Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes w/ Vegan Espresso Buttercream Frosting 5/5 Spoons

So it's been almost two months since I've written here. I feel just terrible. I started a new job and neglected something I love, something that makes me feel whole. I promise to be here more often and to just cook more often. Yeah, I'm too tired usually to make anything exciting besides tacos, pasta or a frozen pizza most nights. It is really unlike me but I'm aware of it now and will work to make my dinners (and other meals) way better.

Now on to a recipe review! I made these cupcakes for a get together but did not end up going (don't ask), so lucky me and my roommates! We get to eat a bunch of cupcakes. Not gonna lie, these did not last until the next day. I think these might have been some of the best cupcakes I've ever had (vegan or not). Here is the one picture I got (but they don't look too shabby!):

I found this recipe for the cupcakes and tweaked this recipe for the frosting. Here are my notes for both:

Cupcakes --

- I used vanilla almond milk instead of soy milk. It's what I had on hand.
- I only used vanilla extract.

Um, that's it. These were SO tender and fluffy. The batter was really liquid-y and I was afraid it wouldn't turn out but it was the total opposite. I dare say these were the most moist cupcakes ever. Ever ever.

Frosting --

- Well since I wanted these to be vegan, I used Earth Balance Buttery Sticks. Since my favorite grocery store now carries their sticks (ahem, because I requested them, you're welcome Chicago!) I have stocked up like crazy.
- I definitely used more espresso than was written in the recipe. I think about 2 1/2 t. dissolved into the vanilla extract. I needed that extra coffee kick.

So yeah, make these. I know everyone says this but I could not recommend these more.

Hopefully I will get back in the groove more and be able to post once a week. Take care my loves and you will see me again soon!

Vanilla and Chocolate Layer Cake with Raspberry Filling and Vanilla Buttercream Frosting 5/5 Spoons

Obviously you guys, this is not something I make everyday. My roommate and friend Billy's 30th birthday was on March 7th and he requested I make him a beautiful layer cake. This is how the conversation went:

B: I want you to make me a layer cake. With some kind of fruit filling.

J: Okay.... can you elaborate more? What kind of cake? Frosting? What kind of fruit?

B: I don't care, just make it good. And if you make raspberry filling, I don't want seeds.

Yup, that was our conversation. Luckily I have a very creative mind and a willingness to mess up someone's 30th birthday wish. Good thing it wasn't messed up because the birthday boy was VERY impressed with my cake. There it is, down below.

I have extolled the virtues of America's Test Kitchen time and time again. And there is a reason for that; their recipes never fail. If you follow directions, they won't fail. These people get paid to repeat and repeat and repeat all of the recipes so that they are perfect when they get to you. The only thing I changed about these recipes for Old Fashioned Chocolate Layer Cake and this Classic White Cake was to cut them both in half (oh and a few tweaks to make my life easier that you will see compared to the original recipe). I decided to have a chocolate and vanilla layer each so this was the only way to do it. To make this easier for you, here are my directions the way I revised it.

Chocolate Cake:

6 T. unsalted butter, softened
3/4 c. + 2 T. unbleached all-purpose flour
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/8 c. cocoa powder
¼ c. hot water
3/4 c. + 2 T. sugar
3/4 t. baking soda
½ - 1 t. kosher salt
½ c. buttermilk
1 t. vanilla
2 eggs + 1 egg yolk

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease one 9-inch-round by 2-inch-high cake pan with softened butter; dust pans with flour and knock out excess. Combine chocolate, cocoa powder, and hot water in a microwave safe bowl. Melt the chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds and stir. Repeat that step with 10 second intervals in the microwave until the chocolate is almost melted. There might be a piece or two left but just stir it and the residual heat will melt it for you. Add 2 T. sugar to chocolate mixture and stir until thick and glossy, 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Combine buttermilk and vanilla in small bowl. In a large bowl, whisk eggs and yolks on medium-low speed with your hand mixer until combined, about 10 seconds. Add remaining ¾ c. sugar, increase speed to high, and whisk until fluffy and lightened in color, 2 to 3 minutes. Add cooled chocolate mixture to egg/sugar mixture and mix on medium speed until thoroughly incorporated, 30 to 45 seconds, pausing to scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Add softened butter one tablespoon at a time, mixing about 10 seconds after each addition. Add about one-third of flour mixture followed by half of buttermilk mixture, mixing until incorporated after each addition (about 15 seconds). Repeat using half of remaining flour mixture and all of remaining buttermilk mixture (batter may appear separated). Scrape down sides of bowl and add remaining flour mixture; mix at medium-low speed until batter is thoroughly combined, about 15 seconds. Fold batter once or twice with rubber spatula to incorporate any remaining flour.

3. Bake cake until toothpick inserted into center comes out with a few crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool cakes in pans 15 minutes, then invert onto wire rack. Cool cakes to room temperature before frosting, 45 to 60 minutes.

Classic White Cake

1 1/8 c. cake flour
½ c. whole milk, room temp
3 egg whites, room temp
1 t. vanilla
3/4 c. + 2 T. sugar
2 t. baking powder
1/2 – 1 t. kosher salt
6 T. unsalted butter, softened
1. Set oven rack in middle position. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray one 9-inch round cake pan with nonstick cooking spray and dust with flour to coat; tap out excess.

2. Pour milk, egg whites, and extracts into 2-cup glass measure, and mix with fork until blended.

3. Mix cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and with a hand mixer at slow speed. Add butter; continue beating at slow speed until mixture resembles moist crumbs.

4. Add all but 1/4 cup of milk mixture to crumbs and beat at medium speed for 1 1/2 minutes. Add remaining 1/4 cup of milk mixture and beat 30 seconds more. Stop mixer and scrape sides. Mix at medium speed 20 seconds longer.

5. Pour batter in cake pan; using a rubber spatula, spread batter to pan walls and smooth tops. Bake until thin skewer or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 23 to 25 minutes.

6. Let cake rest in pans for 3 minutes. Loosen from sides of pans with a knife, if necessary, and invert onto wire racks. Let cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours.

So yeah, the cakes were easy enough. Follow the directions! Make sure they cool well before doing anything else.

Here is the recipe I used for the Seedless Raspberry Filling. The only thing I changed was leaving out the liqueur. I just didn't feel like buying an unnecessary ingredient. This turned out wonderful and was just tart enough to combine well with the sweet cake and frosting.

(Here is it is in its unexcited decoration glory.)

And for the frosting, I used this recipe for Classic Buttercream Frosting. I used 3 c. of confectioner's sugar which is usually more than I would but I wanted the frosting to be thick and perfect.

As for decorating, I had a rotating cake stand and an angled spatula to help me out. It's really not that hard. I just placed one cake on a 12" round with a little dab of frosting to help it stay where it's supposed to. I piped some frosting all the way around the first cake so that there was a barrier to hold the filling in. I poured the filling in and it was like a perfect amount. I topped this with the next cake and started to frost all around. I basically wanted to make sure the sides were covered so I paid extra attention to that and then worked my way up. I am not a huge frosting fan and either is Billy, so were on the same page here. There was just enough frosting to get your fix without going into a sugar coma. I even got one of those "fancy" plastic containers to hold the cake so it wouldn't dry out. I really need one of these in my life.

Here is a delicious piece I cut from it and trust me, this cake did not last long. Even with 3 people.

Up next, Penne with Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter. Yummmm!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Here are my beautiful cupcakes!

I used Joy the Baker's Red Velvet Cupcakes recipe (really the Hummingbird Bakery's recipe) and my own Cream Cheese Frosting recipe (with beautiful Wilton's pink food gel!) Here is my frosting recipe:

1 8 ounce package of full fat cream cheese, room temperature
4 T. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 t. vanilla
2-3 T. milk
1 c. confectioner's sugar

Beat the cream cheese and butter until fully incorporated. Add the vanilla and milk and beat again. Slowly add sugar while you are beating the mixture, mix for about 1-2 minutes or until thick and creamy.

These were beautiful AND delicious. Happy belated Valentine's Day everyone!

Caramel Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting and a Salted Caramel Topper 5/5 Spoons

Look at that name, what a mouthful!

So I made these gorgeous cupcakes for a New Year's Eve party and I think they turned out quite professional looking if I do say so myself. Although it's never my intention to be "professional" per se but I like knowing I can make a beautiful product that appeals to the eye.... and the stomach.

The cupcakes orgininally were part of a Salted Caramel Trio and I only used the cupcake and caramel topping component in my dessert. The cupcakes were really moist and delicious and full of that dark, caramel-y brown sugar that I love. As for the Chocolate Buttercream frosting, I kind of tweaked this recipe a bit to make it less sweet (the way I like it). Here are my notes:

Cupcakes:

-- Um, I honestly don't think I changed anything here. I would say to up the salt component a tad more but beyond that, I loved these.

Frosting:

-- My recipe plays off of this one but I cut the cocoa down to 1/2 c., the sugar down to 1 1/2 c. and use a thicker milk. Honestly this last time my butter was too soft so I had to bump the sugar up to 2 c., so just be careful about that. And this is a really good vegan frosting, just so you know.

As for the Salted Caramel topper (see link above), that was probably my favorite part. I was so freaked out I was doing the caramel wrong but it just look a little while for it to get going. Once caramel starts, it stops for no man. Keep an eye on it. Once it starts to get just a tad golden brown, PULL IT OFF THE STOVE. There is so much residual heat in your pan that it will keep cooking until it is perfectly set. I didn't do the fancy parchment paper over the rolling pin thing. I just took a piece of greased parchment paper and drizzled the caramel all over with a spoon. Make sure to salt (or sugar) the candy before it completely sets or it will all fall off. It was so much fun to make candy and I look forward to doing it much more.

So overall, amazing recipe. It really only has one more component than a regular ol' cupcake but that extra 10 minutes is so worth it.

And I promised to have a giveaway for my 1 year anniversary but lo and behold, I have none. I am working on figuring out what I want to give away, so be patient and keep reading! Happy New Year folks!



Check out my recipe at Sweet as Sugar Cookies along tons of other delicious recipes as well! Just click above. : )

Low Fat Fudgy Brownies 5/5 Spoons

I was thinking the other day, "When did I really start cooking and baking?" And I couldn't even really answer myself. When I started cutting meat out of my life at about 21 even then I rarely made meals or baked. I was in school and working full-time at a bagel shop so I ate a lot of well.... bagels. I ate a lot of pancakes, Kraft Mac n Cheese and frozen pizza. I don't remember there being all that many veggies going on in my diet. The thought of that now totally grosses me out but somehow I maintained my existence on alcohol, carbs and no sleep. Moving to Chicago has pretty much changed my cooking existence. I baked and cooked long before being here but now it is my outlet, it is my daily affirmation. Somehow this is all leading to me talking about the most perfect Low-Fat Brownies I've ever had. I just thought it was important to give a little back story of my food world, even if it is just a small snippet.

Can I say that I've spent a really long time trying to find the PERFECT low-fat brownie recipe? As much as I love butter and sugar and chocolate, with how often I crave desserts I can't eat a stick of butter every day. America's Test Kitchen ran an episode about lightening up chocolate desserts and although I don't think Chris and the other cooks were all that excited about the episode (they missed their butter!), it was pretty good overall.

(Photo courtesy of America's Test Kitchen Feed)

I didn't get any of my own photos of these brownies because well.... my roommate and I ate them within like a 24 hour period. I couldn't even believe after all the time I've attempted lower fat brownies that I finally had found a winner. Needless to say I had to "celebrate" my victory by eating 1/2 a pan. It only seemed logical. These were fluffy but fudge like at the same time. They had a really nice chocolate flavor without being too sweet. Here are my notes:

-- Pretty sure I put about 1/2 t. kosher salt in the mix. I like my chocolate treats on the salty side.
-- I don't have chocolate syrup on hand, like ever, so I just used an extra tablespoon of butter. Yup, more butter, but it's much less than you would find in any other brownie recipe!
-- 1 cup of sugar? No thanks. I used a 1/2 cup.
-- We always have fat free sour cream, so that's what I used, it worked well of course.

(Photo courtesy of Rose's Recipes)

So easy and so good. These are great to bring for a treat to work or a family gathering or like just bring them on the train and eat them with a fork. Or plop them on the seat next to you in your car and grab it with your hands and shove it in your mouth. You are smart people, you know what is best for you.

Up next, more America's Test Kitchen goodness (and much, much more butter) with Monkey Bread!

JACKIE'S TOP 5

So, I know I was going to review Red Velvet Waffles with Coconut Cream Cheese Topping first but I just wanted to come here and throw out some of the recipes I can't wait to make. I always have a long list of things I'm dying to make, but these are my top 5 as of right now. My stomach is just not as big as my desire to make all this food! Here we go (and these aren't any order, I'm just listing them off):

#1: Sweet Corn Arepa Pancakes

(Photo courtesy of roboppy's Flickr page)

I've never had an arepa.... until this morning. Well let me say that I had an arepa style pancakes at Tweet (my favorite brunch spot in Chicago) and they were dynamite. They were covered with creme fraiche, soy chorizo, over easy eggs, avocado, some sort of amazing hot sauce and black beans. Every bite was a dream. I want to re-create some of those same flavors at home with this recipe. It calls for some orange juice which I think is a great compliment to the strong corn flavor. This is an easy meal with a ton of flavor and my favorite thing of all: a vehicle for a million condiments piled on top.

#2: Cookies and Cream Fudge Brownie

(Photo courtesy of BBC)

Not gonna lie, I have a huge crush on Lorraine Pascale.

(Photo courtesy of Tory Burch)

Sigh.....

Anyway, she has a show on Cooking Channel called Simply Baking. She made these on her last show and they looked so fudge-y and decadent, they are totally going to be made for like Thanksgiving or Christmas dessert. They are not everyday brownies but I bet they are just what I'm looking for.

#3: Vegan Nanaimo Bars

(Photo courtesy of One Green Planet, which is an awesome website BTW)

I had no idea what Nanaimo Bars were until like last week. I had heard of them but literally my mind always went blank when people talked about them. For some reason the name alone evoked feelings of numbness. Don't ask me why, I don't question my motives anymore.

I don't know what I was so scared of.... these are veganized bars filled with chocolate, graham cracker crumbs, nuts and a creamy pudding filling. WHAT HAVE I BEEN MISSING ALL THESE YEARS???? I can't wait to make these and review the hell out of them here. Then we can all share in the joy.

#4: Spicy Pumpkin Soup with Coconut Milk (Vegan and Gluten Free!)

(Photo courtesy of Gluten-Free Goddess)

I love pumpkin anything. Pumpkin soups are amazing. The last time I made pumpkin soup I had told my roommates that I was making it and to not eat dinner after work because there would be delicious food waiting for them. I felt like a jilted wife when they both came home at 10 pm having had dinner and ready to go to bed. Don't I sound sad here? I don't want to equate fall soup with depressing dinners! Anyhow, I divided up the soup into portions and ate it for a week and it was just as good on the 7th day as the 1st. This one is vegan and gluten-free and sounds amazing.

#5: Fettucine NoFredo with Roasted Butternut Squash (Vegan)

(Photo courtesy of Kreeli)

This is my friend Christa's dish (she used to run VeganMania in Vancouver, she is pretty amazing and you can find awesome recipes there). Vegan alfredo sauce? You are joking. But that picture is no damn joke. I plan on making this on a really cold day which will be coming sooner rather than later.

Thank you for indulging in my food fantasies. There will be a waffle recipe review this weekend. Until then, take care of yourself and eat some great food!

Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles 5/5 Spoons

It is so rare when my end product actually looks almost exactly like the product in the recipe picture. I am so proud of myself here.

Isa's cookies:

My cookies (with a camera phone under the harsh light of my stove, so use your imagination...)

These Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles are exactly what I wanted to eat tonight. I wanted something chocolate-y and I had everything I needed for these simple and easy cookies. The heat hits you about 30 seconds in to eating these cookies and linger but not in a bad way. It's a warming taste and really damn good.

Here are my notes:

-- I used vegetable oil because it is what I had.
-- Instead of a full cup of sugar, I only used 2/3 of a cup.
-- I have been using So Delicious unsweetened coconut milk lately instead of soy/almond milk and I love it, especially in baking.
Edit: I forgot to add this, about halfway through the baking, I took the cookies out and pushed them down with the bottom of a drinking glass. It flattens the cookies out so they aren't puffy but more flat and chewy in the middle.

For some reason, I'm always wary of using maple syrup in baking. I can't really taste it at all in the cookies so I'm assuming it gives it a depth of flavor along with the chocolate. No matter what, these were amazing. These will definitely be made again.

Up next, Red Velvet Waffles with a Coconut Cream Cheese topping!

Vegan (Almost) Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones 5/5 Spoons

Well I am going to brag, this is my own recipe and it is AWESOME. Okay, so I kind of just tweaked the Vegan Tomato Rosemary Scone (which is so delicious) from Vegan Brunch but I say it's different enough that I can call it my own. (And I kind of fudged up and bought the non-vegan Ghiradelli chips by accident, but this can be easily remedied on my next trip to the store!)

One day on the bus I was contemplating how I can change up this scone but still a. keep it vegan and b. keep it moist. I know scones aren't supposed to be all moist and shit, but I don't care, this is my recipe. I was thinking of other wet ingredients that could replace the tomato sauce in this recipe. And bam! Pumpkin! Duh. Making a dessert version of this scone was the first on my list. And since I'm trying to start my own Etsy shop of my baked goods, I thought this one would be a great way to start!

(Excuse my awful phone photos, once I'm an acclaimed baker with a cookbook deal, then I will buy a nicer camera.)

Here is the recipe:

Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones (this is exactly as I did it, but if you change it up, please let me know what you did to make it your own!)

3 c. unbleached all-purpose flour (and extra for your kneading surface)
2 T. baking powder
1/3 c. sugar (I used Sugar in the Raw, but ya know, do your thang)
1/2 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. cinnamon (I used my fancy Penzey's Spices for this recipe!)
1/4 t. ginger, cloves and nutmeg
1/2 t. vanilla extract
1/3 c. vegetable oil (This is ideal but olive oil would work in a pinch.)
1 1/2 c. pumpkin (Ya know, the unsweetened canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie mix and I doubt anyone has fresh pumpkin puree just hanging around, but please use that if you do!)
1 t. apple cider vinegar
1/2 c. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prep your sheet pan with a Silpat, parchment paper or some light cooking spray.

Sift the flour with the baking powder in a large bowl. Add the spices, salt and sugar; mix well.

In a separate bowl/measuring cup whisk together the pumpkin, oil, vanilla and vinegar until well combined.

Add the wet to the dry and mix until it just comes together. Just before completely blending everything together, add your chips. It is good to have a few spots of flour left before you dump it out on your floured working surface. Knead the dough on your floured surface a few times just to incorporate everything but not until it is too tough to move around. This should be a soft dough but still easy to manage.

Fold your ball into a disk shape about 2 inches high and about 8 inches across. Or ya know, the size of like a medium size dinner plate. Take a knife or a bench scraper and cut the dough in half. Take one half and cut the dough into 6 triangles. Repeat with the other side. I actually ended up making 10 scones instead of 12 (we like our scones big). Take each scone and place it on your sheet with just a little bit of room in between (they don't puff up too much).

Mine took about 25 minutes to bake. They were firm and dry on top but still gave a little when I pressed their middles. I also tested them with a toothpick to make sure they were not too doughy. And voila! Scones! Let these cool and eat. And if you have leftovers, just throw them under a paper towel overnight or a container with a lid for a few days. I doubt they will last that long.

(That is me being excited!)

I just want to thank you all for reading my blog. I really mean it. It's so nice knowing there are people everywhere reading and enjoying my love for food with me. Don't forget, I have an e-mail address (nomeatmama@gmail.com) where you can ask questions, request a recipe for me to make and review or ya know, if you want to pay me to make things for you, I'm more than excited to do that. I'll be back again soon with more deliciousness!

Perfect Lemon Bars 5/5 Spoons

They really are perfect.

Perfect enough for me to be the only one eating this entire pan of lemon bars all by myself over the course of 4 days. I don't even care if no one else likes them, I LOVE THEM. I wanted something much more tart than the Buttermilk Lemon Bars I made previously (which are amazing in their own way). Baking Bites never fails to offer me a slew of lemon desserts. As I was eating these I kept imagining making them with oranges and limes and just salivating at the mere thought.

(Photos courtesy of Baking Bites, and they look way prettier than mine turned out!)

Although there aren't many, here are my notes:

-- I used 1/2 t. kosher salt instead of 1/4 t. table salt.
-- Once again, I didn't measure the zest, I just completely zested one whole lemon and added it in.
-- I used about 4 lemons and almost got a cup of juice. To supplement the little bit I was missing, I just added water. I wouldn't advise doing that if you have 1/4 c. or more missing. You can substitute orange juice if you have it, that would work awesomely.

My lemon bars weren't exactly "pretty" but whatever, they tasted amazing. I didn't bother putting confectioner's sugar on top because I wasn't serving them to anyone and I didn't want the added sugar. Speaking of sugar, I'm sure we all know by now that I'm notorious for downplaying sugar in desserts when I feel like it is just too much. Not this time. I am glad I put the whole 1 1/3 cups in because there is so much lemon juice to counterbalance it all. The nice thing about these bars is that you can have a small one (or three or four, not like I would do that) and be totally satisfied. So if you are a normal person who eats normal portions of desserts (nope, not me) then this will take you a long way. It was super easy to make and just tastes so phenomenal. The tartness of the lemons really plays nicely with the buttery shortbread crust underneath. They are a match made in heaven.

Up next, not sure! I haven't been cooking much since we have an out of town guest staying here but I will be back and ready to rock next week with all new recipes. Take care!

Tuscan Lemon Muffins 5/5 Spoons

.... and I come back with an awesome dessert. Whew! Scared? So was I.

My roommate told me the other night when I was making the totally average vegan brownies that I rarely ever make the same dessert twice. And he was right. I like to think it is because I want to try new recipes and techniques. The thing is, there are a few desserts I do make often enough to say they are in my repertoire. Vegan Pumpkin Pie, Lemon Poppyseed Loaf and Vegan Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls come to mind. So really, I have a theme here. I love pumpkin and lemon desserts enough to make them more than once. And this new dessert, Tuscan Lemon Muffins*, is no different. I've made these twice in the last week and they just go so fast. They are tender without falling apart. They have a nice lemon-y kick without being overpowering. The only fat added in is 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil. Wow! Here are my notes:

-- I cut the sugar down to 1/2 c. to make it more muffin and less cupcake like.
-- I would say I use about 1/2 t. kosher salt instead of 1/4 t.
-- When I zest the lemon, I just use as much as I can get off. I don't measure it. Since the zest has the most flavor, I use as much as I can get. And I don't measure the juice, I just use a whole medium size lemon.

(Photo courtesy of MyRecipes)

Really, I barely deviated from this recipe. IT IS THAT GOOD. It has a nice lemon flavor but with a hint of creaminess from the ricotta. They are so insanely tender that I can't even really believe it. I would love to make this into a tiered cake sometime and see if it works out. So if anyone wants a fancy Tuscan Lemon cake with Lemon Buttercream frosting for their birthday/wedding/bar mitzvah/everyday "I need cake" use, I can do that for a price. ; )

* Thanks to my lovely friend Megan for showing me this recipe. I now owe you one. ; )

Vegan Chocolate Chip Brownies 3/5 Spoons

Look above everyone! A dessert that I didn't absolutely love! Okay, well it was still good enough for me to be eating it for the last 3 days that's for sure. I honestly don't think I hate desserts unless they involve raisins, rhubarb or gelatin in some way.

(Photos courtesy of Go Vegan Meow!)

I just can never find a vegan brownie recipe that is to my liking. I want it to be fudge-like but not too sweet with intense chocolate flavor. I don't want it dry, crumbly or to be like cake. If I want cake, I'll make a cake. Really, that's all I ask. I will say that this recipe does make a great deep chocolate punch but I think that's mostly due to the fact that I used Ghiradelli chips (which are in my opinion, THE BEST that you can find at least in the grocery store). These were far too flat and crumbly without the oomph that you typically get with even a boxed brownie. (PS - I love boxed brownies. Don't hate. They give you consistent results every time and are a fudge-y brownie lovers dream.) So here are my notes:

-- The recipe is kind of confusing. She tells you to use 1 c. of chips (2/3 c. melted, and 1/2 c. chips added in). Certainly doesn't add up to 1 cup. I used those amounts anyhow.
-- I've been using almond milk now instead of soy and love it. I am a milk alternative convert!
-- I bumped the sugar down to 1/2 cup.
-- Instead of 1/4 t. salt, I used 1/2 t. kosher salt. I like the saltiness with the chocolate flavor.
-- And this was hilarious but I totally forgot to put the chips in at the end and I had already panned them, so I just sprinkled them on top. They looked really nice.

I have no idea how she fit this into a 9x13 pan. I used a 8x11 (I think) pan and still had to spread it out with a firm hand. This batter was not moist and wet like most brownie batters, this was firm like a cookie dough. It was weird but I went with it. These are okay. They have a nice chocolate flavor like I said before but they are not hand held brownies. You have to eat them on a plate or napkin because they crumble far too much. And for some reason, I find that annoying.

So if anyone can suggest to me a wonderful vegan brownie recipe, I would be way more than happy to try it out and review it here. Up next, another sweet, Tuscan Lemon Muffins!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry Cream Cheese Filling and Vanilla Buttercream Frosting 4/5 Spoons

The title is quite a mouthful, huh? There is no way to shorten it without people asking, "So what is this stuff inside? What's on the top?" Long name usually means all kinds of goodness packed inside and this is no exception.

(You will have to deal with my crappy cell phone photos for this one!)

I found this recipe for Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes (although I wouldn't exactly call them "dark"). Initially I had planned on just dolloping raspberry preserves in the middle but I wanted to bump up the filling factor. If you are a baker, you know how much of a pain filling a cupcake can be. As long as I'm sawing off the tops and filling it with something, might as well make it extra special. None of the raspberry cream cheese fillings I found fit the bill, so I just made up my own! It was kind of beyond easy and don't really need to pat myself on the back for this (okay, I will... pat pat).

When it was all said and done, I barely deviated from the original recipe above. I made up my own version of a filling and cut the buttercream frosting recipe in half. Here are my notes:

-- All I could find at the grocery store was normal unsweetened cocoa powder, not dutch process. It worked out just fine.
-- I left my eggs at room temperature for about 3 hours and they were perfect. Here is an explanation why room temp eggs are better than cold in baking. You learn something new everyday.
-- Skim milk was used instead of anything else that is often used in baking. It was either that or almond milk. I honestly don't think any kind would make a big difference.
-- You may realize that something is missing in the recipe that is ESSENTIAL for chocolate desserts (heck, all desserts). SALT! I didn't see it and was confused so I added about 1 t. of kosher salt.
-- I halved the frosting recipe. I followed it all and really didn't like it (hence the 4 stars). It came out looking of glossy and like royal icing (which I wasn't looking for). I'll probably find something more suited for my tastes next time.
-- If you haven't filled anything before, here is what I did. Grab a cupcake, take your sharp and small knife and jab it in at a 45 degree angle. You want to make a small cone sort of shape with the cake top so that you can discard the bottom part and the filling won't overflow. Baking Bites can explain it better and with pictures here!

So I baked these up all pretty and made this raspberry cream cheese filling (this is from memory, so hopefully it's not totally off on the measurements):

4 ounces cream cheese, room temp
1/4 c. raspberry preserves (you can use any kind if you don't like the seeds)
1/2 t. vanilla
2 T. confectioners sugar

Whip the first three together until well combined. Add the sugar 1 T. at a time until it comes together. It doesn't need to be firm, but needs to hold together well.

(As you can see, these went over well.)

Overall these cupcakes were AWESOME. The cakes that were a little more full came out really fudge-y and were hard to cut into but tasted so good on their own. Almost like a cupcake brownie (don't even get me started...). I wouldn't necessarily say these were very "dark" but still had a nice chocolate flavor and not overly packed with sugar. I think the real shining star here is the raspberry cream cheese filling. It has a nice creamy, tart flavor with a punch of fruity goodness right at the end. So what I'm saying is, make this. It takes a bit of work and some patience (which I don't have) but they came out great.

Up next, White Pizza with a Chicago style deep dish crust!

Vegan Coconut Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and Toasted Coconut 5/5 Spoons

Finally back to review!

So I tried to make these ALL vegan but my local grocery store does not carry Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese (jerks). I definitely have cut down on my dairy consumption in the last week or so and I'm pretty proud of myself for that. I'm avoiding cereal so I don't use skim milk, have been making smoothies with almond milk and soy yogurt and want to make dairy-free calzones this week.

(Photos courtesy of Everybody Likes Sandwiches)

It was my birthday on May 1st and I turned 29. I won't get into birthdays because I think I take a much more cynical view than I should. It has nothing to do with getting older, it has more to do with the pressure of doing something awesome on your "special day" and other things. Typically I would have made some chocolate concoction but as soon as I found these vegan coconut cupcakes, I was ready to rock.

Here are my notes:

-- I used 3/4 c. sugar instead of a full cup. I think next time I could cut down a tad to 2/3.
-- As any baker has done before, I forgot a major ingredient. THE SALT! I was so mad at myself when I realized it but honestly I don't think it was the worst mistake ever. It might have been nice with it but it was still nice without it.
-- Instead of white vinegar I used apple cider, it's pretty much what I always use.

This cakes were tender and chewy but I wouldn't necessarily say overly coconut-y. I think next time I will toast the coconut that is added to the batter but overall, these were totally wonderful. And heaven help me, I will remember to only fill the cupcake liners about 3/4 of the way to the top. It is one of my bad habits.

Another wonderful thing that came out of this recipe was being able to finally perfect my cream cheese frosting. It is crazy easy but does something that you wouldn't expect! Here we go:

1 8 ounce container cream cheese, cold (Not room temp! It is a much firmer frosting that way. I used low-fat, you could really use non-fat or full fat, whatever you wish here.)
4 ounces unsalted butter, room temp (This definitely needs to be soft.)
2/3 c. confectioners sugar
1/2 t. vanilla

Cream the cheese and butter with a hand held mixer on low to start (don't get it all over yourself!). Up the speed until you get a nice cohesive creamy thick looking mix. Add the vanilla and mix to incorporate. Then add the sugar 1/3 c. at a time until all looks well and it is nice and thick and well integrated.

That was easy, huh? Toasting coconut is even easier. Take about 1/3 c. of coconut and place it in a dry skillet over med-low heat. Do not crank the heat or you will have a gross burnt mess. Stir every 30 seconds until the coconut is almost all brown but specks of white still show through. It should take about 4 minutes. Let it cool before sprinkling on top of your cupcakes.

Obviously I think you know how to put a cupcake + frosting + toasted coconut all together. When these are finished they are so beautiful. I almost wanted to take all kinds of food porn pics of them but decided against it because the smell was too intoxicating.

All Vegan Desserts For a Good Cause!

I made 5 different kinds of vegan sweets today for the Vegan Bakesale for Japan tomorrow at Logan Hardware on Fullerton/Western in Chicago. Stop on down and buy some delicious food for a great cause! (PS - It is supposed to be like 80 degrees outside tomorrow.)

Some of these made the grade. The others either went in the garbage (I hated doing it) or my roommates and I will eat the castoffs. Here is my run down and grades for each one:

Gingerbread Flax Muffins from the Post Punk Kitchen (F):

These were disappointing. I am usually totally happy with PPK's recipes but these were too ginger-y and mine sunk in the middle. It is hard sometimes to predict what vegan cupcakes/muffins will do and I prefer to have a more dense cupcake or muffin than this one. These are the ones I threw away. I hate to waste product and money, but these were pretty inedible. Total failure.

Lemon Blackberry Muffins from My Sweet Vegan (B): Okay, so I only used this recipe as the base but it is pretty much the same thing but with blackberries and some lemon zest added in. I thought the ones that were cooked through were good but the ones that were a tad more full (my fault) were really gooey in the middle. Not good. So I had to get rid of a few but the done ones were pretty darn good. Nice and soft but not too doughy. I would definitely make these again with hopefully better baking results.

Vegan Chewy Chocolate Raspberry Cookies from Fabulous Foods (B): These are not included in the vegan bake sale goods but they are very delicious. They are dense, chocolate-y with a hint of raspberry aroma and flavor. These are good enough for me to eat but not great enough to share with potential buyers. I will say that I would recommend making these because they are a. easy and b. totally yummy.

The Best Pumpkin Muffins from Vegan with a Vengeance (A):

These came out FABULOUS. They did not sink in the middle and browned without becoming dry and overcooked. I sprinkled some slivered almonds on top and they toasted up nicely which added a nice flavor to the warmth of the pumpkin and spices. These made a perfect dozen and will be for sale tomorrow!

And the piece de resistance... Raspberry Jam Swirl Crumbcake from Post Punk Kitchen (A+):

I'm glad I made two of these because I have a feeling that they will go fast. It is tender and sweet but not too sweet for breakfast! This was incredibly easy to make and has one of my favorite qualities: the ability to be easily customizable! Use whatever jam you want, add whatever toppings you want (toasted nuts would be righteous) and the world is your (vegan) oyster. And I will say that PPK definitely won my heart again with this dish (not that I had any doubt really.)

So enjoy and if you make any of these, let me know what you think! And if you are in Chicago, come on by to the bake sale!

Thick and Chewy Oatmeal (Not Raisin) Cookies 5/5 Spoons

There are very few things I really have a serious distaste for when it comes to food. Here is my list:

-- Wasabi in any form
-- Radishes (but even those I don't mind shredded)
-- Sesame oil (as stated previously)
-- RAISINS!

(Shriveled devils!, Photo courtesy of The Daily Green)

To me, raisins are just so damn gross and I just can't get over it. I thought they were something that I would enjoy as I got older but I feel like I hate them even more now. I love other dried fruit such as cranberries, blueberries, apricots, mango, etc. etc. There is just something about the flavor of raisins that makes me gag.

So my plan for these cookies was to make a plain batch sans raisins and then my own batch (for the chocolate lover in the apartment) with chocolate chips and pecans. AND I made them vegan! So I really kind of messed with this recipe but it was so worth it because they were like some of the best cookies I've had in awhile.

(Photo courtesy of Vegan Occasions)

Here are my notes (there a few, but trust me, it is worth it):

-- I used softened Earth Balance instead of butter.
-- To replace the egg I used 1 T. flax seed meal and 3 T. water whisked vigorously by hand until it was frothy and thick.
-- Because I'm running low on my unbleached flour, I used 1/4 c. whole wheat flour and 1/2 c. AP flour. I really think you could use all whole wheat and I will probably try that out next time.
-- I split the dough in half and add about 1/2 c. of my same old Ghiradelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chips and about 1/4 c. diced pecans. I thought about adding dried cranberries but I think two additions were plenty.
-- Oh, and definitely chill the dough like is instructed in the recipe. I did it for about two hours and I think it really did help it maintain the chewiness that made these cookies amazing.

So I adore this recipe because you can easily customize it and make it your own. It was super easy to make vegan and add whatever pleases me. They were so chewy, soft and crunchy all at the same time. You all know how much I adore chocolate and throwing oats and cinnamon (some of my other favorites) in the mix made me a happy lady.

I give this recipe:

5/5 Spoons!

I might not be back until next week because of moving... but there will be more to come soon.

Pumpkin Brownies 4/5 Spoons

I took about a bunch of Excedrin (ok, 3) and now I'm back with the fury of one thousand suns! I cooked and baked and chopped veggies this morning, went for a walk, talked to my temp contact through Northwestern, watched an episode of Big Love and woke up at a decent time today. I'm proud of me even though my body aches and I have cramps up the wazoo. Ok, enough about my lady drama.......

So I know for sure I'm not the only one who flips when there is talk of a canned pumpkin shortage. I even bought a fancy can of organic pumpkin this past summer because I crave pumpkin all year long. I was overzealous and went bonkers this past fall and bought like 10 cans of the stuff. Now that we are moving and want to try to eat all the food we have so there is less to take with, I've been looking for pumpkin recipes. This is the second time I've made these Pumpkin Brownies.

(Photos courtesy of Eating Is Art)

Here are my notes:

-- As usual, I used half of the sugar called for and I loved it even better this time around.
-- I don't use the entire bag of chocolate chips... that is just too much for me. Yes, I love chocolate but with the chips I use (Ghiradelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chips) I think it would become overwhelming.

This is a perfect combo of tender cake and dark chocolate gooey-ness that I crave on almost a daily basis. I think the warm spiciness of the ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg always go well with the dark, richness of bittersweet chocolate.

I give this recipe:

4/5 Spoons!

I'm on a roll, more from me later!

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies 5/5 Spoons

Hi lovers!

Like my new layout??? It's super hot. I needed an upgrade here and now I feel quite refreshed. I'm doing this post on a different computer so it might be shorter than normal and less rambling (thank jeebus, right?)

(Photo courtesy of Fake Ginger)

So this recipe is bananas! It has a wonderful combination of chocolate and salty peanut butter to make me eat about half the pan overall.

Notes:

-- I think the only thing I changed was using Earth Balance for the peanut butter swirl part instead of butter. I liked that it was saltier than my normal unsalted butter I use while baking.
-- As for chocolate, I always use Ghiradelli's 60% Cacao Bittersweet chips. They are my favorite and it's the only kind I buy now.

I mean really, do I need to explain the incredibly sexy marriage between chocolate and peanut butter? It's mouth watering, sensual and off the chain. So enjoy this recipe with my best wishes.

I give this recipe:

5/5 Spoons!

I promise I'll be doing more this weekend..... so see you again soon!

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting 5/5 Spoons

So, I feel like I should have an intense love affair with Carrot Cake. In some ways I do. I love carrots, love cream cheese frosting and love cinnamon based cakes all over the place. BUT this is never my go to dessert. And why not? I don't know you guys. This dessert was so sweet, soft, moist and creamy that I wonder why I don't choose carrot cake over chocolate when I'm out looking for a dessert. Chocolate cake is my dark mistress but I like to think of carrot cake as my booty call. We don't see each other a lot, but when we do, fireworks happen.

Enough of my sexual love towards desserts..... My roommate Steph loves carrot cake. It is her favorite dessert (or at least favorite kind of cake). One night we had just had dinner and I was desperately looking for something to make for dessert. I have this rule for myself. I don't buy myself sweets at the store, if I want dessert I have to make it myself. And trust me, I do. If we don't have a dessert ready to eat, I feel like I must make something. Hence, the carrot cake. When I said that I would be more than willing to make something but didn't have all the ingredients for a carrot cake.... Steph ran to the grocery store and got me some powdered sugar, carrots and cream cheese. I was off!



(This picture courtesy of me! I finally figured out how to get my shitty pictures off my phone onto the laptop. Expect more from me again.)

Once again, I don't think I did anything major in changing this recipe. It didn't need it. Definitely toast the pecans (or whatever nuts you choose). It gave the cake a nice toasty flavor you just won't get with plain old raw nuts. I cheated and used already shredded carrots. If that is a big deal to you, then maybe this is isn't the blog for you. (I'm kidding! I just really wanted to eat it as fast as possible!) And as for the frosting, I skipped the lemon zest. Not sure why, I just didn't feel like it needed it. Oh and those marzipan carrots? Please honey, I did not make those. I'm all about presentation but come on now. The way it tastes is much more important to me.



(Photo courtesy of Joy of Baking)

This was a very tender cake. Not too moist though which is important. The carrots and pecans were crunchy and worked well with the cinnamon spiciness of the cake. And seriously, who doesn't love cream cheese frosting? I don't care what anyone says but if you put butter + cream cheese together you get magic. So I think the frosting here is necessary for the tangy creaminess that it imparts floating on top of the cake.

I give this recipe:

5/5 Spoons!

Okay okay okay, I'll post an entree next. I wouldn't want anyone to think this is JUST a baking blog after all.

Deep Vegan Chocolate Cake 5/5 Spoons

OK, I AM SORRY GUYS. I've been in a serious mental and emotional slump the past two weeks and has seriously affected my cooking and baking attitude. I won't get into specifics but I finally feel like I'm getting over one of my humps that was keeping me from being a normal person again. WHEW! It also helped that I watched Julie & Julia today and it made me laugh, cry and smile for 2 hours straight. I felt connected once again and it felt wonderful. So here I am, catching up!

So I made this cake about 2 weeks ago now and I can still vividly remember how it tastes. That my friends, is the sign of a great dessert. My lovely friend Courtney, who is a phenomenal cook, had some people over to her place when I was home for the weekend and made this meal for us to eat (and it was delicious!) Anyway, I decided I would bring dessert and wanted to make this cake for quite awhile. I rarely make chocolate cake anymore because my roommates aren't demented for chocolate like I am but that just encourages me to stretch my baking muscle, right? Right.



(photo courtesy of Vegetarian Times)

I didn't really make any substitutions for this recipe because frankly.... it didn't need it. I had all the ingredients and it was so simple to make. I chose to use chilled coffee instead of the water and I would encourage you to do the same. There is just something weird to me about putting water in a cake batter, but to each their own. Yes, I realize coffee is just water too but it at least has flavor! Or ya know, if you aren't a coffee drinker, use soy milk, no big whoop. Oh and I used soy milk in the frosting too instead of water (just noticed that).

This is definitely the best vegan chocolate cake I've made. It was tender without being too crumbly and had a very wonderful dark flavor to it without being overwhelming. And the frosting..... oh my. This is a great frosting alternative if you don't have any Earth Balance/butter/margarine in the house. It is so simple and has a wonderful fudgey taste and texture with a salty peanut butter kick. Just like Duncan Hines frosting, I swear!

I give this recipe:

5/5 Spoons!

Not sure what I will pick next to write about BUT hopefully I'll do a few today. Thanks for reading! And I will be back to normal again soon. : )

Vegan (Almost) Chocolate Chip Cookies 5/5 Spoons

Let me preface this by saying, who doesn't love a really good chocolate chip cookie? I feel like you are some sort of evil Reagan-humping Tea Party lovin' Republican if you don't like buttery dough with chocolate mixed in.

So this recipe is totally vegan but I only had white chocolate chips to use, so that's why the (almost) is up there. Obviously, do as you want. I almost added coconut as well, but eh, I wanted something really basic.



(Photo courtesy of The Post Punk Kitchen)

My cookies did not end up looking anything like these BUT I made a lot of tweaks (based on what I had in my apartment) and they are still crazy delicious. Here are my notes:

-- So I had no brown sugar. I pondered what to do. Aha! Molasses + white granulated sugar = brown sugar. Duh. I found the right combo of the two on this website and made my own. There is another reason to keep molasses in the cabinet. So for this recipe it called for 1/2 c. brown sugar. I took 1/2 c. regular sugar and added 1 T. of molasses. Simple as that. Make sure to blend it together well. I just used a fork and mashed the hell out of it until everything was well incorporated.
-- I used plain soy milk instead of almond milk, no big whoop either way.
-- As for the tapioca flour, I just don't really ever have it around. Instead of that, I used 1/2 T. cornstarch. I found the substitution guide for thickeners here.
-- When I mixed everything together, the batter seemed a bit thin so I added about 1/8 c. more of all-purpose flour. Either way, the cookies that came out of the oven were very flat.

She is not kidding when she says that you need to mix the sugar, oil and milk combo very well. You need to whip the hell out of it but it makes a delicious caramel-y concoction that works so well in this cookie. I am not sure I would even call this is a "standard chocolate chip cookie" but it still came out phenomenal. I'm not sure what I could have done differently to make them more poofy but I didn't care. These are chewy and have a deep caramel flavor without even a hint of butter! I was wary of a oil-based cookie but now I am sold. It is nice to know that if I need to make vegan cookies that everyone will enjoy that I have this recipe (and all the ingredients) handy!

I give this recipe:

5/5 Spoons!

I'll probably post my favorite homemade pizza recipe tomorrow.... we shall see. Have a good night all!