Freaking Freezing.

It has been so outrageously cold here the past week. I don't even know where I am, I thought it was El Paso but it snowed yesterday! Actually it started snowing Tuesday night and snowed all day yesterday. UTEP was closed Wednesday and they sent out an announcement saying they would be closed again on Thursday to keep people from driving in the conditions and to conserve energy.

There were rolling blackouts throughout the whole city. My power went out twice yesterday before noon, and it was 9 degrees all day! Even in the middle of the day when it's 9 degrees with wind, it gets cold quick! Last night, however, my power went out at quarter after 6. When I went to sleep at quarter to 11 it was still out. I woke up at 1 a.m.-ish and it was back on but that was insane!

I went out driving today, I had to go to the post office and get out of my apartment because I was about to go crazy, and there was ice on the roads and snow all over my car...it is bitterly cold here in the southwest. El Paso weather is very similar to Phoenix, I actually found it a bit warmer here than when I went back for Christmas break, but it is 2 degrees today.

Sickening.

But, in honor of it being so freaking freezing I made Chai Tea Cupcakes with Cinnamon Vanilla Frosting. They're also vegan.



I'm not a vegan, I'm not even a vegetarian but I've been wanting to learn how to cook, in general, but also a little more diversely. I've actually been contemplating becoming a vegetarian lately, and by lately I mean for the last year. I've thought about it before but it's really been on my heart in the last couple of months. I don't have anything against eating animals, I really don't. I love steak and chicken and all that, but I also remember where it comes from and try to respect the world that sustains me. And that's my problem. A lot of the farms and factories that house animals and provide the world with food do so in a completely unethical and disgusting manner. My problem isn't with eating meat but with encouraging that kind of cruelty. And I basically eat vegetarian now anyway, it's just not official. I don't really cook with meat, I did last night because I had chicken and I wanted comfort food because I was freezing, but that's rare. But anyway...

...I bought a little recipe book called "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World" and tried it out a few weeks ago. I made a basic vanilla cupcake with chocolate butter cream frosting and they were actually delicious! Rather than use milk I used soy, and now I have a huge gallon jug of soy in my fridge even though I can't drink it--literally cannot, it will kill me, but baking with it seems to be fine. And instead of eggs they substitute apple cider vinegar. I thought they would taste like crap because frankly, eggs and milk belong in cupcakes. They just do. But they were really good.

Really good. I took them to school and no one noticed a difference.

So I made these ones vegan and they are just as delicious. Where last time I didn't like the cupcake without the frosting, this time I think I kind of prefer the cake without the frosting, but they taste pretty yummy together. This recipe makes 2 dozen, and I just want to mention that cardamom is 1. impossible to find and b. hella expensive. But as with most spices you won't use it often and you've spent $13 on a bottle you'll pass on to your kids.

Ingredients

FOR THE CUPCAKES
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup apple sauce or 2 eggs
1/2 cup apple sauce (in addition to the last)
1 cup soy milk (or regular milk)
4 chai tea bags

FOR THE FROSTING
1 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon (up to 1/2 teaspoon more, if desired)
4 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

To make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with cupcake papers.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves; set aside.

In a small saucepan, warm the milk until it just simmers. Remove from heat and add the tea bags. Steep for 10 minutes. Remove the tea bags and allow the chai milk to cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, or the bowl of a standing mixer, cream the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. Scrape the bowl, then add the apple sauce and mix until just incorporated.

Sprinkle 1/3 of the flour mixture over batter and mix until just combined. Add 1/2 of the chai milk mixture, mixing on low until combined. Add another 1/3 of the flour mixture, and beat until just mixed. Scrape the bowl, then add the remaining milk and mix until combined. Finally, add the remaining flour mixture and mix until the batter is thoroughly combined, but do not over mix.

Fill each cupcake liner with 2 tablespoons of batter and bake for 14-16 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs clinging to it. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting: In a medium bowl, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar and cream together. Once combined, beat in another cup of sugar, then mix in the vanilla. Add the cinnamon and mix until thoroughly combined. Add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, and mix until the frosting is light and fluffy. If your frosting is too stiff or dry, beat in up to 2 tablespoons of milk, 1 tablespoon at a time.



They turn out so delicious, and moist. They're the perfect blend of spice and sweet with the frosting. They turn out so perfect and I really love the idea of them for cold weather days because they really do taste like drinking a chai tea. I'm definitely going to enjoy mine with a cup of tea and continue trying to stay warm in the middle of this nonsense.