Chocoholics Unite! Milk Free Chocolate Cupcakes

November; a time for thanks. A time for gathering together to feast on turkey and pumpkin pie with the ones we love. A time to ring in cold and flu season. Sigh....

At this point in my life I accept cold and flu season. I work with kids and hubby works with money so germs are a given in our lives. I despise being sick, so I aspire to make the best of it. Over the years I've devised a tried and true ritual for all that ails.

#1 Watch "The Burbs," my all time favorite Tom Hanks movie. It wouldn't be unusual for me to watch it two or three times in a row while I'm home sick.
#2 Consume as much vitamin C as humanly possible; Zicam, Dole Pineapple Orange Juice, Vitamin C gummy vitamins... it's a good thing it's hard to overdose on vitamin C.
#3 Sinus Rinse (like a Neti Pot); a hot shower for your sinus cavity that soothes and prevents sinus infections. This is like heaven in a squeeze bottle.
#4 Bake. Yes, you heard that right, I bake. The best part? Being Typhoid Mary means I don't have to share any of my goodies.

Today I want chocolate (who am I kidding, most days I want chocolate) and right now I crave a rich, moist chocolate cupcake with piles of whipped cream frosting. Sounds like the cure for the common cold, right?!

The time has come to tackle a milk free adaptation of my FAVORITE chocolate cupcake recipe! Over the years I've tried many, many, many cupcake recipes and some of my favorites are chock full of butter, milk, heavy cream, buttermilk, or sour cream. Thankfully the one I love the most, Martha Stewart's One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes, contains only milk which is generally very easy to substitute. Hopefully my milk free sub will live up to the original!  If only I could cross my fingers and bake at the same time....

Here's the original with my substitutions noted from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook (2005):

MARTHA STEWART'S ONE-BOWL CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES
Makes 2 Dozen

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
• 1 1/4 cups milk (I used Silk unsweetened almond milk)
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbs  vegetable oil
• 1 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups warm water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two standard 12 cup muffin pans with paper liners. In a large bowl combine the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Add the eggs, milk, oil, vanilla and warm water. Mix until smooth and well combined. 

Divide batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling 2/3 of the way full. Bake 20-25 minutes rotating the pans halfway through. Cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

Cool slightly in the pan and then turn out on a wire rack to cool. 

So far so good! Now it's time for the frosting. Typically, my all time favorite way to top a cupcake (or anything for that matter) is with a cloud of sweetened whipped cream. Up to this point I have no solid substitution for heavy whipping cream and I really want to see what is available straight off the grocery store shelf. As I mentioned in my "Comfort Food" post from October 6, 2012 I had discovered that most commercially produced frostings are dairy free, but I was skeptical. Turns out there are a wide array of frostings from Betty Crocker and Duncan Hines that contain no milk. Well hot dog! 

I selected Betty Crocker's Whipped Fluffy White frosting for my adventures in frosting. Right out of the gate I remember why I went back to the tradition of making my own frosting; commercially produced frosting tastes... "preservativy." For the past few years Hubby and I have gradually been weeding out the prepackaged, pre-made, preservative and color laden grocery store staples and replacing them with whole foods obtained close to the source. Sorry Betty Crocker, but if I'm making milk free substitutions to improve my health, I'm pretty sure replacing whipped cream with partially hydrogenated anything doesn't make a lot of sense. 

But today, Betty is all I've got, so I'm going to make it work. I added a tsp of pure vanilla extract and a tsp of instant espresso granules to my frosting. Magically, that "preservativy" taste was mellowed by the vanilla and espresso. Ta-da! 

I brewed myself a hot cup of coffee, popped my copy of "The Burbs" into the DVD player and settled in to try my chocolate cupcake.... ahhhh perfection. The cake was moist and chocolatey with the slightest hint of almond from my substitution, the frosting was sweet and smooth a solid sub for my whipped cream.

In the future I am excited to work on a healthy substitution for my beloved whipped frosting, until that time Betty's not so bad.

In this season of thanks, I am whole heartedly grateful for a simple milk free substitution in my favorite chocolate cupcakes!

Wishing you all health and happiness this cold and flu season!

Peace,
-Laura

P.S. If any of you out there in Blogger Land know of a good dairy free frosting recipe please feel free to share!!

Pinterest Pot Pie

So, I Pinterest. A lot. Before Pinterest I was a lacadaisical internet user; I'd check my e-mail, check my bank account and compile recipe boxes on various sites. Now, I can drain the life out of my lap top battery like a champ. {This is how I know it's time to cut myself off; if I have a full charge when I start and get the "you are now running on reserve power" pop-up I know it's time to walk away.} I'm always compelled to get to the bottom of the page, I mean, what if I miss something, right!?

That's the problem, there's always the promise of something amazing just around the corner, and I'm always chasing that next "amazing" pin. Oh the regret of missing that PIN of the CENTURY!

Originally I joined because I was tempted by the promise of an online idea board for home decorating ideas, fashion, gardening tips etc. However, the allure of an untapped frontier of new recipes is how they hooked me. To date I have over 200 food pins compared to just 56 home decorating pins and a whopping 16 fashion pins. Thank you Captain Obvious.

I had a hearty start on my Pinterest recipe file before my diagnosis and subsequent milk free lifestyle so I've had to make some alterations to recipes that I pinned and just can't seem to let go of. This one has all the good stuff; butter, milk, buttermilk... but it sounded so delicious I just couldn't un-pin it!

Here's the original: From The Runaway Spoon
http://therunawayspoon.com/blog/2012/09/chicken-and-bacon-pot-pie-with-sweet-potato-crust/

"Chicken and Bacon Pot Pie with Sweet Potato Crust

For the Filling:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Olive oil

10 strips of bacon

1 medium yellow onion (to make about 2 cups diced)

2 Tablespoons butter

3 Tablespoons flour

1 ½ cups chicken broth, at room temperature

1 ½ cups whole milk, at room temperature

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh sage

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Salt and freshly ground pepper

For the crust:

2 sweet potatoes (about 11 ounces each)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup butter

1 egg

1 – 2 Tablespoons buttermilk or milk

For the Filling:

Preheat the oven to 375°.

Drizzle a little oil in a baking dish and place the chicken breasts on top. Rub a little oil on top of the chicken and season with salt and pepper.  Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake until the chicken reaches 165° internal temperature, about 25 minutes.  Remove the chicken to a plate to cool completely.  When the chicken is cool, cut it into bite-sized chunks.

Dice the bacon into small pieces (I find scissors a great tool for this) and sauté in a large skillet until crispy.  Remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon.  Let the bacon grease cool a little, then carefully pour it into a measuring cup and set it aside.  Let the skillet cool until it is safe to touch, then wipe out any burned bits or dark brown spots.  Return the skillet to medium high heat and pour in 2 Tablespoons bacon grease.  Add the diced onion and sauté, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft and translucent, being careful not to burn or brown the onions.  Pour in 1 cup of water, cover the skillet and cook the onions until they are soft and begin to turn a golden color, about 20 minutes.  Stir occasionally and add a splash more water to prevent sticking as needed. Remove the lid and cook until all moisture is evaporated and the onions are lightly caramelized.

Add 1 Tablespoon of bacon grease and the butter to the onions.  Stir well, and when the butter is melted, sprinkle over the flour.  Stir everything together until there is no trace of flour visible.  Slowly whisk in the milk and chicken broth (measure them together in a four cup measuring jug), scraping the flour from the bottom of the pan.  Add the chopped sage, nutmeg, a generous pinch of salt and lots of ground black pepper.  Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce is thick and coats the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the chicken and bacon pieces, making sure everything is well coated with sauce.  Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.  Scrape the chicken filling into a 2 ½ quart baking dish and smooth the top.  Cool completely.  The filling can be made up to one day ahead, covered and refrigerated.

For the Crust:

While the chicken is cooking, prick the sweet potatoes with a sharp knife a few times and microwave until soft, about 10 – 12 minutes.  Hold the potatoes with an oven mitt or tea towel, then cut them in half and scoop the flesh into a small bowl.  Mash the flesh with a fork until you have a smooth puree.  You need 1 cup of mashed potatoes.  Leave to cool completely. (Alternatively, you can bake the potatoes in the oven until soft, about 1 hour).

Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl with a fork.  Cut the butter into small cubes and drop it in the flour.  Toss the butter in the flour to coat, and then using a pastry blender, two forks or your clean hands, rub the flour and the butter together until it is blended with a few pieces of pea-sized butter visible.  Add the sweet potatoes and the egg and, using a fork, blend together.  Get in there with your hands and knead the dough together into a cohesive ball.  Dump the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap, pat it into a rectangle, wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 350°.  Roll the pastry out into a sheet that will fit over the top of the filling.  Drape the pastry over the top and tuck the sides around the filling.  Cut a few slashes across the top to let steam escape.* Brush the top with a thin coat of buttermilk and sprinkle with kosher salt.

Bake the pie for 40 – 45 minutes until the crust is golden, the filling is hot through and bubbling.  Serve immediately.

Serves 6 – 8"

Here are my adaptations:

PINTEREST POT PIE WITH CHICKEN AND BACON
Serves 4 to 6

Filling:

• 1 lb of boneless, skinless chicken 
• 3 tbs olive oil
• 5 strips of bacon (diced)
• 1 medium sweet onion (diced)
• 1/2 cup celery (diced)
• 2 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 3 tsp of flour
• 2 cups of chicken stock/broth
• 1 tbs of fresh sage, chopped
• Salt and pepper

Crust:

• 2-3 sweet potatoes (enough for 1 cup mashed)
• 2 cups of flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup shortening or coconut oil
• 1 egg
• 1-2 tbs rice milk

For the crust:
Clean and dry the sweet potatoes, pierce with a knife and microwave for 8-10 minutes or until the potato gives slightly with firm pressure. Allow to cool.
Peel and mash the flesh to a puree, measure out 1 cup.
Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt, cut in the shortening or coconut oil until it resembles coarse meal. Add the sweet potato puree and egg and gently mix until the dough comes together. If the dough comes together to form a nice crust omit the rice milk, if it's still crumbly add 1 tbs of rice milk at a time. Place the dough on plastic wrap, form the dough into a disk and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare the filling.

For the filling:
Lightly coat a large frying pan with olive oil, salt and pepper the chicken and sauté until done. Remove from the pan and cut into bite size cubes.
Fry the bacon pieces until crispy, drain and remove from the pan. Drain all but 1 tbs of bacon fat from the pan and add the olive oil. Saute the onion, celery and garlic until soft. Add the flour slowly and allow to brown slightly. Slowly add the chicken stock, stirring constantly. Add the sage, salt and pepper and simmer until thickened (coats the back of a spoon) 5-7 minutes. Return the chicken and bacon to the pan, mix thoroughly and transfer to a medium to large sized baking dish.

Roll out the dough to cover your preferred baking dish, or cut into decorative patterns. Cover with the crust and bake.

This dish was AMAZING! Absolutely delicious. Hubby was very concerned about the sweet potato crust, but he really liked it! Even the leftovers were delicious. Definitely a new fall favorite.
Peace,
-Laura