A Leap Day Baking Experiment

I am not vegan.  I will never be vegan because I love steak - a lot!!  However, while looking for a thin mint or samoa recipe, I came across Chef Chloe's website and discovered she won Cupcake Wars with a vegan cupcake recipe.  And she had a recipe for vegan thin mints.  I've been trying to be healthier lately, giving up carbonated beverages for Lent and eating at least 1 piece of fruit a day (gasp! I know, I have terrible eating habits).  When I saw her Fluffy Coconut Cupcake recipe, I became Girl Scout cookie side-tracked had to give it a try.  

FYI: the ingredients in this recipe are not cheap.  I spent around $20 for all the stuff to make 16 cupcakes. That being said, the recipe was very easy to make.  My icing seemed thick enough until I had spread it on the cupcakes and then it started drooping, so maybe next time I'll make it even thicker.  I also toasted my coconut topping.  Oh and the cupcakes themselves are very greasy in the papers, so be careful!

After all that work, I have to say.  W.O.W!!  Delicious!  I'm not sure how "healthy" they are because of the coconut saturated fats, but they taste great, had a fabulous texture, and will be a nice treat every now and then.  I will definitely make these again!  I'm also looking forward to seeing what other recipes she has in her cookbook coming out soon, Chloe's Kitchen.   


Happy Leap Day!