Brownie Cupcakes

After a looooooong (looooooooooooooooooooooong..) Winter, it's finally warm here (30°C outside now!), so I've been spending most of my time outdoors; cycling, running, hiking, fishing...but most importantly, gardening!

My favourite garden centre is closing down after 100 years (tragic), and so they've discounted all their merchandise by 50%! I got a new apple tree to add to my ever-expanding garden. It's a Parkland hardy apple tree, much like my Mom's apple tree. The mason, bumble, and honey bees are already going to town on the flowers (all twelve or so of them)! I wonder if it would be in poor taste to ask my neighbours for some honey from their beehive, seeing as how I've single-handedly fed their bees over the past few weeks (including providing flowers and sugar water when nothing had sprung up yet!)

So, hopefully I'll get at least a handful of apples off of it this first year.

I was a little concerned that I may have lost a lot of plants this past winter, but my various currants, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, grapes, etcetera, are all up so I'm excited for all the sugary bounties to come! Not to mention all the other flowers, herbs, and food plants that have returned. They're all tough cookies.

To top it off, I've also just transplanted all my tomatoes, peppers, basil, beans, cucumbers, melons, etc, that I started from seed. Did you know that beans can produce bean pods indoors in low light? I sure didn't, but I've already received dozens of pods!

Anyway, since Summer weather is finally here, I feel like celebrating with as many sweet treats as I possibly can!

These cupcakes, which are halfway between chocolate brownies and chocolate cake, are surprisingly light. They're sweetened with only pure maple syrup, so they have a lower Glycemic Index rating to boot. Not too sweet, and not heavy, they're perfect for parties, picnics, little hands, birthdays, and everything in between!

Now, I frosted mine with canned Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Chocolate Frosting (pictured below), which I found at my local Superstore. I really love the texture, and the flavour is to die for! It has such a creamy consistency, it's quite hard to believe it doesn't contain any dairy at all. I can't wait to try their Organic Vanilla Frosting next!

But, just in case you can't get your hands on their frosting (I feel your pain, friends), feel free to top these cupcakes any way you like (I'm talking to you, vanilla ice cream!)

As many of you may know, friends and family have dubbed me both the "Dessert King" and the "Chocolate Master", among other titles, so here's to upholding reputations!

Brownie Cupcakes

Great to prepare ahead and freeze, and always a hit. Makes 12 cupcakes.

1/2 cup (or 125 ml) of light vegetable oil (such as such as sunflower)

1 cup (or 250 ml) of pure maple syrup

3 large eggs

1/2 tsp (or 2.5 ml) of vanilla extract

1/2 tsp (or 2.5 ml) of coffee extract, optional (enhances the chocolate flavour)

1/2 cup (or 125 ml) of unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 cup (or 175 ml) of sifted unbleached, all-purpose flour

1 tsp (or 5 ml) of baking powder

1/2 tsp (or 2.5 ml) of fine sea salt

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper, or spray with vegetable oil spray.

2) In a medium bowl, whisk the oil, maple syrup, eggs, extracts and cocoa powder until smooth. Fold in the flour, baking powder and salt. Divide evenly between the muffin cups.

3) Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

4) Remove from the muffin pan, and cool on a cooling rack until they are no longer warm.

5) Frost or top as desired. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Now, if you will excuse me, I'm off to eat more of these cupcakes! Dinner of champions...!

#Chocolate #Cupcakes #Dessert #Baking #Homemade #Dairyfree