Spiced Up Chocolate Cupcakes

 

I cheated. I admit it.

There are just some times in life when one thing after another happens, when people are pulling at you from all directions, when you don’t have a minute to do all the things you need to do—let alone all the things you want to do. That’s when you say, “What the hell!”

Yep, people. That’s when it happens. That’s when you cut corners.

Wait a minute. I have some pretty good excuses. 1) My stove  exploded—not literally, but almost literally…well, my husband exploded some kind of experiment all over it. Two burners…totally fried. I didn’t even kill or maim him. 2) My refrigerator is so tired it’s coughing air just cold enough to keep it from being called a heater. The vegetable drawer, on the other hand, will freeze a tray of ice cubes in 10 minutes flat. And, 3) The dishwasher. Oh, the dishwasher. It wants to burn my house down. Yeah, that’s right. I can only run it when I’ve got time to sit there and make sure it runs through all the cycles and doesn’t skip the water spraying part.

Needless to say my kitchen is not a happy place. And, work is keeping me pretty busy. My life is a food blogger’s nightmare—no time and a dysfunctional kitchen.

That’s why I did it. That’s why I used a cake mix for this recipe. That’s it, right out in the open. I cheated. I cut a few corners. And, I’m not sorry I did. Thank you, Gluten-Free Betty Crocker. 

I didn’t exactly make the cake as directed on the box. I spiced it up a bit. I’m hoping that redeems me in your eyes.

My Aunt Rose’s Italian chocolate spice cookies inspired me. If you’re Italian you may have an Aunt Rose (we almost all do!) and maybe your Aunt Rose baked these cookies around the holidays. They’re like a dry chocolate rock with a drizzle of confectioners’ sugar glaze topped by a sprinkle of colored jimmies. They’re more than chocolate cookies though. They’ve got spices—cinnamon, cloves, maybe nutmeg—in them.

These cupcakes are not dry chocolate rocks…they’re light and airy. They’re chocolate with a hint of spice topped with cinnamon glaze. They’re what I imagine Aunt Rose would bake if she made cupcakes—which she didn’t. These are grown up cupcakes for the big kid in all of us.

Many thanks to the Gluten-Free Goddess for linking to TSP’s Spiced Up Chocolate Cupcakes on her Gluten-Free Brownie Cupcakes post!

Spiced Up Chocolate Cupcakes

Cake

1 box (15 oz) Betty Crocker® Gluten Free Devil’s Food Cake Mix

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

Pinch cayenne pepper (more or less/optional)

¾ cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 flax eggs

½ cup Earth Balance® Natural Buttery Spread, softened

½ cup So Delicious® Coconut Milk Yogurt

Glaze

½ cup confectioners’ sugar

2 or 3 teaspoons rice (or other non-dairy) milk

¼ teaspoon vanilla

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Colored or chocolate jimmies or sprinkles

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Make the flax eggs: whisk 2 tablespoons ground flax with 6 tablespoons warm water. Set aside.

Place the cake mix, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and pepper into the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk together.  

Add the remaining ingredients—water, vanilla, flax eggs, Earth Balance, and coconut milk yogurt. Mix with a regular beater (not a whisk attachment) on low until just mixed. Scrape down the bowl and then mix on medium speed for two minutes.

Line a cupcake pan with liners and fill each 2/3 full.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Once the cupcakes are cool enough to handle remove them to a wire rack to cool completely.

While the cookies are cooling make the glaze. Whisk the confectioners’ sugar & cinnamon together. Add the vanilla and then whisk in the rice milk a teaspoonful at a time until you have a thick glaze.

When the cupcakes are cool drizzle the glaze over top and sprinkle with the jimmies.

Note: I used plain coconut yogurt. If you decide to use vanilla coconut yogurt you may want to omit the vanilla extract from the recipe.

PRINT RECIPE

Roasted Veggie Tart with Potato Crust

 

Can I talk about the weather for a minute?

Let’s not dwell much on the winter since I’m sure, like me, you’re glad it’s over. Especially this winter with its record colds and snowfalls. One after another, after another.

Why even mention the torrential rains of March? The flooding. The power failure. (The two day power failure.) Losing all the food in the fridge and freezer. Wading through the floating crap in the basement. That musty smell. I just want to forget it ever happened.

I do want to talk about the warm sunny days of Spring. The kind we’ve been having. Blue skies. Warm sun. Cool breezes. Folks walking with their families and pets on the boulevard in front of our house. Everyone is outside enjoying the weather.

So, yesterday we got our butts out of the house (after we opened all the windows). We got out into the yard and cleaned the deck and patio. We put up the hammock and rearranged the furniture. We’ve barbecued burgers and ate our dinner outside.

This morning the hubs and I had a lovely european-style breakfast—cheese, prosciutto, fresh pears and strawberries—on the patio. Over hot coffee (I didn’t think to make espresso) we talked and listened to the birds chatter. Then we had family over for an Easter lunch of ham, sweet potato biscuits, a lovely large salad, deviled eggs, and this Roasted Veggie Tart.

It was a perfect day and a perfect visit. I don’t ever remember being this happy about the arrival of Spring.

Roasted Veggie Tart with Potato Crust

Potato Crust

2 1/2 cups grated potatoes*
2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons flax meal mixed with 6 tablespoons warm water)
2 tablespoons sorghum or brown rice flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons grated pecorino romano cheese

Roasted Vegetables

1/2 cup broccoli florets
1 dozen asparagus spears
1 medium onion
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes
olive oil
salt and pepper

Toppings

1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese (white)
4 tablespoons feta cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Convection roast is ideal if your stove has it.

Prepare the crust.

Whisk the flax meal and warm water together. Add oil, salt, pepper, flour, grated pecorino and mix together. Place the shredded potatoes in a large bowl. Add the flax mixture and mix together well. (If using freshly grated potatoes make sure they are well drained and all the liquid is squeezed out. *Alternatively you can use one 20-ounce package of gluten-free Simply Potatoes Shredded Hash Browns.

Press the mixture into a large tart pan—I used a 11” fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Push the potatoes up the sides of the pan. The crust should pressed firmly and measure about 1/4 inch thick.

Bake about 20-25 minutes or until edges are just slightly brown.

Roast the vegetables.

Cut the veggies—onions into thin slices and the broccoli into small florets. Trim the asparagus to about 6 inches.  Place the veggies onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast in a 400 degree oven for about 10-20 minutes until the vegetables are just beginning to brown but still firm. This can be done simultaneously to cooking the potato crust.

Assemble and bake the tart.

Reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees (convection bake).

Remove the crust and vegetables from the oven. Sprinkle the still warm crust with half the grated cheddar cheese. Assemble the vegetables over the cheese. You can mix them up or arrange them in a pretty design. Sprinkle the rest of the cheddar and the feta over the vegetables.

Bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted taking care not to burn the exposed potato crust.

PRINT RECIPE