Flourless Chocolate Muffins

These dark chocolate muffins are delicious and surprisingly healthy.

Total Time: 22 min.
Prep Time: 20 min.
Cooking Time: 15-20 min
Yield:12 servings, 1 cupcake each

Ingredients:
1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained, rinsed
3 large eggs
½ cup pure maple syrup
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Prepare 12 muffin cups by lining with muffin papers or coating with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
3. Place chickpeas, eggs, maple syrup, cocoa powder, baking soda, coconut oil, and extract in blender or food processor; cover. Blend until smooth.
4. Divide batter among 12 prepared muffin cups.
5. Top each muffin with about four chocolate chips; push into batter.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
7. Cool completely and enjoy!

Check out the 30 second clip I made on making this recipe!

Diary, Gluten Free Chickpea cookies

I really had the need to bake today.... it relaxes me.  But I didn't want something super unhealthy.  I was roaming on pinterest this afternoon and came across a recipe for Chickpea cookies.  I did a search and found a ton of different recipes for Chickpea chocolate chip cookies.

This is what I came up with...

Chickpea Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie bars!

Ingredients

1 small can or 3/4 of a large can of Chickpeas
3/4 cup natural peanut butter
1/3-1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp Himalayan sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup enjoy life dairy free mini chocolate chips

Directions

Put all the ingredients except the chocolate chips into the food processor.  Mix until smooth. 

Grease 8x8 inch baking pan.  Stir in chocolate chips and Spoon batter evenly into baking dish.  Bake for about 30 minutes.  Careful not to over cook but insert a knife into the centre to ensure it is cooked.  I threw mine back into the over after 25 minutes because they weren't quite done.

Let cool 20-30 minutes before cutting into it.

I tasted the batter a few times,  and the first time I tested it, it was pretty chickpea-ish so I added in a bit more peanut butter and maple syrup.  Mixed it up again and the second test was a success.  I took the food processor off and mixed in the chips by hand. 

Asher was so eager to try them, but they HAD to cool.  It was a long wait!  But it was well worth it because he absolutely loved them and so did I!  We both ate more than we should have and when Daddy got home so did he.  Gord couldn't believe there were chickpeas in it!  Everyone in this house loved this one! 

This is what's left.... Oops!

Not entirely guilt free...mostly because we had more than one bar but all Real and Good food so I'm happy!

Give it a try and let me know what your family thinks.  I'd love to hear what you, your kids or your husband thought.

Gluten and Dairy Free Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

Makes 12-16 muffins

¼ cup honey
½ cup softened butter
2 large eggs
1 Cup Toffutti Sour cream or Greek yogurt (mix in 2 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tsp lemon rind into this to make it lemon yogurt or alternatively you could use lemon flavored yogurt)
1 Medium lemon zested and juiced
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
2 cups gluten free flour mix or whole-wheat flour
2 ½ tbsp. poppy seeds
2 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350. Line or grease muffin tin.

In mixer beat honey and butter until fluffy. Beat in one egg at a time. Mix in sour cream/yogurt, lemon zest and vanilla extract.

In medium bowl, stir together flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Stir together wet and dry mixtures, folding until combined yet still lumpy.
Do not over mix.

Divide batter evenly over muffin cups. Bake for 17-20 minutes.

Lemon Curd

¾ cup fresh organic lemon juice
1 TBSP grated lemon zest
½ cup honey
3 eggs
½ cup unsalted butter or dairy free butter such as earth balance.

In a saucepan combine lemon juice, lemon zest, honey, eggs and butter. Cook over medium-low heat until thick enough to hold marks from Wisk. (about 6-8 minutes).
Take off heat and let cool slightly. After 10 minutes, use a mixer to smooth out the curd making it nice and creamy (you can skip this step if you like).

Put curd into a squirt bottle and insert the end of the bottle into your lemon poppy seed muffins. Squeeze a tablespoon or so into the center of the muffin!

YUM!!!