Christine Godlonton is a quilter, crafter, mom to cats and adult son, and a Red Seal Pastry Chef who teaches Culinary Arts at Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo, Canada.
This is a story about making vegan desserts, but I need to start with a disclaimer. I plan to continue eating eggs or dairy for the rest of my life.
I want to learn about vegan desserts because many of my students and the dining room guests we serve at the University are vegan. I don't want to be the chef who responds, "give them sorbet" when asked for a vegan dessert. One of the reasons I love being a pastry chef is that it is a constantly evolving art. There are always new ingredients, variable consumer preferences, and innovative ways to plate desserts.
I did a project with my advanced baking class two years ago. We pulled a traditional dessert recipe from a hat, and I instructed the students to make them vegan. We made a few mini entremets, a fancy baking name for mousse cakes with fillings. The main problem we encountered was when we substituted Agar for Gelatin, and the desserts no longer had a good mouth feel. They came out rubbery, which is not what most people want. We also used rice flour as a substitute for wheat flour in cakes, which left a sandy feel in our mouths.
Overall, the assignment went well, but there were many failures, primarily due to texture issues. I am okay with failure. Failing is the best way to learn.
Last year I took a chocolate-making course at the Montreal Chocolate Academy, and I loved it. So, when they announced their vegan dessert course this year, I thought, why not? It's a skill modern chefs need, and I would love to be able to better teach vegan dessert making. Plus, the two women teaching the course have incredible plating skills, so if nothing else, I'd learn something new about that.
The course is for professional bakers, and there were nine of us. There was a chef who competed in the World Chocolate Masters and many other talented and inspiring folks. Over three days, we made ten desserts, many with chocolate. We also experimented with dairy-free milk and white chocolate.
I learned a lot, especially about the structure and options for making vegan cakes with a good texture. Finding the balance between a grainy and a fluffy texture while getting enough rise without using gluten is a struggle for vegan pastry chefs. Adding gums and rice flour is a tricky balance. When you find a good mix for a good crumb, it’s a good day.
I think taste and style are equally important when it comes to pastry. Desserts should look delicious before you eat them. One of my students was piping butter, and I removed half of what she piped during my quality checks because they were not all the same. She asked me why does this even matter? I explained to her that humans eat with their eyes before their mouths.
If you want to veganize your family baking recipes, I advise changing one thing at a time. You won't know what makes it better or worse if you do more than one thing at a time.
The biggest takeaway from my time in Montreal was pea protein. Most chefs use aqua faba, or chickpea water, to create a foamy texture in a mousse. However, aqua faba isn't predictably stable enough for freezing and defrosting mousses. Pea protein, made with lentils, was a game-changer for me.
Non-dairy butter is also critical, so I recommend finding one you like. I'm starting to make my own vegan butter, but it's not easy and takes a lot of time.
Another tip for vegan bakers is to read the whole recipe from start to finish and follow the instructions carefully. For instance, if the recipe says the ingredients should be room temperature, ensure they are because they will incorporate better.
Also, a baking scale is a good investment as weights are much more precise than cups.
Baking takes time and patience; take your time and plan on your project, taking double what you think it will.
Learn one good, simple recipe, like cake and some fruit ganache, that you can depend on if you need something in a hurry.
Here is one of my favorite rookie-friendly vegan recipes.
Vegan Panna Cotta
Coconut Milk 800mL
Sugar 3 Tbsp
Agar Agar 1 Tbsp
Vanilla Bean 1
Instructions
Add milk and sugar to a medium pot, and set over medium/high heat. Bring to a boil, ensure it reaches 150C, then whisk in Agar. Continue boiling for 3 minutes, and ensure it doesn't boil over. Remove from heat.
Cut the bean in half, and scrape out the seeds. Add to mixture, and whisk well to combine.
Pour into molds. Can lightly grease if intending to turn out of the mold.
Set in the fridge to cool and set for approximately 1 hour.
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