Obviously you all loved the go-to chocolate cupcake recipe I posted a few weeks back, and I’ve gotten numerous requests to do a similar base-recipe for vanilla. Thing is, I don’t very often do plain vanilla. When I get sugar cravings, chances are whatever I bake needs to involve chocolate, or my craving will not be satisfied.

However, a vanilla cake base is a necessity, and something I’ve used repeatedly for such creations as the Cookie Dough Cupcakes and Fruit-filled Lemon Cupcakes.

My first attempt at making plain-old vanilla cupcakes wasn’t the best. I felt the resulting cupcake was just a bit… blah? And bit too dense. So I tried again. And so what if I used almond meal – while some might claim the resulting cake is more of an almond vanilla cupcake than just a vanilla cupcake, I feel the almond meal gives it a unique taste and depth of flavor that one cannot achieve with vanilla alone. And I love almond. So sue me. If you don’t want to use the almond meal, substitute regular or whole wheat flour, or even some variety of nut flour (I’ve heard of hazelnut flour, which might be good?) in its place.

Anticipating that there will be questions, yes, you can substitute milk for soy milk (I’m usually making substitutions for cow milk, so it always cracks me up when people ask if the opposite is true, and while I’ve never done it, it should produce a perfectly palatable cupcake). Or use coconut milk. Or almond milk. Or any milky-liquid, really. Again, this is a base cupcake recipe for a reason. It’s your call as to how you might want to change it up for a particular flavor.

Despite what the picture might make you think, these cupcakes are different from the Vanilla Almond Cupcakes with Blackberry Buttercream. Who would have thought I could have so precisely recreated the color of natural blackberry puree in a buttercream with only liquid food coloring (I was simply trying to match the plum pink on the wrappers, nothing more).

So take this recipe, my dear readers, and go forth and create. Use it as a basis for a myriad of delightful cupcake flavors – the sky’s the limit!

Very Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Buttercream

Makes 12 cupcakes.

Ingredients
Cupcakes:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup almond meal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup soy milk
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup oil
1/2 vanilla bean (seeds only)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Vanilla Buttercream:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, room temperature
3-3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 vanilla bean (seeds only)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
food coloring (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine soymilk and vinegar and stir to combine. Set aside for 5 minutes. Mixture will curdle.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Whisk sugar, oil, vanilla bean, and extract into curdled soymilk mixture. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix until relatively smooth. Fill cupcake liners with a scant 3 Tablespoons of batter (cups should be just under 2/3 of the way full). Bake for 20-22 minutes or until lightly golden, and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

For frosting, cream butter in electric mixer for 1-2 minutes until fluffy. Slowly add 1 cup sugar and beat until smooth. Add soy creamer and mix until combined. Add remaining confectioners’ sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, and beat until well incorporated. Add vanilla seeds, extract, and food coloring, and mix at medium-high speed until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add more cream or sugar as necessary to achieve proper consistency. Pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes.

It’s fall. And while I am sad that the fresh heirloom tomato sandwiches of summer are gone, the rich and hearty fall foods are a nice change of pace. It is always interesting to me how much of our food is seasonal, and not just recipes that reflect the ingredients in season at the time, but also that reflect the overall ‘feeling’ in the air. Fall comes around, temperatures drop, and all of a sudden all you want is a hearty bowl of warm, satisfying chili. I would have been nuts to crave such a thing in July. And yes, I’ll probably be sick of the stuff by March (when all I can think about is when will the fresh produce come back); but for now, this is all I need to feel warm from the inside out.

This chili was especially satisfying, because it was just as delicious as any version made with less desirable foodstuffs. With ground turkey instead of beef, and packed with plenty of colorful vegetables (they say orange things are good, right? then this chili must be really good for you!) The pumpkin puree adds just a hint of sweetness, while our addition of a sweet potato (hey, we have this lonely sweet potato sitting around, why not throw it in?) gave it another level of texture and flavor.

While the original recipe didn’t call for any liquid (other than the juice of the tomatoes) we felt it was too thick, and added a cup of chicken broth for a more stew-like consistency (or, do as Erin suggests and try adding a bottle of beer, sure Taylor would have loved that variation!). It’s your call and your preference as to how thick you’d like the final product to be. Thick or thin, we’ll definitely be making this one again very soon.

Pumpkin Turkey Chili

Makes 6 servings. Adapted from Serious Eats via Erin’s Food Files.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium sweet potato, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 pound ground turkey
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (14.5 ounce) can red kidney beans
2 cups (1 14.5 ounce can) pumpkin puree
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 tablespoon cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cayenne pepper to taste (at least 3 good shakes)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup shredded Fontina or cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions
Heat oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Saute the onion, bell pepper, sweet potato, and garlic until tender, about 10 minutes. Make room in the center of the skillet, add turkey, and brown, about 10 minutes. Add cherry tomatoes and stir until just softened, 2-3 minutes. Stir in canned tomatoes, beans, pumpkin, and broth. Season with chili powder, cumin, pepper, salt, and cayenne.

Reduce heat and simmer at least 20 minutes. You can add more broth if necessary for a thinner, more stew-like consistency. Stir in fresh cilantro and serve topped with cheese and/or sour cream.

A huge congratulations to Kate from DC! She’s the lucky winner of the Olive & Sinclair Artisan Chocolate sampler. Out of an astonishing 275 entries, her comment was randomly selected to win. Kate will be receiving 4 bars of our favorite O&S bars, including the exclusive (not yet available in stores) Mexican-style Cinnamon Chili. She is one lucky lady!

Didn’t win? Want to order some for yourself? Olive & Sinclair will ship their artisan chocolate bars directly to you! Simply shoot them an email through their website or blog to order. Tell them Lindsay sent you. :) I would strongly suggest you try their Salt & Pepper, Sea Salt, and the Mexican Cinnamon Chili (which should be available any day now). They also have 67% Dark, 75% Super Dark, Cocoa Nib, and Coffee Bean flavors, which are unbelievably delicious as well (believe us – we’ve tried them ALL).

Thanks to everyone who entered! And seeing as how successful this giveaway was, who knows, maybe we’ll just have to do another one again soon!

We made these after I ordered something similar at a local restaurant (like many of our dishes, we enjoy something so much that we do our best to copy it at home). We basically stuffed a portobello mushroom cap with some of our favorite things, including goat cheese, Parmesan, sundried tomato, and artichoke hearts. All broiled and gooey and drizzled with some thick and sweet balsamic reduction, it is a delicious vegetarian dinner that will satisfy you completely. Serve it on top of a bed of baby greens for a complete meal.

While we didn’t reduce the balsamic as much as we should have (sometimes we just want to eat, and don’t want to wait any longer), just the touch of acidity and sweetness that the balsamic brings is the perfect finish for the rich and buttery mushrooms. And what’ya know, the past two recipes I’ve posted have both featured balsamic vinegar, in completely different ways. A testament to its versatility as an ingredient, I guess you could say!

REMINDER: Don’t forget to enter to win a sampler of delicious artisan chocolate from Olive & Sinclair! Tomorrow (Monday) is your last day to enter!

Stuffed Portobello with Balsamic Reduction

Makes 4 servings. Adapted from Epicurious.

Ingredients
1 10-ounce package frozen spinach
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped sweet onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/4 cup plus 6 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 5-ounce package soft fresh goat cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup unseasoned dry breadcrumbs
salt and pepper, to taste

4-6 portobello mushroom caps

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 sprig fresh thyme

Directions
Cook spinach according to package directions. Drain; cool. Using hands, squeeze excess water from spinach. Coarsely chop and place in small bowl.

Heat oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add onion; sauté until beginning to brown, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and stir 30 seconds. Transfer to large bowl; cool to room temperature.

Add spinach, 1/4 cup Parmesan, sundried tomato, artichoke, goat cheese, and breadcrumbs to onion mixture; toss to distribute evenly. Season filling to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover filling and let stand at room temperature.

To make balsamic reduction, combine vinegar and sugar in small saucepan and whisk until sugar is dissolved. Add thyme sprig and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until reduced by half. Mixture should be thick and syrupy. Simmer longer if necessary. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Transfer mushrooms to rimmed baking sheet, gill side up. Divide filling among mushrooms. Sprinkle remaining 6 tablespoons Parmesan cheese over and bake until heated through and cheese begins to brown, about 15 minutes.

Drizzle mushrooms with balsamic reduction and serve immediately.

Buying local seems to be a trend lately. And I think that’s weird, it shouldn’t be trendy to support those in your community. It should be second nature. We’re getting there. But there is something that makes me giddy about a local business that truly rocks. It’s a hard feeling to describe, but the fact this amazing product, this truly divine thing, is coming out of my town, well, it makes me PROUD to live where I do. As Taylor and I are owners of two small businesses ourselves, to say it’s an important part of our lives is an understatement. And so when we stumble upon another talented individual doing something fantastic locally, well, I’m going to use whatever clout this little blog of mine gives me and promote the heck out of it. So there.

Enter Olive and Sinclair. The artisan chocolate company based in, you guessed it, Nashville. Owner Scott Witherow magically transforms unassuming raw cocoa beans into smooth and silky chocolate bars, like our very own Willy Wonka with a Southern drawl. I’ve been subtly stalking O&S since their chocolate first debuted this summer. I had my first taste of their unique Salt & Pepper bar at the Tomato Art Fest (yes, Nashville actually has a festival celebrating all things tomato), and I was hooked.

When I saw the O&S guys again this past weekend, they made sure to continue feeding my little addiction with samples of their newest creation, Mexican-style Cinnamon Chili. Yes, you heard me correctly. And yes, it is even more amazing than it sounds.

Did they hack into my dreams? Steal my vision for the best thing I could ever even fathom tasting? So while I may have previously been a die hard Salt & Pepper fan (the chocolate bar, NOT the group) Now? My heart belongs to Cinnamon Chili.

And the best thing about local businesses? They are approachable. On a whim, I sent the guys an email politely gushing like some sort of chocolate-covered teeny bopper. And you know what? It paid off. I got a factory tour.

Can I just say that some one needs to bottle the scent of a chocolate shop and sell it. Because I would totally buy it. Taylor and I came home still sniffing our shirts because it was just so wonderful.

The whole process of chocolate making is so intriguing to me. And the fact that Olive & Sinclair takes raw single-origin cocoa beans from Ghana and the Dominican Republic and transforms them into something so rich and divine, well, it’s truly amazing. When you’re eating chocolate, of any kind, you never really think about just how many steps it takes to get it there. There’s the roasting (which O&S does in a train-like coffee roaster), grinding (twice – once with an old-style stone grinder, and again with something a bit more high tech), then conching, tempering, molding, wrapping… and probably a half a dozen other steps that I can’t recall because I was too enamored with the scent and forgot to take notes. Whoops.

What makes Olive & Sinclair so special? It’s just as they describe it, Southern Artisan. Southern because the bars are made with brown sugar for an extra rich and robust flavor. Artisan because it is crafted by hand, the same hands that roast the raw beans also wrap the final bars. It’s an amazing process with an equally amazing outcome.

What’s even better is that the guys at O&S have so generously donated a mini-sampler of sorts. A delightful stack of 3 of their most popular flavors, plus an exclusive (not yet available in stores) bar of the aforementioned heaven that is Mexican-style Cinnamon Chili. And while I really just wanted to hoard all this goodness for myself (and, ok, maybe give a piece or two to Taylor), I am, against my better judgment, giving it away to one of you.

You heard me. One lucky winner will receive four bars of Olive & Sinclair chocolate, fresh off the line (O&S worker Casey literally wrapped them just before we walked in – in fact, I think we interrupted him in the process). The mini-sampler includes two of our favorites, Salt & Pepper and Sea Salt, plus the extra dark 75% bar, AND a super special exclusive sample bar of the Mexican Cinnamon Chili bar. How’s that for a prize?

TO ENTER: simply leave a comment on this post by midnight (cst) on Monday, November 2. Only one entry per person. I will randomly select the winner first thing on Tuesday morning.

You can also get yourself a BONUS entry by twittering about this giveaway, or posting it on your own blog. Simply leave an additional comment with a link to the tweet and/or blog post. One bonus entry per person (multiple tweets won’t get you multiple bonus entries).

Be sure you enter a valid email address, because if your name is drawn and I can’t get ahold of you, I will choose an alternate winner. You may also want to add me to your address book (lindsay AT loveandoliveoil DOT com) for good measure, I’d hate for your congratulatory email to end up in the spam folder. That would be a sad sad day.

Don’t want to wait for the results to get your hands on some of this goodness? Lucky for you Olive & Sinclair will ship their artisan chocolate directly to you! Simply shoot them an email through their website or blog to order. Tell them Lindsay sent you. :) I would strongly suggest you try their Salt & Pepper, Sea Salt, and the Mexican Cinnamon Chili (which should be available any day now), which are our favorites, but they have other varieties as well, including a 67% Dark, 75% Super Dark, Cocoa Nib, and Coffee Bean. Bars run $5 a piece, quite reasonable for such a decadent bar of chocolate.