Chocolate

Entries Tagged as 'chocolate'

Dark Chocolate Chunk Angel Food Cupcakes with Brandied Strawberries

4.20.2013

If you are a regular around here you may have noticed my usual ‘Searchable Saturday’ post missing these last two weeks. I am currently re-vamping that weekly column and will hopefully have it back in the coming weeks. To hold you over until it’s back, feel free to find my weekly inspirations over on Pinterest.

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I learned all my baking techniques backward. Instead of learning the basics right off the bat – I dove right into vegan baking after moving into my first kitchen. This means I can whip up a Vegan Chia Latte cupcake like no one’s business but often times still feel lost when trying to make a traditional cake…like one that involves 4 sticks of butter and 3 pounds of powdered sugar (do people actually put that much butter in a single recipe?!).

I’ve begun working backwards and am try to get a grasp on as many aspects of baking as possible (branching out from vegan and gluten free). So, while wondering through the bakery section of my co-op the other day, I realized I’ve never made angel food cake from scratch. It’s something that has always been so easily accessible to me going up that I never really gave a thought to where it came from. Perhaps from a box? Or from the grocery store bakery? But what about homemade – had I ever really had homemade angel food cake? I was beginning to doubt I had. And something needed to be done about it.

I began doing research (AKA searched google) and discovered my challenge for making angel food cake would be whipping the egg whites until ‘soft peaks formed‘. I had read that term before and only accomplished it one other time – when making The Butterscotch Roll Up Cake for this little blog’s birthday. I remember being SUPER intimidated by this term and watching many youtube videos before trying it myself. I had successfully accomplished making those ‘soft peaks’ but had pretty much steered clear of any recipe with this step in it since. However, the rest of making angel food cake seemed SO simple with its few ingredients and minimal steps that I knew I could shy away no longer.

In the end, the soft peaks term was nothing to fear. I used this handy visual guide from TheKitchn to make sure my egg whites were whipped properly and boom – the cupcakes turned out light and fluffy! Oh, and delicious. The chocolate chunks sank to the bottom because of the light batter but it made an amazing angel food sandwich – with dark chocolate on the bottom, boozy strawberries on top, and angel food cake in the center.

Dark Chocolate Chunk Angel Food Cupcakes with Brandied Strawberries

Brandied Strawberries:

1/2 pint strawberries, sliced
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 Tablespoon brandy

For the cupcakes:

3/4 cup powdered sugar, divided
1/2 cup all purpose flour
5 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 dark chocolate chunks (or regular chocolate chips)

For the frosting:

1/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 Tablespoons milk

Slice the strawberries and place them in a bowl with the brown sugar and brandy. Cover and place in the fridge while you prepare everything else (try to let them sit in their for at least an hour).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and slightly grease a 12 muffin pan.

In a small bowl, combine the flour and 1/4 cup powdered sugar. Set aside.

Add the 5 egg whites to your stand mixer bowl and beat until foamy. Next, add the cream of tartar and salt and turn the mixer up to high. Gradually add in the remaining 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and then vanilla extract. Beat until soft peaks form.

Next, fold in the flour mixture in three additions. Try to keep the batter as light and fluffy as possible and doing it in three additions will help not to weigh it down. Keep folding until everything is incorporated.

Transfer batter to the prepared muffin tins and bake for 15 to 18 minutes. You can tell they are done if the center is browned and bounces back slightly when you touch it.

Remove from heat and transfer to a cooling rack (I’ve read that you should place them face down on the cooling rack so they don’t sink – I didn’t have a problem with them sinking but would recommend you do this step just in case).

To make the frosting: Use a mixer to beat the butter until creamy. Next, add in the powdered sugar and vanilla and continue beatings on medium speed. Add milk a tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached.

Drain the strawberries of any excess sugar liquid (or reserve it to drizzle on top).Once the cupcakes are cooled, frost them and top with brandied strawberries.

Searchable Saturdays

3.23.2013

Hello Weekend! The sun shining outside is tricking me into thinking it’s warmer than 20 degrees out. Oh spring – where are you??! Ah well. Here are some inspirational links from the week..

1. CRAVING /// I am starting to feel the spring cleaning urge coming on but refuse to do anything until it’s warm enough to open my windows and let the fresh air in. More than cleaning, I am looking forward to ‘freshening’ up the look of our house. I have thoughts of new wall artwork, more more more hanging plants, and new rugs.

2. INSPIRATION /// Most of my food inspiration came from looking at menus last week when we were traveling. It’s wonderful to see what crazy combinations restaurants have come up with. Since I’ve been back from Florida, I’ve been scoping the internet looking up menus from all over the world. This picture is of a place in Seattle called Hot Cakes Molten Chocolate Cakery. There menu is a mouthwatering list of boozy shakes, chocolate cakes, and seasonal items.

3. CREATING /// Even though it’s still super cold here, I am hoping to start planning my seeds indoors this weekend. In addition to my usual herb and vegetable seeds, I am planning to try growing ginger and potatoes from already grown produce. Why not? I’m still rather new to gardening so I plan to do lots of experimenting this time around.

4. LUSTING /// I’ve fallen head over heels for the blog My New Roots. Every recipe sounds so refreshing and delicious, I cannot wait to cook my way through her website!

Butterfinger Bites

2.15.2013

I know, I know. Yesterday was Valentine’s Day and how could you possible want more chocolate in your life? Well, I meant to post this ON Valentine’s Day but thing got busy (I’m sure you can relate). These little bites were my V-day gift to Wyatt. We play this little devilish game – we both WANT to eat fresh and organic but have our vices. Mine are those little booty puff popcorn things…do you know what I’m talking about? They have the texture of Styrofoam but are REALLY addicting regardless. Wyatt’s vice? Butterfingers. And like clockwork, every time I polish off a bag of those puffs within 20 minutes, I get that disapproving look from Wyatt. And every time we take a walk to the gas station and he picks up a butterfinger, I have to give my ‘you are going to get THAT?’ comment.

In turn, I just couldn’t bring myself to buy him a butterfinger for V-day. I could just imagine that ‘oh..you got me THIS’ comment when I handed it to him. So I made a Plan B – make my own. I have never really made candy before…mostly because I’m scared of the whole baking with corn syrup. But, after much research, I’ve come to the conclusion that corn syrup is NOT the same thing as high-fructose corn syrup that you find in packaged candy bars and that I will not be turning to the dark side if a put a small amount into a treat.

These little bites turned out wonderful. I mix between a Butterfinger and a Reese’s cup…how could it be bad? You will need a candy thermometer for this because it’s super essential that you get the sugar heated high enough so that it hardens but not so much that it burns. Makes sense? Cool. Let’s get candy-making!

Butterfinger Bites

adapted from Not Without Salt

1 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water

1 18 ounce bag of chocolate chips
2 Tablespoons milk

Grease a 9×6 pan (I used my bread pan) and set aside.

In a small saucepan, add the sugar, corn syrup, and water. Turn onto medium-high heat and let cook until the temperature reaches 290 degrees.

While that temperature is rising, place the peanut butter, vanilla, and salt in a double boiler. Let water simmer under the bowl while the peanut butter creates a creamy, smooth paste.

Remove the sugar mixture from heat AS SOON as it reached 290 and stir in the peanut butter mixture. Pour into prepared pan and let chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Remove from fridge and cut into bit side pieces. Heat the chocolate and milk in a double boiler until melted and combined. Dip the butterfinger bites into the chocolate and coat all sides. Transfer to wax paper and repeat with the rest of the bites.

Let cool in the fridge for another 30 minutes. Enjoy cold or let them come to room temperature.

Chocolate Chai

2.11.2013

Hello, Monday. I can’t say I was entirely prepared for you. Can’t say I’m really that crazy about you in general. Sooo….how to make Monday a little less gloomy? How about adding some chocolate to our morning chai? WOAH, what a magnificent way to treat yourself! If I do say so myself…I’d have to call this a ‘YOLO’ moment. I can feel a new Monday tradition coming on…

Chocolate Chai

2 cardamom pods, slightly crushed
2 cinnamon sticks
3 teaspoons cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon black peppercorn
2 cloves
1 star anise
1 inch of peeled ginger, thinly sliced
2 bags of black tea (or loose leaf black tea)
3/4 cup milk (I like to use unsweetened almond milk to keep it vegan)

Place cardamon pods, cinnamon sticks, cocoa powder, black peppercorn, cloves, anise, and ginger in a small saucepan with 2 cups water. Bring water to a boil and then let simmer for about 15 minutes (more or less depending on how strong you like your chai). Remove from heat and add the tea bags. Let tea steep for about 5 minutes.

Strain liquid into a mug and discard leftover spices (or save them for a later use). Rinse out the saucepan and add milk to it. Let the milk come to a simmer and use a whisk to make the milk frothy. Top off the chai with milk and serve warm.

Feeling a little bratty this morning:

Salted Dark Chocolate & Almond Butter Bites (Vegan)

2.07.2013

These are what I call the ‘I just did my taxes and need some chocolate’ cookies. They were a little ‘guilt free’ reward that was needed after sifting trhough document and papers and receipts and bank statements. It’s a shame really…I went to yoga right before sitting down to do my taxes in hopes that it would leave me in a state of calm. But after all questions after questions about loans / checks / wages…I needed some chocolate.

I decided to go the healthy and lazy (no bake) route with these. A whole lot of protein with a bit of sweet (from the dates) and some natural fats (from the nuts). They are totally indulgent but not in a ‘oh shit, I’m going to have to spend an extra 3 hours on the treadmill’ sort of way. They are rich and gooey but also filling and…dare I say, practical? As a vegetarian, I can pretty much convenience myself that anything with 5+ grams of protein is an acceptable snack / breakfast / lunch / dessert.

Salted Dark Chocolate & Almond Butter Bites (Vegan)

Inspired by The Sprouted Kitchen and Oh, Ladycakes

1 cup nuts (I did 1/2 cup pecans and 1/2 cup almonds)
1 cup dates, pitted (soaked in water for 10+ minutes)
1/2 cup almond butter (or peanut or sunflower or cashew, whatever you are feeling)
1 ounce dark chocolate, melted
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Sea Salt, to garnish

Throw everything into a food processor and pulse until a thick dough forms (if its crumbly then add a tiny bit of water). Roll dough into tablespoon size balls and place on waxed paper. Smash the dough balls down slightly with clean fingers or a fork. Sprinkle with sea salt . Stick in the fridge for an hour or enjoy them right away [in their prime gooeyness].

Caramelized Banana Scones with Whiskey Chocolate Drizzle

1.22.2013

If you follow VV on facebook then you heard me lusting over scones yesterday. I LOVE LOVE LOVE scones and am always finding new inspiration for flavor combinations. Last time I made those [drool] Dark Chocolate Raspberry Espresso Scones and this time I continued with the chocolate /// fruit theme. We’ve got chunks of sugary and melt-in-your-mouth caramelized banana s topped with boozy dark chocolate drizzle. Think of these as a fantastic mix between your favorite morning banana pancakes (you know that texture – where the bananas start to caramelize on the bottom of the pancake) and that chocolate covered banana that you always crave after watching Arrested Development. Oh.. and then throw a warm and flaky scone into the mix [and maybe some coffee on the side]. BOOM. So amazing.

Caramelized Banana Scones with Whiskey Chocolate Drizzle

basic scone recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen

2 bananas, peeled and cut into chunks + 1 Tablespoon sugar + 1 Tablespoon butter
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar + more to sprinkle on top
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons cold butter, cut into chunks
1/4 cup milk
1 egg

For the drizzle:

2.5 ounces dark chocolate
1/4 cup milk (+ a few more tablespoons to thin it to desired consistency)
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons whiskey

Start by caramelizing the bananas: Melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium low in a small skillet. Roll the bananas in the tablespoon of sugar and transfer to skillet. Let the bananas caramelize until they start to brown and break down but remove from heat before they become mushy.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda. Use your hands or a pastry knife to incorporate the butter until a coarse dough as formed. Mix in the egg and milk until just incorporated (don’t overmix!). Fold in the bananas and transfer dough to a floured surface. Flatten dough and make an inch thick dough. Cut the dough into 6 pieces (like a pie!) and transfer to a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse sugar and cook for 30 minutes or until firm.

To make the drizzle: In a double broiler, melt the chocolate, milk, and sugar. Whisk constantly until everything is combined and remove from heat. Let cool to room temperature and whisk in the whiskey. If too thick to drizzle, add a little milk (a teaspoon at a time) until your desired consistency is reached. Drizzle over warm scones.

Track of the day:

Festive Rum Balls

12.17.2012

…And I’m officially feeling behind on holiday prep. When did Christmas become a week away? Yikes! Is it okay for me to admit that I have not started my Christmas shopping yet? Okay, let’s not talk about it.

Instead. let’s talk about these little balls of chocolate. We had our annual holiday party for work over the weekend and it was…I mean this politely…a shit show. Every year, we have a combined party with the three record labels that work in our building and a manufacturing company that manufactures our vinyl. We had three alcohol companies sponsor the event this year which meant cases of liquor and several kegs. Did I mention all the people who I work with LOVE to drink? Go figure. Well, I decided that these rum balls would go with the ‘alcohol’ theme of the party. And they did. They lasted a whole 15 minutes.. A success? I’d say so.

These rum balls have a texture somewhere between a super moist brownie and cakey fudge. And then there is the ever-so-slightest tint of rum flavor which makes it fancy (adding booze to anything classes it up, right?). I rolled mine in red sprinkles and cocoa powder but feel free to experiment and try any sprinkles you have on hand, coarse sugars, chopped nuts, etc.

Rum Balls

Adapted from Martha Stewart Living

3/4 cup butter (1 and a half sticks)
8 ounces of semisweet chocolate chips
3 large eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup spiced rum
red or green sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 13 by 9 baking pan. In a double boiler, heat the butter and chocolate over simmering water. Stir constantly until melted and remove from heat.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, salt and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Next, add in the chocolate and whisk until smooth. Finally, fold in the flour. Transfer dough to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean from the center. Remove from oven and let cool.

Once cooled, break up the cooked batter into chunks and transfer to a mixing bowl with a paddle attachment. Turn mixer on low and slowly add in the rum. Turn the mixer up to medium and continue to beat until the batter comes together and forms a large ball.

Use your hands to roll batter into one inch thick balls and dip in sprinkles or cocoa powder. Repeat with the rest of the batter and transfer balls to a wax paper lined baking sheet. Stick in the fridge for at least an hour before serving. Done!

Looking for other Christmas cookie options? Try these Peppermint dipped Brown Butter Shortbread cookies or check out my Winter inspiration board on Pinterest

Boozy Stout Brownies

11.28.2012

I was soooo excited to receive the newest edition of Chickpea Magazine in the mail last week that I instantly had the urge to start cooking out of it. I could have chose the healthy Wild Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash or the hearty Butternut Squash Fennel Lasagna but instead I was drawn to these Boozy Stout Brownies. Alcohol and chocolate? Go figure.

These vegan gems were extra rich and gooey. I’d suggest munching down on these with a big glass of Homemade Soy Milk and plan on sharing them with your friends. These are perfect for that Holiday vegan potluck coming up or to bring in to work (Am I the only one who works with handful of vegans? I bet not!).

Boozy Stout Brownies

1 cup flour
3/4 cup dark cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup canola or coconut oil
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup soy yogurt
1/2 cup stout beer
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line a 8×8 pan with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, and cocoa powder. In another bowl, combine the brown sugar, oil, yogurt, and beer. Make a well in the center of the dried ingredients and add in the wet ingredients. Fold dry into wet until a thick batter has formed. Lastly, fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour mixture into prepared pan and cook for 30 minutes or until the center has set.

Let cool slightly and serve warm!

VV’s Thanksgiving Suggestions

11.15.2012

Okay. So I’m not gonna lie. I am starting to get REALLY excited about Thanksgiving. Not only does it mean a 5 day weekend (!!!) but also implies copious amounts of amazing food. My mother emailed me the final menu for the big day this morning and now all I can think about is mushroom gravy, purple mashed potatoes, and Cappuccino chocolate cheesecake. I helped curate the menu (with recipes from some of my favorite blogs like Love & Lemons, SpoonForkBacon, and JoyTheBaker) and cannot wait to spend an entire day cooking in the kitchen.

Anyhow, while my spirits are high on Tofurkey, I thought I’d share a few VV recipes that would be perfect for your big Thanksgiving day!

1. Oatmeal Molasses Rolls – Soft, gooey, and irresistible when fresh out of the oven

2. Glazed Honey Mustard Brusses Sprouts - tangy and crunchy will help bring variety to your meal

3. Cranberry Pecan Goat Cheese Pops – perfect little appetizer when entertaining guests! Super mobile, bite size, and delicious!

4. Roasted Carrots with Hazelnut & Rosemary - cooking with wine always makes things fancier, right? And these colorful carrots will for sure stick out on your holiday table!

Also, if you feel like adventuring outside of VV, I highly recommend checking out some of these thanksgiving recipes:

Collard Greens & Blue Cheese Salad (The Healthy Foodie)

Honeycrisp Bourbon Cider (SpoonForkBacon)

Parsnip Gratin with Gruyere (Feasting at Home)

Autumn Brittle (Adventures in Cooking)

Bailey’s Salted Caramel Chocolate Pie (She Wears Many Hats)

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Espresso Scones

11.12.2012

Morning, Morning! Let’s start out by having me fill you in on a few things, shall we? If you are an avid read of VV then you may have noticed the inconsistency of VVs’ regular columns as of lately (Moody Mondays, Searchable Saturdays, etc). This is because this whole redesign has triggered us stepping back and re-evaluating our style around here. As I was updating the Recipes/Archives page (man, I’m only about 1/5 done with putting in our back catalog of recipes! HTML is a TEDIOUS process…), I noticed that a lot of the pictures were all over the place and VV does not necessarily have a specific ‘style’ ~~or ‘branding’ technique~~ (does branding sound too official? Yeah, I think so too. Maybe this is all just an excuse for me to start another pinterest board…). So, as I spend more time on the redesign of VV, I am also going to try to develop more of a signature style/aesthetic. This may mean eliminating some regular columns or adding some or doing the exact same thing we have always done around VV [who knows at this point? I certainly don't]. Anyhow, just wanted to fill you guys in on all the shifting happening around here.

Oh! One last thing, tomorrow is the last day to sign up for the Country Crock Giveaway so don’t forget to hop on over and leave a comment. I mean, let’s be real, who DOESN’T want free kitchen bake ware?!

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Saturday I woke up to the sun shining through the blinds, a warm breeze, and the birds (!!!) chirping. This morning, I woke up to pitch black and snow. What. Is. Going. On?! I’m not complaining about being able to hang out at the lake in November but my body is in shock. All that sun-induced serotonin needs a replacement ASAP or else I might find the winter blues coming early this year. Answer to it be being cloudy? Chocolate. Answer to it being coldy and cold? Dark Chocolate with raspberry chunks. Answer to it being cloudy, cold, and snowy? Dark Chocolate Raspberry Espresso Scones lathered in butter. Check.

These little scones are the answer to any weather-induced-bummer-mood. They are warm, speckled with caffeine, and bursting with chunks of chocolate/raspberry. I feel like I don’t even need to say anything else. But if I really must, they are so flaky and buttery that they even melt in your mouth when fresh from the oven.

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Espresso Scones

2 cups all purpose flour
3 Tablespoons sugar (+ more for sprinkling on top)
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground espresso
6 Tablespoons butter, chilled
3 ounces of dark chocolate with raspberry chunks (or any flavor you like), chopped into small pieces
1/2 cup Almond milk (any milk will do)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used my homemade kind)

Preheat oven to 400 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and espresso. Cut the butter into the dry mixture until it resembles coarse meal (I just use my hands to do this and work the butter between my finger tips until everything is combined). Next, fold in the chocolate.

In a small bowl (or just use the measuring cup you poured the milk into), whisk together the milk, egg, and vanilla.

Make a well in the center of the dried ingredients and pour wet ingredients in. Fold dry into wet until everything is combined (don’t over mix!).

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to about an inch thick (make it thinner if you like them crispier and thicker if you like them big and fluffy – just keep it consistent with whatever you do!) and use a biscuit cutter to cut circular shapes. Place on the prepared parchment paper and repeat with the rest of your dough. Sprinkle the top with coarse sugar.

Cook for about 20 minutes or until the top has browned.

Serve warm with butter or jam or by themselves while watching the snow fall.

Apple Latkes

10.17.2012

Latkes for dinner?! Yes, please! My family is very German and every December we go up to the German market (Christkindlmarket) which takes place in downtown Chicago. The market runs for the whole month of December and people from all over Germany fly in to sell authentic goods which include candies, food, music, and decor items. To me, Christkindlmarket consists of warm mulled cider, loads of German chocolate, and potato pancakes lathered in apple sauce or sour cream (also known as latkes!). And although the chocolate is…well chocolate (need I say more?) and the cider is alcoholic enough to warm you from the inside out…it’s the latkes that get me oh so excited every year. There is nothing better than warm, fried potatoes lathered in apple sauce (this may sound weird to non-Germans but have you tried it? It really is amazing!).

Okay, that is enough day dreaming about winter already (yuck, what was I thinking?!). Not my fault though…I totally got the new ‘Thanksgiving’ edition of the Food Network Magazine in the mail today. Too warm out to be thinking about Mushroom Gravy and Stuffed To-furkeys? I’d say so. But, a craving is a craving so in an attempt to cool down my potato latke need…I made a fall version! Apple latkes! What a perfect idea! I, of course, did not top them with applesauce (wayyy too much apple in there) but did lather them in butter and maple syrup (since anything in pancake form has the right to be enjoyed with maple syrup. period.)

These little pancakes were awesome. They were flavorful, moist, fluffy, and full of fall spices. I would recommend these for a crisp fall breakfast served up with a batch of mimosas (or if it’s too early for you to start drinking then why not some sparkling cider?).

PS I had never been to the Christkindlmarket website until today – woah! I promise there are no giant fairies in wigs or bad typography to be found! Just lots of chocolate, alcohol, and fried foods.

Apple Latkes

1 egg
2/3 cups plain yogurt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
dash of nutmeg, cloves, and allspice
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 cup grated apples, about 2 apples (peeled and grated) – spritz a little lemon juice to keep from browning if you peel ahead of time
Vegetable oil

Whisk together the eggs and yogurt. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices, and sugar. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add in the egg/yogurt mixture and apples. Fold everything together until incorporated.

Oven medium heat, warm enough oil so that there is a thin layer of oil in your skillet. Add about a 1/4 cup of mixture into the hot oil (I cooked 3 at a time but it will depend on how big your skillet it) and make the latkes in batches. Let them cook for about 4 minutes on each side (this will completely depend on how hot your oil is so watch them closely and adjust accordingly). Repeat with the rest of the batter.

Serve warm with lots of butter and maple syrup!

Pumpkin Swirl Cocoa Brownies

10.05.2012

I was doing so good in September…constantly cooking with fresh produce, little butter, and smaller portions. And the yoga…2…3….4 times a week! It was excellent. But then my fall taste buds kicked in. The first time I gave into the apple crisp because it was my way of welcoming in Fall. But then I made those pumpkin cinnamon rolls…and then the persimmon pudding. And here I am again with ANOTHER sugary, buttery, delicious fall dessert. It’s like my taste buds are saying ‘yeah…that summer eggplant was good…but now it’s time for mounds of sweets disguised as fall.’ Ah well, I own a food blog for goodness sake…can I really beat myself up for cooking [baking] delicious treats? Oh..I’m going to use that excuse more often!

All guilt aside, these brownies are super rad. I LOVE chocolate (Hey, I am a girl…) but these brownies give chocolate a whole new meaning. They aren’t the over dense, gooey bars that force you to slurp down a giant class of soy milk afterwards. They are airy, melt-in-your-mouth, and the pumpkin keeps them from becoming overbearingly sweet. AND they are seasonal so it’s totally acceptable to make them now before it’s not fall anymore! Plus, it’s Friday. Who doesn’t want to treat themselves with a big batch of brownies on their Friday night? Have I convinced you to pull out your baking supplies yet? Come on, seriously, what are you waiting for?

Pumpkin Swirl Cocoa Brownies

Adapted from YumSugar

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
1 cup chocolate chips, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
dash of cayenne (optional but highly recommended!)
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar + 2 Tablespoons
2 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 Tablespoons vegetable or coconut oil
1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 by 9 inch square baking pan.

In a small saucepan, heat 1/2 cup chocolate chips and butter over medium-low heat until it is melted and smooth (stir frequently to make sure the chocolate doesn’t burn). Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cayenne, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of your mixer [I know, we are using LOTS of dishes for this one], combine the eggs, vanilla extract, and sugar. Beat until incorporated (about three minutes). Turn mixer down to low, slowly add in the dry ingredients, and then turn back up to medium for another minute.

Divide the batter in half and split it among two bowls. First, add the chocolate mixture into one bowl and add the pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and oil to the other bowl. Mix each batter until everything is incorporated.

Alternate between the two batters by pouring a combination of both bowls into the prepared baking pan. Use a toothpick to “swirl” the pumpkin into the chocolate and then sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips.

Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the center clean.

Serve warm with ice cream or apple cider.

Dark Chocolate Zucchini Muffins // My 23rd Birthday

9.04.2012

And we are back with ANOTHER zucchini bread recipe (if you missed them, check out my Savory Feta Zucchini Muffins from last week here) but this time we are covering them in chocolate! Not so bad, eh?

It’s my 23rd (yikes! Weird!) birthday today so Wyatt and I took the day off to do whatever we please. So far we have just laid around in bed, I did some yoga, and then I made some delicious chocolate muffins. We are going on a picnic this afternoon at Hoosier National Forest so I thought these muffins would be perfect to bring along. I mean, what could be a better way to spend my birthday then baking and exploring outside with my boyfriend and puppy? Not much, I’d say. Here are a few new pictures from our lazy weekend around the house (since it rained so we couldn’t go camping like the original plan):

Tuko’s new hang out spot // Bruschetta // Lazy afternoons with Wyatt // New birthday outfit from my Ma // …more bruschetta // Kitchen Cacti Garden // Lazy morning with Wyatt // Citrus Plant from Wyatt for my birthday

And now onto the recipe! Hope everyone has a fantastic Tuesday. I’m off to go bake more for our afternoon picnic!

Dark Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

1 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup buttermilk (I made my own with this recipe)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup agave or honey
2 Tablespoons coconut oil (vegetable will work fine if that is what you have)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large very ripe banana, mashed
1 cup grated zucchini (about 1 medium zucchini)
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (semi-sweet is fine too)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 12-muffin pan. Wrap the grated zucchini in a clean kitchen towel and ring out any excess juice.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the egg, honey/agave, buttermilk, oil, mashed banana, zucchini and vanilla.

Make a well in the center of the of the dry ingredients and and add the zucchini mixture. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ones until combined.

Fill each muffin tin 3/4 full and bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick can be stuck in the middle of the muffins and comes out clean.

Enjoy warm or save for tomorrow’s breakfast.

Baked Chocolate Cake Donuts

8.31.2012

I can’t believe I managed to forget about these donuts! I made these a few lazy Saturdays ago and even showed a sneak preview picture of them in my Moody Monday post and then never followed through with the recipe! Sheesh, silly me! However, don’t worry because here it is now.

We live down the street from the local donut shop and Wyatt stops there more than I even want to know. I sometimes give in and join him but still felt a bit guilty about it. The whole concept of eating fried something for breakfast never appealed to me; however, as soon as I discovered I could BAKE donuts, I wanted in! All I needed was a donut pan…seems easy enough, right? However, Wyatt promised to get me a donut pan for my Graduation last spring…which never happened. This meant we spent all Summer donutless (his loss!). And then, at last, we ran across some pans while browsing the local Kro-Gucci (not to be confused with our other disgusting Kroger…which happens to be Kro-Ghetto) so I threw them in the cart before Wyatt had an opinion about wanting to buy me them or not.

And so, since TECHNICALLY Wyatt did buy me them (even if he didn’t mean to), I decided to start my donut-making journey with his favorite kind: cake donuts. Cake donuts are pretty awesome because they are just are the best excuse to eat cake for breakfast. I mean if the cake is shaped like a breakfast food….it’s acceptable, right?

I topped my donuts with peanut butter (while they were still warm so the peanut butter melted into a nice, thick glaze) and then lathered them in colorful sprinkles.

These donuts are ridiculously easy to make so I would just suggest waking up 15 minutes before your boyfriend/girlfriend/hubby/puppy, getting the coffee making going, and starting on these. They will be ready in less than 20 minutes so you’ll have the whole rest of the morning to be lazy and eat warm donuts. These go perfectly with a big mug of hot coffee and a Saturday morning movie.

Baked Chocolate Cake Donuts

1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk (made my own with this recipe)
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease a donut pan. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder. In another small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, vanilla, and butter.

Make a well in the center of the dried ingredients and pour the wet ingredients in the middle. Use a spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the wet until just incorporated.

Evenly pour the batter into the pans. Cook for 10 minutes or until baked all the way through.

Enjoy with peanut butter and sprinkles or powdered sugar or a glaze or by themselves! Seeeeeee….how easy was that?

Lake Dinner Picnic

7.18.2012

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As I mentioned in a post a few days ago, we went on a lovely dinner picnic last Thursday. It was nice because we have been so busy with moving and getting our house organized that we haven’t been taking that much time to just chill out and enjoy summer. Plus, this heat wave has been making it awfully hard to want to hike to the lake when just standing in it makes you sweat and uncomfortable. That’s okay though because it’s made us get creative with our usual summer activities (like go at sunset instead of at midday). Anyhow, it was wonderful to just sit on the rocks and watch Tuko/Taco play in the water as the sun went down.

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This was an impulse picnic so we just packed up a few things that we had around the kitchen. I whipped up some deviled eggs (so simple yet such a perfect summer staple), backed an array of sliced strawberries, brie, and sliced baguette, and then had Wyatt whip up some Nutella and Strawberry sandwiches. I was a little stressed that I didn’t have more time to plan our a menu but it ended up being perfect finger food for an impromptu adventure!

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I am not even sure what we did for entertainment before we had Tuko. I really enjoy watching him love on the lake and get excited about being free to run and explore.

Hope everyone is making the most out of their summer and taking a little time to enjoy their food outside and stick their feet in the water!

Chocolate Almond Biscotti

3.10.2012

This recipe evokes fond memories of when I first started learning how to cook. When I was 19, I moved down to Nashville, TN for the summer to try to pursue my music business career. It was the first time I had ever lived on my own and I had a tiny apartment all to myself. It wasn’t much but it was all mine and that was what mattered. I had a lot of goals that summer (perhaps to help with the fear of moving to a city where I knew practically no one) and one of them was to learn how to cook.

Don’t get me wrong, my mother is an amazing person but she didn’t appreciate when I would bake and get half the ingredients in the bowl and the other half on the floor. In my kitchen, I was free to create whatever I wanted without anyone being able to judge me. If I failed (which I did, too many times to want to admit) I could chuck it and start fresh without any criticism. And if I succeeded, I had yummy baked goods to offer to the neighbors in my apartment complex and try to make friends (the people below me smoked far too much and were always more than happier to try out my concoctions).

Anyways, this is one of the recipes from that summer; I remember being blown away by the fact that I was capable of making something so delicious. It’s funny to look back on it because I was so strict about following recipes word for word back then and I’ve managed to play around with so many times since.

Today was a beautiful sunny Saturday so I whipped these up while my roommate made some Turkish coffee that she acquired abroad in Jordan last year. We had a cute little tea [coffee] picnic on the porch this afternoon with these delicious treats!

Also, can’t wait to spend my lazy spring break mornings laying around and munching down on these with coffee.

Chocolate Almond Biscotti

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 cup chocolate chips
powdered sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prep two baking sheets by buttering them and then brushing flour on top.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, salt, cayenne, and baking powder. Stir to combine.

In another mixing bowl, cream the sugar, vanilla extract, and butter with a hand mixer. Once smooth, add the eggs and beat until well blended.

Add the dry ingredients into the wet and mix until stiff. Then add in the chocolate chips and almonds and (preferably with your hands because the dough will be stiff) knead until everything is well incorporated. Slit the dough in half and make two long logs on each making sheet. Dust both with powdered sugar and then use a knife to pierce slices about an inch from each other.

Cook for 35 minutes or until firm. Remove from oven and let cool for five minutes. Use a knife to slip the pieces fully and turn them their sides. Put back in the oven for ten minutes.

Let cool completely and serve with warm, yummy coffee. Or have a tea party with your favorite pooch (like mine shown below).

Guiness Chocolate Cake

3.07.2012

Update 10/29/2012: Don’t forget to stop by and check out VV’s newest giveaway which ends 11/02/2012!

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I’ve been in a bit of a weird funk lately. I’ve been feeling overwhelmed with my school career coming to a closing and me having to enter into the “real world”. My usual solution to ridding any irrational overreaction is to bake. And what better to make than something that combines my other two problem solvers: chocolate and beer!

I made this cake for Wyatt’s birthday a few months back and still have craving for it ’til this day. The Guinness brings a whole new tint to the chocolate flavor that is just irresistable. And the moist cake pairs perfect with all your favorite ice cream treats or some refreshing green beer.

This would also be a perfect treat for St. Patrick’s day which is approaching at massive rates! Perhaps this cake is even an excuse for you to host a St. Patty’s Day Potluck (it is on a Saturday!) to share this treat with all your favorite people!

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PS next week is my last spring break ever (well…sorta a break for me. I have to work at the record label Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) so that means I have soooo many recipes planned to conquer on my time off. Expect great things coming ASAP!

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Guinness Chocolate Cake

1 cup Guinness (guess you’re gonna have to dye the leftover beer green)
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 and fill a round baking tin with parchment paper (or grease it if you don’t have paper handy).

In a small saucepan, heat the beer and butter over medium-low heat until the butter has melted and they are combined together. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar and cocoa powder.

In another small bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Slow mix into the beer mixture. Mix until smooth.

Cook for 40 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean in the center.

Let cool completely and lather with your favorite chocolate icing and loads of sprinkles.

Enjoy with a big glass of green Guinness!

Giant Chocolate Cookie Cake

1.13.2012

So it’s my roommate’s birthday tomorrow and she’s had this big party planned for weeks. My other roommate and I had this big cookie cake planned to make her until she informed us Monday that she has a chocolate cake picked out that she wants made (she’s a bit of an over planner, if you can’t tell) and since it’s her birthday we have to make what she wants. Soooo we decided to make her this cookie one yesterday as a sort of pre-game to tomorrow (a little overboard of us, I know) but either way we wanted it and her birthday sounded like the perfect excuse to make it.

Giant Chocolate Cookie Cake

For the Cookie:

1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups all purpose flour
6 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda

For the Frosting:

1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
2 cups confectioner sugar
1 8 oz cream cheese package, softened
1 cup chocolate chips, softened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two pie dishes with wax paper.

Beat the butter and sugar together. Then add the eggs and vanilla. Next, blend in the flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda. Mix until well combined.

Divide the dough into two and press into prepared pans. Bake for 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before assembling.

To prepare the frosting, beat the butter and confectioners sugar until well incorporated. Next, add the cream cheese and melted chocolate chips. Mix until it becomes a light, fluffy texture.

Spread half the frosting on top of one of the cookies and then top with the other cookie. Spread the rest of the frosting on top and decorate with sprinkles/m&ms/butterscotch chips/chocolate chips/swedish fish/skittles/anything colorful you can find in your kitchen.

But be careful because you could even devour half of it before giving it to the birthday girl!

Ella Baby lovin’ her cookie

Vegan Chocolate Surprise Cookies

1.02.2012

Since yesterday was National Hungover Day (because who doesn’t drink on New Year’s Eve REGARDLESS of what commitments you have made for the following day), Abby (my wonderful, goofy, and hung over roommate) and I decided to spend the whole day baking. We had this vision of creating a cookie buffet (for no particular reason) that ended up consisting of sugar cookies, fruity pebble rice crispy treats, five layer bars, and these little guys. Although we baked dozens of cookies, these were the winners.

We decided to make these because we both have a fear of fillings. The idea of making a filling for a cookie, donuts, or pies just SOUNDS intimidating and after several minutes of discussing visions of turkey basters and jelly injecting, we came to the conclusion that the cookie buffet would not be complete without filling. And luckily, these cookies did not demand either of those things.

The filling was actually really easy to tackle and it did not take much longer than a normal cookie would. The cookies were adapted from Isa Moskowitz’s Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar and I want to let you know that we used half sunflower seed butter and half peanut butter for the filling section but feel free to use all peanut butter if that is what you have on hand.

Chocolate Surprise Cookies

For the cookie:

1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons Almond milk (or soy milk)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the filling:

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup sunflower seed butter (or more peanut butter)
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 to 3 Tablespoons almond milk (start with 2 and add another if mixture is too dry)
dash of vanilla extract

Mix the oil, sugar, maple syrup, milk, and vanilla extract in large mixing bowl until it forms a smooth, caramel paste. Next, add in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt and mix until it forms a thick, moist dough. Set aside.

In another bowl, use a hand mixer to cream the peanut butter, sunflower seed butter, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. The dough should be thick enough for you to form but still a little gooey so it has a yummy texture!

Now, preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease two baking sheets (or line them with parchment paper). Prepare the inside filling by forming 20 small balls using the palms of your hands. Place them on a small sheet of wax paper.

Now go back to the outer cookie dough and take heaping tablespoons of it at a time. Form a ball by using the palm of your hand and then flatten. Place the peanut butter filling in the center and fold the chocolate dough around it. Roll in your palm a bit more to reform the ball and place on the cookie sheet. Repeat with the other 19 balls and put them about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet because they will expand.

Cook for 10 to 12 minutes (depending on how big you ended up making them). Let cool for at least five minutes so they will harden up and the cookie will have a crunchy shell with a soft, gooey center.

Munch down and share with all your grateful, hungover friends/roommates/boyfriends/pets (but hopefully your pets are not hung over!)

Chocolate Pizzas

12.24.2011

These pizzas have it all: gooey marshmallows, salty peanuts, sweet chocolate, and juicy cherries. My mother picked this recipe up early in her adulthood (probably around the age I am at now!) and has been making these every Christmas since…which means I could not resist sharing this recipe since I’ve been eating these pizzas every Christmas since I could ever remember. I use to give my teachers them when I was younger and am still to this day impressed with how wonderful of a gift they make! All you have to do is wrap them in some clear cellophane and pop a bow on top!

We traditionally make these at Christmas because of the red and green on them but feel free to make these anytime of the year and subsitute the cherries for other color candies or nuts. Also, this recipe is great for potlucks or as something to bring to a party since they are easy to divide into slices.

So as you get ready for the Christmas chaos tomorrow, spend this low key Christmas eve poppin’ that festive Frank Sinatra vinyl in the player, sing to your kitty, and whip these pizzas up while dancing in the kitchen.

Chocolate Pizzas

Serving Size: 3 pizzas

1 bag (12 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 pound white almond bark
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup rice crispy treats
1 cup peanuts
dozen red maraschino cherries, halved
6 green maraschino cherries, quartered
1/3 cup shredded coconut
1 teaspoon oil
3 disposable 12 oz pie/pizza tins

Combine the chocolate chips and 14 ounces of the almond bark (save the other 2 ounces to drizzle on top later) in a large bowl and melt by cooking in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes (stirring it every 30 seconds). Stir the marshmallows, rice crispy treats, and peanuts into the melted chocolate mixture.

Divide mixture evenly between the 3 GREASED pie pans and spread evenly. Top with the “pepperoni” cherries and “green pepper” cherries. Sprinkle the three pizzas with the shredded “mozzarella” coconut.

Melt the other two ounces of almond bark with 1 teaspoon of oil in the microwave for about one minute (checking every 30 seconds). Drizzle on top of the pies and then stick them in the fridge (or outside because it’s Christmas and it’s cold out there!) for an hour or until the chocolate hardens.

Slice like a pizza and devour all three pizzas. Or give away one for a gift and munch down on the other two.

Peanut Butter Clusters

12.22.2011

I was introduced to these cookies a few years ago by a lady who lived at my parents’ house for awhile. She’s a retired elementary school teacher and spent most of her time baking in the kitchen. I honestly cant say anything she made stood out more than these cookies. And ever since I had these cookies, I’ve made sure to make them every Christmas season.

These cookies are unique because of their special ingredient: potato chips. I know, I know. I realize that sounds really weird to put chips into gooey, chocolatey cookies but I’m telling you, it really makes these little guys. It’s that whole salty/sweet combination that just blows your tastebud’s mind. And on top of that, these cookies are by far the easiest thing I’ve ever made. 4 ingredients. Ten minutes to prep (TOPS).No baking. Period.

So, after this looooong rant about the dreaminess of these little peanut butter guys, I’m going to end this by just saying to try them. Crank up some David Bowie on that vinyl player, pour yourself a glass of white zinf, and enjoy the next ten minutes of whipping these clusters up. I promise you’ll love them. And so will you’re hubby. And kitties. And probably your dog too (but don’t give him any because his stomach doesn’t like chocolate, remember?).

Peanut Butter Clusters

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 cup crushed potato chips (I used Lays but use whatever you have. This recipe doesn’t brand discriminate)
1 cup honey roasted peanuts

Put peanut butter and chocolate in a saucepan and stir over medium heat. Stir until melted and then remove from heat. Stir in peanuts and chips. Pour clusters in cupcake liners and put in the fridge to cool for a half an hour or so.

Bask in their salty/sweet/nutty goodness. And then share with whoever is near.

Hazelnut Shortbread with Dark Chocolate Drizzle

12.21.2011

I am now into day three of my holiday vacation and it’s about time I made some Christmas sweets already! I’m the type of person who will eat anything that is coated in chocolate so I turned to my boyfriend for inspiration on where to start. This recipe is a perfect hybrid between a traditional recipe (shortbread) and something modern/unusual (baking with hazelnut).

I found hazelnut in the bulk section of my local co-op so I’d suggest you should start there if you are having troubles finding it. Plus, buying in bulk is the best invention ever so that you can buy the exact amount you need and don’t have half a bag of hazelnut laying around with no use.

Anyways, this shortbread turned out fantastic with an unbeatable texture. Dry, flaky cookie with warm, melted chocolate drizzled on top. Mmmmm. Perfect for that holiday potluck you got talked into going to or to help you get through the family get-togethers.

*Side note:Veganize this recipe by substituting the butter with earth balance and the chocolate with vegan chocolate chips. Mmmmmm

Hazelnut Shortbread with Dark Chocolate Drizzle

(Adapted from BakerStreet)

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 sticks of butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped hazelnut (+more for topping, if you’d like)
4 oz dark chocolate

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine the flour, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl. In another bowl, blend the butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Then mix in the dry ingrdients to the butter/sugar fixture. Fold in the hazelnuts.

Spread dough (it may be alittle dry but that’s okay) onto a 9×9 pan. Cook for 25-27 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool.

Melt the dark chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments (stir between each 3o seconds) until fully melted. Sprinkle the shortbread with remaining hazelnut and melted chocolate.

Munch down with coffee or milk.

Vegan Chocolate Stout Beer Cupcakes

12.06.2011

I feel like I haven’t baked since summer. With school and work and homework I always find time to make something for dinner (girl needs that fuel) but it’s not always easy to convince myself I need t0 bake sweets (girl really doesn’t need that sugar…).

Anyhow, I found myself with leftovers one night this weekend and decided it was the perfect opportunity for me to take that dinner prepping time and make some cupcakes! These cupcakes were made with Bell’s Kalamazoo Stout but feel free to use any stout (Pick one you like so you can finish the extra while assembling the cupcakes).

Even though I was surprised at how subtle the stout flavor was, these chocolately cupcakes were still very delicious and had a great moist and soft texture. I’d suggest making them for any beer loving friend in your life or perhaps for a birthday potluck.

Vegan Chocolate Stout Beer Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 oil
1 cup stout beer
1 Tablespoon vanilla
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Your favorite vegan icing recipe, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 12 cupcake pan with cupcake tins.

Combine all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa, and baking powder) into a large bowl and mix. Next, combine all remaining ingredients into a medium bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients by pushing them to the side and pour wet ingredients in the center. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet with a spatula until well combined.

Fill cupcake tins 2/3 full with the batter and bake for 18 to 20 minutes.

Top with your favorite vegan frosting and sprinkle cocoa powder on the top.

Munch down. Share with your kitties while enjoying that David Bowie album you’ve ignored for a few months.

Nutella Cupcakes

10.13.2011

4 ingredients. That’s it. For these soft, brownie like cupcakes baked to a crispy top and gooey center.

The are probably the easiest baked goods I’ve ever made. It’s so simple yet I was in awe of how good the end product was. If you like chocolate (specifically nutella) than these cupcakes are the prefect thing to whip up in a hurry! I made them WHILE making dinner last night and it wasn’t an extra strain at all.

I will warn you…this recipe only makes 10 and they will go very fast. Living in a house of 5, these cupcakes didn’t last a half an hour.

And as always, the chance of you having hazelnuts just hanging around the house is unlikely (I think) so just pick up the amount you need for this recipe in your bulk section at your local co-op to same on money!

Quick Nutella Cupcakes

1 jar of Nutella (about a cup)
2 large Eggs
10 Tablespoons of flour
1/4 cup crushed hazelnuts (I just put them in a bag and beat them with a spoon!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and fill a cupcake tin with liners (mine only made 10 but you could probably spread them out into 12 to fill the whole tin).

Whisk the nutella and eggs together. Once combined, add the flour and mix until a thick batter is formed.

Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full with the batter. Top with hazelnut chunks.

Cook for 15-17 minutes or until the top is cracking and a toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool for a few minutes and then walk around and pass out your snack proudly to everyone in your household.

Consume. Enjoy. Etc.

DIY Soy Milk with Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

8.20.2011

Okay so I’m posting two recipes in this one because what’s the point of milk if you don’t have cookies to dip in it?

You would think that making your own milk would be hard but it’s actually a really straight forward process that MAYBE takes an hour at the most AND half of that time is leaving it to simmer which makes the perfect window to whip up some homemade cookies to accompany it. Plus it’s ridiculously cheap if you buy the soybeans in a bulk section at the grocery store (Mine ran me back about 50 cents).

Making this household staple was so simple I wonder why people don’t do it more often (I think I’m gonna tackle homemade ketchup next!).

On a completely different note, I will warn finding good vegan chocolate chips is not always an easy task. I usually stock up on them when I go to whole foods because the 365 brand is super cheap and super delicious so that is what I’d recommend. Also, these cookies turned out super thin [probably because I substituted corn starch from the tapioca flour like the original recipe had] but made for a deliciously crispy texture (hopefully that’s what you’re into. Yes, that is what you’re into).

DIY Soy Milk

1/2 cup dried yellow soybeans
5 1/2 cups water
dash of salt
1/8 cup sugar (more if you like it sweeter)
cheese cloth

Rinse the soybeans and let them soak in cold water overnight.

Drain the soybeans (the next morning, duhhhh) and liquefy them in a blender with 2 1/2 cups of water until they are a milky texture. Add them to a pot with the rest of the water (3 cups) and bring to a boil on high while stirring constantly [foam will start to form on the top so skim it off as this happens]. Once boiling, drop heat to low and let it simmer for 25 while just stirring occasionally.

Take off heat and strain out the leftover beans using a cheesecloth and/or strainer [with very small holes]. Add the salt and sugar to your liking and refrigerate until cold.

That’s it.

Proceed to dip warm cookies in it, make green smoothies, and share with your kitty.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

(Adapted from Isa Moskowitz’s Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar)

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
2/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup almond milk
1 tablespoon of corn starch
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 and spray two cookie sheets.

Whisk together the sugar, oil, milk, vanilla and corn starch until it is thick and mixed (this should take a minute or so sooo be patient!). Add the baking soda, salt, and the flour (in parts. 1/2 cup at a time and mix and repeat). Mix in chocolate chips with your hands so they dont get smashed (or a spoon if you are that much of a clean freak).

Use a big spoon to scoop them onto a cookie sheet (size doesnt matter as long as they are all consistent. I made huge ones but that’s just my personal preference). Cook for 7 to 10 minutes.

Enjoy with your DIY milk.