Peanut butter cupcakes

So yet again I need to apologize to Neva... because I'm using nuts again... I love a lot of nuts especially peanuts... which unfortunately Neva can't eat any of :( I really am a bad friend when it's coming to useful recipes for my allergy friends. Sorry Neva I still love you!!! And I wont bring you peanut laden goods!! (I know I did that first time in typography class years ago... but come on lets get past that hahahaaha I didn't realize!!) Man that seems like forever ago that we were in that class... Oh right I made ambrosia for that one class project too... coconut... man I suck... :D Ooooo and our final project was a cookbook!!! Ok I'll be posting later in the week some of the cook book pages, it was seriously fun and inventive use of typography!! Are you excited to see it?? Hope so!

Ok I should probably get onto the peanut butter cupcakes now huh? hehe Enough reminiscing for today! So I had seen these on Feeds my Obsession and knew I had to make them! I did tweak the butter out of it though... in my normal healthy way, don't you love apple sauce?? :) I also used a different chocolate frosting that I made up on the spot last night... Normally you can just add some cream or milk to melted chocoalte to make a nice ganache... but I had some cherry yogurt laying around and figured... why not!? Also this recipe calls for ZERO white sugar, it uses honey instead to sweeten which I think was a fun idea and was excited to try... the verdict... delicious!! The honey and peanutbutter went perfectly together. I really didn't have any doubt they would since I love to smear crepes with peanut butter and honey :)


Peanut Butter Cupcakes (makes 12)
Ingredients:
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup honey (i used clover honey)
1 egg
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
dash salt
1/3 cup skim milk

Directions:
Blend together peanut butter and honey.
Add vanilla and apple sauce, beating well. Beat in egg.
In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk.
Place 12 cupcake liners in muffin cups. Fill 1/2 full.
Bake at 375F for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Chocolate Cherry Frosting
Ingredients:
1/3 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup fat free cherry yogurt

Directions:
Place chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and heat 1 minute, stir and if needed microwave an additional 20-30 seconds. Stir until chips are totally melted, then add yogurt, stir until totally incorporated. Spoon onto cupcakes and spread to cover with a spatula.


The verdict
Next time I'll add more peanut butter and toss in some chocolate chips in the mix. Also I realized if you don't let the cupcakes cool totally...they crazy stick to the holders... once they are fully cool they come off no issues :) darn waiting! Another idea is to use a mashed banana instead of the apple sauce, mmm then maybe some marshmallow fluff for the topping? fluffernutters! Yum! I'll have to try that... The frosting came out great though I'll totally make it again and try it with different flavors of yogurt!

PS in case you are wondering these have about 130 calories a piece as I prepared them with frosting divided among the 12 cupcakes. :D

Chow!