Fun Cakes I made this year!

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

A while back I stopped updating this blog and have been working on perfecting some of my skills. I am also considering Culinary School. I struggle with the vegan issue as well as the family issue though and I am not sure if it will work at this point in time but I have decided to continue to hone my knife skills and challenge myself to see where I can get. Hopefully I will be able to update a little more often now that I will be again working on new things.

I have been inundated with requests for my Caramel Apple Cinnamon Cupcake recipe. It is part of a cookbook I am making but I will throw it on here for those who are asking. :) For one of my friends in particular:(You better let my precious baby friend Psalms have some... you know who you are lol!)


Caramel Apple Cinnamon Cupcakes
The Cupcakes:
1 ¼ cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
3 tsp Cinnamon
1 cup soy milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup canola oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon extract(optional)
1/8 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line muffin tray with paper liners and set aside until ready.
Wisk together Soy Milk and Apple Cider Vinegar in a medium sized mixing bowl and set aside to allow to curdle. Next, sift together flour, baking soda, baking pwder, salt and spices. Add sugar, oil, and extracts to the Milk mixture and slowly mix flour mixture into milk mixture until just combined. Do not over mix!

Fill paper liners 3/4 full and bake for 18-20 minutes until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

The Center/Topping:
2 Granny smith Apples or other baking type apples
2 tbsp Vegan Margarine (Earth Balance is my first choice)
2 tbsp Brown sugar

Carefully dice Apples into 1/2 inch dice. Melt Margerine in heavy bottom skillet and add apples and brown sugar. Coook at medium temp until apples are soft and sugar has caramelized and liquid has reduced.

The Frosting: (Click on the link for more awesome cupcake recipes and icings and more from Isa Moskovitz and Terry Hope Romero)
1/2 cup vegan cream cheese (softened)
1/2 cup vegan margarine (softened)
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

cream together cream cheese and margarine with electric mixer. When well mixed add vanilla extract and slowly add powdered sugar in 1/2 cup increments until well mixed.

There is also typically a vegan caramel in these cupcakes as well however it is a very advanced culinary technique and I am not going to post it. The apple mixture in the cupcakes should be enough for the caramel flavor or you can purchase something like This Vegan Caramel or you can just skip it.

Now to assemble, I cut a cone shape out of the cupcake in the middle. You can also use a spoon and dig it out but keep removed cake in one piece. Place the cone shape to the side and fill with apple mixture. Put the cone point side up back onto the cupcake and the using a icing tip pipe around it using it as a center to get a nice tall peak on your cupcake. Sprinkle a couple more apple pieces on top of your cupcake and a small amount of caramel if using.

March Meatout

So March Meatout is coming up fast. March 20th I will be asking my friends to give up Meat for a day. If you gave up Meat last year for the day you might consider trying to be Vegan for a day! I will start posting recipes for the Meatout, so let me know if there is something you want but don't know how to make Vegan or Vegetarian!

Today on Oprah she and her staff are going Vegan for a week... I posted the question on Facebook and Twitter... Could you go Vegan for a week? My guess is you could and you wouldn't even miss it!

Next week my family (filled with omnivores and one mostly vegetarian) will. I am not going to tell them (don't worry they don't read my blog.) My guess is that they will not notice. Starting Monday Feb 7th I will feed them only Vegan food. Since I have teenagers I am not sure what kind of (Starbucks) mess they will eat/drink away from me but I will do my best to have them eat Vegan food. Cake, Ice Cream, Mousse, Veg Burgers, Enchiladas and whatever else I can trick them into. I will post the results as we go. SHH... don't tell anyone!

TVP Sloppy Joes-Chili Joes

Interesting pic huh? It is from my Tupperware container since I made these and didn't plan on posting it. lol sorry!


Okay so these aren't your normal sloppy joes with the BBQ flavor... I like things a little spicy! These are more of a "Chili" Joe. I imagine they would be Amazing on or over some vegan cornbread!

If you aren't familiar with TVP, get familiar! Wiki says this:
Textured or texturized vegetable protein (TVP), also known as textured soy protein (TSP), soy meat, or soya meat is a meat analogue or nutritious meat extender made from defatted soy flour, a by-product of extracting soybean oil.[1] It is quick to cook, with a protein content equal to that of the meat,[2] and contains no fat.

What are the negatives? NONE! TVP is super cheap too! Whole Foods sells it and so do most grocery stores. Bob's Red Mill is a great brand but a lot more expensive than buying it bulk at Sunshine Nutrional Centers (off of the square) or at Whole Foods.

2 tbsp olive oil
1 Stalk Celery, minced
1 Carrot, minced
1 Onion, minced
1 Bell Pepper(any color,) minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup TVP
1 16 oz can tomato sauce
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp molasses
1 1/2 tsp of apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup water
1/4 tsp oregano (Mexican preferably)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
sriracha hot sauce (to taste) -I have used Tabasco if I didn't have Sriracha but don't unless you hate it or don't have it it tastes soooo much better!


saute the onion, pepper, celery and carrot in olive oil for 10 minutes or until the onions are translucent add in the garlic in the last 2 minutes of cooking (do not brown the garlic or it will turn bitter.) Add tomato sauce and water and bring mixture to a boil. Stir in the rest of the ingredients except hot sauce. Cook for about 10 minutes until TVP is soft and "meaty" add sriracha tasting as you go becareful not to "over heat" it with the sriracha! Serve it on or over bread or rolls!