cupcake craziness

i had good intentions for today. i was going to spring clean this joint.  i got as far as replenishing my swiffer supply.  instead, i have been on a cupcake high ever since my chocolate espresso concoctions were such a huge hit.  this time i wanted to try the vanilla side of the spectrum.  the only problem was i was out of cane sugar.  and i did not want to buy the 5 pound domino bag at bj's today.  i would rather get the organic deal. but i spared billy a visit to another grocery store today and let him get to his college basketball extravaganza.  i did, however, have a nice jug of agave nectar in my cupboard at home.  i have been squeezing a bit of it in my morning coffee here and there.  so i knew i had plenty.  all i needed to do was find a recipe to use.  enter the Internet.
i have been eyeing this book - "vegan cupcakes take over the world" on ebay for a week or so now.  and soon i am going to snag it.  but for now, i did find one of the recipes displayed on someones blog - for free.  and it just so happened to be a vanilla agave cupcake.  so i decided to give it a try.  and literally 30 minutes later, i had cupcakes lingering in my kitchen.  again.  agave nectar vegan cupcakes

for the frosting i decided to whip up some of that yummy butter cream.  this time, rather than use coffee and cocoa for a mocha flavor, i wanted to do a simple, springy flavor.  i had a lemon in my fridge that i had been using here and there for cooking.  so i squeezed about a tablespoon or two of the juice and reserved it in a small bowl.  i threw a quarter of a stick of Earth Balance Vegan "butter" in my kitchen aid mixer and blended about a tablespoon of almond milk with it.  i added the lemon juice and slowly incorporated about 2-3 cups of organic powdered sugar, and a dash of clear vanilla extract.  the end result was a creamy, mildly flavored lemon butter cream that was to die for.  definitly a keeper!!

i think this has started a quest for the greatest vegan cupcakes.  and i am definitly on to something here.....

my bucks have a new star......

no one can deny that i love starbucks.  it is the ultimate treat.  since we have lived in the eastwood neighborhood, i have noticed a small local coffee shop literally right around the corner - cafe kubal.  i have always wondered if it was any good but just never gave it a shot.  instead i would drive all the way to erie blvd to the starbucks inside the barnes and noble (that isn't even really a "starbucks" - they just "proudly serve" starbucks) or race to the starbucks down the street from the office in the morning.  and spend a large amount of my hard earned money on a delicious starbucks.  and even more money now that i have to pay extra to NOT have milk in my coffee.  but it is worth it.
so - i was surfing the net one day and i think it was an ad on facebook for cafe kubal that got my attention.  so i ventured there and discovered that they serve vegan baked goods - something that i have not yet tried.  and the cupcakes looked amazing - chocolate espresso to be exact.  so i decided to give them a try.  the first time i went there i just grabbed a coffee - and it was amazing.  their prices are similar to starbucks.  but i decided that if i could get a great coffee and give my money to support a local business then it was worth ditching the "bucks".  and when i finally did try the chocolate espresso cupcake, my mind was totally made up because it was flipping heaven.  the cafe mocha + espresso cupcake did indeed = heaven.  i wonder if it's affiliation with the Christian bookstore next door has anything to do with this equation??

so this new revelation got me searching for the perfect vegan chocolate cupcake recipe. i have spent the last couple of weeks searching the internet.  and have came up with a lot of options.  one night i happened to come across the show "cupcake wars" and saw the very end where a girl who owned a bakery named 'sticky fingers" won.  ironically a couple days later, the website vegnews that i visit almost daily featured her cupcake recipe for none other than chocolate cupcakes with coffee in them.  perfect!
so i made them this afternoon, complete with apron on, music kicking and the open kitchen window wafting in fresh air! what a great day!!

rather than post the recipe here, i am going to give you the link to vegnews - it is a great site anyways!
click here - chocolate seltzer cupcakes


                                            the dry ingredients chilling out together

coffee is my inspiration!

chocolate coffee goodness 

ready to bake!

waiting patiently!

beautiful bundles waiting to be frosted with love!

this one didn't make it......

for the frosting i found a very simple veganized version of butter cream.  and i added my own spin -

1 - quarter stick of Earth Balance vegan margarine - room temp

1/4 cup cold strong-brewed coffee

2 1/2 cups organic powdered sugar

1/2 cup cocoa

in a mixer, cream the room temp margarine and the coffee together.  in a separate bowl, combine the sugar and cocoa (this doesn't have to be completely mixed)

slowly incorporate the sugar into the margarine mixture until all the sugar is added, using low speed at first.  gradually scrape the sides of the mixer bowl.  

i used a pastry bag with a large tip to frost my cupcakes - you can frost them however you prefer!

these were by far the best cupcake, or baked good for that matter, that i have ever attempted to make from scratch.  they are super moist.  the addition of coffee to the batter enhances the chocolate flavor, yet the chocolate does not over power the essence of the coffee.  the frosting is the perfect blend of coffee and chocolate flavor that gives the feel of a mocha latte.  i will definitly be making these again in the very near future! yum!

throwing caution to the wind with some magical fruit

my husband hates beans.  not green beans. but beans. kidney beans, black beans, garbanzo beans.  i can understand why. i grew up with my brother hating them too.  he would literally have to run to the bathroom gagging.  not fun.  so needless to say, i have never made us a big pot of chili.  and i love chili.  but since i went down the vegan road, we have basically been eating totally different meals everyday.  and this has been fine so far.  in fact, billy has been completely supportive of my new lifestyle.  so hopefully when he comes home from work, he won't be entirely disgusted by the large pot filled with hundreds of beans that i find absolutely delicious.
one may say that i cheated with this recipe, since i used a "chili season" mix.  but this was my first time making chili. i wanted to make sure i got it right.  and it is sooooo yummy.


vegan veggie chili

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves of fresh garlic - minced
1 green bell pepper - chopped
1/4 of a large red onion - chopped
1/2 zucchini - chopped
1 28 ounce can whole tomatoes
1 can red kidney beans
1 can black beans
1 can seasoned chili beans
2 cups sweet corn
1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon beef flavor dissolved in 2 cups hot water
1 packet of Simply Organic vegetarian chili mix dissolved in 1/4 hot water

optional -
fresh cilantro - chopped
fresh lime juice
a few shakes of Franks red hot

heat olive oil in medium sized stock pot, add garlic, green pepper and onion. saute for about 5 minutes over medium heat. add zucchini.  continue cooking.  in a large bowl add tomatoes - poke all with knife and with your hands, break into pieces and add to the pot, add remaining tomato juice. drain the beans (EXCEPT THE SEASONED CHILI BEANS). add the bouillon mixture to the pot and stir.  add all of the beans and corn, stir. add the chili mix, stir.  lower the heat to low, continue cooking and stirring a few times.

at my Wegmans, i also found a bag of frozen black eyed peas, black beans, red peppers and onions.  i added this with the corn.  i just thought it would be a nice addition.
you can also add a chopped jalapeno pepper for added heat - i happened to forget one at the store.  but this chili has great heat to it already.  just depends on you!