Great British Vegan Cookbook
If you're looking for more information on my cookbook or where to find a copy, visit my cookbook page.
FAQs
Whilst writing this cookbook, I worked as hard as I possibly could to test the recipes many times to make sure they were perfect. And I'm really glad I did because it's been so worth it to have so much wonderful feedback from my readers!
However, when it comes to the recipe descriptions, there are a few things that might need clarifying. So that's why I created this page.
Although if you ever need help with a recipe, please feel free to contact me (do mention in the subject if it is urgent because you're right in the middle of cooking!) so I can get back to you ASAP or contact me via DM on instagram @wallflowerkitchen where I can get back to you when I'm not at my desk.
This page will be updated regularly as new questions come in.
Ingredients
- Can I use regular yeast in place of nutritional yeast or yeast extract?
No, only if you're making bread! Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast which you can find in flakes or powder. See here and here for examples, which you can find in most supermarkets and health food stores.
For yeast extract, use something like Marmite or Vegemite.
Tofu Scramble (page 19)
I want to strongly recommend getting a tofu that doesn't use nigari as the coagulant. The flavour can be overpowering for sensitive tastebuds, like mine, in this particular dish (but works perfectly for other tofu recipes in the book!) Cauldron tofu is perfect for this recipe.
Yorkshire Puddings (page 86)
- The batter is much thicker than expected. What did I do wrong?
Nothing! This was my error not to include 300ml sparkling water (although people have had success with regular water too).
I'm pleased that despite this error, people have reported they turn out quite well anyway but just slightly heavier than intended! See @minaal.reads' photo below for an example of how they work out without the extra liquid. Still delicious :-) so don't worry if you've already got them in the oven.
- Mine don't have the well in the centre. How can I ensure this for next time?
If the puddings rise too much in the middle, poke them with a spoon! About 20 minutes through cooking, working very quickly and carefully, use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke the tops of the puddings in a circular motion to create a well in the centre.
Sticky Toffee Pudding (page 134)
- Can I use raisins in place of dates?
I got this question from a reader and told them it should work but just make sure the raisins are really juicy before blending.
Turns out it works well! So I figured I might as well share this with others in case they wonder the same thing. Thank you for the photo, Phil.
Battenberg (page 122)
- Where can I find a vegan-friendly pink food dye?
Wilton and PME colour pastes are my go-to. They're marked as vegan-friendly and offer a great selection of colours.
PME paste colour hot pink (use a tiny amount for a more pastel shade)
Iced Gems (page 166)
- How do I get the icing to firm up?
Apologies for the lack of description in this part of the recipe. If you turn to page 192 for my Royal Icing recipe which gives a more detailed breakdown on how to create the perfect smooth, thick royal icing for piping. I should have referred to this within the Iced Gems recipe.
Cauliflower Cheese (page 176)
- Step 4 says to bake for 20 minutes but doesn't specify a temperature.
Sorry about that! It should be baked at 200C / 180C fan / Gas mark 6.