lies a hidden treasure - La Panella. This place is a vegan bakery, with bread, donuts etc. But the most amazing thing about it, and the thing that makes it worth the trip to Preston, is the pie. And the sausage rolls and pasties also. But mostly the pie. Especially the mushroom one, which Emily found so amazing she started to doubt it was vegan. It is. Everything here is super cheap and the best thing to do is buy a bag full and put them in your freezer. And live off them for awhile. DELICIOUS.

La Panella, 465 High Street, Preston.