Pinterest is a great place to discover your inner creativity, isn’t it?! I used a tip I saw on there for Valentine’s Day today to make heart-shaped cupcakes. Of course, cupcakes at our house are healthy enough to eat for breakfast or lunch, so that’s what we did!
If you’ve never learned about the benefits of soaking grains, you can read about it here. I will warn you that it creates a completely different texture than grain recipes that are not soaked, but not in a bad way!
Here’s my recipe that I made up for soaked, naturally-pink, frosted chocolate beet cupcakes. Don’t forget to start them the day or night before for soaking!
Makes 2 dozen
3 cups freshly ground whole wheat or spelt flour (white whole wheat is great for a lighter texture)
2 cups buttermilk, kefir, yogurt (or 2 cups water minus 6 tablespoons and 6 tablespoons lemon juice for dairy-free)
2 eggs
1/2 cup beet puree, divided*
1/4 cup unsweetened carob or cocoa powder
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
24 glass marbles
*To make beet puree, roast washed beets in a glass-covered baking dish with a little water in the bottom at 350 degrees for an hour or so, until soft. Peel and puree.)
Mix first two ingredients together, cover, and soak in a warm place (I do them in the oven with the light on) for 12-24 hours.
The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare muffin pans by putting a paper liner in each cup. You can add marbles into pan now or after filling with batter. To do this, slide a marble into each cup between the paper liner and the pan.
Using an electric mixer, combine soaked flour with the remaining ingredients (be sure to set aside 1 Tbsp of beet puree for frosting). Make sure ingredients are mixed together very well. Fill muffin liner cups 2/3 of the way full. If you are adding the marbles in now, do it carefully.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a fork comes out clean. Let cool while preparing the frosting.
For the frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese (full fat, hormone-free), softened
4 Tbsp butter, softened
1/4 cup raw honey
1 Tbsp beet puree (or beet powder)
Mix all ingredients together with a whisk or electric mixer until blended and creamy. Frost cooled cupcakes and serve!
So yummy!
