Vegan Rum and Raisin Cupcakes

I'm really beginning to love vegan baking. I was a bit scared at first but once you learn a few basic rules there is really no stopping you. I've tried to make things that don't require lots of single use ingredients. It seems like a waste of money to go and splurge on something for one recipe which will get thrown out before it can be used up.

I was going to tell you how difficult it is finding vegan ingredients in my small town but in fact, there's a little shop in the town centre that offers a wide range of vegan ingredients as well as a plethora of other random foodie things. The shop is almost heavenly for me but the staff seem somewhat uninterested. Maybe if I become a regular customer I'll feel more welcomed. Anyway, it means that I'll be able to grab vegan cream cheese and silken tofu for further vegan baking exploits. It's the small things that amuse me...


Back to these here cupcakes. This was the last remaining cupcake of the batch. I grabbed a couple of quick shots before scoffing it myself. They were delicious. They were golden and sweet with a nice hint of warming rum and the sticky raisins added a lovely texture. The raisins did sink to the bottom a bit as the cake mixture is quite runny but that was fine. I decided not to ice these as I was transporting them 25 miles (and I didn't want to run to the shops for more ingredients) and they had to sit in my bag for quite a while. I don't think I lost too much without an icing but maybe next time I'll glaze them or frost them in a more interesting way.

The intended recipient (Hi Jhon!) was very appreciative and scoffed the lot on the long drive home after the gig. He also asked for the recipe which is pretty much the most flattering thing you could ask me for. So in honour of Jhon, I post this recipe, please don't be scared of the number of ingredients, they all come together very easily. As ever this recipe is taken from the amazing Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World which is available from Amazon below, I have added my own notes and alterations.

I've converted this recipe from US cups into metric measures.

Ingredients:
110g raisins (I used crimson raisins which are slightly sharper than the darker ones
2 tbsp rum (I used Sailor Jerry as always)
190ml soy milk
1tsp apple cider vinegar
80ml sunflower oil
170g granulated sugar
1 tbsp black treacle
1 tbsp rum (again, Sailor Jerry)
1 1/4 tsp vanilla
140g plain flour
2 tbsp cornflour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Method:
In a small bowl combine the raisins and rum together and leave to stand for around 30 minutes stirring occasionally.
In a large bowl mix the soy milk with the vinegar and set aside for a few minutes to curdle.
Whisk the oil, sugar, treacle, rum and vanilla into the soy milk mixture until well blended.
Sift in the flour, cornflour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg into the wet ingredients and stir until combined.
Fold in the rum soaked raisins.
Fill 12 lined muffin cups 3/4 full making sure to get some raisins in each cup.
Bake in a preheated oven 180C for 18-20 minutes. They will be golden brown and deliciously scented when you pull them from the oven.
Allow to cool on a wire rack if you can resist them!

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Bread Machine Recipes: White rolls

I like rolls much better than sandwiches. There's something about the crusty shell and soft interior of a roll that makes it much more alluring than two slices of bread. They are portable, you get to have one to yourself (not that I'm selfish of course) and they can be filled with any number of delicious fillings.

These rolls are made with white bread flour and the beautiful orangey glaze is from a brush of egg before they are baked. This also makes them beautifully shiny (the sunshine helped with that too of course!). They are easy to make and an excellent project to make with kids. the dough proves nicely in the bread maker then it's upto you how you want to shape them. I stuck with plain rounds rolls as I was making them for dinner but your only limit is your imagination. We always used to make plaits and cottage loaves when I was a kid.

Ingredients
1tsp yeast
500g white bread flour
1tbsp sugar
25g butter
2tbsp milk powder
11/2 tsp salt
300ml water

Method
Place the ingredients into the bread pan of your machine and set on the dough program.
When complete, divide into 10-12 pieces and shape.
Place on a greased baking tray and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size.
Glaze with beaten egg and bake at 220C for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Eat warm with real butter or allow to cool on a wire rack.

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Bread Machine Recipes: Flatbread

I love flat breads. They make eating some things so much easier! They mop up the juice from a curry, they're an excellent carrier of houmous or baba ghanoush, they hold falafels firmly in place, they can be torn apart and shared. They are perfect for a relaxed dinner with friends. I often make rough roti with flour and water mixed to a dough and then fried in a very hot dry pan but I thought this time I'd try yeasted flat breads. They were a big success.

They had a more complex flavour than our usual flour and water creations and weren't much more difficult to make with the use of a bread machine. They can be a bit tricky to roll as the stretchy dough often takes it upon itself to shrink back but do persevere. They don't have to be perfectly round...mine certainly weren't!

Ingredients
1 cup water
1 tsp celery salt
1tbsp olive oil
3 cups white bread flour
1tsp yeast

Method
Place the ingredients into the bread pan of your machine and set it to the dough program.
When complete transfer to a lightly floured surface and divide into walnut sized pieces.
Roll and stretch each ball into a thin disc (the thinner the better)
Heat a large frying pan over a high heat and when almost smoking hot, place the first disc in the pan to cook for 1-2 minutes on each side. It will puff up beautifully and turn a gorgeous golden brown. Turn the dough carefully with some tongs.
Repeat with the rest of the discs keeping the cooked ones under a clean tea towel and keep warm until the others are cooked.
Serve however you wish!

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