Vegan Mother's Day Tea Party Treats

Want to treat your vegan mom to a ladies' lunch on Mother's Day? How about a vegan tea party that's fun for all ages?

Buy some pretty and inexpensive tea cups and saucers from a thrift store. These then become a nice present for mom. If they're mismatched, it's okay...it makes for an even sweeter and more quaint setting. Set the table with a tablecloth, cloth napkins, and a little vase of wildflowers. Have lots of different teas available to try like green tea, white tea, and a few herbal and fruit teas. Have a cup of raw sugar (or sucanat) and a little pitcher of soy or rice milk (whichever mom prefers). Set out a bowl of fruit salad. Set up platters of vegan finger sandwiches, muffins, cookies, and scones using the recipes that follow.

For finger sandwiches, buy small, thinly sliced loaves of whole grain bread such as pumpernickel or wheat.

Cucumber sandwiches

Thin sliced cucumber
Fresh dill
Vegan mayonnaise

Spread a small amount of mayonnaise on slice of bread. Top with a thin slice of cucumber and a sprinkling of dill. These may be served open-faced or topped with another piece of bread which has been spread with mayo.

Tomato avocado sandwiches

Sliced tomato
Ripe avocado, mashed

Spread mashed avocado onto bread. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Place thin slices of tomato on top. Top with another layer of bread (also spread with avocado) or leave open faced.

Pumpkin cream cheese spread

½ cup canned pumpkin
1 cup (8 oz container) vegan cream cheese
1/3 cup of powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon

Mix all ingredients and chill. Spread on cinnamon raisin bread, scones, muffins, or apple wedges.

Vegan Cranberry-orange scones

2 cups flour

¼ cup raw sugar

1 T baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

6 T cold (Trans fat free) margarine, cut into pieces

1 cup dried cranberries

1 tsp grated orange zest

2 T orange juice

1 1/2 T ground flax seed

1/3 cup soymilk

1/2 cup tofu

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the margarine until crumbly. Stir in the cranberries and orange zest.

Puree the juice, flax, milk and tofu in a blender just until smooth. Pour into the dry ingredients. Stir with a fork until moistened. Place on a floured surface, and knead just a few times to mix.

Pat dough into a 6-inch square. Cut into four squares. Cut the squares in half to form eight triangles. Place on a baking sheet and bake until golden, about 20 minutes.

Vegan banana nut muffins

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup sucanat
1/4 cup oil
4 very ripe bananas, mashed well
1/4 cup soy milk, mixed with 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 T ground flax seed
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a muffin pan with non stick cooking spray or oil.

Sift together flour, baking soda and powder, cinnamon, and salt.

Mix together the oil and sucanat. Add bananas, soy milk, flax, and vanilla.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Mix just until combined. Pour batter into pan. Bake for about 30 minutes.

(Optional: sprinkle with chopped walnuts before placing in oven)

Vegan fruit and nut cookies
20 cookies

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup oats
1/2 cup sucanat or other minimally refined dry sweetener
1 cup almonds, chopped
1 cup dried apricots, chopped (or favorite dried fruit)
1/2 cup oil
1 T vanilla
1/4 cup soy milk

Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Sift the flour, soda, powder, and salt together into a large mixing bowl. Mix in the oats, sweetener, almonds, and apricots.

Stir in the oil, vanilla, and soy milk, mixing well. If the mixture seems too dry, add more soy milk a few drops at a time until the mixture holds together.

Drop by heaping teaspoons onto an oiled baking sheet. Bake 12 to 15 minutes.