Mock Chocolate Cupcakes

Trying to crowd out the chocolate cupcake, yet it's still up on a pedestal.

Well, the chocolate is real--pure unsweetened cocoa powder--but check out some of the other ingredients that went into the cupcakes I made tonight from Erin McKenna's wonderful Babycakes Cookbook:

1. Garbanzo bean flour
2. Potato starch
3. Arrowroot
4. Xanthan gum
5. Agave nectar
6. Applesauce
7. Pure vanilla extract [and pure coffee extract, because I didn't have the full 3 T of vanilla required]
8. Coconut oil

I didn't have the makings for Erin's chocolate frosting [including soy milk, soy milk powder and more coconut oil], so made a chocolate peanut butter glaze with Lily's dark stevia-sweetened chocolate, a little coconut oil, peanut butter and butter-flavored vegetable shortening.

I really went the distance to make a special chocolate treat. I had an itch to measure, whisk and glaze. But stuck to vegan for Figgy and no refined sugar for me. Figgy said she liked them but spunky Punchy, age 9 1/2, said they are not really good. I like your brownies, she said. But those are loaded with cups of white sugar and plenty of butter....I did buy her a single square at The Little Daisy Bake Shop the other day.....

I have a hunch that one of these cupcakes, chilled in the icebox, will make a nice snack for me tomorrow. The garbanzo bean flour seems to make them filling, so you're less likely to tear through six of them. [Update the morning after: I just ate 2 for breakfast. They are kind of small....now just froze the rest. They don't compare to the real chocolate cake I'm used to, but they are so much better for my body and my health, and do feel indulgent. Also, you add 1 cup hot water or hot coffee to the batter, and might be better with the coffee.]

Good night.

TCOY

1. Big helping of sauteed spinach and mushrooms for dinner, with slices of a cooked turkey breast I picked up at the store.
2. For snack, raisins and nuts.