Maple Walnut Cupcakes

Today we went to a local maple syrup festival--plenty of maple candy, maple cotton candy, and litres and litres of maple syrup. Plus, there was plenty of small town fun to be had as well: horse drawn wagon rides, local music, Amish baking, and arts and crafts booths. We had a great time, stuffed ourselves with maple treats, and brought home several litres of syrup. Tonight we went to an end-of-year BBQ at a colleague's house and brought (what else?) these maple walnut cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. They are awesome.

Jelly Donut Cupcakes

Isa is a freakin' genius. A donut cupcake? You better believe it! These tasty treats from Veganomicon were the perfect end to an intensely busy work week. Not only are they delicious, they are fun to bake. The filling is placed on top of the batter and it magically sinks into the cupcake as it bakes. I actually ran out of jam (time to go shopping), so I pressed a few chocolate chips into the center of the remaining cupcakes. The boys loved them.

Candy Cane Cupcakes

Today is Son #1's 7th birthday. Hard to believe, but true. He wanted to bring in cupcakes for his class (increasing his popularity exponentially), and wanted them to be Christmas cupcakes. I had some mints leftover from the gingerbread house, as well as a few candy canes. I know I saw this idea on some other blog, but I can't remember which one. I ground up 2 large candy canes in my coffee grinder (about 1 cup), folded it into the buttercream frosting from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, spread it over the basic chocolate cupcakes, and topped with a mint. I think these would be great for holiday parties.

Brooklyn vs. Boston Creme Cupcakes

Tonight the boys and I made cupcakes. (Mom, if you are reading this, we are holiday baking/class party mode. We usually don't make this many desserts) I have wanted to make these cupcakes since I got Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World but have never been able to find the agar powder the recipe calls for. And the chances of finding it here in northern Ontario are pretty much nil. So, I improvised. I substituted 1 tbsp of cornstarch for the agar (and still kept the arrowroot powder), and used firm tofu. I blended everything in a saucepan with an immersion blender, then whisked it over medium heat until it thickened. Once cooled, I piped it into the cupcakes as directed. I am not sure what the real version is supposed to be like, but this was pretty tasty.

Banana Split Cupcakes

We are still chowing down on the leftovers from Indian night, so I thought I would showcase the banana split cupcakes we made for my brother's birthday on the weekend. The recipe, of course, comes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World and the results were spectacular. I can't remember the last time I felt so happy eating a dessert. The tender cake, bittersweet chocolate, and crunchy nuts all combined for a taste that immediately caused an endorphin rush. The recipe called for pineapple preserves in the batter, but we used strawberry jam instead (not a big fan of pineapple).

Birthday Cupcakes!

We celebrated my niece's 4th birthday yesterday with cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. They were a big hit and sent the kids off on a sugar high that lasted for hours. With our holiday visitors this weekend that meant six hyper kids tearing up the place. Totally worth it for these awesome vegan treats.