Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes!

... over-ripe bananas. Don't throw them out! Experiment with this recipe! If you don't have chocolate chips, try adding some nuts or dried fruit - your cupcakes are sure to turn out delicious! 

Wet Ingredients:

• 1 Cup non-dairy milk
• 1 Teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 1/2 Over-ripe Bananas, Mashed
• 1/4 Cup Coconut Oil
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Dry Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
• 1 Cup White Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 Cup Vegan Chocolate Chips

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 350F/180C for 15 minutes. Lightly grease a muffin tin or line it with paper liners.
2. In a small bowl mix together the milk and vinegar and set aside for about 5 minutes or until it curdles.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients and make a well in the center.
4. To it add the milk mixture, applesauce, oil and vanilla extract. Mix together until the batter is just moistened. Fold in the chocolate chips and nuts, if using.
5. Scoop out about 1/3rd cup of batter in each muffin cup. Bake for about 25-27 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Mine was done in 25 minutes.

Cupcake or Muffin?

I get this question a lot:

What's the difference between a cupcake and a muffin? The simplest answer is that Cupcakes have frosting while Muffins do not.

More specifically, "A basic formula for muffins is 2 cups flour, 2-4 tablespoons sugar, 2½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 egg, ¼ cup oil, shortening or butter and 1 cup milk. When the fat, sugar and egg ratio in a recipe reaches double or more than this, you have reached the cake level." (dianasdesserts.com).

Another difference that i've recently discovered is in how you consume a cupcake vs. a muffin. Although everyone has their own way of eating these delecasies, i'll talk about my experiences. When eating a cupcake, the best way to achieve the propper cupcake/frosting ratio in every bite is to separate the bottom of the cupcake and place it ontop of the frosting (like a whoopie pie).
When eating a muffin, most people eat the top-down, but the most efficient way to eat a muffin (as a recently discovered ovbserving a family at McDonalds while sipping a free Coffee) is to turn it upside-down in a napkin, remove the paper, and eat from the bottom-down.
No matter what way you choose to eat a muffin or cupcake, odds are the methods are different.

...and that's the way the cupcake crumbles..

Apple Pie Cupcakes

Although Canadian Thanksgiving is long gone, American Thanksgiving is just around the corner and Apple pie is a staple at every table. Much easier to pull together than an entire pie, Apple Pie Cupcakes are a creative twist on the classic dessert. You're guests will be thankful you made them!

Ingredients

• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsweetened plain soy milk
• ½ cup canola oil
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon white or apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 can apple pie filling
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) cupcake pans with 24 cupcake liners

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together soy milk, oil, vanilla, apple pie filling and vinegar. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and whisk until just combined. Do not over mix.
4. Fill the cupcake liners about two-thirds full with batter. Bake standard sized cupcakes for 15 to 18 minutes (or mini cupcakes for 8-10 minutes), or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean with a few crumbs clinging to it. Cool the cupcakes completely before frosting.

Little Footprints, Big Steps

Little Footprints, Big Steps is Peace Treat's partner charity. LFBS is a transitional safehouse that provides children rescued from slavery, abuse, homelesness, or severe neglect by Hatian authorities with a safe, family environment. Little Footprints, Big Steps provides these children with 3 nutritionally dense meals per day as well as regular medical care. Shelter, tutoring, and therapy are also provided to help these children physically, as well as prove them with psychological help to cope with their traumatic pasts. LFBS also aims to find sponsors to fund each child's annual education costs. As the children return to health, they are either reunited with their biological families or placed in a trustworthy orphanage. To find out more or to donate to this great cause, please see http://littlefootprintsbigsteps.com/. Your support is greatly appreciated.