mini cupcakes

Here are some mini cupcakes i made the other day. I made chocolate with chocolate frosting, and vanilla with chocolate frosting. I'll post the recipe for the vanilla cupcakes later. These recipes are again from my favorite book Vegan Cupcakes take over the world. I'd like to add again you do not have to make these vegan if you don't wish to. However i can assure you they are delicious and some of the best cupcakes ever!

All of these recipes make about 12 standard cupcakes or 24 minis

So here is the first recipe which is for the chocolate cupcake:

Vegan Chocolate Cupcake

Ingredients:

1 cup soy milk

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup canola

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond, chocolate, or more vanilla extract

1 cup ap flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder (dutch-processed or regular)

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F, then line your muffin tin with paper liners.

2. Whisk together soy milk and vinegar, and set aside to curdle. Add the sugar, oil, vanilla and other extract is using it together. Add the milk mixture and beat until foamy. In a separate bowl sift together the dry ingredients. Add the dry in 2 separate batches to the wet mixture mix until no large lumps remain.

3. Fill liners 3/4 of the way, Bake 18-20 min or until skewer inserted comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting them.

Here is the recipe for the Vanilla Cupcakes

Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 cup soy milk

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 1/4 cup ap flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup non-hydrogenated margarine, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp almond, or more vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line muffin tin with paper liners.

2. Whisk together the soy milk and vinegar and set aside to curdle.

3. Sift all of your dry ingredients together and set aside.

4. Cream together the margarine and sugar until light, fluffy and smooth. Don't beat more than 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla and other extract (if using). Then alternate mixing in the dry and the milk mixture. Stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times.

5. Fill liners two-thirds of the way full, and bake 20-22 minutes.

6. Cool completely before icing.

And Finally here is the Chocolate Frosting

Vegan Chocolate buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

1/4 cup margarine, softened

1/4 cup shortening

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

3 tbsp soy milk

1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Cream together the margarine and the shortening until smooth and well combined. Add the cocoa powder mix until well combined. Add the sugar in batches mixing well between each addition, and adding a bit of the soy milk between each addition of sugar. When all ingredients have been well incorporated, add vanilla and beat until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).

Enjoy!

Mushrooms

I know this blog is mainly about sweets, but hey we all have to eat real food some time right? Well i'm really having an urge to make my favorite stuffed mushrooms. These mushrooms are so delicious, and very versatile. The recipe can be altered in a number of ways. Its great as an appetizer in which case you use button mushrooms. Or you can go along with the recipe and serve this as your main course, or a side dish. Anyway you choose these are so yummy, there also pretty healthy, oh yeah AND their vegan. For all you non-vegans out there please don't let that frighten you away (remember when there's a vegan product in something such as soy cheese, you can always use the real thing).

Now my personal preference for this recipe is to use the small button mushrooms, as i've always served this as more of an appetizer/or side dish.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. olive oil

8 large flat mushrooms; or 1 container button mushrooms
1 chopped onion
1 crushed garlic clove
1/4 cup rolled oats
1 8-oz. can chopped tomatoes with herbs
1 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1/4 cup pine nuts; just roughly chopped
1/2 cup soy parmesean (or real parmesean)

Directions:

1.) Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2.) Use a small amount of oil to grease a shallow baking dish large enough to hold a single layer of the mushroom caps and set aside (i use 13x9).

3.) Remove the mushroom stalks then chop them, and set the caps aside.
4.) Sauté the onion, garlic, and mushroom stalks in the oil until lightly browned. Stir in the oats and sauté for another minute. Then add the tomatoes and hot sauce.
5.) Arrange the caps with the hole side up in the prepared baking dish. Divide the stuffing mixture between the mushrooms and layer on the nuts and soy cheese.

6.) Bake for 25 minutes, should be served warm.

Now if i do decide to make these i'll definitely upload some pictures later.

Hope everyone has a great memorial day!