This Little Cupcake Really Will Take Over the World

For Christmas I received a guilty pleasure book I have wanted for over a year. It is called “Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World”, written by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero. I get so much pleasure from the book, but feel quite guilty because of the oil and sugar content of the cupcakes. But they are truly the most amazing cupcakes I have ever tasted – moist and perfect. And it is so hard to believe there are no eggs or dairy. So far, the best EVER is the basic chocolate cupcake with chocolate buttercream frosting. On my – just thinking of them makes me happy. When we have company over, these disappear FAST and they are the talk of the evening!

This little cupcake doesn’t look like much, but YUM!!!!!

Basic Chocolate Cupcake makes 12

1 cup non-dairy milk (I use almond)

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

¾ cup sugar

1/3 cup canola oil (try to use non-GMO)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon almond, chocolate, or more vanilla extract (I use vanilla)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder, Dutch-processed (the best) or regular

¾ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin pan with paper or foil liners. Whisk together the milk and vinegar in a large bowl, and set aside for a few minutes to curdle. Add the sugar, oil, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and other extract, if using, to the milk mixture and beat till foamy. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add in two batches to wet ingredients and beat till no large lumps remain (a few tiny ones are OK).

Pour into liners, filling ¾ full (it is important not to exceed this maximum or you will have a muffin top – not good for cupcakes). Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

¼ cup margarine, softened (I use Earth Balance)

¼ cup shortening (I use non-hydrogenated)

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I LOVE the Dutch-processed)

2 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted

3 tablespoons non-dairy milk (I use almond)

1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Cream together the margarine and shortening until well combined. Add the cocoa powder and incorporate well. Add the confectioners sugar in about ½ cup batches and beat well, adding a little splash of the milk after each addition. When all ingredients have been well incorporated, add the vanilla and beat until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes with a hand mixer, 7 minutes if mixing with a fork). Frost the cupcakes when they are cool.

Prepare to watch them disappear.

Craving Chocolate?

I want to apologize for taking so long to post.

When I get home from work, my husband David (who just gave me the OK to use his name in this blog) and I take a 30-minute walk and then we start cooking whatever new recipe is planned for the day. By the time all that is done, it is 7:15 or 7:30. After enjoying our meal, that is when I usually blog. But recently I have been a bit addicted to television, since all my favorite shows are back! So I have a backlog of dinner recipes that need to be blogged about and I hope to start sharing those with you soon. In the meantime, I want to tell you about something I made last night.

This past week has been a week of cravings and chocolate was at the top of the list. I am forever grateful for the no-bake cookies you see here (from Forks Over Knives Companion book). They really aren’t the kind of cookie that you go crazy over or brag about, but they do have some important virtues:

• Hands down take care of a super-duper chocolate craving
• Can be made in 15 minutes
• They really aren’t addictive (I can stop after 2)
• Only 70 calories and 2 grams of fat per cookie (using rice milk)
• I think they taste good
• I don’t feel guilty when I eat them

How to make them? Put 1/3 cup maple syrup, 1/3 cup rice or almond milk, and ¼ cup cocoa into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 3 minutes, then add 3 tablespoons peanut butter and stir until dissolved. Remove from the heat and add 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 ½ cups oats. Stir well and form into 16 cookies. I put them on waxed paper and let them cool. (You can add ¼ cup walnuts if you wish. That will change the calorie and fat content. )

The next time you have a chocolate craving, consider giving these babies a try.