cupcake memories

i've wanted to make these fauxstess cupcakes (from vwav) since the day i went vegan. for one, they look freakin' rockin! and second, i have the greatest memories of eating them when i was a little girl. my mom would always buy a package of these (they come two to a pack), and we'd split them. man, i remember them being soooo good. maybe it's because when you share something, it tastes twice as awesome.


nowadays, i don't really have a taste for the sweets, but i did want to make these as a special treat for my mom. the funny story is that i starting making them last year for mother's day... i bought all the special ingredients, set aside a chunk of time, and baked the cupcake. before i could ice them, they had to cool, so i set them on the counter and went for a run. that was the last i ever saw of them - one of my dogs decided i had made them for him and devoured every last one. (at first i was freaked, but he's 90 pounds and the little bit of cocoa powder didn't seem to bother him).

anyways, it took me quite a bit of time to recover from that trauma, and i made them again this week (watching the dogs at every step). yes, they take some time, but they were so worth my mom's excitement! happy birthday mom!

vegan thanksgiving

adopt turkeys, don't eat them! i did just that from farm sanctuary this year. there are plenty of other ways to celebrate the holiday meat-free. here are a few recipe ideas.

entrées

holiday faust:
this is my go-to thanksgiving recipe. after a few adjustments, i would suggest that you definitely use low-sodium soy and cut it with a little water to reduce the saltiness (unless you are using a really weak broth).


vegan pot pie:
i made this for easter last year, but it would be equally yummy as a t-day meal. like any good pot pie, the best part is cracking the shell.


mock meatloaf:
maybe it doesn't scream 'thanksgiving meal', but it's still hearty enough to stand up to a turkey platter. plus you get awesome meatloaf sandwiches the next day.

side dishes

roasted garlic mashed potatoes:
isn't t-day all about the sides? and what feast would be complete without potatoes of some sort? here is a little garlic twist on an old favourite.


creamy kamut salad:
if you haven't tried kamut, it's a nice little grain similar to orzo or buckwheat. this is a slightly more modern dish, loaded with tons of fresh asparagus.

poor girl's green bean casserole:
i made this during one of my pantry clean-out modes. saltines and canned green beans - super cheap and pretty delish.

dessert

blog mom's zucchini custard pie:
my 'blog mom' sent me this recipe last year. i made it for thanksgiving last year and it was a hit. definitely don't let the 'zucchini' part scare you off of this recipe.


simply cinnamon apples:
very easy and healthy - a perfect ending to heavy day of eating. be sure to use organic apples though... apples can carry some of the highest pesticide counts.


chocolate almond biscotti:
there is nothing like an italian cookie dipped in a warm cup of coffee. comforting, and not too filling... a perfect way to end a long day with those you love.


happy thanksgiving!

apple butter muffin cakes

is it is a muffin or is it a cupcake? this hybrid treat has the whole wheat texture of a morning muffin with sweet cupcake icing to top it off. this came about when i was making treats for work and realized some folks may not share my love of under-sweetened treats. so i piped vanilla-cinnamon florets on my apple butter muffins and - voilà - miss v muffin cakes!

• 1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 cup turbinado sugar + 2 tablespoons
• 1 cup apple butter (recipe here)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup soy margarine (smart balance light)
• 1/4 cup flax seed oil
• 1/4 cup water

in two bowls, separately mix up all wet and all dry ingredients. make a well in dry ingredients, and fold in the mixed wet ingredients. mix thoroughly by hand for about 1 minute, until all the dry clumps have been broken down. lightly coat muffin pan with non-stick spray, and fill each cup about 2/3 full. bake at 350°f for approximately 20 minutes. stick a toothpick or knife in the middle and make sure it comes out clean.

you can use any frosting you would like... i used the standard butter cream frosting recipe in vegan cupcakes take over the world, and added about 1/8 cup cinnamon and 1-2 teaspoons vanilla powder.

chef's note: these will not rise a lot, so if you want larger muffin cakes, you'll have to fill the tin fuller. :)

blog mom's zucchini custard pie

don't let the zucchini part fool you - this pie is delicious. a faithful reader of mine, lynn, sent me this recipe to try. she has supported my blog since the very beginning, sending me emails of encouragement and comments on my recipes. i now affectionately call her 'blog mom,' and she convinced me that this zucchini pie recipe would knock my socks off. she was right - it was a perfect sweet treat for the holiday and got rave reviews from everyone!

the original recipe called for 1 cup of evaporated milk and 1¼ cups sugar... below is what i used as substitutes. thanks lynn!!

• 2 cups zucchini, peeled and cubed
• 1/2 cup soy milk, mixed with 4 tablespoons soy milk powder
• 2/3 cup vegan sugar
• 1/4 cup agave nectar
• 1 egg replacer (i use ener-g)
• 2 tablespoon softened vegan butter
• 3 tablespoons unbleached flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 nine-inch pie shell

boil the cubed zucchini until tender. drain and put in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to cool. drain again. in a food processor or blender, combine zucchini, soy milk mixture, sugar, agave nectar, butter, flour and vanilla. blend until creamy.

i did not make my own pie crust because of time restraints, but be sure and check that your store-bought ones are vegan. pour the mixture into a pie crust and sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg. bake at 325f° for 60-70 minutes or until a knife comes out clean (i ended up baking mine for about 80 minutes). the end result should still be creamy and custard-like.

blog mom noted that the 1/2 teaspoon measurements on the cinnamon and nutmeg weren't nearly enough, and that i should sprinkle the entire pie generously. moms know best, because this was what really set the pie off and gave it a gooey crème brûlée type taste.