So Good and No Good

Made vegan "brownies" yesterday night.  I use the term "brownies" loosely here, since what they ended up as would be more accurately described as "goop".  Goop that turned rock hard overnight and is still soaking in my sink, after a day of sporadic scrubbing.  I have experienced my first vegan baking epic failure, which, considering the perils of the "V" word in one's own kitchen and that I've been playing with fire for a couple months now, ain't so bad.

While my brownies soak in the sink, I overindulge in delicious vegan strawberry cupcakes.

They're based on this recipe and this recipe, which together, produced one delicious offspring.

Strawberry Redemption Cupcakes

Makes 24 regular and 12 mini cupcakes

2 1/8 c white flour
1 c unrefined sugar
1 tsp salt
2.5 tsp baking powder

2 tsp vanilla extract
1.5 c strawberry puree
1/4 c applesauce
1/2 c oil
1.5 c faux milk (I don't plan very well, so I used both soy and almond)

Mix the dry stuff.  Throw in the wet stuff and mix with a mixer.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until the tops have fallen (I can't get my cupcakes tops to convex like non-vegan ones do.  Though delicious, all of my precious cakes have ended up looking deflated, drawing skepticism from my test subjects family and friends. Working on it.)

For the top, I made a thick, simple powdered sugar glaze (about 1/2 c sugar to 1 tsp soy milk with a bit of vanilla), and hid the aforementioned awkward dimple with some strawberry for looks.

These may be my favorite yet (don't tell the carrot cakes).