Thank you everyone for being so excited about my ravioli post. It was my most popular blog entry yet!

This past weekend I went apple picking. It was really hot that day, so I actually had some frozen lemonade after!

I had actually been planning on this recipe in a vague form even before I decided to go apple picking. In fact, this is specifically why I wanted to go. Now I need to go apple picking every year, because I have realized fresh picked apples are so much tastier than ones bought in the store.

Of course, I bought more apples than I knew what to do with (figuratively not literally basically) so I had to make some things with them. I don’t know why I just said that because that was part of the plan, but it sounds better that way? Don’t mind me…

Fresh-picked Apple Cupcakes with Apple Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting Drizzled with Homemade Apple Syrup

Makes a dozen cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the Apple Cinnamon Syrup:

• 1 cup coconut palm sugar
• 1 cup organic evaporated cane juice
• 2 cups water
• 5-6 red apples worth of peels
• 2 cinnamon sticks

For the cupcakes:

• 2 cups apples diced small
• 1 cup organic evaporated cane juice (vegan white sugar)
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup applesauce
• 1 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 cup almond milk

For the frosting:

• 1/4 cup earth balance
• 1/4 cup vegan non-hydrogenated shortening
• 2 cup powdered sugar
• 4 tbsp apple cinnamon syrup
• 1 tbsp almond milk or other non dairy milk of choice

 Directions:

For the apple cinnamon syrup:

1. Stir together the sugars and water in a saucepan.
2. Peel the apples and place the peels into the pan.
3. Make sure you save the meat of the apples for the cupcakes and possible other things you may choose to make or eat as is.
4. Add the cinnamon sticks.
5. Simmer for about 45 minutes. You can have it on a medium low heat and then turn it to the lowest heat once it starts to bubble a bit.
6. After 45 minutes, take off heat and allow to cool slightly. Your kitchen will smell amazing, by the way.
7. Strain into a container. Discard the apple peels and cinnamon.
8. Refrigerate until ready to use for the frosting. You’ll have quite a bit of extra syrup that you can use in drinks or whatever your heart desires. I’m going to use it to make a vegan roasted peanut recipe, so you may want to save some of it for when that posts!

For the cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Mix the apples and evaporated cane juice in a mixing bowl and let sit for ten minutes.
3. Add in the vegetable oil, vanilla, and apple sauce. Stir to combine.
4. Fold in the flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
5. Add the almond milk and stir to combine.
6. Place batter into twelve cupcake liners in a muffin pan. You’ll want to fill them up more than typical cupcakes. Spread the batter out as evenly as you can into eat. I used about 2 huge heaping tablespoons in each.
7. Bake for at least 20 minutes. It took my cupcakes about 24 minutes to be done. After the 20 minutes I took a toothpick and checked the middle and continued to do this every so often until they were golden brown and the toothpick came out clear.
8. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting:

1. Cream together the Earth Balance and shortening with an electic mixer.
2. Add in the powdered sugar and mix until crumbly.
3. Add the syrup and almond milk and mix until smooth.
4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix a bit more to ensure everything is mixed together.

To assemble:

1. I like to put the frosting into a ziplock bag and snip off a corner to use as a pastry bag.
2. Pipe frosting onto the cupcake in your desired arrangement.
3. Drizzle extra syrup or sprinkle cinnamon on top.

So good!

PS: Today I also made Isa Chandra Moscowitz’ Kale Salad from Isa Does It. It has butternut squash and lentils and the dressing is so good. I ate it with some Earth Balance Mac and Cheese.