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5. Reduce speed to low, and add tofu mixture to butter and sugar mixture, and mix well. Add ½ of dry ingredients and mix again, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula. Add remaining dry ingredients and pecans, and mix just until blended.

6. Spread batter into the prepared pan, smoothing top with a spatula. Bake for 28 to 32 minutes or until light brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Do not overbake. Blondies should be moist but baked through. Cool completely before cutting.

Variation: For Penuche-Frosted Pecan Blondies, bake as directed, cool completely, and frost with Penuche Frosting (recipe in Chapter 21).

Luscious Lemon Bars

These delicate lemon bars—fresh lemon zest and lemon juice all whipped up and baked on a delicious shortbread crust—are tart yet sweet.

Yield:

1(8×8-inch) pan

Prep time:

30 to 40 minutes

Bake time:

33 to 43 minutes

Serving size:

1 bar

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

½ cup vegan confectioners’ sugar

Pinch salt

1 tsp. aluminum-free baking

powder

½ cup cold nonhydrogenated

vegan margarine, cubed

1 TB. soft tofu

½ cup firm tofu

⅓ cup fresh lemon juice

1 TB. lemon zest

1 TB. arrowroot powder

1 cup unbleached cane sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil or spray a 8×8-inch baking pan with canola oil or vegetable shortening spray.

2. In a food processor fitted with a chopping blade, add unbleached all-purpose flour, ¼ cup vegan confectioners’ sugar, salt, and ½ teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder, and pulse 5 to 10 times or until blended. Reduce speed to low, and add vegan margarine a little at a time. Add soft tofu, and blend for about 1 minute or until mixture makes a ball and comes away from the sides of the processor.

3. Press crust into the prepared pan, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until light golden.

4. While crust is baking, in a blender, add firm tofu, lemon juice, lemon zest, ½ teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder, and arrowroot powder, and blend on high speed for 2 or 3 minutes or until smooth. Add unbleached cane sugar, and blend on high for 1 or 2 more minutes or until well mixed and smooth.

5. Pour lemon mixture over cooked crust while it’s still hot. Bake for 18 to 23 more minutes or until set. Cool completely on a wire rack before sprinkling with remaining ¼ cup vegan confectioners’ sugar. Wrap the pan with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. As bars sit, you may need to sprinkle with more confectioners’ sugar.

6. Chill bars before cutting. Using a thin, sharp knife, cut through to crust. Use a small metal spatula to gently lift bars out of the pan. If the knife pulls at and/or rips bars, wet the knife in hot water, wipe dry, and try again.

Variation: For Luscious Lime Bars, substitute fresh lime zest and juice for the lemon in the recipe.

VEGAN VOCAB

Arrowroot is a starch that comes from the tubers of the arrowroot plant. Virtually tasteless, arrowroot is a snow-white powder used as a thickener much like cornstarch but without the pasty mouthfeel. It thickens at a lower temperature than cornstarch, and doesn’t weaken with acidic ingredients.

Raspberry Shortbread Bars

These pretty and sweet fruity bars are made with a tender shortbread crust, topped with raspberry jam, and finished with a coconut and walnut streusel. They’re hard to resist!

Yield:

1 (8×8-inch) pan

Prep time:

30 to 40 minutes

Bake time:

40 to 50 minutes

Serving size:

1 bar

1¼ cups unbleached all-purpose

flour

¼ cup whole-wheat pastry flour

½ cup vegan confectioners’ sugar

½ tsp. aluminum-free baking

powder

½ cup cold nonhydrogenated

vegan margarine, cubed

2 TB. soft tofu

½ cup unsweetened flaked

coconut

½ cup unbleached cane sugar

¼ cup toasted, chopped walnuts

¾ cup raspberry jam

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil or spray a 8×8-inch baking pan with canola oil or vegetable shortening spray.

2. In a food processor fitted with