DIY Donuts & Starbucks!

Saying that I'm on a budget right now is an understatement.  I'm broke!  Working for a not-for-profit is really starting to take its toll on my bank account.  Good food is my only "splurge".  I REFUSE to eat like crap, because then I'll feel like crap.  In trying to watch my food budget, however, I'm trying to cut back on those little costs that add up:  like snacks on the fly and my Starbucks iced tea habit.

Last month I cracked the Starbucks code -- Shaken Green Tea = TAZO "Zen" on ice. 

This wasn't hard to figure out, as they sell the tea bags right in the store!  wish i'd noticed that sooner.

The donuts came to life last night when I found a recipe for Jelly Donut Cupcakes in Veganomicon.  I love this cookbook!  It's all vegan recipes but it is so much better than any straight vegetarian cookbooks I have found...sometimes I just fudge (mmmm, fudge) on the strict vegan aspects of the recpies.  Not suprisingly, my meat-eater friends are fans as well.

Anyway, the "donuts" turned out great, but I have a hard time calling something a cupcake when it doesn't have frosting...so here's the recipe for Jelly Donut "Muffcakes"....ENJOY!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup soy milk
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup grape jelly  --use the CHEAP STUFF (yields more "realistic" results)
• powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350º.   Grease and flour a cupcake tin (12).

Add the soy milk, cornstarch and vinegar to a small cup or bowl and mix until the cornstarch is dissolved. 

Then, in a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt.  Create a little dent in the middle of the dry ingredients.  Remix the soy milk mixture, and add it to the dent in the flour mix.   
Add the oil, sugar, and vanilla.  Mix everything together until well combined.

Then fill those cupcake tins 2/3rds of the way with the mixture.  Drop TEAspoonfuls of jelly in the middle. 

Bake 21-23 minutes.  Tops will be firm and jelly will sink into the cake.

Cool and remove from the tins.  When cooled completely, dust with powdered sugar.

Enjoy w/in safe distance from police station with your fake Starbucks Iced Tea :)

Also, a big thank you to fellow blogger, Lauren Alexander, for including Donut Girl in her blog.  Visit her Etsy store for super cute water color paintings from a talented Kansas City artist.