Bald Cardamom Cupcakes

I made these for a lovely tea party I was invited to, hosted by my dear friend Abby Wilde. There were five different tea pots, tea sandwiches, and a whole host of brilliant, wonderful women. Abby asked me to bring some vegan treats and the recipe for these were specially requested by everyone there.

So, for everyone who asked, here's how to make those yummy cakes! The first batch I made was incredibly lazy, so I went and worked out a gluten-free alternative for those of you who like those sorts of things as much as I do.

Vegan Cardamom Cupcakes
(makes 12)

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 tbsp corn starch
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp celtic sea salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1 cup flaxseed or almond milk (I used the flaxseed, but almond would be just as good. Soy would be okay, too. Avoid rice milk. You want a milk alternative that isn't too watery.)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup plain applesauce
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
3/4 cup agave nectar

Set oven to 350 F and line muffin tin with cupcake papers.

Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. Then add milk, applesauce, agave nectar, vanilla extract and almond extract, and apple cider vinegar. Fill each of the paper liners to about two third's full.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Stick a toothpick in and make sure it comes out clean. Allow to cool and then enjoy heartily!

Gluten-Free Vegan Cardamom Cupcakes
(makes 12)

1/3 cup almond flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup quinoa flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp celtic sea salt
3/4 cup agave nectar
1/3 cup applesauce
1 cup flaxseed or almond milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract

Set oven to 350 F and line muffin tin with cupcake papers.

Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. Then add milk, applesauce, agave nectar, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Fill each of the paper liners to about two third's full.

Bake for 23-27 minutes. Stick a toothpick in and make sure it comes out clean. Allow to cool and then enjoy heartily!

Go on! Have a peace!

Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies for the Fall

I was in the mood for some guilt-free treats with a twinge of fall, so I put together a basic chocolate chip cookie recipe with some tasty alterations for your fall snacking pleasure.

Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies for the Fall

(makes ~2 dozen cookies)

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup plain, unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup almond milk

2 tbsp tapioca flour

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (or 1 cup carob chips if you prefer - I like both)

1/2 cup dried cherries

1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds, ground

Preheat oven to 350 F. 

Grind pumpkin seeds in a food processor. If you don't have a food processor, you can grind them in a coffee grinder. Shake out the ground seeds into a wide shallow bowl or a rimmed plate.

Prepare a pair of cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, mix together the sugar and applesauce until well combined. Next, add the almond milk and tapioca flour and beat until the batter is smooth and clump-less. Mix in the vanilla last.

Add half the wheat flour, all of the baking soda and salt, and combine well. Then add in the remaining flour and carefully fold in the chocolate chips and dried cherries. 

Scoop small spoonfuls of the dough and roll into a ball between your palms. Dab the outside of each dough ball with the ground pumpkin seeds and place on the cookie sheets about three fingers width apart, flattening slightly either with your fingers or a fork.

Bake for about 15 minutes. Then let cool on the cookie sheets for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack. 

Go on! Have a peace. :)