Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and cane sugar together until pale in color. Whisk in egg whites until batter is smooth.
Fold in half the dry ingredients, then half the buttermilk and repeat. Fold in lemon zest and juice.
Line two cupcake pans with cupcake liners and fill ⅔ full of batter. Bake for 20 minutes (rotating pans halfway through baking) or until a toothpick inserted in the centers come out clean. Set aside to cool completely.
Cream butter and add sifted confectioner's sugar. Beat frosting until smooth then mix in ½ cup of strawberry jam. Place in a piping bag fitted with a star piping tip.
To decorate cupcakes, pipe frosting in a circular pattern over the top of the cupcake leaving a well in the center. Place a teaspoon of strawberry jam in the center of the frosting. Top cupcakes with a strawberry half.
Notes
Makes 18-20 cupcakesCupcakes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Before serving, allow cupcakes to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Quarantine is the perfect time to try those recipes that you’ve been meaning to get to! Since the kids are home, you can get them to help you too (but we can’t say they’ll help with the cleaning part). Check out this perfect cupcake recipe that is not only fun to make but will help you get Easter-ready for this Sunday.
Lake Champlain makes it easy to make holidays festive and delicious with their holiday chocolate bunnies, eggs, and more!
Ingredients
1 box cupcake mix (you will need more ingredients to make this but they will vary per brand)
1 container vanilla frosting
1 packet of blue food coloring
1 packet of yellow food coloring
Lake Champlain Chocolate eggs (pick your favorite flavor or pick them all!)
Method:
1. Follow the instructions on the box to make cupcakes.
2. Once cupcakes are finished baking, place in refrigerator to cool cupcakes completely before covering with icing to keep the tops from becoming sticky, about 30 minutes.
3. While cupcakes are cooling, mix the yellow and blue coloring packets in the white icing. Use as little or as much coloring as you desire!
4. Once the cupcakes are cooled, it’s time to ice them. Time to let your creativity flow! Use a piping bag, plastic bag, fork and knife, or whichever tools you have in order to make the icing grass. After cupcakes are completely covered in icing, add a Lake Champlain chocolate egg (you may have to add more icing around the eggs to create a “hidden egg” effect).
5. Serve to your cupcake lovers and enjoy!
Before you enjoy your Easter Egg Cupcakes, make sure you take a picture of your masterpiece! Post it on social media and tag your favorite organic market, Basil Bandwagon Natural Market! #basilbandwagon
Christine Waltermyer is a local Wellness Chef, private chef to celebrities, published cookbook author and founder of the Natural Kitchen Cooking School, which offers an online Plant-Based Cooking Program. She also loves shopping at Basil Bandwagon! Visit naturalkitchenschool.com to get your FREE copy of her cookbook, “7 Days of Deliciousness.”
MENU:
Arugula Beet Salad with Fennel
Spring Quinoa with Chickpeas
Spring Roasted Vegetables
Gluten Free Vegan Carrot Cake Cupcakes
https://vimeo.com/331080882
Arugula Beet Salad with Fennel
If you love salads this one is a winner! The combination of sweet beets with crunchy fennel and refreshing radicchio, combined with a lovely olive oil vinaigrette make it the perfect spring salad.
Ingredients
Salad:
3 Red Beets, boiled and peeled
1 Pink Lady Apple, cored and diced
1 Endive, core removed and sliced
1 Fennel Bulb, core removed and sliced
1 Head Radicchio, cored and sliced
1 Pack Baby Arugula (I love Olivia Organic pre-washed)
Dressing:
Juice of 1 Orange
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt
3 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup
Optional: 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
Method
1. Peel beets and dice. Place all salad ingredients in a large salad bowl.
2. Separately, combine all salad dressing ingredients and whisk together.
3. When ready to serve, pour the dressing over the salad and toss.
https://vimeo.com/330827631
Spring Quinoa with Chickpeas
This is a light and lovely side dish to serve at your favorite gatherings!
Ingredients
5 Cups Cooked Quinoa (I love Ancient Harvest Traditional Quinoa)
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Leek, sliced thinly (just the white bottom part)
8 Ounces Shiitake Mushrooms, destemmed and sliced
1 Bunch Dandelion Greens, chopped (just the leafy part)
Water
13 Ounces Cooked Chickpeas (Jovial brand is great)
1 Generous Handful of Fresh Parsley, destemmed and chopped
2-3 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt
Optional: Black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes
Method
1. Place the quinoa in a large bowl and set aside.
2. In a large skillet, warm 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook for 5 minutes with a pinch of sea salt. If it starts to stick to the pan, add a small splash of water.
3. Add the shiitake mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the dandelion greens and another pinch of sea salt and small amount of water if needed.
4. Cover and cook until the greens are tender but still bright green, or about 4 minutes. Remove the cover and take the pan off the heat.
5. To the cooked quinoa, add the chickpeas and parsley. Add the sautéed vegetables. Add remaining olive oil, lemon juice and sea salt. Serve warm.
https://vimeo.com/330175843
Spring Roasted Vegetables
What a nice combination of vegetables, just in time for Spring celebrations!
Ingredients
1/2 Medium Size Celery Root
8 Carrots
8 Ounces Baby Bella Mushrooms
1 Cup Brussels Spouts, sliced in half
10 Ounces Trimmed Green Beans
1-2 Tablespoons Avocado Oil
1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
1 Teaspoon Minced Fresh Rosemary
Juice of 1 Lemon (1 teaspoon added before roasting, reserve the other teaspoon to add later)
Balsamic Glaze
Method
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Thinly slice the carrots diagonally. Arrange on parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Remove the stems from the mushrooms. Cut into quarters and add to the baking sheet, along with the trimmed green beans and brussels sprouts. Peel and cut the celery root into cubes
3. Roast prepared vegetables in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes.
4. Add the remaining lemon juice to the roasted vegetables and drizzle with the balsamic glaze. Serve hot or leftovers go great on a salad.
https://vimeo.com/330162124
Gluten Free Vegan Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Ingredients
Dry:
2 Cups Gluten Free Flour (such as Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Mix)
2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt
1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
Wet:
1/3 Cup Plant-Based Milk (i.e. coconut milk)
1/2 Cup Maple Syrup
1/2 Cup Avocado Oil
1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Applesauce
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
2 Flax Eggs (Mix 2 tablespoons flax meal + 6 tablespoons water; let sit for 10 minutes)
Add:
1 Cup Coarsely Shredded Carrots
1/4 Cup Currants
Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 8-oz. Container Vegan Cream Cheese
1 Container Simple Mills Organic Vanilla Frosting
1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Method
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flours, spices, brown sugar, sea salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Separately, combine the plant-based milk, maple syrup, avocado oil, apple cider vinegar, applesauce, vanilla extract and flax eggs. Whisk to blend.
3. Pour wet into dry ingredients and stir or whisk together to form a smooth batter. Add the carrots and currants. Mix well but do not overmix.
4. Line a muffin pan with unbleached muffin liners. Using and ice cream scoop, evenly distribute the cupcake batter among the 12 cups.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 25 minutes. While the cupcakes are baking, prepare the frosting.
6. Place all frosting ingredients together in a food processor and process until smooth. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before frosting the cupcakes. Decorate top with optional nuts (walnuts or pecans).
Thank you to Christine Waltermyer and the Natural Kitchen Cooking School for working with us to help promote healthy, nutritious meals that are affordable, full of nutrients, and simple to make at home!
