A Cupcake is a Thing of Beauty, and a Joy for 3 minutes...

John Keats wrote:

A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:

Its loveliness increases;

it will neverPass into nothingness;

but still will keep

A bower quiet for us, and a sleep

Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.

I believe he was speaking of my cupcakes:

Carrot Cake Cupcakes, topped with cream cheese icing and candied ginger

Yes - beauty, sweet, health, quiet breathing (or is that panting and drooling?) - that about covers it!

Tonight is tri-community (Dancing Rabbit, Sandhill Farm & Red Earth Farms) potluck. And while traditionally a potluck means that one brings a dish that would be enough to feed one's family (i.e. the number of people in your party who will be eating at the potluck), when one brings dessert there absolutely MUST be enough to go around. Granted, there are a few non-sugar and non-wheat eaters in our midst, but if you want to avoid a kid-riot (and I do, at all costs) you bring extra.


The Recipe

CARROT CAKE
Vegan
From The New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook

Preheat oven to 350

1 cup salad oil
1 c. white sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1 ½ - 2 c. water or soymilk

4 c. unbleached white flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 ½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp allspice

3 c. grated carrots
1 c. chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)
½ c. raisins

Blend oil and sugar, add water and beat. Sift the flour with remaining dry ingredients and add to sugar mixture. Add carrots and nuts and mix well. Bake in a 9x13” pan at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

For cupcakes: grease cupcake tins. Bake for about 12 minutes.

FROSTING
1 container Tofutti PLAIN Better Than Cream Cheese
½ cube soy margarine
3 c. sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Beat together with whisk attachment. Add more sugar if it is too wet, soy milk if it is too stiff.


That's it for tonight. I've been thinking a lot about sustainable business, and how to have a store where selling things really is not the bottom line, and am working myself into a tizzy. So I made cupcakes. With lots of frosting. And lots of leftovers.