First Birthday Animal Cupcakes

My baby had a fabulous first birthday!  Instead of cake I made sheep, pig, turtle, and chick cupcakes.  The cupcake recipe is from the joy of baking website.  I used safflower instead of canola oil and made a cream cheese icing instead of ganache.  I used the agave cream cheese recipe from weelicious.com, but added maple syrup and extra agave to make it sweeter.

Sheep

To make the sheep I pressed shredded coconut into the icing.  I used confetti candy for the head, chocolate chips for eyes, black licorice for ears, and chocolate mint sticks for legs. 

Pigs 

To create pink icing I added strawberry juice (from frozen berries).  The nose and ears are pink mints, the nostrils are chocolate chips, and the eyes and mouth are licorice laces.

Turtles  

To tint the icing green I added a few drops of liquid chlorophyll that I bought at a health food store. I used green licorice laces for the shell, pecans for the feet, chocolate chips for eyes, and a candy mint leaf cut in half for the head and tail.  

Chicks

I pressed finely shredded coconut into the icing to create feathers.  The beak is an almond, and the eyes and comb are licorice lace.  

Banana Chocolate Cupcakes 

2 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium sized bananas)

1 cup warm water

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup safflower oil 

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place rack in the center of the oven. Line 24 regular-sized muffin cups with paper liners or spray each cup with a non stick vegetable spray. In a large bowl whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs, mashed bananas, water, milk, oil, and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir, or whisk, until combined. Pour the batter into the muffin cups, about 3/4 full, and bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.  Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. 

Cream Cheese Icing

1 8 oz package cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
 6 tablespoons agave nectar

3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla

Place all the ingredients in a mixer and beat on medium to high speed until fluffy.

Oatmeal Blueberry Muffins for Baby

I wanted Rivers to be able to eat yummy baked treats without the sugar.  These muffins are sweetened with molasses, bananas, and blueberries.  Also, the molasses and baby cereal make this an iron-rich treat.  I prefer making mini muffins because they are perfect for little hands.  We eat this snack together!

2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons arrowroot flour (or 1 egg after baby turns one)
1/2 cup baby rice cereal
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup blueberries


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease or line muffin tins.  Mash the bananas.  Add applesauce , molasses, vanilla, arrowroot flour or egg, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Mix in dry ingredients, coconut, and blueberries.  Bake mini muffins for 14 minutes and large muffins for 20-25 minutes.  Makes 12 large muffins or 36 mini muffins. 

Marshmallow Ghosts

I made these for a kids program (and I know they are not really vegetarian, but they could be if you use vegan marshmallows).  I got the idea from Vegetarian Times (October 2010), but tweaked it a bit to make them more like smores.  The original recipe used nori sheets which I think most kids would find gross.  

To make one you need:
1 marshmallow
2 yogurt-covered raisins
2 slivered almonds
1red jube jube
1 graham cracker 
1 tsp chocolate-hazelnut spread


Use a paring knife to poke a hole in the yogurt-covered raisins, then twist the knife until the raisin is visible.  Make 2 little holes on top of the marshmallow and insert the yogurt-covered raisins to create eyes.  Poke the slivered almonds into the sides of the marshmallow to make arms.  Slice the jube jube to create a moon shape and stick to the front of the marshmallow. Spread the chocolate-hazelnut spread on a graham cracker and place the marshmallow on top.