Vegan Caramelized Pears

3 tablespoons Earth Balance buttery spread
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
3 cups overripe "grainy" green d'anjou pears, peeled and diced (about 3 1/2 pears)

Melt Earth Balance in a medium frying pan over medium heat. When it foams, sprinkle sugar over top and cook until bubbling and dissolved, about 3 minutes.
Add pears and cook, stirring rarely, until mixture is caramelized. Mixture will separate when cooled but it a solid brown glaze when hot.

Altered from http://www.chow.com/recipes/11444-caramelized-pears

Vegan Mochi Cupcakes

Cupcakes:
1 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp rice flour
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
2 1/4 tsp Ener-G egg replacer + 3 tbsp water
3/4 cup soy milk http://www.marusanai.co.jp/lineuplist.php?cat=1
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 tbsp cooked sweet Azuki beans
Frosting:
5 tbsp Earth balance shortening
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp soy milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, mix egg replacer and water and set aside. With a mixer, incorporate flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Next add soy milk, egg replacer mixer, vanilla, and mix until smooth. With a mini ice cream scoop, place one scoop batter into cupcake tins, about 10 beans, and top with one more scoop of batter. Bake for 30 minutes. Makes 11 cupcakes.

With a mixer, beat shortening until smooth. Sift in powdered sugar in three portions, mixing between each. While mixing, add vanilla, soy milk, and beat until fluffy. Cut off tops of baked cupcakes. Place star tip into piping bag and open the bag in a tall cup. Place icing into piping bag, cut off tip, and lightly frost cupcakes. Enjoy!

To make Hinamatsuri version, use pink and yellow cupcake tins and top with pink, yellow, and green hina arare.

Recipe altered from http://justjennrecipes.com/mochiko-cupcakes/2009/01/04/ and http://chefchloe.com/sweets/chocolate-strawberry-shortcake-cupcakes.html