Brown Sugar and Peach Muffins

So it's Martin Luther King Jr. Day and me and the monkey have the day off together, so what better to do than make some muffins!  So we put on our slippers and "baking hats" and went to work

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups flour(spelt or all purpose wheat)

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup soymilk(recipe said to add 2tbs more for all purpose flour, but I ended up adding in about 1/4 cup more)

1 tbs lemon juice

1/3 cup oil(i used canola)

1 tsp vanilla extract

2/3 cup chopped peaches(always welcome to use more depending on how much peach you want in there....i recommend more!)

You will also need a little more chopped peaches and some brown sugar(for sanding) for the top of the muffins before baking.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400

2. Line pan (this is a good step for little monkeys to do for you)

3. Mix the dry ingredients together

4. Whisk wet ingredients together in a separate bowl until incorporated and thickened...OH MY  Look who showed up to help us with this step

5. Add wet ingredients to dry and gently fold until the flour is moistened and there are no dry spots

6. Gently fold in the chopped peaches

7. Fill Muffin cups 3/4 of the way full....oh goodness..ANOTHER celebrity helper

8. Add the extra chopped peaches and sprinkle the brown sugar on top before baking....well my my....yet ANOTHER celebrity in my kitchen!

9. Bake for 18-22 minutes(remember to use check often if you don't have an oven thermometer)

10. Take the muffins out when they are done, or in my case, have someone else do it for you



Let the muffins cool and then enjoy!  A big thank you to my little monkey for helping and to Iron Man, Georges St Pierre, Batman, and Bumblebee for all of their help!

Maple Oat Cookies

Now these cookies aren't your normal oatmeal cookie that is an occasional, oh there's an oat in that bite.  these cookies are all oat with a little bit in between. Sounds odd but they are DELICIOUS AND ADDICTING.  Now this original recipe calls for spelt flour, but since I live in middleofnowherebumpkinville. no one carries that.  so I used organic all purpose instead.  These cookies are vegan, vegetarian, diary free, low sodium, and it says they are sugar conscious but I seriously question that one. considering there is 1/2 cup of pure maple syrup but who knows. 

NUTRITIONAL INFO: serving size(1 cookie): 80 calories(35 from fat), 4g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 10mg sodium, 10g total carbohydrate(1g dietary fiber, 3g sugar) 1g protein

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup plus 2 tbs spelt flour(like I said, I couldn't find any so I used all purpose but if you have spelt, then use it)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup canola or high-heat sunflower oil
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:
1.Preheat oven to 350
2. place oats in a medium saucepan and toast over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until oats are slightly golden and fragrant(about 3 minutes)
3. Remove from heat and stir in flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, maple syrup and vanilla until combined.
5. Add maple syrup mixture to oat mixture and stir to combing completely.
6.Drop by rounded teaspoons onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
7.Gently flatten dough with wet fingers and bake until golden brown(about 15 minutes)
8.Cool cookies on a wire rack

Just a personal note: this cookie is screaming for some cranberries....so next time I make them there will be cranberries in there...nom nom nom!!!!!!!!!!!!

Crimson Velveteen Cupcakes with Old-Fashioned Velvet Frosting

This Recipe makes about 12 cupcakes.  Remember to not fill more than 2/3 of the way full unless you want less than 12 "muffin-cakes". The biggest rule I can tell you is to have an oven thermometer, every oven is different, I know mine for instance is always hotter than the temp. I set it on.  If you don't have an oven thermometer I suggest you get one, if you still sit there and say, but I don't need one, I can just check them to make sure they aren't overcooked....don't come crying when your cupcakes are dry or burnt(trust me I've done this and been highly disappointed to put my fantastic icing on top of dry cupcakes!)  I have baked both vegan and non-vegan and can say I have honestly never tasted anything more delicious in cupcake form than the Vegan versions.  Now there has been some suggestions that recipes with baking powder messes with the taste of vegan baking, I have had delicious results so far, but if anyone has suggestions or recipes they'd like to share that don't include baking powder please feel free to share!  I added pictures at the end so if you are confused on anything, maybe it will help a little. So without further ado Here we go............

CUPCAKE INGREDIENTS:

1 cup soymilk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1-1/4 cups all purpose four(I like gold medley's organic all purpose)
1 cup granulated sugar(i use florida crystals organic sugar)
2 tbs cocoa powder(can be regular or dutch processed)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup canola oil
2 tbs red food coloring
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 tsp chocolate extract(I HIGHLY recommend not using artificial versions, yes the real stuff is hard to find, but well worth it, if you can't find it you can increase the vanilla by 2 tsp or almond by 1 tsp)

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. MAKE SURE YOU TURNED THE OVEN ON TO 350! ( I don't know why some people think preheating can be skipped.....)
3. put cupcake liners in pan....TRUST ME, you will be glad you did this first!
4. Whisk together the soy milk and vinegar, set aside to curdle(when I say curdle, it does not actually look curdled, just let it set until you are ready for the wet ingredients)
5. Sift flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl and mix
6. Add the oil, food coloring, chocolate extract, almond extract, and vanilla extract to the curdled soy milk. Whisk well to combine.
7. Gently fold wet ingredients into dry, mixing until large lumps disappear(some small lumps are ok)
8. Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full.
9. Place in hot oven and bake 18-20 minutes(here is where you make sure the oven temp is correct, mine where perfectly done at about 16 minutes)
10. Let cool for a few minutes then transfer to a wire cooling rack

FROSTING INGREDIENTS
2 tbs all purpose flour
1/2 cup soy milk
1/4 cup non-hydrogenated shortening
1/4 cup margarine
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup superfine or castor sugar
chopped pecans(optional)
DIRECTIONS
1. In a small saucepan over medium hear, whisk together the flour and soy milk. Stir constantly until the mixture starts to thicken and has a pudding-like consistency, about 3 to 4 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to cool for 2 minutes.  Transfer to a large bowl  and press plastic wrap on top of CUSTARD to prevent a skin from forming.
2. Allow mixture to cool COMPLETELY(very important)
3. Cream together the shortening, margarine, vanilla, and sugar then beat in cold custard.  Beat with electric mixer for 4-6 minutes.  Frosting should become lighter in color and have a very creamy texture, similar to very thick whipped cream. Frost on cooled cupcakes
4. Toast Chopped pecans in oven and sprinkle on finished cupcakes.

Refrigerate until about 10-15 minutes before serving.
Here are some pictures I took during a baking session: