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).

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!

Beef Daube Provencal

Well lovely followers (or maybe just Talia), as you may or may not know, I love sweets (see my doughnut post here), so I do not blog as frequently about the non-decadent foods that I make.  However, in honor of my dear, sweet, loving grandmother celebrating another fabulous year on this earth, I had her over for a celebratory dinner the other day and made this lovely beef stew.  It was quite easy and well worth the (minimal) effort, so try it some time!  This recipe is courtesy of cooking light, so it is healthy, hardy meal that is good for the upcoming fall and winter evenings.

Your ingredients

Heat the oil and garlic until fragrant, then saute the meat until browned.

Remove the beef and deglaze the pan with the wine.  Add the beef back to the pot along with the remaining ingredients.  

Bring to a boil then cover and put in the oven for 2 1/2 hours.

Your finished stew after 2 1/2 hours in the oven.

 Beef Daube Provencal

Ingredients
2 teaspoons of olive oil (I used extra virgin olive oil, which worked out well)
12 crushed garlic cloves
1 (2-pound boneless chuck roast), trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 cup of red wine (I used Merlot)
2 cups chopped carrots (I used 2 cups of baby carrots)
1/2 cup beef broth, low sodium (I used beef stock from Swanson)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary (I omitted this because the store was out)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
Dash of ground cloves
1, 14.5 ounce, can of diced tomatoes, undrained
1 bay leaf
**I also added portobello mushrooms to this dish and they turned out nicely**

Directions
1.  Preheat the oven to 300F.
2.  Heat the oil in a dutch oven or heavy bottom large pot over low heat and add the crushed garlic; heat for ~5 minutes until fragrant.  Remove garlic from pan and set aside.
3.  Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the beef to the pan.  Sprinkle the beef with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.  Cook for a total of 5 minutes, browning the beef on all sides.  Remove beef from pan and set aside.
4.  Deglaze the pan by pouring the wine into the pan, bring to a boil, and scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
5.  Add the garlic, beef, and remaining ingredients to the pan and bring to a boil.
6.  Cover and bake at 300 F for 2 1/2 hours.  Discard the bay left and serve.  I served this dish with mashed sweet potatoes and steamed broccoli.  You could also serve it over egg noodles or rice.  It would also pair nicely with a squash, which are coming into season soon!

Enjoy!

Yeast Doughnuts

So, I have a secret to share, but please do not tell anyone else my secret.  Do you swear you won't tell anyone?  This is kinda a big secret, so you've got to swear.  Okay, I believe you.  Here it is: I LOVE doughnuts.  I love doughnuts so much that if I could eat at least 5 a day and not suffer any ill consequences, like fat-ass syndrome, or the need to help out the ol' pancreas with exogenous insulin, then I would do it.  I would eat AT LEAST 5 doughnuts per day.  At this point, you may be laughing...that's real nice.  Go ahead and laugh at my addiction...real nice.  But in all seriousness, aren't doughnut delicious?  And I'm not talking about the nation-wide chain kind either.  I'm talking about the local bakery kind or the lone, independent coffee and doughnut shop.  Now, get yourself these ingredients and start making these very simple, very delicious, doughnuts, but make sure that you have lots of other people to share these with, as the recipe makes a lot of doughnuts.  

Little pearls of wisdom:

--These doughnuts really taste best eaten the day of, but aren't horrible the next day either.

--The doughnut holes don't flip well because they're more round than flat.  What I did, and recommend, is cooking two holes at a time for one minute by holding them under the oil with a metal turner.

--If possible, weigh all your dry ingredients, as it is more accurate, which is what is best for baking.  This recipe is courtesy of Alton Brown, the master of weighing dry goods with some changes based on my experience making them as well as those of my favorite food blog, besides my own, Sydney @ crepesofwrath.net.

--For those of you that have baked bread, but not other yeast goods, please take note that in step 5, my dough never completely pulled away from the bowl like it does when I bake bread.  I stopped the mixing after the 5 minutes and didn't have any issues at all.
--The glaze is thick, but you want it that way.  Also, it tastes best once it has dried on the doughnut.  I preferred the cinnamon-sugar, but to each his own.

Your Ingredients

The combined dough rising in a warm area.

Roll out the dough and cut the doughnuts using the biscuit cutter or doughnut cutter. 

Let the doughnuts rise for 30 minutes.

Doughnuts after the 30 minute rise.

Once your oil is heated to 365 F, add the doughnuts to the oil, taking care to not over crowd the pan.

Flip the doughnuts after one minute.

If you're using the cinnamon-sugar, take the doughnuts from the oil and toss them into the cinnamon-sugar mixture right away.

If you're glazing the doughnuts, let them cool completely and then glaze them.

Yeast Doughnuts

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups milk (I used 1%)

2-1/2 oz vegetable shortening (~1/3 cup)

2 packages of instant yeast, or 2 scant tablespoons/14 grams of dry yeast from a jar

1/3 cup warm water (95 F to 105 F)

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon nutmeg or cinnamon (I used cinnamon because I prefer that flavor)

23 ounces all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting surface (this is about 5-1/3 cups, but weighing is the best way to measure all dry goods **see little pearls of wisdom**)

Oil for frying (I used canola and filled my pan with about 2.5 inches of oil, but less would have worked)

Directions

1.  Heat the milk in a medium pan until just warm enough to melt the shortening.  Melt shortening into the milk and set aside to let cool to lukewarm in temperature.

2.  In the bowl of your stand mixer, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and stir gently.  Let dissolve for 5 minutes. 

3.  After that time, add the milk/shortening mixture into the yeast mixture.  Then add the eggs, sugar, salt, cinnamon (or nutmeg, or a mixture of both), and half of the flour.

4.  Using your paddle attachment, mix on low speed until the flour is incorporated, and then on medium until well combined.  Repeat with the remaining flour.

5.  Now, using your dough hook, beat on medium speed until the dough pulls away from the bowl and is smooth, ~4-5 minutes.

6.  Transfer the dough to a well-oiled bowl and allow to rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

7.  On a well floured surface, roll the dough out anywhere from 3/8-inch thick to 1/2-inch thick.

8.  Using a 2-1/2-inch doughnut cutter or large and small pastry rings, cut out doughnuts.  Set on floured baking sheet, cover with a hand towel or tea towel and let rise for 30 minutes.

9.  Heat the oil in a deep fryer or a heavy bottom, deep pan to 365 F.  

10.  Once heated, gently place the doughnut into the oil 3-4 at a time, depending on the size of your pan/deep fryer.
11.  Cook for 1 minute per side and then flip.  Transfer to a cooling rack with paper towels, or directly into the cinnamon-sugar mixture.  Let cool 15-20 minutes before glazing, if desired.

Cinnamon-Sugar
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoons cinammon

Glaze
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar

Enjoy!

Mmmm...glazed!

Basil Pesto

Well, it's summer time and that means that on my very tiny back porch the easiest thing to grow is basil.  Basil is great because it's ridiculously easy and very inexpensive to grow; in fact, my basil only cost me a dollar and this is the second time I have harvested my basil plant this summer.  I could have harvested it more frequently, but I didn't because I'm lazy.  So, yesterday I decided that my plant had just grown to be so large that I had to trim it back and that is why I decided to make some delicious basil pesto.  The great thing about pesto is that it can be make from almost anything, basil, cilantro, arugula, or even spinach.  So, if you have anything of these things, I encourage you to make some pesto.  You can even freeze any leftover pesto in ice cube trays, so that you can have fresh pesto in the winter.  Plus, it's really easy.

Your ingredients (without the basil and cheese I've just noticed)!

Add all of the ingredients except the olive oil and cheese 

to your food processor or blender and process.

Then, with the food processor going, slowly add the oil to blend 

together and empty into a separate bowl.

Finally, mix the cheese into the pesto and you are done!

Basil Pesto

Ingredients:

2 cups packed basil

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

1 garlic clove

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

About 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1.  Blend the basil, pine nuts, garlic, salt, and pepper until finely chopped.  

2.  With the food processor still going, slowly add enough oil to forma smooth and thick consistency.

3.  Transfer to a bowl and mix in the cheese.

4.  Season with more salt and pepper to taste.

This recipe comes from the lovely Giada De Laurentiis.  Pesto does not make a good pasta sauce on it's own, as it is too thick.  She recommends mixing enough of the pasta water (after the pasta is cooked in it) with the pesto to get the pesto to coat the pasta without making it so thin that you have soup. 

Pesto is also a great sandwich condiment.  Enjoy!

Babycakes Sour Cream Doughnuts!

So, I really, really, really love doughnuts.  This is a true shame because they do NOT love me, in the sense that they go straight to my hips and belly...ugh.  This, however, does definitely not prevent me from eating them, let alone making them!  For my birthday, my dad bought me a mini-doughnut maker from babycakes that bakes mini doughnuts.  It's really cute and I used it the very next day and made some very cute and delicious doughnuts.  The maker comes with instructions and a few recipes.  I decided to use their recipes first and once I get the hang of the machine, I'll try using different recipes.  Now, even if you do not have this doughnut maker, you can still use this recipe with a doughnut pan, like this one.  So dear readers, enjoy!

Your Ingredients

Whisk together the dry ingredients.

Mix together the wet ingredients and combine with the dry ingredients.

Bake accordingly and glaze or frost!

Sour Cream Doughnuts
Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups of all-purpose flour
1/3 cup of sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sour cream
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
1.  Combine dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.
2.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients.
3.  Pour liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients.
4.  Use a mixer on medium, blend until smooth.
5.  Fill pan appropriately with batter (this is approximately 2 tablespoons per well).
6.  Bake about 4-5 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
7.  Glaze or coat as desired!

Chocolate Glaze
Ingredients:
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
2 tablespoons half and half or milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
1.  Whisk all ingredients together adding more dairy as required to make a glaze consistency.
2.  Dip doughnuts into glaze, either halfway or completely.
3.  Place on wire rack to allow glaze to set up.

Enjoy!

Pretzel Bites (with a surprise twist)!

One of my favorite food blogs is Crepes of Wrath.  I adore the photographs and how well she keeps the blog up.  Now that I am ONE DAY from finishing my internship, I hopefully will be able to keep up my blog posting as well as be able to focus on taking better photos!  This recipe comes from her blog and I hope you love it as much as I did.  Making bread and bread type products isn't very hard, you'll just need some time to let the dough rise.

They are so great right out of the oven, just don't burn your tongue!  They are best enjoyed on the day of, but if you keep them longer than 24 hours, store them uncovered, as they get soggy that way.  Enjoy!

Your ingredients...quite simple.

Prepare all ingredients below and mix with your dough hook until the dough pulls away from the bowl. 

Knead into a ball on a lightly floured surface. 

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise about 1 hour until the dough is doubled in size.

Divide into eight equal portions and then roll those portions into logs about 20-22 inches in length. 

Cut the dough logs into 1 inch pieces and let rise, covered for 20-30 minutes.

Boil 8-10 pieces at a time for 30 seconds per batch.   Put the pieces onto a cookie sheet and brush with the egg mixture.  Sprinkle with salt to taste and enjoy.

Homemade Soft Pretzels 

For the pretzels:
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (I used rapid rise yeast and it worked just as well)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour

For cooking the pretzels:
vegetable or olive oil (for oiling your bowl)
3 quarts water
3/4 cup baking soda
1 whole egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
Coarse sea salt, fleur de sel, or kosher salt

1. For the pretzels: combine the water, sugar, yeast, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer or a food processor and beat or pulse until well incorporated. Let stand for 5 minutes.  If you're using a stand mixer, use your dough hook, add in the salt and 4 1/2 cups of flour, and then mix or pulse on low speed until combined.  Bring the speed up to medium and continue kneading or pulsing until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes.  If the dough appears too wet, you can add more flour a 1 tablespoon at a time.  Remove the dough from the bowl or processor, place on a flat, lightly floured surface, and knead into a ball with your hands.

2.  Lightly oil a large bowl with vegetable oil or olive oil, then add the dough and turn it to coat with the oil. Cover it with a clean towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour. 

3.  Remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a flat, lightly floured surface.  Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, about 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 ounces each.  Roll each piece into a long rope that is about 22 inches long.  Cut the dough into 1-inch pieces, then cover and allow to rise again for another 20-30 minutes.

4.  When the dough has risen again, preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.  Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot and add in the baking soda.  Boil the pretzel bites in the water solution in batches, about 8-10 pretzels at a time is a good number.  Boil for about 30 seconds, then remove the pretzels with a large, slotted spoon or spatula.  Place pretzel bites on a lightly greased baking sheet, being sure that they are not touching one another.  Brush the tops with the egg and water mixture and sprinkle with the coarse salt.  Place the pretzels in the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown.

5.  Remove to a baking rack and let rest 5 minutes before eating.  These are great fresh from the oven or room temperature.

 Cinnamon-Sugar Pretzel Bites!

We decided to try and make cinnamon-sugar pretzel bites from a few of the pretzels and it turned out pretty good.  Follow the steps below for a nice sweet treat.

1.  Boil the pretzels as above and brush them with the egg mixture, but do not salt them.

2.  Bake as directed and let them cool completely.  

3.  Make a cinnamon-sugar mixture with a ratio of 3 parts sugar to 1 part cinnamon.

4.  Melt 1-2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a bowl.  Toss the pretzels in the butter in small batches and then coat them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture and enjoy! 

**Do not put the cinnamon-sugar on top of the pretzels prior to baking them.  The mixture will burn and not really give the good cinnamon-sugar taste you've come to expect from pretzels**