Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Cupcakes for Breakfast!

Mystery Lovers' Kitchen is excited to introduce Wendy Lyn Watson, who will be substituting for Jenn McKinlay while she's off on a month long vacation. Wendy writes the Mysteries A La Mode series about, you guessed it, the proprietor of an ice cream parlor! Her first book, I Scream, You Scream, is available now and the second in the series, Scoop to Kill, will be released in September. Please join us in welcoming Wendy to Mystery Lovers' Kitchen.

Thanks for the warm welcome ... and thanks to Jenn for letting me step into her fabulous shoes for the month of July. This post is for her, as close as I get to pouring one out for my homies.

Lately I've been on a cupcake kick. Not just any cupcakes, mind you, but vegan cupcakes. (Vegan means no animal products: no meat, eggs, or dairy.) They're far from fat-free; they're packed with sugary goodness; and when you eat them by the half-dozen, it doesn't even help that they're small. But somehow I feel like I'm eating healthy because they're vegan.

I mean, really, these cupcakes are almost like vitamins. Ha!

Anyway, healthy or not, I've been making lots of them lately, all courtesy of the super-talented Isa Chandra Moskowitz from the Post Punk Kitchen: coconut, lemon, a chocolate so dark you need a flashlight ...

But my favorite discovery so far has been these little morsels of magic called Jelly Donut Cupcakes. They really and truly do taste like jelly donuts. And while cupcakes, even vegan cupcakes, may not be healthy, I think these gems are better for you than their traditional fried counterparts.


And lest you think filling a cupcake with jelly is going to require some sort of special equipment--or voodoo--rest easy. You just plop the jelly on top before baking, and it finds its own way into the heart of the cupcake.



Magic!

Jelly Donut Cupcakes
from the Veganomicon

The cupcakes need to sit out for about 12 hours before eating, so make the cupcakes in the evening for breakfast the next morning. Also, there's no upside to using good jelly here. The cheaper it is, the more like a donut shop jelly donut the final product will be.

1 c. soy, rice, or almond milk
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
2 tbs. cornstarch
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. canola oil
3/4 c. plus 2 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1/3 c. raspberry jelly (or strawberry, grape, whatever you want!)
2 Tbs. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Mix non-dairy milk, vinegar, and cornstarch in a measuring cup; set aside. Line 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients.

Whisk the cornstarch mixture again to make sure it's dissolved, then pour into the dry ingredients. Add the oil, sugar, and vanilla. Stir until well-combined.

Fill the cupcake liners about 3/4 full with batter (about 1/4 c. per cupcake). Place a heaping teaspoonful of jam on the center of each cupcake. Just plop it on. Bake for 21-23 minutes, until the tops are firm.

Cool cupcakes on wire rack. Leave them uncovered in a cool place overnight (or up to 24 hours). Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar and enjoy!

For information about Wendy's Mysteries a la Mode and more yummy recipes, visit her website. The first in the series, I Scream, You Scream, is available now; the second Mystery a la Mode, Scoop to Kill, will be released in September.

16 comments:

  1. Hi Wendy!

    Welcome!

    I love the idea of having cupcakes for breakfast and having a nice dollop of ice cream on the side would be scrumptious.

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  2. Wendy, what a relish cupcake. Jenn will be proud!! Welcome!
    ~Avery

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  3. Welcome Wendy!! But really, did you have to start out with this amazing (and extremely tempting) recipe? I want to rush into the kitchen and whip up some of these this minute! How amazing that they're vegan. I'm in awe!

    Julie

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  4. What a great idea!! So many variations with different jellies. And I'm wondering if I could use lemon curd for the jelly, too.

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  5. Hi Wendy! Cupcakes for breakfast is a great idea (aren't they one of the four food groups-- Cupcakes, donuts, chocolate, and pie?)

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  6. Oh - lemon curd! That would sorta kill the veganness, but would be so very tasty. Must try that.

    Alan, I lump cupcakes and donuts into the same category (cake-like confections) so I can leave room for an ice cream group. :)

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  7. WENDY! You have just married two of my favorite
    food groups -- donuts and cupcakes -- and made
    them vegan! Scorching good recipe, girlfriend. I'm going to have to try it. Thanks for doing me a solid and covering for me for July. I knew I "scooped" a winner replacement with you!

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  8. Sounds like a great way to start the day Wendy. Looking forward to your post with the ladies of MLK.

    Mason
    Thoughts in Progress

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  9. Ohhh goodness. Jelly doughnut cupcakes....yummm. Jelly doughnuts have always been my fave (not sure why, since usually I always turn to chocolate when I'm eating something fattening.) This sounds like a winner of a recipe, Wendy-thanks!

    And welcome to the Mystery Lovers' Kitchen! So glad you'll be hanging out with us this month. :)

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  10. This sounds terrific. My mother used to make jelly doughnuts, but they were a lot of work. Could be the reason she only made them once a year!

    Wendy, I'm coming to your house for breakfast. I love the idea of doughnuts for breakfast.

    ~ Krista

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  11. Okay, I'm totally curious--why do the cupcakes have to sit for 12 hours? Seems a little like torture to me. They sound delicious, btw!

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  12. Heather - when the cupcakes come out of the oven, they're quite moist (which is not a bad thing). When they sit out over night, they actually dry out a little. Getting a smidge stale gives them more of the texture of an actual jelly donut.

    (PS - they're *better* if they sit out, but I usually eat a few, um, one--definitely just one--as soon as they're cool.)

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  13. Welcome, Wendy! (Crazy days here in NYC with record heat and iffy electricity -- but I'm glad I made it online in time to see your debut recipe here at MLK.) Those babies look absolutely delicious. Breakfast of Vegan Champions, fo' sure!

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  14. I do adore muffins and could blog about them exclusively! I like the idea of these muffins and look forward to trying 'em.

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  15. Mmmm. I knew your recipes would be fun, Wendy, and I was right. Who wouldn't love these?

    MJ

    Charlotte Adams mysteries

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