I Was A Teenage Vegan CookBlog

Here are a couple pictures from the vegan cupcake class that I taught with Homefries recently - it was truly a heady blend of veganism, cupcakes, erudition, exposition, and (in my case) sarcasm. Together with our students we concocted apple, gluten-free quinoa fudge, and maple cupcakes with cream cheese, buttercream, and pumpkin frosting, respectively.

Then Homefries broke out the decorations and all hell broke loose.

Much fun and sugar was had by all.

And here’s the recipe for pumpkin frosting that I whipped up. Try it for all your seasonal baking needs (except tofurkey - that would just be gross (by which I mean more so than usual)).

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup margarine
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. cloves
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 3-4 cups powdered sugar

Equipment: mixing bowl, electric mixer, cupcakes.

Music: World/Inferno Friendship Society - Hallowmas Live at North Six

Instructions:

1. Using the electric mixer, combine margarine, pumpkin puree, and spices in a mixing bowl until thoroughly blended.
2. Beat it powdered sugar one cup at a time until the frosting reaches the desired fluffy consistancy.
3. Spread on your choice of cakes or cookies, or take out your pastry bag (or plastic bag with a corner cut off) and go crazy.
4. Refrigerate extra for future use.

It’s spooky.

We had an entirely post punk kitchen-themed dinner at my place last night. It was a generally carribean affair (though some of the ingredients (maple syrup and soy sauce, I’m looking at you) seemed suspiciously non-indigenous), featuring our interpretations of Jamaican jerk tempeh and seitan served alongside limey coconut rice and “garlicky” kale. Feast your eyes upon our splendiferous bounty:

I went pretty much by the book here, and Russell, Eric, and myself were all pleased with the results. A few small additions included the tempeh, which adds some much-needed protein to the meal (and did an excellent job of soaking up the marinade) some chipotle powder for extra spice, and tomatoes, which go together with kale like peas and carrots. The rice was a little dry, but I think that my unfamiliarity with gas cooking may be to blame. The real stand-out of the the evening, however, was dessert - in this case, the titular cookies and cream cupcakes. The recipe for these came from the copy of Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World that my friend Homefries (who taught a vegan cupcake-making class just this past weekend (as mentioned in last week’s Weekly Dig)) lent to me. They were, as the saying goes, sweet.

Here they are, all orbital and nuclear:

Everybody dance now.