Unable to Resist Paleo Chocolate Cupcakes

So it never fails, when I have a (rare) afternoon without roommates  I take full advantage of my freedom and cook!  I baked, roasted, whipped, chopped, sautéed and tasted various dishes throughout my five hour cooking marathon.  Pandora was playing in the background and every inch of the counter was being used!

On the Menu:

-Sautéed onions and peppers (enough for breakfast each morning this week)

-Quinoa (for seared quinoa cakes filled with black beans, avocado and tomato)

-Butternut Squash & Apple Soup (for lunch this week)

–Chocolate Cupcakes (Paleo-style for my dairy less self)

Every now and again I look for recipe inspiration because my own repertoire of food ideas gets a bit boring and slightly redundant.  So on a lazy Sunday morning, as Bentley and I were lounging on the couch watching Law & Order reruns, I started exploring dairy free recipes.  That’s when the magic happened – I stumbled upon Elana’s Pantry.  For anyone with food allergies, I suggest checking her site out.

Now to what you really want – Cupcakes!!

It really is a simple recipe that looks a bit intimidating with all the unconventional baking ingredients, but I can assure you, it is quite simply delicious (and I am not even that big of a coconut fan)!

Paleo Chocolate Cupcakes (Gluten Free, Nut Free, Dairy Free)

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit // Bake for 15-18 minutes // Makes 8 Cupcakes

Necessary Components:

– 1/4 C Coconut Flour

– 1/4 C Cacao Powder

– 1/4 C Coconut Oil

– 1/3 C Honey

– 1/4 tsp Celtic Sea Salt (Not sure the difference in regular sea salt and celtic, but I used plain ol’ sea salt)

– 1/4 tsp baking soda

– 4 large eggs

Three Simple Instructions:

– In a food processor (I used a blender because my food processor would have been a bit too small), pulse the dry ingredients together.

– Add the wet ingredients and pulse together.

– Scoop 1/4 Cup (this measurement seems to be a common theme) into each muffin cup, lined or coated in olive oil.

Note: I had NO idea what to do with coconut oil or how it functions in recipes so I immediately called upon my trusted consultant, Google, to help me out.  The final verdict was – Coconut Oil has the ability to continually alter its state between solid and liquid forms without damaging the nutritional value of the oil.  Therefore, in the summer, the heat may cause it to become liquid in form whereas in the winter it may remain in its solid state.  No biggie.  Just get what you need and warm it up in the microwave.

For the frosting:

– 1 C Dark Chocolate Chips

– 1/3 C Coconut Oil

– 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract

On very low heat, heat up the dark chocolate and coconut oil.  Mix in the vanilla extract once chocolate is melted.  Once completely melted, put in the fridge for 20 or so minutes to thicken.  Using a hand blender, mix until fluffy (I failed miserably at this part and mine did NOT fluff, so instead I used the icing as a glaze.  Still turned out pretty darn well.)

Warning: Proceed with culinary caution as these may result in complete obsession.  Enjoy!

~ by Hilary Walsh on January 22, 2013.