Iron Cupcake December Challenge: Chocolate with a twist

A while back, my friend Maureen (an ice-cream maker extraordinaire) mentioned to me that earl grey and chocolate make an excellent flavor combination. It took me a bit to track down a company that sells food-grade bergamot (earl grey) extract (though I could have just used tea), the bottle they sent it in was quite impressive:


So, I ran with it this month in the iron cupcake challenge, and made chocolate cupcakes with vanilla earl grey icing:


It was an interesting combination, the earl grey has a smokey orange flavor, and smells like perfume, they went over quite well with the work crowd.

Per regulations, the list of prizes this month:

Our December ETSY PRIZE-PACK is from artists:BETTY TURBO - http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5002976as well as a pair of cupcake earrings from LOTS OF SPRINKLES at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6057281. PLUS, IronCupcake:Earth can not forget our good friend, CAKESPY, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5243382, who is now going to be doing a piece for our winner each month until further notice - sweet!As an added bonus for December we have adorable cupcake pincushions complements of SWEET CUPPIN CAKES BAKERY AND CUPCAKERY SUPPLY, http://www.acupcakery.com/index.html.
Last and certainly not least, don’t forget our corporate prize providers: HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS, http://www.fiestaproducts.com/, HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, http://blog.hellocupcakebook.com/, JESSIE STEELE APRONS http://www.jessiesteele.com/; the CUPCAKE COURIER http://www.cupcakecourier.com/; TASTE OF HOME books, http://www.tasteofhome.com/. Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers, http://www.1800flowers.com/ .

Product Review: Taza Chocolate

I had just been lamenting that as a vegan I haven't found a good way to make hot chocolate. The quest for a decent cup of cocoa last winter was long and bleak. I tried powders, double boiling, microwaving chocolate, combinations of these things all with little success. With the cold weather creeping in, I was just starting up my bellyaching, when my sister came home with TAZA Chocolate Mexicano. I quickly steamed up some soy milk and whisked in a chunk of the chocolate wheel. That chunk of chocolate quickly melted into the soy milk creating an intense chocolate flavor with vanilla undertones, it was smooth, it was creamy; in short all the comfort I want from a hot cocoa on a cold day. Upon reading the package I find that it is made in my beloved Somerville, following some fancy Mexican chocolate stone-grinding processing method. Whatever it is they are doing, it is delicious. TAZA is even having an open house in December, which I plan to attend, click the link above for more info.

Mini Cupcakes

I broke down and bought a mini cupcake pan, even though I think it's against my morals. I was jealous at the last party that I was at, that everyone was eating store-bought mini cupcakes instead of my homemade concoctions, and GASP! even cutting my cupcakes in half!!!

However, the mini cupcakes are bitesize and super cute.  These were just simple vanilla with [vegan, obviously] cream cheese frosting and the fancy sprinkles from whole foods.