Vegan Frosting - chocolate and white

No cute pictures on this one, sorry! ;)

Here are some icing options for those "chocolate" cupcakes.

*White vegan icing
Ingredients:
1/4 cup margarine
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tbsp. soy milk
1 tsp extract (vanilla, lemon, mint, almond...)

Method:
In a food processor, blender, or medium bowl, mix margarine and 1 cup sugar. Add remaining sugar alternatively with milk, mixing until smooth. Stir in extract until light and spreadable.

*Chocolate vegan icing
Ingredients:
1 cup cold water
5 tbsp. flour
1 cup powdered sugar or other dry sweetener
1 tsp. vanilla extract
6 tbsp. margarine (make sure it is animal-free; no eggs or dairy - Earth Balance or Smart Balance are two widely-available brands)
3 tbsp. cocoa powder


Method:
1. In a small saucepan, whisk together the water and flour constantly over medium heat until thick.

2. Remove from heat and cool completely by setting the pot in a slightly larger pan of cold water.

3. In a medium bowl, mix sweetener/sugar, vanilla, margarine, and cocoa powder until well mixed. Add cooled flour mixture and stir together until there are no lumps. Let cool for 30-60 minutes before using.

References:
This recipe came from one of two books (sorry, I do not own the books so I'm not sure which one I copied them from). Here are the references for both:
Barnard, Tanya and Kramer, Sarah (2003). The Garden of Vegan: How It All Vegan Again! Arsenal Pulp Press: Vancouver, B.C., Canada.
Barnard, Tanya and Kramer, Sarah (2001). How It All Vegan!: Irresistible Recipes for an Animal-Free Diet. Arsenal Pulp Press: Vancouver, B.C., Canada.