The Cupcakes Unofficially Inspired by The Lorax

Like many vegans in my generation - I haven't always felt that I was surrounded by people who truly understood where I was coming from.

I've always found that strange because to be perfectly honest I've never really understood why because I feel like I can trace my origins back like some kind of circuit diagram through 80s popular culture. I learned that vivisection is cruel from The Secret of Nimh and Project X. I learned that animals don't want to be eaten from The Muppet Movie and that hunting was scary and pointlessly sad from The Muppet Show and Bambi. Circuses are indifferent to the wants and needs of the animals in their care from Dumbo and that wearing real animal fur is more than vanity - it's just mean past the point of being a sane person from 101 Dalmatians. As I was learning that being a human being was a privilege, I also learned that it came with a responsibility to protect those who couldn't protect themselves and that included their homes - from The Lorax.

Now it would be really easy right now for me to rant here about how the new Lorax movie is being used to greenwash companies that aren't doing all they really can to live up to the message of this book but others have already done that and to be honest - this is my happy place. Here is where I focus on the positive things - like how this movie will hopefully introduce our friend with the orange mustache to   a new generation and how I hope a handful of them grow up to continue where I will have to leave off someday.

Here is where I share cupcakes made with organic cotton candy. So please enjoy these cupcakes and remember "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing's going to get better." 

Come & Get It! Our Top 15 Favorite Vegan Recipes for Picnic & BBQ Season!

Howdy Partner! (Just kidding; I won't write this whole thing cowboy-style.)

Let's get serious here, because we're about to talk about something I take very seriously... POTLUCKS! See, planning a really amazing group dining event combines art with mathematics, originating in imagination but ultimately rooted in procedure*. There are relationships between the invitees and seating to take into account, and let's not forget making sure you have enough silverware and cups and all those basic resources. And of course, there's the menu. We've collected a few of our favorite Summery BBQ, Picnic, and Potluck favorites in time for this long weekend and compiled them here to make your menu planning easier. OK - maybe more than a few.

These vegan recipes are BBQ and Potluck Tested and Approved.

The Betty Crocker Project : Pina Colada Cupcakes with a Special Guest Appearance of The Sweet & Sara Contest!

A few months ago we posted a recipe for a cupcake to help get folks in the wintery holiday mood. It was a lovely little cupcake that combined Silk Soy Nog and the spirit of the season. But this weekend while I read countless Facebook statuses talking about freak snow flurries and saw photos posted of the recent NY Vegfest... well, it seemed like it was time for a new cupcake*. A cupcake that would warm your house like a Spring day and remind you that frozen treats and beaches are coming soon. It became clear to me that the time had come for Pina Colada cupcakes**.

As always I looked through our copy of Betty's Big Red to find the recipes that I could piece together to create this masterpiece. Then I remembered an email I got a while back from the folks over at BC about Betty's online cupcake center, and quickly found these. When you compare the recipes, you'll notice I made quite a few changes, but the spirit is there. I was cautious because I didn't want them to taste like suntan lotion, so I tried to keep the flavors subtle and natural when possible. All in all, these little buddies turned out just as I had hoped, and we loved them. We went mini with ours... because that's how we roll around here.

We could be yours.

Which brings us to our second agenda item, something else you're going to love! The Sweet & Sara Vegan Marshmallow Contest! Wow - I can actually hear you all gasping with excitement. This blog is all about proving that being vegan doesn't include sacrifice. Nothing says that more than Sweet & Sara's Easter Peepers & Skippers! Who needs those smug little gelatin-based Easter treats now that we have these?

That's why we're partnering with Sweet & Sara to bring these little guys, and a variety pack of vegan marshmallows, into the life of one lucky Meet The Shannons reader! Want to win some awesome for your Easter basket, or to give away as an Afikomen Prize, or maybe just to just eat? Here's what you have to do:

• Start by "liking" this post on Facebook using the little button at the top.
• Post a comment below with a link to a cute picture of a bunny and/or a chick (ducklings, piglets, kittens, puppies and other cutie faces are also approved) and a "Thank You" to Sweet & Sara for putting peeps in their place.

Before you leave your comment - remember in order to win one of our contests, you need to be a "follower" of Meet The Shannons. If we can't email you, then we can't send you your prize! So before you leave your comment with the answers, make sure you use the "follow" button on the side of the blog. We'll randomly choose a follower from the correct answers posted below on Thursday April 7th and send you a MAJOR AWARD! (Please keep in mind that it will take a few days for processing and shipping).

So start your search engines, find those cute bunnies, and enjoy these cupcakes...

Good Morning Irish Coffee Cupcakes & Whiskey Frosting...

So we plan out our posts in advance and then sometimes things don't work or maybe something comes up that I just can't help but share as soon as possible. What I'm trying to say is, I like plans and sticking to them but I understand the importance of being flexible. I had been planning on posting these cupcakes that are a combination of coffee and Bushmills whiskey and awesome in a little wrapper. But then the week started and there were Irish-y cupcake posts everywhere! I mean it's not the most original idea or anything but it did make us want to reevaluate our plans a little. If you know me in real life - you know that's a big deal. I like sticking to the plan. I know this messes up your whole concept of Good & Evil and how the universe works but it's going to be OK. 

So what do we do when the Earth stops spinning on it's axis and the moon turns out to actually be made of cheese? Dan & I had a MTS meeting and discussed adapting the recipe into a regular old cake or cake donuts. Did you just gasp? I hope so - expect to see something very very special soon. Something so wonderful in fact we didn't want to crowd it. Finally it came down to something Dan said "It's not our readers fault that there are a bunch of Irish-y cupcakes out there - so why are they going to be punished and denied these cupcakes that are really amazing?"

So without further ado... Here is a really wonderful little fella that will make you wish it was St.Patrick's Day year round and let's be honest... Who says you can't be a little Irish whenever you want? I would support that.

The Betty Crocker Project : Creamsicle Cupcakes

Never tell me the odds.

If you're frantically flipping through your copy of Betty's Big Red looking for this recipe, you can stop. Kinda like what we did with the Pink Lemonade, Peanut Brittle, and Soy Nog Cupcakes, we used a vegan version of Betty recipes as a starting point, and then applied a little creativity to make these. They may seem a little summer-y for January, but who couldn't use a sunny treat on a cold winter night?

These cupcakes began with some meddling with our vegan version of Betty's Starlight Yellow Cake recipe and Vanilla Frosting, and were inspired by this Betty Crocker Ad I saw from 1969... and maybe a little of The Han Solo style of Ship Enhancement and Repair. They are super simple and kitschy... in the very best way. We made them this weekend for a (not vegan) food writer that came to hangout with us and they got the thumbs up*. So if you're looking for something fun for a office potluck, birthday party or maybe something to make for your not-yet-vegan sweetheart... I think you can count on these being just as popular as those frozen treats we all loved so much we would've chased an ice cream truck through an asteroid field. Of course, without the hyper drive and C-3PO backseat driving, the odds of us finding vegan creamcicles in space are 99,678,345,102 to 1**. Yet another reason we just made our own.

The Super Chocolate Vegan Hootenanny! Episode III : German Chocolate Cupcakes

If you'd asked me a month ago why it was called German Chocolate Cake, I would have grasped at straws and guessed it had something to do with Germany, even though that doesn't make sense really. I mean, Bavaria isn't really known for their coconut trees. (insert shrug here)

The truth is that an English immigrant named Samuel German developed a certain type of sweet chocolate for the Baker's Chocolate factory in 1852 that became quite popular, so the company named it after him. Over 100 years later, a homemaker in Dallas, TX used Mr. German's signature chocolate to create this baking masterpiece, and shared her recipe with the world in the local newspaper. The rest is cake history!

I'm really excited to add our version of Vegan German Chocolate Cupcakes to our Pantheon of Baked Treats. Even though we didn't use Mr. German's chocolate to make it, I feel like these cupcakes really capture the spirit of this classic American dessert. And when you make it, please give a little tip of your hat to all those generations of creative and talented women who shared their recipes with us in newspapers and home journals. Here's to the first food bloggers!

The Super Chocolate Vegan Hootenanny! Episode I : Super Sized Brownie Bites

These were made with liners but read the recipe because we suggest another route.

This recipe started as a German chocolate cake but as the batter came together I just kinda knew this would be a perfect vegan brownie recipe.

Now we've talked before about the notorious brownie floods that every vegan community knows all too well in the vegan cream cheese brownie pie*. I'll also admit that before we made these, we also had a favorite brownie recipe but this one is better. These brownies are chewy without being gummy. They are chocolaty without being chalky or bitter. They are rich without landing on your stomach like a brick. They are also the perfect introduction for The Shannons Super Vegan Chocolate Hootenanny we have planned this weekend.

Yes! If you like chocolate as much as we do - you are in for a treat! If you are one of those folks going vegan in 2011 - this will be a great way to show you that you can be vegan and never see it as a sacrifice. And if you are one of those folks who are planning to lose weight, don't worry we have some very healthy, fat free and shocking remarkable knock-you-on-a-smaller-ass dishes coming up too.

Until then let's eat some vegan brownies that just may make you look at the world differently. You know the deal... Mass Hysteria.

Soy Nog Cupcakes & A Very Special VegNews Contest!

There's not really much more I can say about Soy Nog Cupcakes, other than that they're fantastic and you should try them! I mean, I guess I could talk up how moist and distinctively enjoyable they are for the holidays, but those would only be words. Something wonderful about this time of year is that you don't just talk about some pretty marvelous things - you actually get them! Think about it. You get to make a list of things you've always wanted and you get at least some of them - unless you've been bad. You get to bake all kinds of wonderful projects and warm up your house at the same time. People donate and volunteer more during these winter holiday months than any of time of the year. There are countless parties to throw and go to. Mistletoe to kiss your husband under. Still don't believe me this is an awesome time of year? You get to drink hot chocolate. You're drinking warm liquid chocolate! And one of my personal favorites - Silk Soy Nog hits the shelves.

These cupcakes combine 2 things that we love: Cupcakes and Silk Soy Nog! (insert starry eyed lovesick swoon here) They also seemed like a great post to announce our next contest. That's right, we're partnering up with one of our favorite magazines, VegNews--the premier magazine focusing on a vegetarian lifestyle since 2000--to bring you A Very Special VegNews End of the Year Contest!

All you have to do to win is leave a comment below answering these 3 questions:

• What has been your favorite Meet The Shannons Recipe thus far?
• What recipe have you always wanted to see veganized and would like to see next year?
• What is your favorite feature on VegNews.com - Saavy Abby, Book Club, Cafe VegNews...?

Before you leave your comment - remember in order to win one of our contests, you need to be a "follower" of Meet The Shannons. If we can't email you, then we can't send you your prize! So before you leave your comment with the answers, make sure you use the "follow" button on the side of the blog.

We'll randomly choose a follower from the correct answers posted below on Jan. 1st and send you a MAJOR AWARD! (Please keep in mind that it will take a few days for processing and shipping). What is this major award all the kids are talking about? Well, a gift pack from VegNews, of course! This includes a one-year subscription, the current issue of VegNews, an over-sized tote bag, and six vegan cookies, a gift pack totaling $50! I know - It's like a Christmas Miracle!

Let's bake some cupcakes!

Postcard from Boston! They may call it Beantown - but Vegans have way more options...

So you've probably guessed we've been away for Thanksgiving... well in Boston to be exact... Going to Celtic's games, visiting the Museum of Fine Arts and of course enjoying The Shannon Family vegan Thanksgiving! But when it comes to Boston they have a lot to offer as far as good vegan food besides what you find in the Shannon  kitchen...

The night before The Celtics beat The Raptors 110 to 101 in The Garden, we literally feasted at My Thai Vegan Cafe. We may have been a little too excited when we ordered because we got an appetizer, bowls of soups, 2 entrees and a beloved pot of green tea (that night was freezing) - which may sound like a normal meal but the serving sizes are so generous we had didn't have any room left for the gorgeous carrot cake they had in their bakery cases. Oh well - Guess we have to go back!

We started with Golden Triangles - which are medium sized fried won tons filled with a spiced fake chicken that came with a peanut sauce to dip them in. Dan was smart and got the Sweet & Sour Soup. This was some of the best Sweet & Sour Soups I've had since I moved from the Puget Sound area. It made me regret my Coconut Tofu Soup - which was also good but not a rock star like the Sweet & Sour. We both got entrees to share but really I'm not a great sharer when it comes to food. Dan's lucky I love him so much.

I got the Lemongrass Vegan Chicken and loved that I could actually taste the lemongrass. I adore the flavor and am often disappointed when it is over powered by salt or ginger. This was perfect. Dan took a chance and got the Tamarind Vegan Duck. I was worried it would be too sweet - a lot of times folks use jellies rather than fruit for the glazes and the sugar just kind of takes over. But the glaze was just the right amount of sweetness and savory and the vegan duck was firm and flavorful. The dish came on a huge plate surrounded by vegetables and was a meal on it's own. Man - I'm a getting a bit nostalgic just thinking about it.

But that's just one spot you should check out if you find yourself looking for vegan food in Boston...

The Betty Crocker Project : A Halloween Treat - Vegan Devil's Food Cupcakes

You knew they were coming. All the signs were there. I mean we're a blog that spends a lot of time veganizing Betty Crocker recipes. It was only a matter of time before we made adorable holiday cupcakes. I won't bore you with chit chat about what our cats have been up to, what video game is kicking my ass this month or various other random updates. You're here for chocolate cupcakes and I'm here to help you out.

Now if you're not familiar with Devil's Food Cake it is light, fluffy chocolate cake that has a hint of coffee to it. Now some doesn't have the coffee in it but the fancy ones do and who doesn't want to be fancy?

Who's ready to bake some cupcakes?

The Betty Crocker Project : The Peanut Brittle Cupcakes

I hope you're not frantically flipping through your Big Red right now looking for the not-vegan version of this recipe... because it isn't in there. This is an adaption of the Peanut Brittle and Starlight Yellow Cake recipes into, well, something quite lovely that goes great with your morning coffee. I made them mini, because that's how I roll*. They are a little sticky, but that's kinda part of their charm. They are perfect breakfast cupcakes! These little guys aren't your mama's cupcakes; they're almost like mini - coffeecakes or monkey bread, and would be great for a brunch potluck or to help make a hard week a little better.

They do have a lot of steps, so let's get going so you can have these ready in case this week is already looking a little rocky. This recipe will make around 2 1/2 dozen mini-cupcakes with some Peanut Brittle filling left over to drizzle over some Soy or Coconut Ice Cream. Yeah, it's that good.

Special Edition : DC Vegfest Meets The Shannons

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

What can I say? We go where the food is.

Back at the beginning of time when Dan and I went vegan, we hoped there would one day be a world where a vegan cupcake would kick ass on the Food Network, and where across the country there would be festivals dedicated to vegan food and saving animals. In our dreams, those festivals were packed with kind, smart, good-looking people. Sigh. Walking through DC Vegfest, we saw all those hopes and dreams come true!

There was booth after booth of delicious vegan falafel, nachos, baked goods, Ethiopian buffets... whatever. It was there. So were the people. The joke that this was actually "Line-fest" never got old, no matter how many times we heard it from folks (Ed. note: by "folks", she means me). Or maybe it was the hunger delirium that made everything hilarious.

The Betty Crocker Project : The Pink Lemonade Cupcake

So, if you're flipping through your copy of Betty's Big Red, you aren't going to find these. They're kinda an invention of sorts that I pieced together using 3 adapted Betty recipes. I made them for our dear friend Sarah's birthday, and might have had a little too much fun decorating them (yes, those are dinosaurs you spot there). I made them mini so that Sarah could eat a few throughout the day for many many days. I mean, who doesn't love dessert with their breakfast?

Summer is winding down, and I have to admit I'm eager for soup and baking season again. I kinda feel like these cupcakes bridge that gap. A little bit of summer you an enjoy anytime of year.

There are a few steps involved so let's bake some cupcakes!

The Betty Crocker Project : Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

This weekend, we went to see the all-star overdose The Expendables. We're, friends right? So let's be honest here. This movie made me feel old. It was like seeing all the great old action movies in some kind of Cocoon kaleidoscope--with more tattoos and stabbing in the neck, but fewer Wilford Brimley cameos. Sadly, it was the kind of movie where you spend the drive home talking about the previews. For example: Dan and I have decided that the new Green Hornet is going to be our new favorite movie of all time. I personally am willing to overlook the fact it has Cameron Diaz in it, and instead focus on Bad-Ass Kato. I mean new Kato really had to kick more ass than usual - considering one of the original Katos was Bruce Lee. It looks like a great, modern take on an old classic.

While I baked this cake, I debated whether I could be overdosing on comic book movies, special effects, and cupcakes. Nothing really makes me awestruck anymore, like when the Millennium Falcon first hit light speed; and nothing strikes me as just automatically cool, like Jack Nicholson as The Joker. Maybe the classics have ruined me for the new movies, unless it's a re-make of a classic (see: The Green Hornet). Luckily, this cake isn't just another cake - it's a classic. It was easy and fun to bake, but still special. When I flipped it over and the sticky sweet glaze melted over the pineapple and cherries - I had to smile. This isn't a hard cake to make, and maybe not the fanciest, but I'm glad we have a vegan Pineapple Upside-Down Cake recipe now. It fills this hole in our cooking resume that I didn't even know we had.

Come with me on this adventure.

Special Edition : Vegan Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

One cupcake to rule them all!

I won't bore you with stories about how a certain portion of my life has been dedicated to searching out and locating ways to eat chocolate with chili pepper. They're uninteresting stories about mixing soy chocolate ice cream with Tabasco, or baking dozens of chocolate cookies till I figured out how much chili powder to add to get that kick at the end. Some flavors just really speak to certain palettes, and mine loves dark chocolate with a dash of cayenne. If someone ever made a master list or database of Annie's favorite foods, Mexican Hot Chocolate would have its own category/folder/color code, depending on how they choose to record this data. Because really, there's so much you can do with Mexican Hot Chocolate: beverages, frozen treats, baked goods, candy. I love them all.

I'm going to cut myself off here before I start on a tangent wondering why someone would need such a database, and if that information would be used for good or evil. For the record - I prefer good to evil.

I also prefer that you all make these precious cupcakes this weekend and send me one. I'll be expecting those shortly for second breakfast, elevenses, and/or afternoon tea.

The Betty Crocker Project : Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Once upon a time in the little neighborhood of Ghent, I used to bake a lot of cupcakes.

I baked dozens and dozens of cupcakes. I baked for birthdays and parties, slow Wednesday nights, whatever. I just really like to bake, and cupcakes are easy to make vegan and pass out to various loved ones. I also find them just charming. I like their little wrappers and sprinkles and all the cute things you can do with them. I like injecting them with fruit or frosting. These little handfuls of adorably-shaped sugar were a nice outlet for some bottled-up creativity in my life.

But lately something has changed.

Since Dan and I started working our way through The Betty Crocker Cookbook, we've found ourselves faced with more creative outlets than we have room in the fridge. I know, I know. Your first instinct is to call "shenigans," but seriously, we often find ourselves running out of hunger before we run out of casseroles and cookies. You know who pays the price in the end? The cupcakes. The neglected little cupcakes.

But now they're back!

The Betty Crocker Project : Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache

Oh, good morning little cupcake!

Aggie*, our bittiest Shannon, likes to bring me presents. She does it all day, every day. She brings me plastic bags, toy mice, dirty socks from the hamper... once she even brought me a shoe. And, if you've ever seen how small she is, you know that took real willpower--and like five minutes to drag it from the living room closet. I appreciate Agatha's determination, creativity, and of course her thoughtfulness.

This morning, I woke up and she had brought me a cupcake.

She had taken one off the cooling rack, trotted into the bedroom, and dropped it next to my nightstand.

What a nice way to start a day.