Chai Tea Latte Cupcakes

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You can feel the crispness in the air that is fall.

When the weather starts to change, I immediately want food that is warm and comforting.  And now that I don't have to worry as much about summer's typical revealing clothes, I automatically eat more desserts!

One of my favourite drinks for fall is, hands down, a chai tea latte.  To this day, I can't, for the life of me, understand why anyone would want a vegetable flavoured latte! I can't stand anything tasting like pumpkin - especially that artificial pumpkin flavouring. yuck!

Back in high school, a friend of mine first introduced me to her homemade chai tea, and I fell in love. I love all the warm spicy goodness that goes in to it - cardamom, nutmeg, cloves and my personal favourite, cinnamon, of course. It was only a matter of time before I combined this amazing concoction together to create the perfect dessert.

These cupcakes makes the perfect dessert to any fall or winter occasion. It’s all those warm fuzzy feelings captured in a cupcake.

   Chai Tea Latte Cupcakes
   

Makes: 18 cupcakes

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup instant chai latte powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
Cupcake Instructions:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake pan with cupcake liners
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy (approximately 2 minutes).
3. Add the chai powder, ginger, cinnamon, eggs, milk, and vanilla. Mix until well combined.
4. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt until combined. Beat until smooth.
5. Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 of the way.
6. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Ingredients:
• 2 cups icing (powdered) sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 to 2 tablespoons cold water, as needed
Icing Instructions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, beat together all the ingredients until fluffy.
2. Spread on cooled cupcakes using a spatula or icing tip.

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Vegan Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Over the past few weeks, I have been eating way too much junk food. And while I still crave sugar, I've tried to curb the cravings by finding low sugar, healthy options. 

I've been trying to get back to basics in a lot of my recipes when I came up with this recipe for banana oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. I am  in love with this recipe as it is completely vegan (not that I am vegan, but all things in moderation, right?).  It's also gluten free and has no additional sugar besides the chocolate chips.  And you don't even notice - especially if you are using very ripe bananas (the more black spots, the sweeter they are!).

These cookies are great as breakfast cookies. While they don't contain nuts as you find in traditional breakfast cookies, these ones are quite filling. Plus, you can definitely add nuts to the recipe if you prefer - go ahead, make it your own!

Because of the bananas, these cookies are quite soft and chewy. (Just the way I like them!)

      Easy Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies    

 

Makes: 16 servings

Preptime: 10 minutes

Cook time:20 minutes

 

Ingredients:

2 very ripe bananas

2/3 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup peanut butter chips

dash of cinnamon

dash of nutmeg

  

 

Instructions:

1. pre-heat oven to 350
2. In a bowl, mash the 2 bananas until smooth
3. add rolled oats and mix well
4. add cinnamon, nutmeg, chocolate and peanut butter chip. mix well
5. place a small ball of mixture on a greased cookie sheet or cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Flatter mixture a bit.
6. Bake cookies for 20 minutes or until golden

Elegant Madeleines

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Today, I thought I would share one of my favourite recipes with you.  I personally love madeleines.  These are so easy to make (I mean, less than 15 minutes prep time!) and they look so elegant, they are sure to impress your guests.

If you’ve never had them, madeleines are little French butter cakes. They are perfect for so many occasions – bridal showers, Easter brunch, Mother’s Day or your coffee in the morning on a random Tuesday.   

Seriously though, these little bite-sized cakes look so pretty on a dessert table.

I personally like to add cinnamon to this recipe because I will eat almost anything if it has cinnamon in it! (Except carrot cake – stop trying to put vegetables in my dessert!!)

The last time I made them, the Mister and I finished the entire batch in one day!!  They are so good, you just can’t stop yourself from eating them! Plus I usually make the mini madeleines so it feels like you only had two bites, and so you reach for another.  And another…. Before you know it, the entire batch is gone!

I’ve tried various ways of dressing them up by dipping them in chocolate or dusting them with cinnamon sugar - even though they are so pretty on its own.

You can get some really good deals on the pans at places like Winners, Marshal’s and even <Kitchen Stuff Plus http://www.kitchenstuffplus.com/trudeau-structure-silcone-madeleine-pan-fuchsia-grey>. I personally bought the mini pans from Amazon because I feel like eating 20 mini madeleines are not as bad as 10 full sized madeleines. (Yes, my logic is flawed. No, I don’t care).

Here is the recipe that I like to use.

Elegant Madeleines

Makes: 24 madeleines

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 12 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
• 2/3 cups sugar
• 2/3 cups flour
• 2/3 cups softened butter
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease the madeleine pan with butter.
2. Using an electronic hand beater, beat the eggs and sugar until thick and foamy. Add nutmeg and cinnamon into the egg mixture and blend well. Fold in the flour and use a spatula to mix well. Fold in the softened butter and blend.
3. Transfer the batter into the madeleine pan and fill about 3/4 of the way. Bake for 10 minutes or until they turn light golden brown.
4. Remove the madeleine pan from the oven and let cool on a cooling rack.

Papaya Breakfast Parfait

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I’m usually not a morning person.

I know exactly how long it takes me to get ready for work (no more than 25 minutes!) and I wait for the very last minute to get up out of bed.

But now I’m trying to change that.

I promised Mister Man I will get up 30 minutes earlier and eat a light breakfast, as opposed to eating a granola bar at my desk when I get to work. I will try not to be that crazy lady running down the street because I’m late. Instead, I will leave 5 minutes earlier and stroll down the street, like a civilized person.  (Quite the difference).

But I still don’t like wasting time in the morning.

My at home breakfast will still have to be quick – and hopefully a little healthier than that granola bar.

A few weeks ago, Mister Man and I took a trip to Niagara-on-the-Lake and stayed at a Bed and Breakfast. Every morning, Linda from Bren Brae on the Park  served us delicious breakfasts, including a fruit parfait. This got me thinking, this would be the perfect quick breakfast before heading to work!

So, here it is. My take on the breakfast fruit parfait. You can pretty much use any fruit that is in season. I chose papaya simply because I love them. Combined with coconut flavoured yogurt, and I feel like I’m on some exotic vacation. And then reality hits, and I have to head off to work.

Papaya Breakfast Parfait

Energy packed papaya breakfast parfaits are exactly what you need to start your busy mornings.

Makes: 8 servings

Prep time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sized papaya
• 1 pint blackberries
• ½ cup coconut greek yogurt
• cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Slice papaya in half and scoop out the seeds using a spoon
2. Slice Slice skin off and cut the fruit into bite sized cubes.
3. in a bowl or serving glass, add 1-2 tablespoons of coconut yogurt.
4. Add papaya and blackberries on top of the yogurt.
5. sprinkle with cinnamon and serve.

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