Cupcakes for Two!

Have you ever just wanted one cupcake??  Sometimes I have a craving for cupcakes, but I know I don't want one dozen sitting around my apartment.  This recipe comes to the rescue!  It's so simple, takes less than a half hour to make, and yields just TWO cupcakes (or in my case 1 dozen mini cupcakes).  Last month was Justin's birthday, and I wanted to surprise him with cupcakes.  It was the perfect recipe for a gift to one person.  I decided on the mini cupcakes because one dozen mini's look more festive and fill the entire plate nicely while still being a good portion (plus more cupcakes means more fudge frosting!!).  This is the perfect recipe to satisfy a quick cupcake craving!!

Cupcakes for Two

Recipe adapted from How Sweet it is
Makes about 2 standard cupcakes or 1 dozen mini cupcakes.

Ingredients

- 1 egg white

- 2 Tbsp sugar

- 2 Tbsp butter, melted

- 1 tsp vanilla

- 1/4 cup - 1 Tbsp brown rice flour

- 1 Tbsp tapioca flour

- 1/4 rounded tsp gluten free baking powder

- pinch of salt

- 1 1/2 Tbsp milk (dairy, almond, or soy, I use almond)

Vegan Apple Peanute Butter Cookies

My mom recently switched from vegetarian to vegan.  As a congratulations for her first month, I wanted to make her some celebratory cookies.  The only complication was I had never made cookies before that had neither butter, eggs, nor refined sugar (regular refined white sugar or any brown sugar is not vegan.  Only organic white sugar  or brown sugar is.  You can find lists of vegan white sugar online). So I did some research, found ways to substitute that I preferred and found a recipe that I thought she would like and that I could also make gluten free easily.  Apples and Peanut Butter and a perfect match.  They're healthy but they're also something I used to have when I was a kid as a healthy treat--and still frequently have!  These cookies are for everyone, not just vegans, looking for a healthier version of a cookie, while still being just as indulgent any other cookie.

Vegan and Gluten Free Apple Peanut Butter Cookies

Recipe adapted from The Tolerant Vegan
Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

- 1 Tbsp flax, ground
- 3 Tbsp water
- 1 1/2 cups brown rice flour*
- 1/8 tsp xanthan gum
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening (I used Earth Balance Natural Shortening)
- 1/2 cup Peanut Butter (I used Nature's Promise Smooth, Salted Organic Peanut Butter)
- 1 cup organic brown sugar (I used Florida's Crystals)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 tsp gluten free vanilla
- 1 apple, peeled, cored, and diced (I used a fuji)

*When I made these I used a mixture of flours (1/2 cup brown rice four, 1/3 cup oat flour, 1/3 cup white rice flour, 1/3 cup tapioca flour).  The result was the cookies were very soft when baked.  The were delicious but a little too soft.  I think using only brown rice flour, or maybe even brown rice and oat flour, will toughen them up and make them the correct texture.  If you try it let me know the outcome!!  I will update this when I try the recipe again!

Jesicakes has been very busy...

...but I will return with new recipes next week!  I'm planning on trying a vegan and gluten free recipe inspired by my mom who just made the transition from vegetarian to vegan.  Also I have a lot of lemon curd in my freezer left over from of the reasons I haven't posted in a while so I'm going to make Poppy Seed Lemon Linzer Cookies.

So the past few weeks I did the dessert tables for two events! 

Vanilla Bean Whoopie Pies

I love Whoopie Pies but I've never made them myself, let alone tried a gluten free one.  I recently acquired some vanilla bean pods and wanted to think of a recipe to use them in.  I decided to make simple vanilla bean whoopie pies.  Then was the question of the filling.  I wanted something to compliment the vanilla bean but not overpower it.  I decided to go with a light mocha buttercream.  Once I made everything, I was 4 whoopie pies short of filling them all.  So I also whipped up some really quick strawberry buttercream as well.  Both were delicious although I think I preferred the mocha buttercream.  Coffee with a hint of chocolate didn't outshine the vanilla bean cake but paired nicely with it.  The cake was light and moist and filled with vanilla flavor.  They're a perfect balance of delicate and flavorful.  And as my boyfriend put it, the coffee flavor makes it acceptable to have them in the morning!

Vanilla Bean Whoopie Pies with Mocha Buttercream

Recipe adapted from Tracey's Culinary Adventures
Makes 2 1/2-3 dozen cookies

Ingredients

- 3/4 cup brown rice flour
- 3/4 cup sorghum flour
- 1/2 cup tapioca flour
- 1/4 cup white rice flour
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder (gluten free)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, roome temperature
- 4 Tbsp shortening
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 Tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vinegar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 Vanilla Bean Pods, split and seeds removed

Chocolate Mint Chip Cookies

Justin came home one day with a bag of Nestle half Mint half Semisweet Chocolate Chips and said "Here, I got these for you!" It totally had an implication of "Here, I bought these so you could make me something delicious with them!" So for the past month I had been wanting to come up with a recipe for perfect soft center with crispy edge chocolate cookies to put these in. I found a recipe for inspiration and the outcome was exactly what I wanted. Not as dense or as extremely rich as the Triple Chocolate Brownie Cookies or the Andes Fudge or Peppermint Bark Cookies, but still nice soft, centers with crisp edges. Not too intensely rich but still having a strong chocolate flavor to pair with the mint while not overpowering it. The mint chips are perfect little bites of freshness and lightness to the cookie. These cookies are the perfect after dinner treat...chocolate and sweet with a nice bit of refreshing mint!

Chocolate Mint Chip Cookies

Recipe adapted from Ginger and Berries
Makes 2 1/2-3 dozen cookies

Ingredients

- 1/2 cup room temperature unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 3 oz 60% chocolate
- 1 oz unsweetened chocolate
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa (I used Hershey's, use any non-Dutch processed)
- 1/4 + 1/8 cup brown rice flour
- 1/4 + 1/8 cup sorghum flour
- 1/8 cup tapioca flour
- 1/8 cup white rice flour
- 1/8 tsp xanthan gum
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 cups of mixed Nestle mint chocolate chips and chocolate chips

Peppermint Bark Brownies

For the holidays this year I wanted to do brownies for my family and friends, with a wintery twist.  One of my favourite winter treats is peppermint bark.  I worked at a chocolate shop in college and come December I'd be anxiously (and impatiently) waiting for the first bath of peppermint bark.  Personally, I think peppermint bark should be a layer of dark chocolate, then white chocolate, and topped with the peppermint.  So this year I made my own peppermint bark and created my own perfect seasonal brownie.  Chunks of peppermint bark spread throughout the brownie, then topped with white chocolate drizzle and crushed peppermint candies...these brownies were irresistible!  I was really glad I had to bag them up as gifts otherwise I would have eaten way too many!  For this recipe you need my Brownie Bliss Recipe, plus this recipe for Peppermint Bark below.

Peppermint Bark Brownies

Brownie Bliss Recipe

Peppermint Bark Ingredients*

- 16 oz 60% cocoa Ghiradeli bittersweet chocolate chips (or chopped bars)

- 11 oz white chocolate (I mixed Ghiradeli and Nestle) plus extra for the drizzling

- 1-2 standard bag Starlight Peppermint Candies (typically around 3 or 4 ounces) OR you can also use Candy Canes

*This recipe is for a full 9''X13'' pan.  I made a 9'"X13'' pan AND a 9''X9'' pan and I still had some extra peppermint bark.  Which I was totally fine with!  And actually gave two little bags as gifts too.  So if you're making less brownies, just but this recipe in half...or make it all and have a lot of extra delicious peppermint bark!

Snowmen Decorations

Winter cookies are some of my favourite to create.  This year I wanted to do a cookie that would be good for all my friends and family that was just winter themed instead of holiday themed.  I decided I wanted to a scene with snow falling and a snowman, instead of just doing snowman shaped cookies.  I also wanted them to be able to be used as decorating for your home or if you celebrate Christmas for you tree so when I baked them I cut out a little hole in the top to place ribbon in later.  These vibrant, cheery, snowmen will be sure to brighten up their recipient's day!

Snowmen Decorations

Decorating level: Medium-Advanced
Concept, design, and execution by Jesika Rose

• Gluten Free Chocolate Sugar Dough Recipe
• Royal Icing Recipe
• 4" Circle Cutter
• 9 Decorating bags, couplers, tips, and rubber bands
• Two #3 round tips
• Two #2 round tips
• Five #1 round tips 
• Toothpicks 
• White or Opal sanding sugar
• Gel food coloring:
• Sky Blue
• Royal Blue
• Fushia
• Regal Purple
• Orange
• Chocolate Brown
• Black