Chocolate Cupcakes With Chocolate Frosting

Cupcake Poster Boy



Recipe Taken From:

Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World

Chocolate Cookies With A Heart Of Jam

"Magnificent" "Yummy" "Better than shop-bought cookies"

All praise for these choc-o-jammie cookies. Please, please, hold the applause. You're making me blush.

Y,know The Stuff That Goes In
{60g} plain flour
{2.5 tbsp} cocoa powder, fairtrade
{1/4 tsp} sea salt
{1/4 tsp} bicarbonate of soda
{2.5 tbsp} organic sunflower oil
{2.5 tbsp} unsweetened soy milk
{1 tsp} vanilla extract
{75g} granulated brown sugar
{3-4 tsp} jam (I love Bonne Maman's raspberry)

Yields about six cookies

Like...How You Do It
 > Preheat your oven to 180C; line a baking tray with baking paper (I used foil because it's all we had in the cupboard...improvisation is cool).
> Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and bicarbonate of soda.
> Add wet ingredients (except the jam), and the sugar. Incorporate well.
> Dampen your hands and smush one tablespoon of mixture into a cookie shape. Keep going until all the mixture is used up.

> Bake for 5 minutes. Take out of oven and press a heart shape into the centre with your thumb. Put a wee bit of jam into the indentation. Bake for a further 6-8 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 2 minutes. Then, transfer to a cooling rack.

Choccie Button Cookie Dough

Recipe adapted from Angela at Oh She Glows

Ingredients:

{1/2 cup} unsalted, raw cashew nuts

{1/3 cup} porridge oats

{1/4 cup} plain flour

{1/2 tsp} sea salt

{1 and 1/4 tbsp} unrefined cane sugar

{1/2 tsp} vanilla extract

{2 tbsp and 1/2 tsp} maple syrup

{One packet} dairy-free milk chocolate buttons

Method:

1. Process cashews and oats in a food blender until they have reached a floury consistency.

2. Add salt, sugar, and flour. Whizz 'er up.

3. Throw in maple syrup and vanilla extract. Blend it up, stopping to scoop down the sides once or twice. Should have a very sticky, well-processed gloop. Stir in the buttons and shape into balls. Store in freezer.

So good.

Chocolate Cupcakes With Candied Walnuts and Pumpkin Spice Frosting

'A woman scorned will bake cupcakes'

This is the day I chose cupcakes over my degree. The worst part is, you think I'm joking. I've never been so serious.

Ingredients:

Cupcakes

{1 and 1/2 cups} plain flour

{1/3 cup} cocoa powder

{1 tsp} baking soda

{1/2 tsp} sea salt

{1 cup} granulated brown sugar

{1/2 cup} grapeseed oil (or any mild vegetable oil)

{1 cup} soya milk

{1 tsp} vanilla extract

{2 tsp} apple cider vinegar

Spiced Buttercream Frosting

{1/2 cup} dairy-free, vegan butter (I used Vitalite), softened

{1 and 3/4 - 2 cups} icing sugar (make sure it's vegan)

{1 tsp} vanilla extract

{1 tbsp} pumpkin spice (see below)

[If you need to adjust the consistency, use 1 tbsp of unsweetened soya milk]

Candied Walnuts

{1/4 cup} maple syrup

{1/3 cup} brown sugar

{1/4 tsp} sea salt

{1/4 tsp} ground cinnamon

{1 cup} walnuts, toasted

Pumpkin Spice

{1 tsp} cinnamon

{1/2 tsp} ginger

{1/2 tsp} nutmeg

[Mix these spices together and measure out 1 tbsp for the Spiced Buttercream Frosting].

Look, a cake in a cup.

Yes, a cupcake.

Oh dear...

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Line a muffin/cupcake tray with paper cases. Start with the Cupcake mix. In one bowl, stir together the dry. In another, the wet (except the cider vinegar). Add the two mixtures together. Finally, pour in the vinegar and stir quickly. Scoop chocolate mixture into cases and slide straight into the oven (middle level). Lick out the bowl. Total baking time: 20-25 minutes, approximately. Check frequently. When you stick a knife into a cupcake and it comes out clean, they should be ready. Cool on a rack.

2. Time for the Spiced Buttercream Icing (you can do this whilst the Cupcakes are baking). Whisk up butter until it's nice and fluffy. Add the other ingredients and smooth together with the back of a spoon. When mixed well, whisk again until it achieves a whippy consistency. Set aside.

3. Candied Walnuts. In a dry saucepan, lightly toast the walnuts, but don't burn. Set aside. In a different pot, heat the rest of the ingredients, stirring well. Line a tray with baking paper. Pour the syrupy mixture over the walnuts and mix until all the walnuts are coated. Stick in the oven for a few minutes until the sauce starts to get thick. Leave to cool and harden.

4. Back to the Spiced Buttercream Icing. I piped it. But I'm sure you can just scoop it on there and it tastes just as good. NOTE: wait until the Cupcakes are COMPLETELY cool before adding the icing. Otherwise it will melt all over the place.

Don't they look pretty?

5. When the Candied Walnuts are cool, use them to decorate the tops of the Cupcakes.

And watch out for cupcake theives.

It's people like him that make me feel too scared to bake at night.



Goodbye University degree, hello spiced buttercream frosting.

Banana Sorbet With a Chocolate Shell

{2 - 2 and 1/2 cups} sliced banana, frozen
{2 tsp} vanilla extract
{1 cup} sweetened soy milk
{A few glugs} maple syrup, to taste
{25g} dairy-free chocolate buttons

Prepare the bananas in advance. Slice them up, put them in a suitable container and whack 'em in the freezer for a good few hours. I left mine in overnight. Blend them up with the vanilla extract, soy milk, and maple syrup until thick and creamy. Freeze in a tub or container for at least two hours without stirring. Again, I left mine overnight.

When the sorbet has set, put the chocolate buttons in a small, pyrex bowl, and place the bowl in a saucepan of hot water.

Heat on the stove, stirring the chocolate until it has melted.

Serve the sorbet and pour the chocolate on top.