Spring time Sweets

I dont know if it is warming weather or just my sweet tooth kicking up but I got two sugar filled treats to share with you.  

The first was made with help from my dear friend Suzanna.  I got the craving for minty cupcakes back in December but it took 3 months to actually find the time to make them.  Te fun part about that was finding candy canes out of season!  We used a basic vanilla cupcake recipe:

1C soymilk w/ 1tsp vinegar whisked in

1/2 C butter creamed w/ 3/4C sugar

2 tsp vanilla (added to creamed sugar/butter)

1/3C crushed candy cane (this is about 3 candy canes that you can chop with a knife to 'crush' )

combine the soymilk to vanilla/sugar/butter

separately sift together:

1/14C flour

2T corn starch

3/4 tsp b powder

1/2 tsp b soda

1/4 t salt

 add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three batches then bake at 350 for 20 min. 

The frosting is a simple: powdered sugar->butter w/ vanilla .  you can add a bit of water or extra powdered sugar to get the consistency you like but I warn you the ratio of sugar to butter is around 3:1 so if you want 1 cup of frosting it would be 1/4C butter and 3/4 C sugar.  I like my frosting a bit thicker so I encourage you to use an extra Tbs or two of powdered sugar.  To finish it off we crushed one more candy cane as a topping!  

If you are wondering . . .not they are not seasonal because these sugar rush bombs are good all year round!  

It may seem strange to make cookie dough with the intention of eating ti raw but it is a habit I picked up living with Ben.  For the better part of 3 years we were vegan and wheat free.  The lack of gluten and eggs made it clear that cookie dough has some superior traits!  These are not wheat free but they make a great spring/summer time treat after you freeze them.  The recipe benefits from leaving out baking powder and baking soda since you are not baking them.  

1/3 C butter

1/3 C white sugar

3 Tbs Brown sugar

cream these together. . . and when I say that I mean mix it for 3-5 minutes.  Dont skimp you are actually changing the chemical composition bu doing this and it is an important step in making a good treat.  

mix in extras:

3 Tbs coconut flakes

3 Tbs crushed walnuts

2 Tbs carob chips (I dont like chocolate but I bet most of you will do chocolate chips)

2 tsp flax seed

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

1 Tbs coconut oil and 1/2 tsp water  (this makes up for the loss of egg)

add the flour in 3 portions:

1/3 C

At this point I just balled it and stuck it in the freezer for 30 minutes. If you want to get more fancy you can roll the dough in flax or sesame or toasted coconut or any other treat before you freeze them.  If you want to get extra fancy you can dip them in chocolate post freezing place the coated dough on wax paper and put them back in the freezer.  

If you really want to go crazy you can hollow out a ball and fill the dough with frosting left over from the cupcakes.  Not only is it insane in its sugar deliciousness but all of your friends will look at you with a combination of surprise, disgust and hunger!  Like you have never eaten frosting filled cookie dough for lunch!  Eat well!