Category Archives: Chocolate

Chocolate Chip VitaMuffin or VitaTops Copycat Recipe

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Vitalicious products are expensive. There’s no way around that. At a local grocer, a box of 6 VitaMuffins or VitaTops are likely to set you back $6, maybe less if you were lucky enough to catch a sale. Either way, it’s expensive at right around $1 each muffin. The good thing is they are all natural, low in fat and calories and high in fiber. They are a tasty, chocolate-y treat.

So, why do we have to pay them to make them when we can make them ourselves at home, right? Ah, a recipe. That’s what’s missing.Oh wait… But I have one right here for you!

This recipe tastes surprisingly close to the VitaMuffin/VitaTop version. It does have that same slightly ‘healthy’ undertone to it, so if you’re looking for a really decadent chocolate muffin, this isn’t it. But don’t let that detour you from trying it out. If you’re wanting a sweet, healthier treat, this will definitely do the trick. Especially heated up with a little low-fat vanilla ice cream over the top. Yum!

It makes a fairly large batch, so I recommend freezing them and pulling them out one at a time. To freeze, I suggest you cool them down twice before moving them to the freezer. Cool them completely on the counter, then move them to fridge to chill. Finally, seal them up really well and freeze. When you’re ready to eat a frozen one, simply microwave it for 30-45 seconds (60 if you prefer it hot).

Now, go get in the kitchen, you chocolate-loving vitamuffin/vitatop people, and whip up your own batch!

(Sorry, no pictures of this one. I’ve been meaning to make another batch so I can snap a few, but I haven’t been able to and I didn’t want to hold out any longer, so I’ll just show you a picture of chocolate and hope that suffices for now until I can come back and add a photo.)

Chocolate Chip Muffins (or tops)

Makes approx 36 mini muffins.

  • 1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 3 egg whites
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup fat-free half & half
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp vinegar
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp table salt
  • 1 1/2 cup hot water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 Tbsp + 2 tsp unflavored fiber supplement (such as Metamucil Clear & Natural)
  1. Preheat your oven to 365 F (Note: you will drop the temperature down before actually baking the muffins. Don’t forget!)
  2. Using a mini muffin tin or a muffin top pan, lightly spray the pan with a non-stick spray.
  3. Sift all dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
  4. In a medium-sized bowl, combine all wet ingredients except the water.
  5. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the water and stir until completely incorporated. Do not over-stir.
  6. Divide batter between muffin tins and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top of each.
  7. Put your muffins in the oven and CHANGE the temperature to 350 F. Bake 8-10 mins, or until toothpick comes out clean. Do not over-bake or they will get very dry. Let cool for 15 mins on a wire rack.

Nutrition (approx): 70 calories. 1g fat. 14g carb. 1g fiber. 1g protein.

S’Mores Cupcakes

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I admit. I’d never had a s’mores in my life. Partly because marshmallows (i.e, gelatin) was never included in my diet and vegetarian marshmallows are hard to come by (you can read more about my marshmallow woes here and here). And partly because we were never much of a ‘camping’ type family, thus rendering no opportunities to cook up some s’mores. But when I was getting ready to go on a girl weekend getaway, I decided this might be the time to attempt a new recipe – s’mores cupcakes!

So, here is my take on a s’mores – in a cup. It was delicious to say the least. And the girls ate them up. Quickly. Some even stated they were the best they’ve ever had of my cupcakes. They all agreed it tasted like a s’mores. I’ll be keeping this recipe around for a while. I can’t wait to try it again.

Since then, I’ve been mooning over the utopian flavors of s’mores and wishing I could have a ‘real’ one. So, I treated myself to some veg marshmallows, toasted them on some grahams on broil and devoured them with some rich dark chocolate (72%, cuz that’s how I roll). Goooooood stuff.  I now feel redeemed. I’ve righted the wrong of never having a s’mores.

So, if you’re looking for that tasty treat in a cup form… Look no further. You’ve arrived.

And because I’m having entirely too much fun with Adobe Lightroom’s presets and because my sister happened to be there to capture me in action, here is a random montage of me making the s’mores cupcakes. Enjoy. Or ignore. Whatever you please. I thought they were fun enough to make a new blog design and title photo with them. Kind of fun. :)

A Cupcake CoThese Cupcakes are available at A Cupcake Co.

Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

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These are amazing and addictive! I made them for my family’s Christmas Party as a last minute idea since I didn’t have enough time to make the casserole I was originally planning to make. I didn’t have any white chocolate chips on hand, so I just made them with a mix of milk, semi-sweet, and bittersweet chocolate and no one could tell the difference. They turned out just as well! I also didn’t do the drizzle over the top (lazy!). They were such a hit that I decided to make a second batch for Christmas Eve.

Triple-Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Makes approx 30 cookies.
Recipe from Bon Appetit, December 2004 courtesy of Epicurious.

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 2 ounces milk chocolate or white chocolate, chopped (for drizzling)

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter and both sugars in large bowl until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add flour mixture and oats and stir until blended. Stir in all chocolate chips and cranberries.

Drop batter by rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until edges are light brown, about 16 minutes. Cool on sheets 5 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool completely.

Stir chopped milk chocolate in top of double boiler until melted and smooth. Using small spoon, drizzle melted chocolate over cookies in zigzag pattern. Let stand until milk chocolate sets, about 1 hour. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.)

White Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

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I promised my mom to make some cupcakes for her for Mother’s Day. My sister was hostessing the party for our mom, her Mother In Law, and my Mother In Law.  Thankfully, they all get along fabulously and we were able to all celebrate together. I wanted to make something light and fruity to celebrate spring. I selected this fabulous recipe from Shelly Kaldenski’s Cupcakes book.

I usually make traditional buttercream (butter, milk, powdered sugar) for my cupcakes, but this one used a traditional swiss buttercream (lightly cooked, whipped egg whites, granulated sugar, butter). I wasn’t a huge fan of the swiss buttercream. It had a bit too much of a butter flavor and not enough sweet for my personal tastes, but my sister prefers swiss. So, I guess everyone has their own favorites. I think next time I might try to mix traditional buttercream with swiss buttercream and see if I can satisfy everone.

My sister’s mother and father in law are not sweet eaters and usually they won’t take seconds because the frosting is two sweet. This one hit the spot for them and her mother in law asked to take 4 home to share with the family and one to eat on the road! I was so proud.

And they must have been good because I came with a bunch of cupcakes and left with 0. Every single one was either devoured or wrapped up to take home with them.

(Thanks, sis, for the pictures – I wanted to take some, but every single cupcake was consumed before I was able to, so I’m sure glad you got some pics that I could use!)

A Cupcake CoThese Cupcakes are available at A Cupcake Co.

Salted Caramel and Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

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My friend’s favorite cupcakes are chocolate with cream cheese. For her birthday, she requested this flavor. Knowing she loves caramel and how much she enjoyed Starbuck’s holiday salted caramel hot chocolate, I decided to add some caramel in the mix.

I made mini chocolate cupcakes with caramel sauce spread over the top, then frosted it with a caramel flavored cream cheese frosting, more drizzled caramel and a dash of kosher salt over the whole thing. It was a delicious!

As a side note: The caramel sauce is amazing and I’m planning to make more of it to go over homemade ice cream.

The first batch of caramel I made didn’t come out (boo!). The recipe calls for 2 Tbsp for a number of ingredients and I was just going down the “2 Tbsp” train and put 2 Tbsps of lemon juice in instead of 1/2 teaspoon! That’s a big difference. I knew it was wrong as soon as I put it in. So, I started over. But now I have this highly acidic and lemony tasting caramel that has actually separated. Any ideas of what to do with it? ha!


Also, a word to the wise… I started frosting the cupcakes before the caramel was entirely cooled/set and the frosting started sliding off – like this. Oops! I highly recommend letting the caramel fully cool after putting a bit on each cupcake before putting on the frosting. ha!

 

A Cupcake Co
These Cupcakes are available at A Cupcake Co.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Green Tea Frosting and Red Bean Paste

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My sister came to me a few weeks prior to her birthday party and asked me to make cupcakes for her Japanese/Asian-themed party. What better way to kill two birds with one stone than for this month’s Iron Cupcake challenge using the “Chocolate with a Twist” theme. You can vote for me starting December 25h and help me win, if you’d like.

An exotic mix of flavors, a mocha laced chocolate cupcake filled with red bean paste and green tea matcha frosting, these cupcakes are not for the faint of heart. The flavors are fairly eclectic and can be somewhat of an acquired taste. However, they work together beautifully creating a unique blend of decadence and cultural surprise.

Thankfully, the majority of the folks who attended her party were up for the challenge to the good ol’ ‘buds and actually enjoyed the mix of flavors.

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Vote for my Cupcakes

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Voting begins today for the Iron Cupcake Challenge and closes at noon, central time, on Dec 5th. If you’d like to vote for my Pound Cupcakes with White Chocolate & Cranberry Mousse…

VOTE FOR ME HERE!
(The poll is on the right column. Select “VegSF” and click “Vote”)

Thanks for the votes!

White Moussey Hot Chocolate

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I mentioned in my Pound Cupcakes with White Chocolate and Cranberry Mousses post that the recipe has quite a few leftover components. I was trying to figure out what to do with it all and I got creative. I found the perfect solution to use up all your leftover white chocolate mousse – White Hot Chocolate. I’m calling it “White Moussey Hot Chocolate”. It’s delicious!

White Moussey Hot Chocolate

  • Steam 8oz milk with a espresso/latte machine (I recommend a 1 or 2% so it’s not too rich. You can also heat it in the microwave for about 2 minutes.)
  • Add about 1/4 cup white chocolate mousse and stir well. (If it’s not warm enough for your preference, you may pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute)
  • Top with whipped cream and some white chocolate curls.

Unfortunately, I drank mine up much too quickly to get a good photo, myself. Image above from here.

Pound Cupcakes with White Chocolate & Cranberry Mousse

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It’s time again for the Iron Cupcake challenge where you can vote for me starting Nov 30th and help me win. This is my second month, so I’m feeling less nervous this time around and more excited. I didn’t win last month’s challenge, unfortunately, but maybe this month. Hopefully? Thanks to everyone who voted for me last month. Keep voting for me and eventually, we’ll win it!

This month’s challenge ingredient is Cranberry.I have an amazing holiday pudding recipe that uses homemade vanilla and chocolate puddings, pound cake, cranberry sauce and whipped cream. It’s a delicious combination of flavors and that is what became my inspiration for these cupcakes.

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