Clap to VCTOTW

Cryptic title? Yes, it’s intentional!

First things first. Today was my previous to last exam of the season, and it was about time to take a break after nearly a month non-stop of doing nothing for myself. So, I know at least I passed one of the five courses I had this semester, because it had partials, and I passed them all. Collective YAY! please. Now it’s waiting for the other four, and taking the last one, too.

So, what did I do on my break? I’ve been a very very lazy one. And then I decided it was time for a treat. So here it’s where VCTOTW comes into action. If you haven’t clicked that link yet, I’ll tell you it’s a baking book. A vegan baking book, even. And it’s called Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World (or VCTOTW for lazy people like me). And since I can’t cook or bake following a recipe to the letter, I modified one, and the result was:

That is a lovely tender delicious flavourful Chocolate Mocha Cupcake. However, my version is not vegan, since I did not have soy milk on hand, and had to make-do with what was in the pantry. Maybe you want my version? Here it comes:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar (I used rice, since it was the only white vinegar I had)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup olive oil (or substitute your favourite oil, but it does taste good with olive oil)
• 1 cup self raising flour, plus one teaspoon baking powder
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla powder (this is ground vanilla bean, mixed with a bit of sugar)
• 2 tablespoons instant coffee

Method:

1. Line a muffin tin tray with cupcakes paper cups. Preheat oven to 200°C / 400F.
2. In a big bowl, mix milk and vinegar and let to curdle. Once it has started to curdle, add oil, sugar, vanilla and instant coffee.
3. In a second bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder, until well blended.
4. Mix the dry ingredients into the liquids in two batches, mixing well until no lumps remain (some tiny lumps are ok, but no big lumps!)
5. Pour into cupcake liners carefuly. About 2/3 full. Put in the oven, lower temperature to 175°C / 350 F, and bake for 18 to 23 minutes. Cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean.
6. Let cupcakes cool down in tray for 10 minutes, then move to cooling rack. Enjoy slightly warm with a mug of tea, a cup of coffee or a nice glass of milk.

Makes 12 cupcakes.

And now, you can clap! And also, you can enjoy my half done clapotis:

It’s my de-stressing knitting this semester, it’s doing its job very well, and I hope to have it finished by the end of exams. That gives me till the 27th of june!

On a random note, if you remember this post where I showed a pile of books, four of them were cooking books, and three of them were novels. I can recomend all three novels: The Secrets of Jin-Shei by Alma Alexander, In the Company of the Courtesan by Sarah Dunant, and Empress Orchid by Anchee Min. I loved them all.