Sweets To Share

Elegant And Easy Red Velvet Cupcakes

By Amy Spiro, the blogger at Baking and
Mistaking.

Ingredients:

For
the cupcakes:
2/3 cup canola oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons red food coloring or 1/3 teaspoon red gel food coloring dissolved
in 2
tablespoons of water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
2/3 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon white vinegar

Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter or margarine, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Beat the oil and sugar together until well blended. Add in the egg and beat
until combined, then mix in the food coloring. Add in the vanilla.
Gradually mix in half the flour, then half the buttermilk, then the remaining
flour, cocoa and salt, then the remaining buttermilk.
In a small dish, mix the baking soda and vinegar together (hello, 7th grade
science class), then add to the batter and beat for 10 seconds.
Divide the batter evenly among paper-lined cupcake cases. The recipe makes
about 12 cupcakes.
Bake at 350 F for 18 to 22 minutes, until test done.

Beat the cream cheese and butter together until well blended. Add in the sugar
and beat to combine. Add in the vanilla. Refrigerate 20 to 30 minutes before
using.

Decadent Chocolate Chunk Pancakes
recipe from Clinton St. Bakery & Restaurant chef Neil Kleinberg
(provided by Carla Sullivan of MiniMunchers.com)

Chocolate Chunk Pancakes

makes 6 pancakes

 
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chunks

Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Chocolate Sauce

12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup half-and-half

1 ounce unsalted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Using your favorite pancanke mix, make enough for 6 pancakes. Stud
the pancakes with the chocolate chunks before flipping or top each
stack with a scattering of chunks.
2. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve chocolate sauce on the side.

By Tracy Gary, founder of Intuition
Nutrition

I love this dairy-free chocolate mousse because it’s rich and creamy without
the unhealthy fats that tend to make foods so rich and creamy. The creamy
texture comes from avocado, one my favorite super foods, which in this recipe
replaces butter, cream and eggs. The healthy fat in
avocado is great for picky eaters who need a little more bulk and it also has
protein, potassium, and vitamin E.

I also enjoy this
treat because it is sweetened naturally with maple syrup and is
quite simple to make. It’s a good one to make with the kids as lots of spoon
licking and taste testing is required.

Ingredients:

1 avocado, pitted
4 tablespoons pure maple syrup (add more for
sweeter taste)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt
1/4 cup unsweetened organic cocoa powder
2 to 3 Tablespoons water (or more if mixture is
too thick)

 Directions

1. Put
all ingredients in a food processor. 2. Blend. 3. Serve…that was way too easy.  

Optional:

For
Chocolate Peppermint Mousse, which I highly recommend, add one drop of
essential organic peppermint oil. For
Orange Mousse, use orange juice instead of water and top with grated orange
peel.

 Mousse
keeps for three days in the refrigerator.