Baking galore!

Wow this post was promised aaages ago wasn't it! I hope it was worth the wait! How's everyones week been? I had a better week, busy with uni work and I have a clarinet exam on Saturday so I'm feeling a bit stressed, I'm prepared for it but I always feel I could do more, it's always the case though, a bit more time probably wouldn't change a thing! Anyway on to the food! That's what you're here for right?

Maple cupcakes with sugared cashews (instead of walnuts) from VCTOW
These were really good actually, I didn't think I would like the sugared cashews but they turned out really nice. I also made a frosting based on the one in VCTOW but I don't really like cooking with fat, I always sub apple sauce for oil and don't often do proper frostings unless they're for other people.. So my frosting recipe, basically it was soy protein powder added to maple syrup until the consistency felt right and it tasted right, i.e. not too protein-y! It needs some work, it tastes great but it doesn't stay on the cupcakes so they don't look too pretty!! Maybe some powdered sugar would help but I think that might make it too sweet.. If anyone tries this let me know how it turns out for you!



Next up, another modified VCTOW recipe.. The cake recipe is the Almond version of the Hazlenut cupcakes, the first set is topped with a chocolate ganache and vegan crunchie (honeycomb - recipe below) unfortunately the crunchie pieces melted into the ganache but I'm assured by my Gran who I baked them for, that the taste still shone through, in fact I know it did because I didn't tell her what it was and she knew! The second lot are topped with a lemon cream cheese frosting leftover from the carrot cakes shown below. I had also made a blueberry compote to go with the lemon ones, recipe in VCTOW but my gran forgot to serve it with the cupcakes so my grandad will be getting a treat with his breakfast!



Mother's day Carrot cake cupcakes from VCTOW
As you may remember from earlier posts my mum loves carrotcake so what better to make her for mother's day? I had the bright idea of spelling out Happy Mother's Day in marzipan carrots, it took aaaaaaages but she loved it so it was worth it, she did point out I'd missed the apostrophe out though cheeky mum!




Vegan Crunchie/Honeycomb
These were sooo yummy! I'm kinda scared to make them again for fear of eating them all!! I'm failing to find where I got the recipe from so I'm sorry to the person I'm not crediting, I did modify it though... I used one cup of sugar and half a cup of water and I think 1 tbs of baking soda. In a deep pan heat the sugar and water to hard crack stage, with a thermometer around 300° F– 150° C I actually took it off before it reached that heat as it smelt like it was burning and it still worked well, once off the heat add the baking soda it will fizz up a lot (that's why you need a deep pan!) then chill the honeycomb until it's hard, it didn't take long at all for me. I then broke it up and coated it in melted dark chocolate yum yum!




Soda Bread
My Gran saved me a recipe for soda bread in the Daily Telegraph Magazine, it was not vegan but I made some changes and it turned out great!
500g wholemeal flour
10g salt
15g baking soda
150g oat flakes
1 tbsp molasses
500ml oat milk plus 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

mix the oat milk and vinegar so it has time to curdle
preheat the oven to 200°C
line a baking sheet
mix all the dry ingredients
add in the wet ingredients
shape the dough into a loaf with floured hands and mark the top with a knife
bake on the top shelf for 45mins until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped
transfer to a wire rack to cool, the recipe suggests draping a damp cloth over the loaf to help it stay moist but I like a really crunchy crust so I omitted this stage. (Sorry for the bad lighting!)



Sugar free, no added fat almond choc chip cookies
I'm working on this recipe and a PB variation, it's not quite there yet but I promise I'll let you know as soon as I nail it!