Chocolate Quinoa Cupcakes!!!

When I posed this pic on my Facebook and Instagram last night, I received a ton of requests for the recipe.

 

Not that I blame you - I'm always looking for yummy gluten-free recipes also. This gem comes from some colleagues of mine in Invermere, BC (holla!). The author of the brilliance that are these cupcakes is Nicole Du Vent aka Betty Delicious and you should all check out her website http://eatpurefood.ca/

 

Here's the recipe :)

 

*makes 12 (when I doubled the recipe, it only made 20. but I may have been a little heavy handed with my spoons)

 

*3  Large eggs

 

*1 tsp pure vanilla extract (do I even need to mention that you should buy the really   good stuff because we're grown-ups now??)

 

*2/3 cup of coconut oil melted (can substitute butter or grape seed oil)

 

*2 cups cooked and cooled quinoa (2/3 cup raw)

 

*3/4 cup honey

 

*1 cup coca sifted (again - good is better than cheap)

 

*1 tsp baking soda

 

*1/2 tsp baking powder

 

*1/2 tsp sea salt

 

 

Note from me - I think we could all use more quinoa in our lives. I put it in everything. I make my hamburgers with it in place of bread crumbs or oats. it doesn't bind quite as well, but it keeps them really moist

 

Back to cupcakes:

 

*Preheat oven to 350 and grease muffin tin (or use fancy tulip cupcake wrappers if you are me)

 

1. Combine the eggs, vanilla, melted coconut oil, honey and quinoa in a food processor or blender. Blend until very smooth. Stop to stir and mix if necessary (note: mine never did get very smooth but it didn't seem to matter much. they still cooked beautifully)

 

2. In a medium bowl sift the cocoa. Add the baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine. Add to the quinoa mixture and stir to combine. *If you are using a food processor you can add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the food processor and blend until smooth.

 

3. Spoon into muffin tins filling cups 3/4 full. Bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes or until the centers spring back when gently pressed.

 

4. Let cool for 10 minutes then run a knife around the edges of each cupcake and tap out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

 

Now. As much as I respect the author of this brilliant website/recipe, she doesn't think that these cupcakes require icing. Here is where we differ, because I think that EVERYTHING NEEDS ICING.  I used store bought icing because it was 9:30 and it was the best I could do but I feel like this would be perfectly wonderful with peppermint buttercream.

 

PS If you are my brother and you are reading this, you will say that I am a terrible baker and to you I will say that I have finally stopped rebelling against recipes. I follow them and things turn out. No more improv.

 

Happy Baking,

 

Er