Yummy Vegan Valentine’s Day Treats: Frosted Strawberry Cupcakes and Carly & Tyler’s Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

“How Sweet It Is to be Loved By You!”

Valentine’s Day—it’s one of those days that can make you feel warm and fuzzy all over or left out shivering in the cold or feeling like the card stores are just ripping us all off again! Do you think it’s safe to say that we’ve all experienced the many sides of this “day of love?” But whether you fall into any of these categories or another one of your own creation, there’s nothing like a delicious treat to put a little sweetness into Valentine’s Day. Or any day, for that matter!

Make these for your family, your sweetheart, your classmates, your officemates or just for wonderful, lovely self! Carly & Tyler, my daughter and her boyfriend, have a lot of fun baking together and sometimes, they even have some left over to share with me (sometimes not!). They baked these 2 delicious treats with much success! FYI…Since vegan cookie dough does not contain eggs, eating raw dough is not only perfectly fine but preferred by some!

Strawberry Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

from the Skinny Bitch Ultimate Everyday Cookbook by Kim Barnouin

Cupcakes:

Ingredients

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1 cup evaporated cane sugar
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1/3 cup silken tofu
• 1 1/4 cups chopped fresh or frozen strawberries

Method

• 1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. and line a 12-cup muffin pan with crimped paper liners
• 2) In a large bowl, sift in the flour. Add the baking powder, baking soda and salt; stir until combined.
• 3) In a separate large bowl, whisk together the oil, almond milk, sugar and extracts until well combined.
• 4) In a food processor or blender, puree the tofu and strawberries until creamy.
• 5) Add the strawberry mixture to the milk mixture and whisk until combined.
• 6) Create a small well in the dry mixture and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir to combine but do not overmix.
• 7) Pour the batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling each liner about 1/2 to 2/3 full.
• 8) Bake 20 – 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• 9) Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool completely.

Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

• 2 cups confectioners sugar
• 1/4 cup Earth Balance
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 Tbs almond milk

Method

Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar and the Earth Balance in a medium bowl until fluffy, 3 – 4 minutes. Add the vanilla and the almond milk and beat for an additional 2 minutes.

Carly & Tyler’s Vegan Banana-Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup gluten-free flour
• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/3 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1/3 cup almond milk
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 ripe banana, cut into small pieces
• 1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips

Method

• 1) Preheat oven at 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar.
• 2) In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients: oil, almond milk and vanilla extract.
• 3) Add wet mixture to dry mixture and stir to combine.
• 4) Add banana and chocolate chips.
• 5) On a large baking sheet, place parchment paper. Hand roll dough into cookies and place on baking sheet.
• 6) Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.
• 7) Let cool on wire rack.

For more info,

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Enjoy, sweetie-pies!! xox