It's Like I'm in Hawaii!

In my house, we have a borderline-creepy obsession with Psych, an awesome-sauce show

about a fake psychic, Shawn and his best friend/business partner, Gus (who we all know is the

real star). To try to soothe our pain over the lack of a new episode this week, I made these

cupcakes to get some pineapple goodness out of our weekend:Pineapple Macadamia Nut

Cupcakes with Momma's Spoonful Frosting!

These were thought of by my mom, who love-love-loves Hawaii and anything pineapple. I went for a more muffin-ish cupcake (I know, I know, the horror!) and they came out exactly the way I wanted them! Yay! The texture was nice and chewy, and the nuts added just the slightest crunch. These are a diabetic-friendly cupcake, as there is only 2 tablespoons in the entire recipe, but the frosting is what'll get you on the sugar overload! Anywho, here is the brand-spankin'-new recipe:

(Makes 12 regular cupcakes)

1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil

2 TBS granulated sugar(optional)

1 cup pureed pineapple

1/2 cup pineapple juice

2 tsp apple-cider vinegar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped

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1- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit; line a 12-cup cupcakes pan with liners.

2- Mix your wet ingredients in a small bowl.

3- Mix your dry ingredients in the mixer bowl. Add the liquid to the dry in two batches, and mix thoroughly. Gently beat in the macadamia-nuts.

4- Fill your cupcake liners 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

5- Cool your cupcakes on a rack completely while you make your frosting!

Momma's Spoonful Frosting:

(A warning - this doesn't pipe well so spread,aq so just scoop it on.)

1/3 cup margarine(I used Earth Balance)

2/3 cup butter-flavored Crisco

1-1/3 cups confectioners sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1-2 tsp soy-milk (optional)

3 TBS malted milk powder (I used Carnations original)

Dash coconut extract (optional, but that's what I did this time)

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1- Cream your margarine and shortening in a mixer.

2- Beat in the confectioners sugar, vanilla, and soy-milk.

3- Add in the malted milk powder(and coconut extract, if you're using it) and beat until the frosting is smooth and creamy.

4- Frost your cupcakes and enjoy!

This is the frosting that I use in my little fake vegan Twinkie-like cream canoes, and it is soooo good. It really sucks if you want to pipe it though....I usually just smear it on a cupcake right before I eat it, or I scoop some on top with a cookie scoop if I want it to look fancy-schmancy. Ha-ha! Okie-dokie then, I think I'm done with the blogging for today because my eyes hurt! Until next time, I hope you enjoy these!

Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale

Found out about this through Post Punk Kitchen's blog...

Atlanta Vegan Bake Sale!

Who the Atlanta Vegan Bake Sale Helps:

"We chose CatSnip to be the recipient of the proceeds from the Atlanta Vegan Bake Sale because on average, about 8 out of every 10 cats that enter Metro Atlanta shelters are euthanized. Sterilization is a non-lethal method of reducing cat overpopulation and the most humane way to prevent the birth of unwanted, homeless cats. CatSnip offers very low cost spay/neuter services using a mobile feline surgical unit, so low cost spay and neuters are easy and affordable for everyone. CatSnip is a project of the Atlanta Animal Alliance, a nonprofit 501(c) 3 charity. The vehicle CatSnip uses costs $150,000 to purchase and $250,000 annually to operate. CatSnip's non-profit, low-cost spay/neuter operation is sustained by private donations."

A little about the Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale:

"On June 20 through June 28 (two weekends and the weekdays in between), groups from across the world will hold vegan bake sales. Each participating group gets to choose its venue, what to sell, and how it uses the proceeds. We invite you to participate! You can hold the bake sale on any day during the period—or on more than one day if you like. Just about anyone can join in. Read on...

WHY participate?
It's a fun way to introduce people to the joy and tastiness of vegan foods.
Raise money for your cause.
Be part of an event that will publicize the many benefits of an animal-free diet.

HOW do you participate?
Plan to hold a vegan bake sale sometime between June 20 and June 28.
Let us (and the world) know by using our handy signup form (preferred) or emailing us at info@veganbakesale.org.
Hold the bake sale.
If inclined, please let us know how you did. Send a photo, or a link, whatever you'd like—celebrate and inspire.
It's that simple.
If you want to participate but cannot do so during the "official" time period, get in touch with us—we've got you covered. We're striving to be as inclusive as possible.

There are only two rules:
Goods sold must be vegan. For baking, most importantly this means no dairy or eggs.
Don't sell or distribute anything during the bake sale (books, brochures, etc.) that contributes to the intentional harming of animals.
You don't have to be a vegan group or even an animal group to participate. We're inviting school clubs, Girl Scout troops, church/temple/mosque organizations, even bunches of friends who want to join.

It's an easy and enjoyable way to raise funds, and to raise awareness about food that is delicious and satisfying but does not involve exploiting or mass-killing animals. (Note that animals are slaughtered in huge numbers, and at all ages starting at newborn, in the dairy and egg industries). In addition, many people are allergic to dairy or eggs, and holding a vegan bake sale shows that you can make super-tasty versions of cakes, pies, cookies, and other desserts without these ingredients.

The Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale is sponsored by Compassion for Animals (CfA), a Washington, DC-area grassroots group that “works to reduce human-caused harm to animals, primarily through educating people on animal-friendly lifestyles and cultivating empathy and respect for the nonhumans with whom we share the earth.” Our website (under construction) is www.compassion4animals.org.

CfA is handling the national publicity, and we've already got some well-known authors, chefs, activists, and humane groups ready (or starting) to promote the event. We're gradually adding content to the web site, and soon it will have a plethora of information, along with a roster of who's participating. Also a tiny bit of useless frivolity."

Go.  Buy tasty goods.  Help the animals.