Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Peanut Butter Cupcakes


Again, I thought I did this forever ago, but apparently not! Here's the recipe for the cupcakes!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup soy milk (normal milk would work too)
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup natural chunky peanut butter
1/3 cup canola oil
2/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp dark molasses (I used agave nectar)
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp ground flaxseed
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.

Mix soy milk with vinegar in a measuring cup and set aside to curdle.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the peanut butter, oil, sugar, molasses, vanilla, and ground flaxseeds until well combined. Add the soy milk mixture, mixing until incorporated.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl and mix. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just combined.

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake for 23-26 minutes. Remove from oven, transfer to cooling racks, and cool completely before topping with this delight:

Quick Melty Ganache ingredients:

3 Tbsp soy creamer or soy milk
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat until just about to simmer. Remove from heat, add chocolate chips, and stir until chocolate is completely melted and milk is incorporated.

Set aside and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Spoon it onto your cupcake. Delicious!


After these are baked, whip up this quick melty ganache, and top your cupcakes with ganache and chopped peanuts!

Chocolate Mint Cupcakes


I swear I posted these recipes forever ago, but apparently not. Well, here you go!

For these scrumptious little treasures, you need to start with a basic chocolate cupcake.

Ingredients:
1 cup soy milk (normal milk should work too)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pan with paper liners.

Whisk together the milk and vinegar, set aside for a few minutes to curdle. Add the sugar, oil, vanilla, and almond to the soy milk mixture and beat until foamy. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add this slowly to the wet ingredients and beat until there aren't any large lumps. A few small lumps are ok.

Pour the batter into your liners, filling them 3/4 full. Bake 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on cooling rack before icing.


Your next step is to make the icing. You make mint icing first, pipe it onto the cupcakes, then top it with a quick melty ganache and something cute (I used mint chips).

Mint Icing ingredients:

1/4 cup shortening
3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp soy creamer or soy milk
1 1/2 tsp mint extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
small drop green food coloring

Cream the shortening for a few seconds to soften it. Use a fork to do this. Add 1 cup powdered sugar and a splash of milk, mixing to incorporate. Repeat this process, mixing after each addition, until all ingredients are used and the icing is smooth and creamy. Add the extracts and coloring, and mix it all together.

Quick Melty Ganache ingredients:

3 Tbsp soy creamer or soy milk
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat until just about to simmer. Remove from heat, add chocolate chips, and stir until chocolate is completely melted and milk is incorporated.

Set aside and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Spoon it onto your cupcake. Delicious!