Hi there!

So I hope to thrill and excite and maybe mildly amuse you (intentionally or not!). I know I should go all out with a beautiful picture and a perfectly laid out text for my debut.. but I think I just need to start- so here we go…

ALMOST FREE OF EVERYTHING CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Sooo line two cupcake tins- add a dot of sunflower oil to each liner- this prevents sticking later

Preheat your oven to 170C/ 340F if a fan oven 180C/ 350F other wise.

When I say cup – I use an actual mug for measuring so it is all roughly. I PROMISE TO BE MORE PRECISE IN FUTURE! but I think you can be relaxed as long as you use the same mug all the time

Dsp= dessertspoon Tsp = teaspoon

I use Vanilla powder if this is unavailable add 1 dsp of vanilla extract to your agave.

• 2/3 squares of 72% vegan fair trade chocolate finely chopped set aside for later. I use one that is sweetened with Xylitol. It is an English brand called Plamil.

• 1 very well mashed organic fair trade ripe banana (approx 1/3 cup) Put in a mug add==>

• 3 dsp sunflower oil or rapeseed oil (i.e canola) Always org cold pressed and in a glass bottle!

• Fill the rest of the mug (2/3) with coconut milk – the light version suitable for tea or coffee use

• Add a dash of organic apple cyder vinegar ( prob near a tsp )

Leave this to sit and curdle a little, meanwhile organise the other ingreds.

Get yourself a bowl and in it put==>

• just barely 2/3 of a cup of organic dark agave ( I happened to have a cranberry agave and mixed it with a dark raw one)

• The fine zest of two blood oranges

• Add the banana, milk etc mixture into this and ..

Whisk and jump up and down so it knows your serious!

So now so get your dry ingreds ready. You don’t have to sieve everything but do sieve the baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, cocoa and salt. Lumps of any of these are like sooo not nice! Seriously!

• Generous 1/3 cup organic ground almonds

• Scant 1/3 cup a gluten free flour (I used a rice and tapioca mixture)

• 1/3 cup buckwheat flour + 3 dsp

• Generous 1/3 cup of Organic Fair Trade Cocoa

• 1 tsp vanilla powder (or if using an extract put it into the wet stuff)

• ¼ tsp or good pinch sea salt

• 1 tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp cornstarch (i.e. sometimes called corn flour )

• 1/8 tsp of org cinnamon powder

• 1/8 tsp or ¼ tsp org cardamon powder- depending on your love of it!

Now it is important not to dilly dally OR over mix as the soda reacts with vinegar and you can loose the rise if you dilly dally or over mix…

Gently combine the dry into the wet, softly – just until no visible floury bits.

Use a dessertspoon to fill your cupcakes- because they are vegan and gluten free they will not rise as high so fill to almost the top of the liners.

Sprinkle the tops with the finely chopped chocolate and stick in the oven. Bake for 20min in fan oven could take 22-25 in reg oven.

Because of the sprinkle of chocolate they come out looking ready to eat, but you can always let them cool and make a ganache. —>

• 30g of fair trade chocolate finely chopped – maybe even an orange flavoured one
• 1 teaspoon of organic coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon of organic agave or maple syrup

Melt in a bowl over warm water and simply pour over your cupcakes, now super chocolatey!I really hope you like them! It’s made me hungry now. I might make them over the weekend and add a picture or two!!!

xx Aissa