Cocoa-Mint Cupcakes with magazine wraps

It's true. I love the mint/chocolate combo. Of the few dessert recipes i've posted so far, 2 are a mint/choc combo. These two flavors were meant to be!

MAKING THE WRAP:
I'm always looking for ways to bring in some color, so this time around, I chose to cut a paper towel the height of my cupcake, as well as cut a strip of colorful paper from a magazine the same height as the paper. I wrapped the two around the cupcake, towel piece touching the cupcake. I used a small sticker to close the back.

FROSTING NOTE:
If you have a favorite frosting, use that. I am currently in the process of reworking the recipe i have. I'm excited to share it with you! In the mean time, please check out this recipe for frosting from Chow.com:
1/2 cup nonhydrogenated shortening
1/2 cup nonhydrogenated margarine
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted if clumpy
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extra
1/4 cup plain soy milk


INGREDIENTS:

- 1 cup soy milk
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 3/4 cup vegan cane sugar
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp mint extract
- 1 cup plus 2 tbsp organic unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt

DIRECTIONS:

1 - Preheat the over to 350 degrees. Spray a cupcake pan with olive oil spray
2 - in a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk the vinegar into the soy milk and set aside.
3 - In a separate medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, and salt.  Set the mixture aside.
4 - Whisk the sugar, oil and vanilla and mint extracts into the soy milk mixture. Add the bowl of sifted flour and other ingredients, and stir just until combined. Do not over-stir the batter!
5 - Divide batter into 12 tins and bake for about 15 minutes. Be sure to check on them around 12 minutes as it could be more or less time.

Peppermint Double Dark Chocolate and Macadamia Nut Cookies

INGREDIENTS:
makes about 7-8 dozen mini cookies

Inspiration taken from: http://www.cestlavegan.com/2010/12/mega-chocolate-mint-holiday-cookies/

3 ounces Earth Balance non-hydrogenated shortening
3 ounces Earth Balance non-hydrogenated margarine
3/4 cup organic sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon EnerG egg replacer powder
1/4 cup warm water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon all-natural mint extract
1/3 cup (2 oz) chopped non-dairy semi-sweet (or dark) chocolate, melted and cooled
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cups organic unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup cup non-dairy semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup chopped macadamia nuts

DIRECTIONS:

1 - Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

2 - Sift cocoa powder, flour, baking soda and salt into a small bowl.  Set aside.

3 - In the bowl of a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the shortening.  Add the margarine, and beat again.  Scrape the sides of the bowl, add both sugars, and cream the mixture.

4 - In a small bowl, whisk the EnerG powder with the warm water.  Add the EnerG mixture along with both extracts and the melted chocolate to the creamed mixture.  Beat until all the chocolate is incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.

5 - Add the dry ingredients, and with the mixer on low, slowly pour in the chips.  Mix until the dry ingredients are incorporated.

6 - For mini cookies, drop rounded teaspoons of dough 2 inches apart on the parchment lined baking sheet.  Push each dough ball down to slightly flatten. Bake for 5 minutes, flip the trays around, and bake for another five minutes, or until cookies are just set.  Cool on baking sheets and store at room temperature.  

Holiday Treats!

I decided to keep it simple my first year of vegan holiday baking. After researching many recipes, I landed on a few I was VERY excited to try and also ready to adapt and make my own.

This year's vegan baking menu:
1 - Peppermint Double Dark Chocolate and Macadamia Nut Cookies
2 - Vegan Oat Scones
3 - Gingerbread and Caramel Triffle

In addition to my 3 homemade recipes, I also called over to my new fave place, Pattycake Vegan Bakery in a couple streets over from us in Clintonville and ordered a vegan apple pie and a box of assorted cookies. Just for some extra sweetness:)

They were an absolutely hit! These recipes are coming up!

Vegan Pumpkin Cookies

In the next couple weeks, I'll be going more in-depth about vegan cooking and baking, standard ingredient swaps and some related health facts, but in the mean time, I wanted to post this great little recipe I tried out tonight. It's not the BEST recipe I have ever had but it's the best recipe I've made! I'm still searching so please feel free to share!

These make a nice light and fluffy cookie to enjoy:)

MY ADAPTATION OF THE ORIGINAL RECIPE (shown below):

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup oat bran
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup vegan margarine, softened
• 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin from Whole Foods (1 can)
• 2 tablespoon unsweetened organic applesauce
• 1 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat sugar and vegan margarine or butter in large mixer bowl until well blended.

Beat in pumpkin, applesauce and vanilla extract until smooth.

In a medium bowl, COMBINE flours, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove and salt.

Gradually beat dry mixture in to wet.

Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets.

BAKE for 10-14 minutes or until edges are firm.

Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes;

remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Vegan Old-Fashioned Soft Pumpkin Cookies 

(makes 24 large or 48 small cookies)

35 min | 20 min prep

24 -48 cookies

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup vegan margarine, softened
• 2 cups Libby's canned pumpkin
• 1 tablespoon applesauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease baking sheets.
3. COMBINE flours, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove and salt in medium bowl.
4. Beat sugar and vegan margarine or butter in large mixer bowl until well blended.
5. Beat in pumpkin, applesauce and vanilla extract until smooth.
6. Gradually beat in flour mixture.
7. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets.
8. BAKE for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are firm.
9. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes;
10. remove to wire racks to cool completely.
11. Drizzle glaze over cookies.
12. FOR GLAZE: COMBINE 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons soymilk, 1 tablespoon melted vegan butter or margarine and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in small bowl until smooth.