Thursday, July 04, 2013

Blueberry, Almond & Lavender Cupcakes

A squirt of blueberry, a touch of lavender, Mmmmmm
The icing was a mess, so I left that picture out.
People have been TALKING. I'm whipping up a proverbial vegan massacre of cupcakes, and shit ain't slowing down. The one that keeps em coming back to my yard, and the most popular on the blog, are my lavender cupcakes.

So I decided to refine, and specially for a good friend's Pride party I tested baking fat free cupcakes. They were disgusting. So I made these instead!

The flavour of almond beautifully marries the lavender, creating a not so subtle and totally unique flavor that even the pickiest of eaters will say they love. The blueberries in the middle burst to give a brief, cutting contrast of sweet sourness. Visually, the lavender provides a texture that compels you to look deep into the depth of your creation.

Makes: 12 cupcakes
Time: 1 hour

Super Easy Blueberry, Almond & Lavender Cupcakes

Basic Tips

  • Thoroughly mix the dry ingredients first, then mix the wet ingredients. 
  • Just mix until the dry ingredients are wet, over mixing makes dense glutinous cupcakes
  • Exact measurements are key. Don't tightly pack the dry ingredients in your scoop, and use a knife or flat edge to shave off the excess.

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cups organic white flour
  • 1 cup of white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  • 3 tablespoons organic lavender blossom

  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons almond extract
  • 1 cup cold coconut milk
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil
     
  • 1/2 cup fresh organic blueberries

Directions

The Batter

Use a mortar and pestle to ground your organic lavender. If your mortar is smaller like mine, do it in batches.

Add all of the dry ingredients together including ground lavender, being sure there are no clumps or lumps in there. and mix dry ingredients thoroughly.

Push the dry ingredients to the edges of the bowl creating a small pit in the middle, then add the wet ingredients. If you have the correct ratio of dry ingredients to wet ingredients, the pool in the middle of the dry ingredients should come up to just over the edge of the dry ingredients.

Using a spatula gently push the dry ingredients into the pool of wet ingredients, and mix altogether until the dry ingredients are all wet. Don't over mix. 

Spoon the batter evenly into 12 cupcake papers, sprayed with a very small amount of cooking oil.

In the center of each cupcake, gently push 2-4 blueberries down into the batter, all the way down so they are completely covered. The cake will rise and the blueberries will be pushed up during baking, we want them to stay on the inside.

The Heat

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (°F) for 25 minutes, then check your cupcakes. Use a knife to see if it comes out clean, and continue baking in 1-minute intervals until it's done. Don't over cook!