Vegan Golden Vanilla Cupcakes

Ingredients:

•  1 cup soymilk
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup margarine or 1/3 cup canola oil
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract or 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line muffin pan with paper liners.
2. Whisk the soy milk and the vinegar together and let sit a few minutes until curdled.
3. IF USING MARGARINE:.
4. Sift the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl and mix.
5. In a separate large bowl,use a handheld mixer at medium speed to cream the margarine and sugar for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy, but don't beat past 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and other extract, if using, alternate beating in the soy milk mixture and the dry ingredients, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl a few times.
6. IF USING OIL:
7. Beat together the soy milk mixture, oil, sugar, vanilla, and other extracts, if using, in a large bowl. Sift in the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix until no large lumps remain.
8. Fill cupcake liners two-thirds of the way and bake for 20 to 22 minutes till done. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely before frosting.

Read More

Wedding Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/4 cups sifted flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
• powdered sugar (for rolling baked cookies in)

Directions:

1. Cream together butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy; stir in vanilla.
2. Whisk together flour and salt; add gradually to butter mixture; stir in chopped nuts.
3. Chill dough if it seems too soft.
4. Form dough into 1 1/4" balls and place onto parchment-lined or ungreased baking sheets.
5. Bake at 400° for 10-12 minutes or just until the cookies start to turn light golden-brown; remove from oven and allow to cool slightly; while cookies are still warm (but NOT hot) remove them from baking sheets and roll, a few at a time, in powdered sugar until evenly coated; cool cookies completely on wire racks.
6. Cookies may (optionally) be rolled in powdered sugar a second time once cooled to room temperature.
7. NOTE: Forming dough into 1" balls will increase yield to 48 cookies.

Read More

Angel Food Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cake flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 12 large egg whites, MUST be room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Directions:

Note: For those not use to making angel food cakes Don't get any yoke in the whites, if you do throw out and start over. I always separate the egg in a glass first. Then if no yoke pour into measuring container.

DO NOT GREASE PAN.

1. I always use a two piece angelfood cake pan.
2. Heat oven to 375°.
3. Sift the cake flour and 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp sugar; set aside.
4. Combine the extracts in a small bowl; set aside.
5. Beat egg whites, cream of tartar and salt until it forms peaks.
6. Add the other 3/4 cup of sugar slowly, then beat on high until stiff peaks form.
7. If you have a mixing guard for your mixer bowl now would be a good time to attach it.
8. Beating on LOW, add flour mixture and extracts slowly.
9. Make sure you fold in the sides and bottom of your mixing bowl.
10. (You can fold in flour mixture by hand but this way is faster.) Spoon into an angel food cake pan.
11. Move a knife through batter to remove air pockets.
12. Bake 30-35 minutes or until top springs back when touched lightly with finger.
13. Invert pan onto a tin funnel to cool completely.
14. To remove the cake from your pan run a knife around the rim of the cake pan just to get the 'crust' away from the pan.
15. Then firmly spank the sides of your pan.
16. You could use a knife but this sometime tears the sides of the cake.
17. Invert onto your serve plate then take the knife to the now top which was the bottom of your pan and gently cut cake away from the pan insert.
18. No need to cut around the center tube as you just give the cake a gently but firm tap or downward shake on to the plate.
19. Or you can pick up plate while holding onto the pan insert with your thumbs and firmly strike the bottom of the plate onto a folded towel. (Just give it a slam down on the towel/table).

Read More