By Joy Pierson, Angel Ramos and Jorge Pineda
If these vegan breakfast treats seem like particular winners, it may be because author Joy Pierson started the casual Candle Café with her partner, Bart Potenza, after winning $53,000 in the New York lottery! Instead of blowing it on a shopping spree, they took their place in the farm-to-table movement, and 10 years later opened their up-market, top-rated Candle 79.
This vegan food is not of the ascetic genre; it’s indulgent, refined and satisfying. These tempting recipes make breakfasts as delicious and homey as the ones you remember—or dreamed about!—from childhood.
Home-Style Pancakes with Blueberry Butter
Serves 4 to 6; makes about 12 pancakes
Blueberry Butter
1 cup Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread, softened 
1⁄2 cup fresh blueberries
11⁄2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1⁄4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon Ener-G egg replacer
2 cups soy milk
1⁄4 cup Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Fresh fruit, for accompaniment
Maple syrup, for accompaniment
To make the fruit butter, put the buttery spread in a blender. Add the blueberries and process until well incorporated. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Put the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, cinnamon and egg replacer in a large bowl and stir to combine. In another bowl, whisk together the soy milk, melted buttery spread, and vanilla and add to the flour mixture. Stir until just combined.
Spray a large nonstick sauté pan with canola oil cooking spray and heat the pan over medium heat. Drop large spoonfuls of batter into the pan, leaving room for the pancakes to expand. Cook until the bottoms are golden and bubbles are popping to the surface, 1 or 2 minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook the second side until golden. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve with the fruit butter, fresh fruit, and maple syrup.
Mixed-Grain Waffles with Raspberry Butter
Serves 6
Raspberry Butter
1 cup Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread, softened
1⁄2 cup fresh raspberries
2 teaspoons flaxseeds
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3⁄4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons Ener-G egg replacer
1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄4 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg
1⁄2 cup sparkling water
11⁄2 cups soy milk
11⁄2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread, melted
Maple syrup, sliced fruit, or berries, for accompaniment
To make the fruit butter, put the buttery spread in a blender. Add the raspberries and process until well incorporated. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Spray a waffle iron with canola oil cooking spray and heat according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Put the flaxseeds in a blender and process until pulverized.
In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, sugar, egg replacer, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground flaxseeds. In a small bowl, whisk together the sparkling water and soy milk. Add the vanilla extract and buttery spread and whisk again.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined, being careful not to overmix.
Cook the batter in the prepared waffle iron until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Serve with the fruit butter, along with maple syrup, sliced fruit, or berries, as desired.
Reprinted with permission from Candle 79 Cookbook: Modern Vegan Classics from New York’s Premier Sustainable Restaurant. Copyright © 2011 by Joy Pierson, Angel Ramos, and Jorge Pineda. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, Berkeley, CA.
Photos courtesy Rita Maas
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