Espresso Cocoa Cookies

December really snuck up on me. November was moving along just fine until bam - I had to start thinking about Christmas gifts and end-of-the-year plans. Since we're jetting off on the 18th, my holiday season has been cut in half. I now only have two week to get the shopping, baking, and random good-deeds done. I'm not a fan of that. I'd much rather just close my eyes tight and let it all just pass by. Except for the vacation part. I like that.

So how the heck do I get my butt in gear?

The Snowy Mocha: Espresso Cupcakes with White Chocolate Whipped Cream

Since I tend to share my baking with large groups, I've come across a lot of people who have really violent biases against certain foods. If I present them with a tasty morsel that just happens to have a flavour that they dislike, they automatically turn their nose up at it. Oh, they say, your cupcake has cinnamon/maple/coffee in it? No thanks. Come on, people. It's a cupcake, for gods sake. Didn't you mom ever teach you to at least try it before you completely scratch the idea? Some people just get downright crazy when they come across something they don't like. I've heard stories of people picking onions out of burgers because they don't like the texture of said onions. Yes. You heard me. They pulled apart their burger to tweeze out tiny little pieces of onion. This boggles my mind. Eat the goddamn onion.

Everyone has something they don't particularly like to eat, but that doesn't give you licence to hold a grudge your entire life. How many of us snubbed green vegetables when we were kids, only to demolish broccoli by the bushel later on in life? Hell, after years of snubbing sushi, I've recently begun to find myself drawn towards it. I believe that, for every ingredient you don't like, there's a recipe out there that will make you turn your head and try it again. This brings us to our newest cupcake creation:

The Vegan RasMataz: Raspberry-Mocha Cupcakes with Raspberry Frosting

I always feel bad for people with dietary restrictions. It must be the bleeding heart vegetarian in me. If you have allergies, finding out your favourite food has crab/peanuts/eggs/wheat in it can be devastating. When I found out that shrimp paste (my gastric arch-enemy) appears in the majority of Thai cuisine, I grieved for months. I'm still sitting in the first stage of denial: I'm not really allergic to shellfish. I'm sure this pad thai will go down just fine. A couple minutes later bending over the toilet tells me otherwise. Denial sucks.

Vegans and vegetarians have it worse. When you ask for a corn on the cob without butter or for a soup without beef broth, sometimes you get a funny look. Sometimes you get a snide remark. It depends where you live and where you're eating (try getting a vegan salad in a Calgary steak house). Luckily, the Pacific Northwest is pretty friendly to the meatless. There are veggie-friendly shops and restaurants popping up all over. Bakeries are also picking up the slack. Gluten-free/lactose-free/vegan/vegetarian/organic cakes and cookies are the new hot item around the city. It really gives me that warm, fuzzy feeling inside.