Margarita Cupcakes

These cupcakes are to die for. I am permanently converted to cupcake fandom. I am even willing to concede there are desserts without chocolate that for which it is worth getting out of bed in the morning.  Thanks to son Amnon, who has toyed with being a pastry chef since the age of 10, for taking these on and delivering! Ours came out even more beautiful than the picture in the cookbook they came from – Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, by Moskowitz and Romero. (See Tofu Crossing Trading Post http://astore.amazon.com/rebeccacarmiw-20 for cookbook link.)

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest
1 cup soy milk or rice milk
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons tequila
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1/3 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Margarita Icing (recipe follows)
Large crystal decorating sugar for edges of cupcakes ( 1/2 cup) [we used turbinado]

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degreesF. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners.
2. In large bowl, beat together lime juicce, zest, soymilk, canola oil, tequila, vanilla and sugar. Sift in flour baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix until batter is smooth. Fill liners three quarter os the was full and bake 20 to 22 minutes until knife or toothpick inserted into center of one comes out clean. Transfer cupcakes to a cooling rack and let cool completely before frosting; allowing cupcakes to set for an hour or two helps flavor set.

ASSEMBLE
Spread icing on cubcakes, spreading all the way to the edges, then roll just the outer edges of cupcake in sugar crystals, or sprinkle on edges by hand.

Margarita Icing:
1/4 cup margarine, softened
1 tablespoons soy milk or rice milk
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon tequila
tiniest drop of green food color or food color paste you can manage (optional)
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
Generous pinch kosher or coarse salt, optional
Blend margarine with a fork till soft and fluffy then stir in soy milk, lime juice, tequila and food coloring (if using, to make icing very pale green). Sift in 2 cups confectioners sugar and blend (low speed in electric mixer) till creamy and smooth.  If it’s a little too liquidy, sift in the remaining confectiners sugar, one tablespoon at a time, till a thick but spreadable consistency is reached. Refrigerate until ready for use.

I never would have guessed that tequila is so good baked! And you don’t have to remember whether to suck the lime or lick the salt first.