Forcing it with Tomato Pie

HEY, I figured something out.

Feeling uninspired and a lack of creativity is probably all the more reason to push it. I don't want to do it at all, I resent it, but it's going to make me better. I forgot that writer's block has many names.

ALSO, blogger is being a total douche bee right now and there is no reason this should be underlined. I have been digging through the HTML and cannot fix it. I will try again later. But if you do decide to click.... you never know what might happen.

I swear, it wouldn't stop underlining until I linked it. :)

I'll start by saying that if you have a farmers market or produce stand anywhere near you that you've been thinking about checking out- DO IT. There is no reason not to support local farms. You're going to get the best of what's in season at a reasonable price, and if you're lucky enough to be buying produce from Amish farmers like I am, you can count on a lack of harsh chemicals. That said, end of summer vegetables are really wonderful, take advantage of them while you can- especially tomatoes.

Look at the beautiful babies, so money... and they don't even know it.

I found this recipe online. Unfortunately, the instructions were confusing, so I thought I would simplify them and give them to you. I brought this to a party last night- it killed. I am not feeling terribly eloquent at the moment, but I promise you- this is awesome.

Tomato Pie

(my recipe and my massive tomatoes yielded two pies, and they were awesome.)

- 8 or 9 inch Pie Crust*

- 1/4 tsp Kosher salt

- 1/4 tsp black Pepper

- 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

- 2 Tbl shredded fresh basil

- 4 ripe tomatoes (I used local Bradleys)

- 1 cup yellow cherry tomatoes** cut in half

- 1 cup red cherry tomatoes cut in half

- 1 cup fine bread crumbs, I used an Italian variety to add flavor- PER PIE

- 1/2 cup coarsely grated fresh Mozzarella cheese- PER PIE

- 1/2 cup coarsley grated Asiago cheese- PER PIE

*You can go to the trouble of making homemade crust if you have that kind of time. I bought a two pack of Kroger brand deep dish 9" pie crusts and they worked just fine.

**I could not find yellow cherry tomatoes, so I used non-acidic cherry sized tomatoes. Fantastic.

Method

IF YOU ARE MAKING YOUR OWN CRUST(S): preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, prick the crust all over with a fork and brown it for 8-12 minutes depending on your oven.

IF YOU ARE BUYING THE CRUST(S): Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, thaw the crusts, prick all over with a fork, and proceed with the following instructions.

Place all of the appropriately chopped tomatoes in a large bowl. Add the salt, pepper, garlic, and basil to the bowl and gently incorporate. You want the tomatoes to stay in tact, I gently mixed the ingredients by hand. Allow the tomato mixture to rest and soak in the goodness for ten minutes.

Fill the pie: layer the tomatoes with the breadcrumbs and cheese, beginning on the bottom and ending on top with a layer of breadcrumbs and cheese.

Place in the oven and bake until warmed throughout, about 30 minutes and until the crust is golden brown. Serve immediately. Drink wine.

Immediately.

-E

Pot Roast is, well... ya know.

...It's pot roast. That's about all.

I wanted it to be better, I really did. I thought we could make it work, pot roast. I thought it would be different all these years later. There was so much growing up and new appreciations and experiences in all those years we spent apart. But, no. You're just a cheap piece of meat all tarted up. You suck all the joy and flavor out of everything around you, and you can't even appreciate it when I try to spice things up. I even tried to woo you with red wine, but you just sat there. I never thought we had enough thyme, but even when I gave you all the extra thyme I had you didn't even really pay attention. I waited around for you to be ready, and by the time you were I just didn't give a shit anymore.

At least my attempt looked pretty. It wasn't really all that bad, either. I think what it comes down to is that I'm just not that big of a pot roast fan, and no one will ever be able to make it quite the way their grandmother did when they were three and forced to finish their carrots.

I bring you fragrant bouquets and you don't even care. Also, there's my big chef's knife just in case I decide to take it to my wrist during this futility.

I couldn't even get a particularly good shot of it, and although I meant to in the morning light, who has time in the morning? Also, we were so unenthusiastic about leftovers after about two days that taking a picture sort of lost it's appeal. I think it's officially time for me to get a soft box... and a bike.

Anyway, I have been trying to get the hang of red meat lately and it's slow going. I've pan seared steaks here and there, attempted supervised grilling etc, but I have definitively come to the conclusion that this "stew" bullshit is possibly the worst way to prepare an already subpar cut of cow. I DO NOT, however, condemn all things in stew form. Coq Au Vin is one of the most beautiful dishes I have ever encountered in my life, it's like French soul food and probably made Julia Child say "DAAAYUM" the first time she made it. I will definitely have to do a post about it soon since that dish has been my traditional French food training wheels. It's such a wintry dish but I love it in late summer when the herbs are ripe and moist and just begging for it. Yeah...

I got this recipe from How To Boil Water, which definitely has some great recipes and technique. Many of the dishes are Americanized or made so non-threatening that creativity does help. That probably has something to do with why I found the pot roast so disenchanting, but still, I added booze to a dish and nothing. Red flag.

I'm not going to bother posting the recipe since pot roast recipes seem to be a dime a dozen, but if anyone has any suggestions and I'm being blindly judgmental of this classic, feel free to let me know.

Guaranteed to blow your mind, anytime.

-Emily

Not sure how to say this....

But this is the best damn thing I have ever baked. These babies are so sweet, and chocolatey, and pretty much the closest you can get to Bailey's without getting your eyes wet. The cookie part alone is great, but then you put Bailey's buttercream in between two of them and you may as well get a new pair of pants because YOU WILL pee yourself from sheer happiness. Ok, think of it this way: cookies make you feel like a kid, Bailey's makes you feel like a naughty adult, the combination makes you feel like you can never grow old and never die- I mean you may as well be Keifer Sutherland in Lost Boys when you eat these.

Doesn't hurt to have a glass of Bailey's either.

That was also the best opening paragraph. Ever.

Now that I'm actually able to be myself and I'm not being monitored by a certain ludicrously conservative company all the time, I will try to have more of a sense of humor about this whole thing. I write and cook because I enjoy it, and because I make myself laugh. What's the point if I can't enjoy showing it to others. Plus, who wants to read boring instructions when you know I am ITCHING to toss in an f-bomb or two (I will try not to but... ya know).

Also, I would like to plug a blog created by one of my favorite people, you may know him from his work with Emotional Fat Crying Records: TACO SUMMER! I might be contributing to this once in awhile, but I will definitely be attending often.

Down to business. These are surprisingly easy and quick to make, just make sure you are sifting all dry ingredients so that you get a smooth cookie. Also, using high quality ingredients really makes a difference. I made two batches of these. The first ones were larger, and in my opinion much tastier, although the chocolate loving individual who consumed most of the second batch had no complaints between bites. As with all recipes, if you can get the best quality ingredients- do it.

For The Cookie Part:

Ingredients yield about 20 smaller pies or 10 larger ones (pictured)

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened high quality cocoa powder (I used Ghirardelli)

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

5 Tbl unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 large egg

1 cup Baileys

1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Baileys Buttercream Icing:

12 Tbl unsalted butter, softened

1 3/4 cups confectioners sugar

2 Tbl Baileys

Method

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit, line a baking sheet with parchment. I ended up filling a half sheet and a regular sized cookie sheet.

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Go to the extra effort to sift, it will really improve the texture of your cookies.

In a stand mixer combine butter and sugars using the paddle attachment on medium/high for about 3 minutes. Add the egg, mix until pale and fluffy for about 2 minutes. On low speed, mix in 1/2 the flour mixture gradually. Add the Baileys and vanilla until just blended, then add the remaining flour mixture.

Place dollops of the batter 2 inches apart on the baking sheet(s). It's quite sticky so you might want to shape it a little bit, notice the swirl I made on the top of the pie. Bake 10-12 minutes until the tops of the pies are "springy". I haven't mastered the consistency yet, but I think it's supposed to be rich and slightly cakey. Cool the pan on a rack for 5-10 minutes, then cool the cookies on the rack until they reach room temperature.

Meanwhile, make the filling- and don't even think about spreading it between the pies until they are completely cooled. Buttercream melts! Combine the butter and sugars in the stand mixer (I continued to use the paddle attachment with no problems). Mix at high speed for about 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the Baileys and beat to combine.

If you're luckier than I am and you can actually find your pastry bag after you've moved, make some designs using a large star nozzle. Enjoy these, and good luck trying to share.

I have no rivals, I have inside me blood of kings.

-Emily

"Busy" doesn't seem quite good enough.

Oh, hello again...

You try to find things to occupy those little spaces, and sometimes something finds you and you don't look so hard- It doesn't mean I don't miss this. It doesn't mean that I've become complacent, and it definitely doesn't mean that I've stopped trying. Distraction can be a wonderful thing.

My absence also doesn't mean I haven't been cooking, it just means that I've been cooking and enjoying the short amount of time I seem to have available to me lately.

Anyway, straight to the point: French Mother Sauces. Hollandaise. Oh... take a minute and just let the word roll of your tongue. Creamy, lemony, buttery, not-so-good-for-you and one of my favorite things. I can't think of many things of the savory persuasion that I wouldn't put it on.

Hollandaise Sauce

Mastering the Art of French Cooking

For about 1.5 cups

1 1/2 to 2 sticks of butter (I know... I know)

2 Tbl cold butter

3 egg yolks

1 Tbl cold water

1 Tbl lemon juice plus extra for later

Salt

White Pepper (Black definitely isn't bad in this either)

Eggs Benedict

Hollandaise Sauce

6 eggs*

6 slices Canadian Bacon

3 English Muffins, halved

Paprika

*The amount of hollandaise in my recipe will cover about six eggs. It will keep in the fridge for just a few days, so don't feel pressure to poach all six eggs.

Making the Hollandaise:

Dudes, you can totally do this in a blender, but lets not kid ourselves. You know me better than that. NO JUDGEMENT, though, I will probably eventually switch to doing it that way, but it's good to learn this way! If you do it the original way, I find that the science makes much more sense and you have a much better feel for how certain processes are substituted.

Begin by cutting the 1 1/2-2 sticks of butter into pieces and melt them in a saucepan over medium heat. OR you can melt it in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring each time. Set aside.

I like to use a double boiler pot for this recipe. You can easily make a double boiler out of a small saucepan and a heatproof bowl as long as the bowl can rest on the edges of the saucepan without falling in and the bowl does not touch the water. You may want to keep a large bowl of ice water on the side in case the eggs begin to cook too fast and you need to cool down the bottom of the bowl.

Bring water in the bottom of the double boiler to a simmer, again, you do not want the bottom of the bowl to touch the water, the eggs will cook too fast. Away from heat, beat the egg yolks for about 1 minute in the bowl until they become thick and sticky. Add the water, lemon juice, a big pinch of salt, and beat for another 30 seconds.

Add the 1 Tbl cold butter to the mixture and place the bowl over the barely simmering water. Stir the egg yolks with a wire whisk until they thicken into a smooth cream, this should take about two minutes of constant beating. If they start to get lumpy or seem to be cooking too quickly, plunge the bottom of the bowl into the cold water. Then continue beating. The sauce is thick enough once you can see the bottom of the bowl between strokes.

Immediately remove from heat and beat in 1 Tbl butter, this will cool the eggs down enough to stop the cooking process.

While continuing to beat the eggs with a wire whip, add the melted butter by droplets until the sauce begins to thicken. Then pour more rapidly, emitting any white residue that may have formed while the butter was cooling. Season the sauce with salt, white pepper, and lemon juice. If you're lucky enough to have a gas stove you can keep the hollandaise warm by placing the bowl over the pilot light on the oven surface, or if not you can place it in a bowl of lukewarm water for about an hour.

Poaching The Eggs:

Get excited, and don't be scared! After a few tries (or maybe on the first one if you're lucky) you will get the hang of this and have a new method of egg preparation in your repertoire of culinary magicianry. I like to use a small pot, also known as a butter warmer, but really you can use any straight sided vessel.

Heat enough water so that it comes up at least two and a half inches on the side of your pot or pan. You want the water to come to a point where it's barely simmering. This can require some patience, and depending on how reliable your burners are it can be easier to just bring the water to a boil and then lower the temperature. TIP: if you are a little nervous about poaching, place the egg (in shell) in boiling water for about ten seconds before attempting to poach, it will firm up the whites and help prevent them from separating too much.

To add flavor to the egg, you can add a little bit of vinegar (I like about a tablespoon of rice wine) to the simmering water before adding the egg.

Now for the fun part: Crack the egg, being careful not to break the yolk, into a small bowl. With a slotted spoon, swirl the water until it has a nice even round rhythm. Not so fast that it's sloshing and uneven, but enough so that a funnel begins to form in the middle. When you are confident that the water is at the right speed, remove the spoon and quickly deposit the egg in the middle of the funnel. If all goes as planned, the egg whites should wrap around the yolk because of the centrical force you have created with the spinning motion*. Neat.

If you need to, shape the egg a little bit with the slotted spoon. Let it simmer for a few minutes, until the egg is firm enough that it can be easily picked up with the slotted spoon. I usually poach for a little under five minutes, but I like my yolks runny so feel free to extend the cook time.

As you can see, my sauce seems to be melting off of the poached eggs (it is, you should have seen the other plate). It is important to let the eggs cool on a paper towel for a moment after they come out of the simmering water to avoid this effect.

*It is absolutely possible to poach more than one egg at a time if you are using a larger skillet. I have not tried this, but I have heard that when the water is at the correct temperature you can add salt to help with coagulation, and add the dashes of vinegar in the exact spots where you will be placing the eggs. Shape the eggs as you normally would, but for the most part leave them alone and take them out in the order in which they were dropped into the water.

Assemble The Eggs Benedict:

Place the cooled poached egg and warmed piece of Canadian bacon on a toasted English muffin half. Pour a little more than 1/4 cup over the egg and sprinkle with a dash of paprika. Try not to die over how good this is.

Sorry this was SO LONG and there's only one pic. I'll be better next time, promise.

Shrimp Pad Thai

Oh, well isn't this clever...

I'm going to miss this window, but pretty soon I'll be close enough to share my food with many of you! I'M EXCITED!

I love good Pad Thai. I love good Pad Thai ingredients. It's pretty much an amalgamation of MANY of my favorite foods in one convenient bowl. This is probably the fourth or fifth time I have made this specific recipe, with only a few minor changes, and I think it has been my best attempt yet. It isn't the most traditional Pad Thai, no tamarind- that may be the secret to that "authentic" taste and sweetness. When I first tasted the noodles without the toppings I was blown away by the spiciness- even though I knew what to expect. Maybe it was because it was hot from the pan. Don't worry if you're not a huge fan of intense Thai spices, after a few minutes of flavor mingling and once the egg had been added it magically cut the spicy-heat somewhat and made the sauce look downright luscious. The garnishes really bring out the flavor and personality of the of the whole dish.

Coated cast iron is amazing, nothing ever comes out wrong in this pot. I have made this dish in both this dutch oven and the nonstick deep dish frying pan you see below. The frying pan is way easier, but I love the dutch oven so much I just thought it was worth mentioning. Someday maybe I'll invest in a Le Creuset or two, but there is NOTHING wrong with this Lodge brand dutch oven. They even have decent colors. It's too big and heavy to store anywhere conveniently, but it's so attractive that I don't mind it living right on the back burners.

I did find that the outcome needed a little salt, so if you're not a huge fan of spiciness but want some additional flavor, why not try cutting down on the sriracha and adding a teaspoon or so more soy sauce? I think that would work if you're using the fish sauce too, even though it is slightly salty itself . I would NOT recommend having a small taste or taking a whiff of the stuff though. Keep in mind it's pressed fish juice. (EW.)

Pad Thai can be a little tricky, and the timing is definitely a balancing act (try doing it with a DSLR in one hand since your tri-pod mysteriously dissapeared... two years ago). I would highly recomend giving it a shot. It's totally BEAUTIFUL on the plate and it's a satisfying and decently healthy meal.

I also got a good review from some of my most honest critics so I feel pretty confident about this one!

Shrimp Pad Thai

a modified Martha Stewart Recipe

8 oz. rice stick noodles*

1/4 cup tomato based chili sauce- I used Sriracha (YUM)

1/4 cup lime juice- fresh is best but I used realime

3 tablespoons Fish Sauce (or 3 tablespoons of soy sauce & 1 tablespoon anchovy paste)

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 garlic cloves minced

1 lb peeled and deveined medium shrimp. I used tail-on

3 cups mung bean sprouts plus more for garnish

8 scallions cut in two inch strips and julienned

1 large egg, lightly beaten**

For Garnish:

1/3 cup chopped dry roasted peanuts

Pinch of red pepper flakes... if you're brave

Extra bean sprouts

1/4 cup fresh cilantro (DO NOT skimp on this)

lime wedges- if they're not very juicy just heat them up for 10-15 seconds

*I have also used mai fun rice noodles which are very thin- they worked just fine and can sometimes be a little easier to find than flat pad thai noodles. Annie Chun brand makes an 8 oz package and you can find her stuff at most large chains.

**I think this dish would be great with a little more egg- it would have more bits in it like fried rice. If you try that, let me know how it goes.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the noodles. Let the noodles soak for about 3 minutes, they should be soft but still under cooked. Drain the noodles and rinse them under cold water until they are cool.

In a small bowl whisk together the red chili sauce, fish sauce (or soy sauce & anchovy paste), and brown sugar. In a large non-stick skillet heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook until they are fragrant and beginning to turn white- it should take about 30 seconds once the oil is warm enough. Add the shrimp (drain the juices if there are any in the bag) and toss frequently until they are opaque- about 3 minutes. Don't overcook them, they will have a chance to finish at the end, and overcooked shrimp is chewy and flavorless. Transfer the shrimp to a plate.

This is where the dance gets tricky & quick:

Return the skillet to medium high heat, add the two remaining tablespoons of oil. Add the noodles and chili sauce mixture and toss to coat thoroughly- about 1 minute. Add the sprouts, green onions, and shrimp. Pour in the egg and toss quickly to coat. Cook through- tossing constantly, about 2 minutes.

Add the garnishes if desired- and trust me, you desire them.

Enjoy!

Carrot-Raisin Muffins and New Order

Alternate Title: N.K.O.T.Blogroll.

Dude. New Order in the fall just DOES it for me. So do warm spicy things like nutmeg and cinnamon- but that's everybody, right? I have been neglecting my urge to cook lately, but it's all been for very good reason. Once again, I am beyond lucky and I am in love with being alive.

So.... guess who's the new kid on the blog roll over at The Daring Kitchen? After a month waiting and approval period I have made the grade and I cant wait to join in on the monthly challenge with the rest of the Daring Cooks. It's a great way for me to stay accountable to keeping the blog going, and to try new things I would not normally cook. The Daring Kitchen was co-founded by the blogger who inspired me stop reading and start blogging. She is a goddess in the kitchen and I am honored to be cooking with the likes of her and the other talented members of The Daring Kitchen. She lured me in with this, and my roommate at the time (who also inspired me with her culinary cunning) proceeded to teach me how to make caramel. I've never looked back.

Have you ever taken a good look at nutmeg? (Or seen it whole for that matter?) It's just one of those surprisingly beautiful things.

The raisins (even though I don't always enjoy them) add to the sweetness of these muffins. Since they are intended for breakfast they are more spicy and fragrant than sweet- which is good if you're like me and sugar crashes you out in about ten minutes. Also, the texture on these babies comes out perfect. That little extra effort with sifting is so worthwhile. I know I've been doing a lot of carrot things lately but I couldn't say no to a really cheap five pound bag. I'm hoping they freeze well.

Oh, and... no dairy :)

Carrot Raisin Muffins

makes 1 dozen muffins

1/2 cup raisins

1 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup soy milk (or milk I suppose, if you want)

1/4 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups grated carrots

I grated the carrots and the nutmeg myself. The carrots are a little thin, but they end up looking lovely in the muffin and they taste awesome. Plus, getting your food pre-chopped in a bag can mean less tasty freshness.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. I used cupcake liners but feel free to just lightly grease a muffin tin and have at it.

Soak the raisins in a bowl of hot water for about ten minutes- just boil some water and pour them over the raisins. It plumps them and makes them nice and tender so they separate and mix well with the batter. Who wants to bite into a muffin to find a hard stale raisin?

In a large mixing bowl sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the milk, oil, and vanilla. Mix with a wooden spoon until just combined. It will be lumpy but I promise it will work itself out once the carrots and raisins are in there. Fold in the grated carrots. Drain the raisins and fold them in as well. Divide the batter evenly among the cups, about 3/4 full, and bake for 18-22 minutes. Let cool on a rack. Easy. Easy, easy.

Enjoy!

Lemon Gem Cupcakes

Warning: For Lemon Lovers Only

I promise this wont turn into a cupcake blog (that trend isn’t gonna stick around for long). There’s way too much fun to be had in the kitchen to waste it on cupcakes or being vegan all the time. Yes, as an exercise in discipline I’ve been trying out a vegan diet. I’m trying to keep it interesting, and many vegans will tell you that they’ve been “opened up to a whole new world of taste!”, and I’m sure if one were to have completely unlimited resources then that is surely the case, but I am not one of those lucky people. It’s somewhat stringent, but I really did enjoy the pine nut based variation on alfredo sauce I made with my lovely friend Tracey this week. And THESE, these adorable babycakes could fool just about anybody. They are super lemony, and the icing (which is more like a glaze) is kind of unwieldy, but they are very tasty and make it look like I know what I’m doing!

The only part of this recipe that required a little bit of doing was the sifting and the zesting. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ENOUGH LEMONS and you don't have to go back to the store like me. Zesting is one of those things that I haven't completely figured out the secret to yet, I'm sure Alton Brown has some secret method that will make my life a lot easier. I will update if I can find it! I have a pretty cool zester, but a clean metal file (like you would find in a wood shop/garage/home depot) works. Some box graters have a zesting side- you know, the one you always accidentally cut yourself on!

These are very pretty cupcakes, nice and moist and glowy.

Adapted from Isa Chandara Moscowitz

Lemon Gem Cupcakes

For the cupcakes:

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flower

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup canola oil

2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1 cup rice milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon lemon zest

For the frosting:

1/4 cup non-hydrogenated soy margarine, softened*

1/4 cup soy milk

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted**

*A note on soy margarine: Obviously, you don't have to make this recipe vegan, I just chose to for experimental purposes. I used Earth Balance buttery sticks and they worked just fine.

**A note on sifting: I know, it's kind of a pain, but this extra step will ensure that your cakes or whatever you are making has a smooth and fluffy texture. Sifting not only works out any lumps that may be hiding in your dry ingredients, it also aerates the flour/sugar/etc. so that it incorporates into the recipe better and comes out fluffier.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a twelve-muffin tin with paper liners. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl (I just put it straight into the Kitchenaid) combine the oil, sugar, rice milk, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Once the wet ingredients are well incorporated, pour in the dry ingredients and mix until smooth. The recipe said to fill each cupcake liner about 2/3 full but I found that I had a lot of leftover batter- I'd go for about 3/4 full.

Bake for 17-20 minutes. Even though I have a mad-hot gas oven, these took awhile to get done. I checked them at 18 minutes but ended up putting them back in for another four. Look for a slight browning on the top, and give them time to cook through so the bottoms aren't too dense and soggy. Once they are cool enough to touch, let them cool on a rack and DO NOT FROST until they are completely cooled.

While they are in the oven, go ahead and make the frosting. Or make it beforehand, whatever. I found that this frosting recipe yielded a lot more than I needed, so if anyone can think of something to do with a bunch of lemon frosting I'm up for ideas.

Whisk the margarine until fluffy- I also did this in the Kitchenaid and I would recommend using either a stand or a hand mixer so you can get the right consistency. Stir in the soy milk and lemon juice, add the confectioners sugar and mix until smooth. Keep working with it until it feels right. I added sprinkles for a little visual interest.

Just be patient, be careful, and be open minded to vegan baking once in awhile!

Enjoy!