I can't help but give myself a pat on the back for this one. I got a new cookbook for my birthday about how to sneak vegetables into "normal" foods and I tried my very first recipe from it tonight - Choc-ful Cupcakes. They were DELICIOUS!!! Hard to believe that they had, get this, blueberries, wheat germ, and SPINACH in them! Evan liked them too, so I'd call that a success! Any chance I can get to put more veggies and whole grains into our diets is a good thing.
Recipe - from The Sneaky Chef by Missy Chase Lapine
Purple Puree:
- 3 cups raw baby spinach leaves
- 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (no syrup or sugar added)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 3-4 tablespoons water
Bring spinach to a boil in a medium pot. Turn heat to low and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. If using frozen blueberries, quickly rinse them under cold water to thaw a little, and then drain. Fill the blow of your food processor with the blueberries and cooled spinach, along with the lemon jice and 2 tablespoons of water and puree on high until as smooth as possible.
Choc-ful Cupcakes: (Nutrition highlights - whole grains, fruit and vegetables, rich in vitamins A, C, E and K....potassium, manganese, folate, iron, fiber, antioxidants)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup Purple Puree
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup Flour Blend (equal parts unbleached white flour, whole wheat flour, and wheat germ)
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Incredibly Improved Icing (see recipe below)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter and chocolate chips together in a double boiler or a metal bowl over simmering water (or in the microwave, checking every 15 seconds). Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool a bit. Meanwhile, in another bowl, stir together the egg, vanilla, Purple Puree, and sugar. Combine this purple egg mixture with the cooled chocolate mixture. In a mixing bowl, stir together the Flour Blend, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Add this to the chocolate mixture and blend thoroughly. Pour into donut molds or fill lined muffin tins almost to the top. Bake 23 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick insterted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool before frosting with Incredibly Improved Icing...and add the sprinkles for some extra flair!
Incredibly Improved Icing:
- 1 cup nonfat dry milk
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup boiling water
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Mix dry milk and powdered sugar in a bowl, then add the boiling water and vanilla. Mix very well. Allow to cool before applying to cupcakes.
