Exactly Like That But Without the Wings

In an old Russian movie, a man is shopping for a birthday present. He can’t find anything suitable – no wonder, under the communist regime, there was nothing suitable in the stores, since all the good stuff was sold out of the back door for several times the official price. Exhausted and frustrated, he wanders into a consignment  shop. Suddenly he spots a beautiful antique figurine of a Greek victory goddess Nike, complete with glorious wings. He requests to see it, he turns it around, examines it from all angles, and finally asks the clerk, “Would you happen to have another one like that but without the wings?”

I recalled this episode when I read a scrumptious recipe by Carol of https://cookingforthetimechallenged.wordpress.com. Carol is a wonderful person, an amazing parent, and an incredibly creative cook. I wanted to bake her cinnamon muffins right away, but there was one important change I absolutely had to make – chocolate! My Own Rules of Dessert clearly state: It’s not a dessert if it’s not chocolate!

So I took Carol’s recipe and knocked the wings off: used xylitol instead of sugar and soy milk instead of regular milk, and I made chocolate frosting instead of cinnamon glaze. Here is the original recipe, and please come back for my chocolate frosting recipe, if you are interested.

Carol’s Cinnamon Muffins

For some reason, Raizel has been obsessed with cinnamon. My niece, “Yo-Yo” (this is short for Yocheved) gave me a great recipe for Cinnamon Pull Apart Buns when we went to visit my sister 2 weeks ago for Chanukah.

I have to share how much my niece, Yo-Yo is growing up to be a delightful young woman. Similar to my sister, Raizel, Yo-Yo has developed a passion for baking. The 2 of us enjoyed reading and discussing various cookbooks and recipes. She is truly my sister’s daughter.

However, since I am time challenged, I decided to experiment with this faster Cinnamon Muffin recipe instead. Hopefully, it will satisfy Raizel’s craving for cinnamon. If not, stay tuned for Yo-Yo’s Cinnamon Pull Apart Buns.

Continue to the original post.

Chocolate Frosting

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cup softened Smart Balance or butter substitute of your choice
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 4 cups xylitol
• 1/2 cup soy milk or milk substitute of your choice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla essence
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

PROCEDURE

Cream Smart Balance with xylitol, add the rest of ingredients.

Enjoy!