Tonight’s project: chocolate stout and crimson velveteen cupcakes. I recently bought a new cupcake cookbook, not fully recognizing the implications of the word “vegan” in its title. I’m not a vegan. I’ve managed to phase out meat from my diet for Lent, but not a vegan. I bought the cookbook for the wide variety of uber-cool recipes, thinking that it couldn’t be that much different than normal baking. But hey, I’d feel better about it. No animals were harmed in the creation of these cupcakes. Right?
Gawd, I’m an idiot. I had to go to three different markets to find the ingredients. Some I’d never even heard of. Nonhydrogenated shortening, for example. But being a non-baking non-vegan, I didn’t know enough to substitute what the recipe was asking for. So I went online to figure out what nonhydrogenated shortening was. It has something to do with palm oil and less processing. Still wanting to stick to my feel-good recipe, I found a local place that carries what I was needing. Then I saw this comment to a blog post:
Palm oil — essential to bio-diesels — is receiving an ever increasing demand, threatening the very existence of orangutans in Borneo which sustains the world’s largest population of the primate.
Crap, are you serious?? My feel-good frosting is going to kill some orangutan in Borneo? I am SO not willing to work or think this hard for food. I just want to make some unique cupcakes without drama. Next time I’m going to grab a box cake mix and be done with it.
hey there, friends 
The cupcakes look great! I had never heard of Palm Oil until a friend of mine was in town last year and we went to lunch at an African restaurant. (She used to be a missionary in Africa.) Afterwards we went to an African market next door and I was intriqued by the Palm Oil because it was colorful and very unusual looking…I haven't seen it anywhere since!
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I confess that, after the orangutan business, I didn't buy the palm oil shortening — I opted for partially hydrogenated. Whatever that means. Have you looked at Whole Foods for palm oil? That's where the shortening was. Also, have you ever heard of chocolate extract? That was another ingredient I gave up on.
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I have never heard of chocolate extract…I assume it would be located near vanilla extract if someone had it but I don't recall ever seeing it. I do love Whole Foods but have never actually looked for Palm Oil there or even seen it there…if I found it, I am not even sure what I would use it for or what I would make with it! I am taking cupcakes to a church dinner gathering tomorrow and opted for a box mix and pre-made icing. I am getting lazy these days!
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Oh and kudos to you for giving up meat for lent. I haven't cooked meat or had any at home for months now but I do have it some when I eat out…we will see how long this lasts. I think that's why I have falling off with my cooking and recipes. It has been very boring around here and I have been opting to pick up a frozen cheese pizza and call it good.
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Hey, there is something to be said for box cake mixes and frozen cheese pizza!! I'm a huge fan! And after this vegan recipe fiasco, I'll probably opt for box mixes from now on! It's hard to forgo meat, isn't it? I've been surprised. But I've felt better, for some reason. Happier. But like you said, we will see how long this lasts.
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