Vegan Doughnuts & Candied Apricots

Just as I was pulling out the last jars from the hot water bath, my friend Eric popped over with a half dozen doughnuts from Voo Doo Doughnuts in Portland as my reward for visiting his kitty while he was on a road trip. Putting aside my excitement - I actually managed to chocolate dip a tray of candied apricots first - but have to do it in two batches because I ran out of chcolate.

YIELD:

• 38 dark chocolate dipped candied apricot halves
  

DOUGHNUTS! Eric confessed two things - there's nobody over 35 in Portland, and they have a bizarre passion for doughnuts in general. Though he isn't generally a doughnut person, he said he likes what they're doing with vegan doughnuts and brought me 6 yummy confections in a pink box (as we all know - "good things come in pink boxes") -- a maple bar (my favorite!), a crazy purple fantasy frosted concoction, a yummy looking chocolate covered mystery, one covered with crushed oreos and vanilla frosted with coconut flakes.

And, yes, I did take pictures.

Pepple's Donuts Brunch

"Come this saturday from 10am to 1pm to china cafe, home of pepples donuts at 14th and peralta in sweet west oakland for a vegan soul plate. hashbrowns, mushroom gravy, avocado, and dave's killer bread from oregon. dollar donuts and dollar wok roasted coffee. radically green. ride your bike and bring your own cup."

-- Josh Levine, Facebook Status Update (4/9/2009)

Well! How can you refuse an offer like that? Brunch at the headquarters of the best vegan doughnuts in the Bay Area - Pepple's Donuts!

I told everyone I knew, in the hopes that at least one friend would go with me. To my delight, my friend Scott was up for it and despite getting a bit turned around trying to find Josh's West Oakland location, we found it!

Pepple's Donuts is based in an old Chinese cafe called "China Cafe." Here, he makes vegan donuts and distributes them to cafes and grocery stores all over the Bay Area. They are delicious. Brunch-goers were squeezed in at a short counter and two tiny tables where we were served the most fantastic homemade mushroom gravy on homefries. I brought a jar of plum habanero jelly to share with the toast.

The grilled tofu was a bonus - and all food was terribly delicious. I was so satisfied and stuffed after hoovering my plate full of yummy food - but still wanted more because it was so good! Let's not forget the donuts - Josh was making fresh donuts, on the spot - and we got to eat super delicious warm donuts. I even bought some to take home!

Good job, Josh & Rebecca!

VooDoo Doughnuts

VOO DOO DOUGHNUTS: The doughnut mecca for vegans with a nice selection of vegan cake doughnuts with all kinds of crazy toppings. On my first visit to Portland last weekend, I insisted my dear friend take me there straight-away the next morning so that I could get a big box to take home.

The menu is pretty funny - it has crazy names for doughnuts like "triple chocolate penetration" (yikes) and "Memphis mafia." Click through to look at the larger size of the image.

They seemed to be low, so I just asked for a box of a dozen assorted doughnuts and ended up with this lovely selection of yummy items.

The first doughnut I ate was covered in crushed Chick-o-Stick candy. And, of course - I couldn't resist buying the t-shirt with their slogan "The magic is in the hole."

My friend had to get a "maple bacon" doughnut - which he said was better than the last time when the bacon was overcooked and crispy. Eww.

But, he looked pretty happy with it - but not as happy as Jon was to have vegan doughnuts and beer at the Trappist with me when I got home on Sunday.

Time to Make the Doughnuts!

DOUGHNUTS: The other day, I came across my doughnut cutter when I was looking for a heart shaped cookie cutter for the pastry on top of my apple pies. I thought - gee, it's time to make doughnuts!

Then, a coworker made and brought in a pile of doughnuts -- not vegan. So, I did a search for some doughnuts, and found that People's Donuts makes and sells locally (but, ew - stale! I mean - once a doughnut has cooled down, it's done!).

In the last two days, I have come across several recent postings about doughnuts:

• A review of VooDoo Donuts in Portland on To Live and Eat in LA and on Vegan Shizzle and on VeganFabulous
  
• A doughnut "Photo of the week" and recipe link on Vegan Tree House to the Urban Housewife's 2007 doughnut recipe
  
• A delicious entry on the scientific approach to vegan doughnuts, or Aromatic Rings on
  Parsnip Parsimony
  
• A review of Mighty O organic donut shop in Seattle on Emo Potato
• A mention of Ronald's Donuts in Vegilicious
• A recipe in Two Little Vegans
  

The universe is telling me that the time is here. I'm going to have to make some doughnuts -- maybe apple cinnamon doughnuts with my grandmother's (veganized) recipe.