What I've been eating and Candy Cane Cupcakes

So, debut post. Am I supposed to say something eloquent? Because I'm probably not going to.

For all you PPK-ers and those of you who've been following The VEST Squad, I'm JillianRenee. I'm vegan, and I eat.

So what have I been eating lately? I'm ashamed to admit that I've been on a steady diet of Luna, Cliff, and Macro Bars for breakfast and lunch. Dinner is generally the only time my cooking expertise (hah!) gets to shine. For example, last night's dinner (and possibly tonight's) was the wonderful Seitan Piccata from Veganomicon.


Curry Udon Noodle Stir Fry, also from V'con


And Pasta E Fagioli of Yellow Rose Recipes fame


But none of those recipes are mine, yes? I've been entertaining the thought of coming up with my own vegan creations, but I never quite got around to it. After a visit to my therapist, however, we were discussing the disassociation I sometimes feel when I get depressed. In order to combat this, she suggested I do something concrete to help me stay in touch with reality. Together, we decided that the best outcome of this would be to write down a list of ingredients for a new recipe, and you know what? It works every time. I may be scribbling down a cupcake brainstorm in the middle of chemistry rather than paying attention, but who am I kidding? I never pay attention in chemistry. Now, at least, I have something to do. ;)

So here's the first recipe I came up with: Candy Cane Cupcakes.

Candy Cane Cupcakes

I would love to say that these cupcakes went off without a hitch and were a pleasure to bake, but the truth is, they were anything but. Don't get me wrong, they turned out wonderfully - although I'd like to do some tweaking later - but there were so many mini obstacles that I almost threw in the towel and ended my recipe solution before it began. The first thing that went wrong was, after deciding on a whim that the cupcakes would be prettier with some red food coloring, not putting the cap back on the stupid bottle. Needless to say, somewhere between mixing the wet and dry ingredients and adding the crushed candy canes, the precariously perched bottle splattered all over my kitchen floor (and counters, and ceiling.. somehow). Do you know how long it takes to clean up an entire bottle of spilled food coloring? Well, neither do I, but I can tell you that it is a damn long time, and I apologize in advance for destroying the environment with all those paper towels. The only cool part was that it looked quite exactly like I'd knifed someone, let them bleed to death, and dragged the body away. Even the paper towels and my hands. At least, the way I think it looks like from the movies.. obviously. Of course.

The second thing that went wrong was realizing, after making the batter and preheating my challenged oven, that I was out of cupcake liners. No problem, right? I'll just call my sister and ask her to pick some up on her way home from her piano lesson (that I may or may not have supposed to have been at.. don't tell). Of course, the Pennsylvania skies decide that tonight, the only night I need them to behave, they're going to be spiteful and cause my sister to bitch at me about how she's not stopping for anything so trivial in a time like this. So what now? Grease the shit out of the muffin pan and pray to Moses, Jesus, and Allah they don't stick? Of course not! My problem solving powers are much superior to that. I'll just use the mini cupcake liners and the mini cupcake pans! Nothing wrong with mini cupcakes, right?

There were other cupcake issues, such as having to balance out an overdose of peppermint extract (that shit is strong!), and having an unrelated emotional breakdown during the making of the icing, but I'm guessing that by now you just want me to shut up and give you the recipe. So here it is, in all its shenanigans-causing glory!


1 1/3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
2 tbs cornstarch
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp allspice
1 cup soy milk + 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp peppermint extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp red food coloring
1/3 cup oil
1/4 cup crushed candy canes (which is all I had, feel free to add more)

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners and set aside.

Whisk together the soy milk (or whatever non-dairy milk you have) and apple cider vinegar in a measuring cup. Set aside.

Combine the dry ingredients (down to salt) and the wet ingredients (down to oil) separately. I don't really care if you mix the dry into the wet or the wet into the dry, just make sure they're mixed well with either a fork or a handheld mixer. When the batter is smooth, add the crushed candy canes.

Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 full, you know the drill. If you're making mini cupcakes, the baking time should be about 15-18 minutes, for regulars it'd be about 21-23. I'm a little shaky on these as my oven tends to treat over-baking and under-baking like a hobby, but the toothpick test should suit ya fine. Pop those babies in the oven!

Time for the icing.


Candy Cane Icing

2 cups icing sugar
1/4 cup Earth Balance, or other non-dairy margarine at room temperature
1/4 cup vegetable shortening (I used Spectrum) at room temperature
1/2 tsp peppermint extract or more, to taste
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 tbs non-dairy milk
1/2 cup crushed candy canes

Cream together the margarine and shortening. Whisk in the icing sugar with a fork or handheld mixer. Add the non-dairy milk and extracts. When icing is smooth with no lumps, stir in the candy canes. You don't really need to refrigerate this before decorating the cuppies, but if you're not decorating them right away, store that shit in the fridge.

Let the cupcakes completely cool before icing. Decorate and enjoy. :)

By the way, if my friends don't flake out on donating me their leftover candy canes, I'll post the chocolate version I came up with for these. Till then, happy eating.

Love,
Jillian Renee