Chocolate Cupcakes!

I am normally a lousy baker. Yet today, not only did I bake something good, but I invented the recipe, and it worked the first time! That's just not how the world is supposed to work. I used some Fuhrman recipes as ideas, but those recipes are more complicated and make larger batches than I want. I didn't write down what I did so exact measurements are uncertain. When I make these again, I'll update the recipe. Here's a picture, showing a 1-cup measuring cup for scale. These are small cupcakes, which is good!

Ingredients for the cake batter:

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into big pieces

1 medium beet, peeled and cut into big pieces

~7 medjool dates (remove pits) (I don't recall exactly how many I used)

1 cup regular oats or oat flour (maybe only 3/4 cup if flour?)

1/2 cup frozen sweet cherries

3-4 Tbsp Dr. Fuhrman's cocoa (I don't recall exactly how many I used)

1/2 tsp baking powder

1.5 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup raw cashews

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Ingredients for frosting:

1/3 cup raw cashews (don't recall exactly)

2/3 cup raw macadamia nuts (don't recall exactly)

~7 medjool dates (don't recall exactly)

1/2-1 cup water

1 Tbsp shredded coconut (unsweetened) (or was it 2 Tbsp?)

3 Tbsp cocoa powder (don't recall exactly)

1/2 tsp vanilla

Okay, here's what I did. I recently got a vita-mix 5200 delux blender which I love. It has a dry-blade container. I used that to turn the oats into flour. You can just use oat flour or any other flour you prefer. I'm not sure what 1 cup of oats converts to in flour--it might be 3/4 cup. It doesn't really matter because you'll just add enough water to get the appropriate batter thickness.

Now blend the carrot, beet, dates, cherries, chocolate, cashews, vanilla, and ~1/2 cup water until smooth. Taste it for sweetness. If it needs more, now is the time to add more dates so you can blend them until smooth. Add the flour, baking soda and powder; blend some more (doesn't take much) and add water as needed to get a normal cupcake batter consistency (sorry if you don't know what that is. it's kind of thick but not too thick). If it needs more chocolate flavor, add more cocoa. Add the walnuts and pulse until they are just mixed, not pulverized.

Pour the batter into cupcake wrappers in a cupcake pan. This fit perfectly into a 12-cupcake pan (I can't believe how perfectly this experiment went). Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes. Turn off the oven. I let it sit in the oven for another 30 minutes because I really had no idea if it was done. So maybe it could be baked for 40 minutes, and then taken out to cool. What I did worked perfectly (somehow).

To make the frosting, combine the ingredients in the blender and blend until very smooth--just keep that blender going--it will even get warm. You can start with fewer dates and cocoa and add to taste. Start with less water and add as needed for the right consistency. I refrigerated this to let it cool (and thicken some more).

I went off to yoga class while the cupcakes and frosting cooled. When I got home there was one missing. Housemate is usually more disciplined than me so I thought that was hilarious--she didn't even wait for the frosting. I frosted them and I ate 2 and housemate had her second. Housemate really liked them. This is impressive because she normally prefers m&ms and chocolate bars, the really sweet stuff.

I have to say though, I do not think this is very healthy, and it should be reserved for special treats. Dr. Fuhrman says that when you grind up whole grains into flour, it becomes a processed food. It has a higher glycemic index and gets absorbed more readily, affecting your blood sugar. I got a buzz from the chocolate and concentrated sweet (and probably the flour too). Even though the dates aren't refined sugar, they still affect you when you eat a bunch of them. I snacked while preparing it (especially on the frosting! gotta clean out that blender container!), and then had 2 of the cupcakes. They are small but still had a big effect on me. When you get a buzz from eating something, it's acting like a drug. I still feel the effects. I wonder how I'll feel tomorrow. I gave 4 cupcakes to housemate, and froze mine. I may have to donate mine to housemate out of fear that I will misbehave.

Even though this should only be eaten on special occasions, it's good to know I have a recipe I can turn to if I crave a cupcake. And it smelled good. I think the best thing about baked goods is the smell.