Chocolate cupcakesMix the following in a really good blender (Nutri-bullet) for about 2 full minutes:
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
4 eggs
1 T vanilla
5 T butter, softened
3/4 c. coconut sugar
Once blended, blend in for about 30 seconds:
5 T Special Dark cocoa powder
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
Pour into cupcake liners; bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.
Topping/Frosting options:
Did you know you can make powdered 'sugar' from coconut sugar? Use that handy-dandy Nutri-bullet again to blend coconut sugar and a little arrowroot powder to create a powdery sugar that is great for frostings.
PB Frosting1 c creamy peanut butter, sugar free (everything but peanuts free, actually)
5 T butter, softened
2 c powdered coconut sugar
1/2-3/4 c heavy cream,
Beat PB, butter and sugar. Add in cream and beat til fluffy. Amazing.
Berry sauce (I use this on ice-cream, cheesecake, pound cake and now these chocolate cupcakes!)
Place on bag of frozen berry mix into a saucepan. Heat til thawed, adding a little water if necessary. Smash a bunch of the whole berries as they cook. Add a little cornstarch or arrowroot powder mixed with cold water to thicken, and add a spoonful of coconut sugar if it's too tart for you.
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Apple Crisp
Peel and core 4 apples. Good apples for baking include Granny Smith and MacIntosh. I use a mixture of the two. Cut into thin slices and lay in a baking dish. Mix together 1/2 stick softened butter, 1/4 c. brown sugar, 1/4 c. oatmeal, 1/4 t. salt, and 1/2 t. cinnamon w/ a fork. (Double Becca-style if desired.) Put crumble mixture atop apples. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream.
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Chocolate Chess Pie
Melt 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate with 1/2 c. butter. Add in 1 c. sugar, 2 beaten eggs, 1 t. vanilla and a dash of salt. Stir til blended. Pour into an unbaked pie crust. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.
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Chocolate Sauce
(A nod to sister-in-law Val for this one!)
Combine 3 T. cocoa powder w/ 1 c. sugar in a small saucepan. Stir in a 5 oz. can of evaporated milk (though I have been known to use regular milk or cream in a pinch). Stir constantly to boiling. Turn off heat. Add 1 T. butter and 1 t. vanilla. Stir til butter melts and all is blended. Serve warm.
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Strawberries w/ LemonTop and slice one pint fresh strawberries in thick chunks. Squeeze the juice of 1/2 lemon over berries and sprinkle with 1 T granulated sugar. Let stand for 30 minutes. Serve at room temperature.
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Lemon Cake
Cream together 1 cup of butter and 2 cups sugar. Beat in 3 eggs, one at a time. Mix together 3 cups flour, 1 t. baking powder and incorporate this with the butter mixture alternately with 1 cup buttermilk (which as we all now know, can be made in a flash with 1 t. white vinegar added to regular milk!). Mix in 1 t. lemon extract. Pour into 2 8" greased and floured pans evenly and bake at 300 degrees for 50 minutes. Lay a doily on top of finished cake and sprinkle powdered sugar over it; remove the doily and serve on a lovely platter. Serve with fruit or a chocolate sauce.
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Millie's Peach Cake
Millie's Peach Cake
Peel 4 lbs. of ripe peaches and dice into a bowl. Sprinkle 1/3 c. sugar on top and let sit for an hour.
Meanwhile, prepare a sweet bread dough (I always use this recipe from my old Better Homes and Gardens cookbook) and let it rise through the first rising. After it rises for one hour, divide in half and press each half onto a large, greased jelly-roll pan or large cookie sheet. It should be quite thin. Poke with a fork all over. Drain peaches and reserve the juice. Spread peaches over dough.
Make a syrup with the peach juice. Add 1 T cornstarch, 1 t. cinnamon and 1/2 c. sugar to 1 c. water and combine with peach juice in a sauce pan. Cook down on medium heat, whisking constantly to form a thickened syrup. Pour over peaches. Sprinkle edges of dough with cinnamon sugar. 
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Serve warm.
