Sweet World Vegan - Interview with Estella Schweizer!

Image and text Estella Schweizer,

www.estellaschweizer.comLeicht understandable and realisable, with lots of personal tips and kitchen tricks. We spoke to the author about the special features of vegan baking.

For your new book, you have created vegan versions of 80 popular desserts from all over the world - from Austrian Kaiserschmarrn to Portuguese pastéis de nata and New York cheesecake. Isn't it really difficult to make recipes with lots of egg, butter, cream or quark plant-based?

In some cases, yes! But it's precisely this challenge that appeals to me most about vegan cooking and baking. I love thinking my way into a cake batter or dessert cream and trying to imitate the consistency, texture and flavour of the original dish as closely as possible with vegan ingredients. This is quite easy with shortcrust pastry bases and some sponge batters. Even with yeast dough, it is no problem to replace the animal ingredients with plant-based ones. Steamed dumplings or Easter bread taste just as delicious without milk and egg as with, and you practically don't notice any difference when you bite into them. Many people wonder: "Is that really vegan?" It gets trickier with fondant au chocolat, Kaiserschmarrn or other recipes based on beaten eggs, as well as those that contain a lot of cream or high-fat animal products. Here, I'm taking the liberty of reinterpreting the recipe and simply making it tastier in a different way.

Speaking of different: do you need different equipment than usual for vegan baking - or various exotic powders?

No, all you need is a mixing bowl, a wooden spoon or whisk and a baking tin. Shortcrust and yeast doughs can be kneaded by hand and sponge doughs, sponge cakes and dessert creams can be stirred by hand. Only the more unusual recipes require a mixer, blender or other equipment. And of course an oven for all baked goods. As for the shopping list: I made sure to work with everyday ingredients - so "exotic powders" are the absolute exception.

And how demanding are your recipes?

Most of the recipes are easy to make, even for inexperienced cooks. Nevertheless, things can still go wrong. Not every cake or pudding turns out right the first time. As with everything we do by hand, baking takes time and practice.

How good that even a visually unsuccessful dessert usually still tastes good ... You have a sweet tooth, what are your sweet favourites from the book?

Oh, to be honest, I have lots of favourites! I could fall in love with the fondant au chocolat with giggly snow ... I love the Mozart cubes and cantuccini and amaretti for crunch. Gingerbread is a must on the Christmas biscuit platter. I also love Laddus for snacking on the go. And among the quick sponge cakes, my favourites are the simple nut sponge cake and the carrot cake. Oh yes, and the sweet potato brownies. Mmmh - I think I'll bake them now!

In collaboration with www.greenpeace-magazin.de