VEGAN DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Valentines day is kinda dorky but it gives me a reason to bake something good. This valentines day I decided to bake some cupcakes. AS PER USUAL. Because I am a cupcake fanatic if you haven't already noticed. This was my first attempt at buttercream frosting and I was soooo pleased! I need to get a good icing bag to make my cupcakes look professional now. This icing is the perfect recipe for decorative cakes or any baked good. I added some beet powder to make the icing pink for valentines. Its a great natural way to color your food and its good for you! Vegan food coloring is seriously hard to find in Victoria. The double chocolate cupcakes were an extra sweet treat for my boyfriend for Valentines. Although I think its kind of silly for everyone to celebrate their relationships on one day, I loveeee hearts, flowers, the colors pink and red because they are cute everyday of the year... Just like my boyfriend hehe. Anyways, these are some seriously sweet cupcakes so if you have a sweet tooth or you're a lover of chocolate you will loveee this. It has alot more sugar than my baked goods usually do but whatever! Its valentines day, celebrate with some sugar. 

VEGAN DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Cupcake recipe
1 1/2 cups unbleached organic white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of sea salt
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/3 cup of Enjoy Life vegan mega chocolate chunks (link attached)
1/4 cup earth balance, melted
1/2 cup turbinado sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup everland organic coconut milk  (link attached)       


Buttercream frosting recipe
1/2 cup earth balance, melted
2 cups wholesomesweeteners organic powdered sugar (link attached)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons beet powder

Steps

Makes 12

Preheat your oven to 350F. In a large bowl begin by adding all your dry ingredients. Flour through chocolate chips. Stir together all the ingredients well with a fork. Make sure there is no lumps in the mixture. In a medium sized bowl combine your butter, sugar, vanilla and coconut milk. Stir together well with a fork until everything is well combined. Make a well in the middle of your dry mix to add the wet mix too. Pour the wet mix in, stirring while combining. You should be using a large spoon to mix it now or an electric mixer. Once all ingredients are well combined it should be like the consistency of pancake batter. Prepare a muffin baking tray with either liners or oiled. Take one big spoon full and place into a muffin slot. The batter should be about 2/3 full. Repeat 12 times and place in the oven. Bake for 18 minutes. 

Once your cupcakes are ready take them out of the oven. You can stab them with a toothpick to make sure they are done but mine were perfect after 18 minutes. Remove from tray and place on a large plate to cool down. Time for frosting!!

To make the frosting you'll need an electric mixer. I have an old handheld one and it worked perfect! First you'll want to melt your butter. Add your melted butter to a medium sized bowl. Add your vanilla. Begin to add your powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time. Start to mix it using your mixer and continue to add the rest of your sugar while mixing it.

 Keep beating your frosting for 4 minutes. It should be a good, thick, creamy texture by now. If its not, keep mixing. If its too thick you can add some coconut milk 1 teaspoon at a time. Once the consistency is right you can sprinkle in your beet powder. Continue mixing while adding the powder. Beat for another 2 minutes. 

Once all your beet powder is well combined and your icing is a nice pink color you can throw it in the fridge. If you are using an icing bag, place your icing into the bag then place it in the fridge until your cupcakes are ready to be frosted. Allow your cupcakes to cool for 10-15 minutes before icing them. This should make the perfect amount of frosting for this recipe. Ice your cupcakes then serve! These will rock your world. 

VEGAN CALZONES

VEGAN CALZONES

Veganmofo month has come to an end and I loved it! I can definitely say I will be doing it next year and I will be getting much more detailed in my posts! I got 800 views just in the month of September so thanks to everyone who liked or shared my blog :) Calzones are so expensive to buy and so easy to make! I bought a new kind of flour that has made my pizza crust 10x better. Its called caputo flour. A local vegan friendly pizza restaurant, FAMOSO here uses it and they are the best pizzas you can get in Victoria! Really authentic italian. Here's a picture of the store bought kind I got

Its much lighter and fluffier. Alot easier to knead the dough. Its really good for throwing in the air to thin it too. I highly recommend trying this pizza dough if you're really into baking like me:)  Here's my recipe for Vegan Calzones. I hope you enjoy them!

RECIPE

makes 2 calzones

Dough:
3 cups flour
1 cup warm water
1 package instant yeast
1 teaspoon salt
handful of fresh thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons rosemary
1 1/2 garlic powder
1 tablespoon olive oil



Filling:
Old newmans honey garlic barbecue sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 purple onion, diced
6 manzanilla olives, sliced
1 can of corn, drained
handful of artichoke hearts, chopped
1/2 orange pepper, diced
1/2 package of yves ground chicken
Your choice of vegan cheese

Me and my boyfriend got to try this new kind it rules!!!

STEPS

Preheat your oven to 400 F

Get one cup of warm water in a measuring cup and sprinkle your yeast on top. Be careful to make sure your water isn't too warm or it'll kill your yeast. Let the yeast stand in water for 10 minutes.

While your yeast is mixing you can combine all your dry ingredients in a large bowl for your dough. Mix together well and create a well in the middle. Add your yeast water mixture and your olive oil and begin to mix together to form dough. Once your dough is formed begin to knead fro 10 minutes. The longer you knead your dough the better. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. 

While your dough is rising you can prepare all your vegetables. My boyfriend and I made ours with bbq sauce but this recipe would work great with tomato paste! The nice thing about calzones is you can put anything you want inside!

Fry your chicken for 5 minutes before you put them into your calzone. I added a couple drops of liquid smoke to make mine even better. 

Once your dough has risen for 30 minutes it should be about double in size. If its not let it rise longer! Knead your dough for ten minutes and split into two equal halves. 

Roll out your dough on a lightly floured surface, nice and thin. It should be about a 1/4 inch thick. Its easier to make the calzones if you roll your dough into a rectangle rather than a circle. Once you've reached your desired size you can begin to add your toppings starting with the sauce and ending with the cheese. Add your toppings to one side of your dough so you can fold it over and seal it. 

Press the sides with a fork to seal your 

calzone completely. Place on a lightly oiled pan. Rub oil on the outside so the top browns and pop it in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes:) I broiled mine for 5 minutes at the end to make the top perfect. 

SWEET POTATO BLACK BEAN BURRITOS

SWEET POTATO & BLACK BEAN BURRITOS

W/ YVES GROUND CHICKEN

It was Mexican food night at our house! We went all out. These were amazing. The picture slightly does justice. I decided to add yves ground chicken for fun because I had half a pack from our pizzas the night before. The recipe is just as good with just beans and veggies. :) I even bought taco seasoning this time. I usually just make my own. Anyways happy vegan mofo!

Enjoy!

RECIPE

For rice

1 cup rice

2 cups water

2 tablespoons taco seasoning

2 tablespoons earth balance buttery spread

Sweet Potato

1 whole sweet potato, cubed

1 pot w/water to boil potatoes

Olive oil

Taco seasoning

Pinch of salt

Bean mixture

1 can black beans

1 can corn

4 tablespoons taco seasoning

1 teaspoon of fresh thyme

Vegetable mixture

1/2 purple onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 crimini mushroom, diced

1/2 yellow pepper, diced

1/2 package yves veggie ground chicken

Combine 1 cup of rice in 2 cups of water with 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning. Place lid on top. Bring to a low boil on medium-high heat then reduce to low-med and cook for 15 minutes or until all water is absorbed. Stirring occasionally. Add 2 tablespoons of earth balance buttery spread to add flavour and help keeping your rice from sticking once its done!

Now thats going its time to get your potatoes ready. Preheat your oven to 350 and get a baking pan. Oil the pan with olive oil. This is for baking your sweet potatoes. Prepare a small pot with some boiling water for your potatoes. Cube your sweet potato. Once the water is boiling add your potatoes and boil for 4 minutes. Drain your potatoes and place them onto your pan. Brush them with some more olive oil so the top get crispy and sprinkle some taco seasoning and salt on top. Pop those in the oven. Stirring occasionally. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes or until your sweet potatoes are crispy. 

Cut all your desired vegetables for your burritos. Get a frying pan on medium heat with some canola oil ready to fry your beans and corn. Once the pan is hot add your beans and corn and spices. Let them fry while your vegetables and potatoes cook to add flavour and make them nice and soft. Get another larger frying pan prepared with canola oil on medium heat. Add your garlic, onion, peppers and mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes. Add your ground chicken and spices. Fry for another 5 minutes. Stirring occasionally.

Next cut up any toppings vegges. My boyfriend and I did kale, stuffed olives, cherry tomatoes and alfalfa sprouts. 

By this point your rice and potatoes should be pretty much done as well as your veggies. Heat your tortillas and BAM. Dinner is served! Happy vegan living everybody:)