Hey guys! I am finally starting up that cupcake business I've been talking about for a million years. After my Christmas party, I had several requests for cupcakes to give as gifts and to take to parties, so I thought... Why wait any longer? It's a local thing, so there's not a lot I can do for those of you who don't live in North Texas, but if you do live here or know people who do, please help spread the word! Oh, and "like" my Facebook page too for some great cupcake karma.
December 21, 2011
December 19, 2011
Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes
When you think of wintertime and the holidays, you can't help but think of peppermint. Peppermint hot chocolate, peppermint candy cups, peppermint sticks hanging on the tree... The list goes on and on. I recently hosted a Holiday Housewarming party at our new place, and I served these fantastic cupcakes alongside some Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Maple and Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting (recipe to come), and they were all a big hit! In fact, I received several "orders" to make some as Christmas gifts for friends and family of my party guests, whom I think it's fair to note are not vegan. So, even non-vegans went crazy for these! Yay! I've been longing to start a vegan home-bakery business anyway, so this will be just the kick in the pants to get me going! Try these peppermint chocolate cupcakes out and tell me what you think. Don't forget to leave a couple out for Santa Claus (or Hannukah Harry) on Christmas Eve! It's a guarantee there will be no coal in your stocking if you do.
P.S. I'm entering this cupcake recipe into the Very Good Recipes White Christmas Recipe Challenge. Wish me luck!
CUPCAKES
1 cup chocolate soy milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract (not mint extract)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12-count cupcake pan with paper or foil liners.
- Whisk together soy milk and apple cider vinegar in a large bowl, and set aside for a few minutes to curdle.
- Add sugar, oil, and both vanilla and peppermint extracts. Beat until foamy.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add in two batches to the wet ingredients and beat until no big lumps remain.
- Use a large cookie scoop to measure equal amounts into each cup.
- Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center cupcake comes out clean.
- Cool completely on a cooling rack before frosting.
- Makes one dozen cupcakes.
FROSTING
1/4 cup vegetable shortening (non-hydrogenated preferred)3 cups powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy
1/8 cup, or more or less to taste, unsweetened soy milk
2 teaspoons peppermint extract (not mint extract)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Cream the shortening for a few minutes, until soft and fluffy.
- Add one cup of powdered sugar, with a splash of soymilk, and mix until well-incorporated.
- Repeat with remaining sugar, adding 1 cup at a time, with 1 splash of soymilk at a time.
- Add peppermint and vanilla extracts. Continue mixing.
- If needed, add more soymilk until desired consistency or creaminess is achieved.
- If you want to get the red and white peppermint swirl like I've done in the photo, just place about 3 tablespoons of frosting in a separate bowl and add the desired amount of red food coloring to it. Stir it up really well until color is evenly achieved throughout. Then use a blunt knife or a large frosting spatula to stripe one side of a decorating bag. Add remaining white frosting as usual. Use any large star-tip to make the swirl.
NUTRITION INFO (per frosted cupcake):
Calories: 310.8 / Total Fat: 11.5g (Saturated Fat: 2.3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.8g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5.3g) / Cholesterol: 0mg / Sodium: 101.3mg / Potassium: 51mg / Total Carbohydrates: 51.5g (Dietary Fiber: 1.3g, Sugar: 42.2g) / Protein: 2.4g
December 6, 2011
The Best Vegan Brownie You Will Ever Eat
Fudgy in the middle with a light layer of crust on top. Perfection! I've been tweaking and re-tweaking this recipe and I think I've found the perfect combination of ingredients to create brownie awesomeness. Oh yes, brownie awesomeness.
This recipe is for the basic brownie, but feel free to play around with it - top with walnuts, stir in some chocolate chips, or add some mint flavoring to the mix and sprinkle crushed peppermint sticks on the top to spice it up for the holidays.
And get ready! For what, you ask? For brownie awesomeness.
Yeah, you heard me.
BROWNIE. AWESOMENESS.
Make these right now. Trust me.
1/2 cup canola oil
2/3 cup water
2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons flaxmeal
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or sub another cup all-purpose flour)
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted if lumpy.
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease and flour (or use baking spray in) a 9x13" baking pan.
- Whisk together all dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.
- In a large, separate bowl beat together oil, water, sugar, vanilla, and flaxmeal on medium speed until very well mixed.
- Add dry mixture to wet. Stir or beat on low speed until just-mixed and smooth. Do not overmix, but don't undermix either. The batter will be thick but smooth.
- Spread mixture evenly into your baking pan.
- Bake on middle oven rack for 25-30 minutes. Test with finger (don't burn yourself!). Top should be crusty, but innards should still have a little bit of "give."
- Makes about 15 medium-sized brownies.
- Enjoy!
NUTRITION INFO (per brownie):
Calories: 271.7 / Total Fat: 8.6g (Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4.5g) / Cholesterol: 0mg / Sodium: 111.3mg / Potassium: 99.5mg / Total Carbohydrates: 48.3g (Dietary Fiber: 4.6, Sugar: 26.8g) / Protein: 3.7g
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