Posts Tagged ‘brunch’

Mother’s Day is today, but we had an early celebration chez moi with my mom and grandmother yesterday. I had them both over for Brunch – it was far from a healthy brunch, but boy was it delish!

Gluten Free Chai Tea Cupcakes

Both my mom and my sister are gluten intolrant, and lately I’ve been suspecting I am as well. I’m going gluten free for a month (currently on day 5!) to see if that helps how I’ve been feeling – but more on that another time. Needless to say, brunch had to be gluten-free for my mom’s sake (and I guess, possibly mine!) – so I decided to go balls to the wall and work on making this awesome Chai Tea breakfast cupcake recipe I’ve been meaning to make gluten free… and do cake balls. I don’t half ass when it comes to baking – I love baking (and eating the results, which is how I ended up falling in love with fitness… haha ;)

Gluten Free Cake Balls

So, after some research and a ridiculous overload on GF flour and cake mix at Bulk Barn (I will be baking GF yellow cake for the rest of my life), I was ready to get down to business. The morning’s menu?

Chai Tea breakfast cupcakes, chocolate covered vanilla cake balls, non-alcoholic sangria (my mom also can’t have alcohol – the poor thing! luckily I didn’t inherit THAT terrible allergy), and banana split bites.

Banana Split Bites

Yum.

Tea time! Only we'll be eating it.

Gluten-Free Chai Tea Cupcakes Bake @ 375° for 18-20 minutes | makes 24 cupcakes

• 2 c all purpose gluten free flour
• 1.5 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 c sugar
• 4 chai tea bags
• 1 1/4 c milk, heated
• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 (ish) a cup Nature’s Path Crunchy Maple Sunrise

Put the milk in a saucepan and heat until it’s JUST simmering on the stove. Once it’s ready, take it off and add your 4 chai tea bags – let it steep for 5-7 minutes while the milk cools a bit. While its steeping, mix the gluten-free flour, baking soda, ginger, and salt in a bowl, and set aside. Next, cream the butter using a beater, and then add the sugar and vanilla, mixing until it’s combined. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each. Fill your cupcake liners, and then sprinkle the Crunchy Maple Sunrise on to. Pop them in the oven and bake at 375° for 18-20 minutes. Chai Cream Cheese Drizzle (to top the cupcakes with!)

• 85 grams (about 1/3 a 250 gram brick) low fat cream cheese, softened
• 2 tbsp butter (softened) or margarine
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/4 c icing sugar
• strongly brewed chai tea, cooled

The spread! Om nom.

Combine the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla in a bowl and beat until fluffy. Add the icing sugar (I recommend doing this a little bit at a time as it’s easier and doesn’t make a gigantic mess, especially if you’re using a hand mixer like I do!), and continue to mix it in. Finally, add your chai tea in bit by bit until the consistency is thin enough to drizzle, but not so thin it’s totally liquidy. Using a spoon, drizzle it over the top of your cupcakes. If you had tons leftover (I did), you can use the Wilton #230 to fill the centers with more icing. Oh, yum. I only wish I had thought of this before serving them! I ended up filling them the day after as I found the cake dried out quite quickly (a side effect of the GF flour, maybe?), and this gives it extra moisture. Finally, eat them and love them. Or, if you’re serving them up for a brunch like I did – pair them with this wicked non-alcoholic sangria (or, just flip the cranberry juice out for a bottle of red wine and make it alcoholic!)

Psssst! Looking for the Chai Tea Breakfast Cupcake nutritional information? You’ll find it here!

Delicious non alcoholic Sangria

Non-Alcoholic Sangria

• 4 cups of cranberry juice
• 1 c orange juice
• 1/4 c lemon juice
• 1 pear
• 1 apple (I used a granny smith green one – they’re my favourite! :)
• 3 c carbonated lemon lime beverage (ie. 7UP or Sprite)

Combine the cranberry juice, orange juice, and lemon juice in a pitcher. Slice up your fruit, and add it it. Allow it to sit for a few hours before you’re planning on serving it (I prepped this the night before, so the fruit was good and infused by the morning). JUST before serving it, add in the pop – you don’t want to do this too early, or it goes flat. Toss in some ice and volia! Tastiness in a pitcher. Happy mother’s day to all you fabulous moms out there.

And for those of us who may not be mom’s, always remember this key piece of wisdom when dealing with your mom:

“When your mother asks, “Do you want a piece of advice?” it’s a mere formality. It doesn’t matter if you answer yes or no: you’re going to get it anyway.” – Erma Bombeck

As seen on: Sweets for a Saturday #69, The Sundae Scoop #28, Makin’ You Crave Monday, Weekend Wrap Up Party, Made By You Monday #98,
Featured on: Cupcakes Take the Cake, FoodGawker