Secretly Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Is it normal to wake up with a super intense chocolate craving every single morning?

Psh, who am I kidding. My whole life is just one big chocolate craving.

One time at church, Pastor was making an analogy about how you know it's not God who is speaking to you if he tells you to do something wrong. "Just imagine if your mom called up the stairs to wake you up in the morning and said, 'Come on down and get your pizza and chocolate cake for breakfast!'. You would know that it wasn't really your mom because she would never say that".

All of us looked around nervously.

THEN WHO THE HECK IS THIS WOMAN SITTING IN OUR PEW??

Have you ever had cold leftover pizza for breakfast? All the cool kids do it. And chocolate cake? Everyone knows chocolate is the best way to start your day.

Priests used to be in favor of chocolate for breakfast. I know this because I'm reading The Three Musketeers and when they run out of money for food, they go to the priest's house and he serves them a breakfast of chocolate. Yes, the priest actually serves chocolate to them. For breakfast. And they treat this as if it's a perfectly normal thing. I think it's time for you to read up on your chocolate theology, Pastor. It's time to get back to the old way of things.



The only bad part about having chocolate for breakfast, is that 20 minutes later your head starts buzzing. Your stomach starts churning. Your eyes start bulging. And then the hunger strikes. You still have hours till it's time for your lunch break. You get frantic and start eating pencils. This is not good.

So, I made a new invention. Cupcakes with protein. And fruit. And vegetables. And whole wheat. And no butter or oil. Yes. You heard me right.

But don't tell anyone. The healthiness is completely undetectable, I promise. 

 

So, I did the calculations and this cupcake has the same amount of calories as Special K cereal and milk. 220 calories. That is good for a cupcake, my friends. I assure you that you couldn't spend those calories on anything more rich and luscious than this cupcake.

So what are you having for breakfast? This moist, chocolatey cupcake with gooey, rich peanut buttery frosting that will keep you full all morning or plain, bland, nasty Special K? It's up to you.

Oh, and did I mention that they only take about 30 minutes to make? Yes. Thirty minutes start to plate. You don't even have to cool them to frost them. That's what's so awesome about peanut butter, it always holds it's shape. So the frosting will just sit there nicely and not drip off even if you frost them right out of the oven. Though I must say, these are amazing refrigerated if you aren't in a hurry. So make them the night before and then have them cold in the morning. Mmm. Perfection.  

Or if you're some freak that doesn't like chocolate for breakfast, you can have them for a snack. Or dessert. Or lunch. Or dinner. Whatever. Have fun.


Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Makes 12

For the chocolate cake (this is a spin off of my Secretly Healthy Chocolate Cake):

1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2/3 cup applesauce
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup shredded zucchini (carrots would also work)

Preheat oven to 375º. Line a muffin tin with paper baking cups.
Combine the flours, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cocoa powder, and salt. Add the applesauce, egg, vanilla, and zucchini and mix with a spoon just until combined.
Divide the batter into the baking cups and bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the the middle of one comes out clean.

For the chocolate peanut butter frosting:

3/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder

Put the milk and peanut butter in a large microwaveable bowl. Microwave it just until the peanut butter is melted and the milk is warm (I just find that it mixes together better better if it's warm). Add the vanilla and cocoa powder. Add the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time. I just use a spoon to beat it, not a mixer. If you want the frosting thicker, you can add more powdered sugar about 1 tablespoon at a time.

Wait, before you go, I have one more awesome thing to share with you today.

Vintage curls without heat. Yes. No more frizzle frazzled ends from frying it with a curling iron. No more blow dryer. Just super simple, fast, easy curls.  This is the best thing that ever happened to my life (other than the cupcakes).

Never mind the files in the background. I might have been at work when I took these on Photobooth. That's how cool I am. 

Anywho, just watch this fine video to see how I do it. The only advice she gives that I don't like is that she has you brush it at the end. Never brush curly hair, peeps. This is foolishness. Even if you don't have hair, you should still watch this video because her accent is really funny/awesome.