Cupcakes Always Win

June 13, 2013
by cupcakesalwayswin 4 Comments

Strawberry Cookie Snack Bar

Do you usually listen to music when you cook or bake? I definitely do. Not only does music inspire me but it allows me to dance when I need to wait for something to bake in the oven. One of my all time favourite bands to listen to while in the kitchen is The Cat Empire.

Don’t blame me for promoting these guys because simply… they rock!

For those of you that do know The Cat Empire you will also know that they just released a new album and will be on a world tour very soon… which only means one thing. I will be seeing them perform live super soon and I absolutely cannot wait! While dancing/baking to The Cat Empire I whipped up a batch of these cookie snack bars that are perfect for any sort of touring or travelling.

Along with live musical outdoor events the summer is all about hitting the road to find new adventures and inspirations. Naturally in tow are some seasonal fruits and a homemade snack bar for a boost of energy. Why not combine the two? Strawberries and a snack bar to go!

I have very nostalgic memories of listening, and dancing to The Cat Empire with my best friends/roommates. Of course I was usually baking, and naturally as soon as there was a scent of something sweet wafting up the stairs each friend would quickly make their way downstairs to dance (likely story). The bonus was that if timed correctly as soon as the dancing got boring there was a treat that needed to be devoured immediately almost like wild animals

We all love a lot of other bands too, but there is something catchy about The Cat Empire that keeps you snapping and dancing every album from beginning to end!

Now about these trail bars, I actually baked the strawberries right into the mix. It turned out perfectly. It took a lot longer to bake than I had originally anticipated but it was worth the wait.

Thanks for stopping by and keep smiling and dancing in the kitchen! Cheers to friends and delightful bands!

Much Love,

Anna xoxox

June 6, 2013
by cupcakesalwayswin 3 Comments

Double Chocolate Chip Vegan Cookies

Now I can make a good non-vegan cookie… but I wanted to be able to also make a tasty vegan cookie! This began a week or two of experimentation which eventually led to this recipe that is a win! Maybe cookies always win too

Through this experimenting I have found that vegan cookies are not at all hard to make! I think I might even like them better then the double chocolate cookies that are not vegan! Instead of butter and eggs you use a liquid fat like oil and mix it with sugar and water to get a thick paste that works to bind all the ingredients together. The dough is a lot more crumbly than regular cookie dough but it is pretty darn delicious!

As a side note, I know my blog has been a lot of vegan stuff lately, that is mainly because I really like the challenge of baking without ingredients that are normally deemed a necessity in the baking world.

Thanks for dropping by! Hope to see you again soon,
Anna xoxox

May 29, 2013
by cupcakesalwayswin 5 Comments

Cocoa Nachos with Berry Salsa + Toronto Picnickers

When I want to test a new recipe like these cocoa nachos my favourite way to get an immediate review is to grab the nearest friends, a picnic blanket and a place to talk serious eats! Since I started my blog I have been blogging mainly on my own until I met my friend Liz from Noms for the Poor who is equally passionate about picnics/testing recipes and wanted to team up with me to picnic around the city. This has led to the beginning of an exciting project which Liz and I have taken on! That project being a monthly blogpost series, “The Toronto Picnickers” in which Liz and I will be doing with Swallow.

This is the first recipe of the series and I know I am excited! Each month Liz and I will organize a picnic with friends and foodies alike and invite everyone to bring a food item that is perfect for picnicking. We will share our recipes here while Ivy over at Swallow will have the more detailed story of how the picnic went.

Now let’s talk picnic! Our very first picnic was to be at High Park, but unfortunately the weather did not co-operate so we took the picnic indoors. Liz and I ventured around the park to take a few snaps when the weather was a little better. Obviously for more photos and tales check out the Swallow link!

Now about these odd flavoured nachos. Recently I have been playing around with cocoa, I really love how bitter it is and how much it can really alter the flavour of a recipe. These Nachos are just that, bitter, which makes these nachos perfect for dipping in a tasty Berry Salsa.

I made the pita just how I would normally but just adjusted the flour to cocoa ratio. It was the perfect picnic snack! Even though we weren’t indoors everyone seemed to really enjoy it.

I also brought along some Vegan Peanut Lime Cupcakes, and Liz brought some delicious Asparagus Pesto! There was enough food (and drink) to keep the chats going for hours.

I hope you enjoy this recipe! I also hope you like our idea of picnicking in Toronto! Feel free to get in touch if you are interested in attending our picnic by emailing me at cupcakesalwayswin@gmail.com.

Thanks for stopping by and hope to see you again! Have a great day,

Much Love,

Anna xoxoxo

May 16, 2013
by cupcakesalwayswin 6 Comments

Vegan Peanut Lime Mini Cupcakes

A peanut lime cupcake is a unique flavour combination. A moist citrus cake paired with a simple and sweet peanut butter frosting is delightful. I got inspired while eating a salad. How does something super healthy (like a salad) inspire a unique cupcake? Well first off, I eat a lot of salads, so the likelihood of me being inspired while eating a salad is pretty darn high.

Now normally I don’t like salad dressing on my salads, but at this particular restaurant I was at they had a peanut lime salad dressing. It perked my interest as a different sort of flavour. Which than made me think it was a challenge to make this savoury sauce a super sweet and delicious dessert! After a couple of times trying it out I think I was successful. My friends will have to be the ones that let you know their thoughts (if you want a balanced opinion).

Now when it comes to curds I am a strong believer in using eggs and butter. I am still working on developing a vegan curd but my logic says it may not be possible. There are recipes out there that use interesting ingredients to replace the eggs and butter but ultimately I really think it is difficult to recreate a curd without animal products. BUT, feel free to prove me wrong, if you have a recipe for a curd that was super, share it with me! I would love to see!

In saying all that I actually did make a tasty vegan curd using parsnips and coconut oil along with lots of limes! It tasted good but there was a slight parsnip flavour. Which I enjoyed, but you may not. If you have any leftover curd you can refrigerate and use it as a nice spread on a cracker.

There you have it! Peanut lime cupcakes are a thing!

Thanks again for stopping by and yay for spring! See you on the sunny side

Much Love,

Anna xoxoxox

May 8, 2013
by cupcakesalwayswin 2 Comments

Ginger Apple Beet Juice – No Juicer Required!

An unedited blogpost is a funny sight for me! I always write my posts late at night and edit them in the morning. It always gives me a good chuckle… especially this time. I pretty much described how much I love beets over three sentences. I also had several embarrassing puns that involved beet and beat (Like this one: You just can’t stop a beet!). Don’t worry I won’t encourage too much pun fun for the remainder of this post.

Back to the incredible beet! One reason why I like them so much is because of their natural bright colour and taste. It is such a versatile vegetable and is used in so many sweet and savoury recipes.

If you were wondering about why I didn’t use a juicer here is a little fact about me: If I can avoid ANY appliance I will. I prefer kneading with my hands or mixing with a wooden spoon. So when I feel like juice, I grab my strainer and go to town. Of course I am not perfect so sometimes will give into the juice at the store, but it is not the same.

Just to put it out there, beet juice is a unique taste and if you are not a fan of beets you may not like this juice. An added bonus of juicing is the leftover pulp. It can be instantly turned into almost anything! I will usually make savoury beet pancakes, vegan chocolate cupcakes, oatmeal, hummus, or a soup.

It may seem like a lot of work for only 1 glass of juice but perspective fills in the gaps. If a small amount of juice comes from a large quantity of fruits and veggies, how much juice should one really be drinking?

Do you like to juice? Do you use a juicer? What is your favourite juice? (it doesn’t have to be homemade!) Thanks again for stopping by and hope to see you again soon!

Much Love,

Anna xoxoxo

April 30, 2013
by cupcakesalwayswin Leave a comment

Cocoa Kettle Corn

This is a delicious recipe that is simple and has pretty much been an addictive snack since the 18th century. The only change I made was adding a touch of cocoa. Which made it all the more tastier! Now, not only is it sweet and salty but there is little hint of cocoa.

This is my final recipe contribution (for now) to Live Below the Line Canada. If you missed my other posts, here are the links: Homemade Pasta with Roasted Garlic and Vegan and Gluten-Free Chickpea Blondies.

If you haven’t checked out Live Below the Line yet you most definitely should! From April 29-May 3, everyone is being challenged to eat for only $1.75 a day. It is a wonderful initiative and a great challenge. I will be working to make it a habit to eat for $1.75 once a month so developing these recipes has really helped me realize just how much I have, and how it really isn’t difficult to eat for a little amount as long as you are prepared and plan ahead.

Go team Live Below the Line! Wishing all the participants the most fun in the kitchen, be creative and have fun!

Enjoy the day and thanks for stopping by!

Much Love,

Anna xoxoxoxo

April 23, 2013
by cupcakesalwayswin 4 Comments

Easiest Vegan and Gluten-free Blondies

This post goes out to my awesome friend Parastoo who is unable to digest gluten! If you are ever interested in following her fitness and food journey check out her blog.

Parastoo always used to send me and many others an email titled “Thought for the day”. This email always included a lovely quote like “Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.” - Ryunosuke Satoro. I fondly remember these quotes when backpacking through South East Asia. Whenever I checked my email (not very often) I had a number of these thoughts piled in my inbox and it was such a treat to read inspiring quotes to encourage me to keep on trekking on my own adventure.

Baking vegan and gluten-free can be difficult if trying to blend ingredients together where the end result is purely delicious. I haven’t really experimented too much on the gluten-free side of things but have been curious.

I am lucky in the sense that I don’t have any sort of allergies or foods that I absolutely can’t eat. But I love learning about different ingredients and how to blend them to make something delicious that everyone can eat, allergy or no allergy! Feel free to share any tasty treats that are vegan and/or gluten-free, I love seeing new recipes.

These blondies are also quite wonderful because they are also costed for anyone participating in Live Below The Line. It is my second recipe of three that is costed for an individual trying to eat for only $1.75 a day from April 29-May 5. It is a great cause that everyone should totally check out!

This recipe makes 24 squares and cost $.09 per square! So for a little treat you may be able to indulge on these if you can spare $0.09 out of your daily $1.75/day.

These brownies are super delicious, I love peanut butter and I love how the chickpeas work as a binding agent so no eggs or flour are needed.

I raise a vegan gluten-free delicious brownie to all my friends that have the challenge of dietary restrictions! These ones are for you!

Thanks for stopping by and good luck on your Live Below the Line Challenge! Stay tuned for one more costed recipe! Wishing you the most sunshine filled day!

Much Love,

Anna xoxox

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