Monday, October 10, 2011

Chocolate Vegan Cupcakes with Fluffy Vegan "Buttercream" Frosting and Engeye Health Clinic



I bet you're thinking, "there's no way THAT is a vegan cupcake!!!"  But I asure you that it is most definitely a vegan cupcake.  So, now you may be asking yourself this question: how good are vegan cupcakes and vegan frosting really?  I will tell you that the reality is they are actually quite good...at least these recipes are!

I was inspired to make a vegan dessert because my future brother-in-law is a vegan (my other future brother-in-law is a gluten-free vegan, but he is currently living in Uganda with his wife doing work at a rural health clinic, so I'll worry about a dessert for him at a later time).

Anyway, this recipe is printed in Martha Stewart's Cupcakes, but the actual recipe is courtesy of Divvies Bakery.  These cupcakes are very easy to make and without further adieu, the recipe follows.  Enjoy!

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
The cupcake ingredients (you probably have all of this in your pantry right now).

First, sift together your dry ingredients.

Then blend your wet ingredients together.

Finally, combine the dry and wet ingredients and bake.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup and 1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp distilled white vinegar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup water

Directions
1.  Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.
2.  Sift together cake flour, granulated sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.
3.  Mix together the oil, vinegar, vanilla, and water with an electric mixer until well combined.
4.  Add the flour mixture to the oil mixture and mix until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl.  Note, the batter will be very thin and watery.
5.  Divide the batter evenly between the lined cups in the muffin tin (they should be filled 3/4 full).
6.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating half-way through the bake time.  A toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center of the cupcake should come out clean.
7.  Cool the cupcakes completely on a wire rack.
8.  Frost with vegan "buttercream" or dust with powdered sugar.

Fluffy Vegan Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
1/2 cup non-hydrogenated shortening (earth balance is a good brand--I used the non-hydrogenated Crisco, because that is what I had in the kitchen).
1/2 cup non-hydrogenated margarine (earth balance is a good brand)
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup almond milk (alternatively, you could use coconut milk, chocolate almond milk, hemp milk, etc)


Directions
1.  Beat the shortening and margarine together until light and fluffy.  
2.  Then add the powdered sugar and mix together for 3 minutes.  Note, you may need to add more powered sugar to make the frosting to the consistency that will work for you in order to frost or pipe the cupcakes.  If you add too much powdered sugar, just thin it out with some extra almond milk.
3.  Finally, add the vanilla and almond milk and mix for another 5-7 minutes until light and fluffy.  
4.  Decorate as usual and enjoy.  


A note about Engeye Health Clinic.  As I mentioned earlier, my future brother and sister-in-law both are living in Uganda for the next 1.5 years working for Engeye (pronounced Engay) helping to bring more modern, yet basic health care to Ugandans.  From their website, they are a "non-profit that works to improve the lives of Ugandans through its affordable health clinic."  Additionally, they "operate a scholarship program to empower the next generation of Ugandans."  Consider making a one-time donation, or better yet, a monthly donation, to this wonderful non-profit, and to help support the clinic and the work that my future sibling in-laws are doing.  Tell you what, make a donation, and I'll make you some of your very own vegan cupcakes (or something else if you're not brave enough to try these babies).


Sunday, October 9, 2011

Bananas Foster Banana Bread



Well folks, it happens too often to me, and I'm sure it does to you too...old, almost rotten, nasty bananas that have sat too long on the counter to be edible.  You know the kind I am talking about.  Bananas that are so brown they're almost black...they're mushy and vomit-inducing.  Bananas like these?


Gross, right?  But those babies make the best, moist, delicious banana bread you've ever tasted!  So, if you have 3-4 nasty bananas that need to be used, make yourself a delicious batch of banana bread rather than throwing them away.  Additionally, if you don't have the time to make the bread, throw the bananas in the freezer until you need them, then defrost overnight and use in the recipe as usual.

What I enjoy about this recipe is that it is a grown-up version of a delicious treat.  It is grown-up because it contains rum!  Delicious rum!  Additionally, it is healthy, as it contains ground flax seed; but don't worry, it still tastes unhealthy :)  So next time you're in the mood for banana bread, give this adult version a try.

Bananas Foster Banana Bread 
Your ingredients

Add the mashed bananas, melted butter, rum, and brown sugar; bring to a boil.

Mix the cooled banana mixture, yogurt, remaining brown sugar, and eggs together.

Sift the flour, flaxseed, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and allspice together.

Blend the wet and dry ingredients.  Don't the flax seeds look good?

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups of mashed ripe bananas (I used three bananas)
1 cup packed brown sugar, divided
5 tablespoons of butter, melted
1/4 cup of dark rum or cognac
1/3 cup plain, fat-free yogurt
2 large eggs
6 3/4 ounces of all-purpose flour (~1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

Glaze
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon dark rum or cognac

Directions
1.  Preheat oven to 350 F.
2.  Combined melted butter, banana, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and rum or cognac in a non-stick skillet and cook over medium heat until mixture begins to bubble.  Take off of heat and allow to cool. 
3.  After cooled, put mixture in a large bowl and add the yogurt, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and eggs and beat at medium speed until combined.
4.  Weigh flour and combine with the ground flax seed, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and allspice.
5.  Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture and blend.
6.  Pour batter into a loaf pan (9-inch x 5-inch) that is coated with cooking spray.
7.  Bake for 1 hour or until a wooden pick in the center comes out clean.  Remove from oven and cool.
8.  Make the glaze and drizzle over warm bread.

Enjoy!