Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

Time for one of my MOST used, and popular Cupcakes.  I have been using this recipe year round, and tried with many different icing flavours & types! 

First off, I have converted this recipe from a "non-GF/DF"   I hope you enjoy!

Chocolate Vegetable Cupcakes

2 (1oz) Squares of Unsweetened Chocolate

3  eggs 

1-3/4 cups packed brown sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup (Gluten Free)oat flour

1 cup white rice flour

1 tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups grated zucchini or beets (approximately) 

1/2 cup (Gluten Free) oat flakes *Optional

1/2 no-nuttin chocolate chips *Optional

1. Preheat oven to 350, and line or grease two muffin pans (regular size)

2. In food processor, grate vegetables and set aside

3. Cut up chocolate squares and melt in microwave for 2 minutes @ 60% (if not fully melted, stir until finished) 

4. Beat eggs & sugar together in a mixer, until thick and pale.  

5. Add oil, and melted chocolate into egg mixture, continue blending.

6. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients.

7. Slowly add dry mixture into the wet, and continue mixing until combined, scraping down sides as needed. 

8. Add in chocolate chips,  and zucchini (will be quite lumpy by this point) 

9. Fill muffin cups to 2/3 full (I use an ice cream scooper and find this works best) 

10. Bake for 20 minutes (for reg. size cupcakes) 

11. Cool on wire rack before icing (sometimes I will cool overnight)

12. Top with icing of your choice (see following blogs for my icing varieties)     

   

Inspiration

Apologies for my long absence from blogging! 

I have been busy creating and editing recipes, selling cupcakes and more! 

There are going to be a lot more posts from now on, as well please let me know if you have any specific recipes you would like to see! 

I may have mentioned in one of my earlier posts, that when I FIRST started with this whole Gluten Free diet, I was scouring the internet for inspiration and recipes etc, not sure exactly where to start.  One of the sites I stumbled upon, and that continues to be a "go to" website for me, is Elana Amsterdam's website "Elana's Pantry" She's highly innovative, and has come out with some fantastic cookbooks (for those of you who like a hard copy of recipes!) The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook and Gluten-Free Cupcakes: 50 Irresistible Recipes Made with Almond and Coconu…  Both of which are excellent reads and a great place to start your creations! 

From there I became inspired to start converting non-gluten free recipes to friendly Gluten free ones (Dairy Free too).  At first this was definitely a hit or miss, but as I gained confidence, as well as a sense of adventure,  It became quite fun AND successful!  

My beautiful Aunt gave me a bunch of different flours to experiment with, and see if any of them suited me, they included Coconut, Sorghum, Chickpea, Quinoa, Buckwheat, Brown Rice, Soy, and quite a few more! 

Truth be told, I believe I have found my "staple" flours, which have been reasonably priced, and easy to acquire.  They consist of GF Oat Flour (HUGE Staple), Rice Flour (as mentioned in previous posts), Tapioca, Potato and Arrowroot Starch, as well as Buckwheat, Coconut and sometimes Almond flour.  Oh and I mustn't forget the VERY necessary Xanthan Gum (to hold it all together).  

As I have become more familiar with my "staple" flours, I have been able to come up with consistencies ideal for lovely, fluffy/moist cupcakes, delicious artisan breads, cakes, calzones and much more! 

PS Since my last post, I had been gifted a MUCH MUCH loved 

KitchenAid Stand mixer, that has been working very hard ever since! 

Truth be told, I don't know how I EVER managed without it?!?