Low cal.-Low Fat, Moist Delicious Cupcakes...too easy

are you really serious about that BIKINI ? 

go to the gym 4 times a week ?

eat fish and vegetables EVERY DAY ?

give up on all the sweets ???

NO...but you might want to consider some alternatives...

BEWARE...that swimsuit will be moving to the front of the closet before you know it.

DIET SODA CUPCAKES

original found everywhere on google, but i like Skinnytastes blog

makes 18 "good size" cupcakes at about 100 calories each...

1 box cake mix

for this one i used the sugar free vanilla cake mix

10oz diet soda. i used diet ginger ale

2 egg whites, slightly beaten

preheat oven according to cake mix

spray muffin tins (these stick to paper cups)

OR...i  like to use silicon muffin cups, then put them in paper cups after cooled.  i HATE it when some of my cupcake sticks to the paper!

mix eggs, cake mix and soda

pour into cupcake cups of choice... 3/4 full

bake as directed on the box.

let cool completely and add icing...SPARINGLY

ICING

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla or lemon extract

1-2 Tbsp milk of choice

add only enough milk to get icing consistency.  if it's too thin add powdered sugar...too thick? add a little more milk.

put into a small freezer baggie and cut the tip for an easy throw away piping bag.  you probably will not use all the icing (icing equals more sugar...equals more calories).  save in the fridge in the piping baggie for the next batch you will be making soon.

NUTRITION (approx,) PER 18 CUPCAKES

without icing...82 cal...19.4g carbs...1.7g protein...2.3g fat...0 sugar

with icing (if using ALL the icing), i'm guessing....110 cals, 26g carbs and 6g sugars

use the icing sparingly and they will be about 100 cals each for a good size cupcake.

go ahead, eat 2 !

BY THE WAY....the flavor combinations are endless...chocolate cake with diet cherry soda, 7 up with lemon cake, pineapple ginger ale (shown here),  cream soda with vanilla cake,  diet chocolate soda with chocolate cake(shown here)?...

you get the idea...

Pineapple Ginger Ale Cupcakes

PINEAPPLE GINGER ALE CUPCAKES

soooooooo easy, low fat, waist friendly, and quite delicious. i can't believe i haven't run across this recipe before. i'm always on the war path for things that aren't full sugar-full fat and these fit the bill. so easy and fast, i've already made them 2x's and i would have some in the oven right now, but BIG AL is baking a Pineapple Upside Down Cake...i don't know...all the sudden he felt like making his own cake...uh oh...could that be a subtle hint?...good?..or bad? i must admit, i haven't been baking much lately...i'm more into savory right now. the poor guy used to get a new fancy dessert every night. now sometimes he gets ice cream and...shhhhhh...store-bought cookies. trust me...i feel the shame. i have to get my baking boots back on. this was a simple start.

a great find..besides being one of those "this-isn't-gonna-work" recipes, it's fun to make and it's kid friendly...did i mention it's fairly waist friendly as well? low fat with no added oil and egg whites only. so fast to whip up and, like i said, a no-brainer.

i know it's from a box, BUT the fun is in the flavor combos. so far i've made these Pineapple Ginger Ale Cupcakes topped with crystallized ginger, freeze dried pineapple and a classic vanilla butter cream frosting. also, not shown, was a butter cake and diet cream soda with toasted pecans...a little maple glaze might have been great, but i was keeping it a little lo-cal for my pals.


DIET SODA CUPCAKE/CAKE
i think the recipe came from Weight Watchers, but i found this one at Food.com

1 box cake mix...i chose pineapple cake mix
10 oz. diet soda...ginger ale was a great choice
2 lg. egg whites...slightly beaten
1/2 cup toasted nuts or dried fruit or coconut etc.......optional

frosting and toppings optional...great on thier own.

preheat oven according to mix
prepare cupcake tin or 9x13 pan (lightly spray or oil). i don't think cupcake papers will work well with this...use a tin or silicon cups.
blend all ingredients well-no lumps
bake according to box-mix or when tooth pick comes out clean
let cool completely before topping.

Suggested Combinations from recipe at Food.com: yellow cake mix / diet lemon-lime soda (with a dollop of Cool Whip -- tastes like a "Twinkie") , orange cake / diet Mountain Dew , cherry chip cake / diet cream soda , diet lemon-lime soda / lemon cake , angel or yellow cake / diet orange , white cake / diet peach soda , spice cake / diet lemon-lime , diet ginger ale / white cake , diet cherry soda / chocolate cake , Diet cola / devils food or chocolate mix , diet vanilla coke / chocolate cake , devils food cake / diet Vanilla coke , diet root beer / chocolate cake , diet cherry coke / chocolate cake , marble cake / diet cream soda , lemon cake / tangerine Diet Rite

Sticky Fig Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Glaze

these little/big sticky figgy moist cupcakes are a winner. my ever so cute and fabulous next door neighbor, Wendy, asked if she could borrow our large cupcake tin...little did we know that we would get a sample of this incredible recipe she was testing. she's quite the baker and everything she's brought over is killer good. for my birthday she made some triple chocolate brownie cookies that were gone so fast i couldn't get a picture of them. i wanted to post the recipe with photo, but i guess i'll have to make them myself. the problem would be having them in the house. the whole recipe might just send me over the edge...they were THAT GOOD ! anyway, these cakes are awesome and the subtle crunch from the figs just adds that extra little...hmmm...something...something yummy. served a little warm with fresh whipped cream and oozing brown sugar glaze it's pure heaven.

STICKY FIG CUPCAKES with BROWN SUGAR GLAZE

i copied this recipe from the xerox my neighbor Wendy was kind enough to pass along. i didn't get to ask her where it's from so BIG thanks to the original baker out there somewhere.

makes 6 extra large cupcakes

SAUCE
2 Tbsp.unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla

CUPCAKES
1 cup water
1 cup (about 4 oz.) dried figs quartered
1 1/4 cup unbleached flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter. room temp.
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla
heavy whipping cream for serving

make the sauce. in a med. sauce pan, heat the butter, cream and brown sugar over med. heat, stirring often, until the butter melts and the brown sugar dissolves. increase the heat to med. high, bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. set aside.
make the cupcakes. position the rack in the middle of the oven. preheat to 350F degrees. line tin with liners or Wendy used a non-stick tin. if using liners, spray the inside with non stick cooking spray.

put the water and the figs in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil: set aside to cool while you prepare the batter.

sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl and set aside. in a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until blended and creamy, about 2 minutes. stop the mixer and scape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. add the eggs, lemon zest and vanilla, mixing until smooth and thick. you may see a few small pieces of butter which is fine. on low speed, mix in the flour mixture to incorporate it. mix in the figs, with the liquid that remains in the pan.

fill tin with 1/2 cup batter, to about 1/2 inch below the top of the cupcake tin (or liner if using). bake in 350F degree oven. bake until tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out wet, about 20 minutes. remove from oven and reduce the oven to 225F degrees.

spoon 1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar sauce on top of each cupcake. the cakes will have risen to the top of the liners/tin, so some sauce may drip down the sides onto the pan. return the cupcakes to the oven and bake until toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry, about 20 minutes. cool the cupcakes on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

carefully place a wire rack on top of the cupcakes in their pan. protecting your hands with pot holders and holding the pan and rack together, invert them to release the cupcakes onto the wire rack and turn the cupcakes top side up. if any sauce remains in the bottom of the tin, spoon it over the cupcakes. let cool completely.

so serve the cupcakes, warm the remaining sauce over low heat. remove the paper liners and place each cake on a plate. pass a little pitcher of the warm sauce and some warm or whipped cream.

the cupcakes can be covered at room temp for up to 3 days. the sauce can be made ahead, covered, and refrigerated for up to 5 days. warm before baking the cupcakes.

Healthy Pumpkin Walnut Muffins...made w/White Kidney Beans

i have to tell you...these are my new favorite breakfast muffins!

i'm always trying to find recipes that are...hmmm....let's say "figure friendly?" well, this one qualifies. it's made with white kidney beans instead of flour. of course i thought it wasn't possible. i came across a recipe for black bean chocolate brownies and tried those first. it worked, but not really a brownie in my book. i might have to experiment a bit more with the black beans. i'll put my lab coat on...i'm thinking some kind of Mexican/Spanish type of mole-ish side dish. i'll add a little cayenne and serve with some avocado ice cream?...hmmm....i think that could be a future post....

back to these yummy muffins...i don't know why, but i seem to think white flour is the enemy. don't get me wrong, i cook with it often. i usually end up having one bite or a small slice, but the rest go to the dessert lovers in the house or shared with eager friends. i recently, or should i say FINALLY, found some King Arthur's white whole wheat flour. haven't used it yet so no comments there. i'll try it this week. when i saw these muffins using white beans instead of flour i had to try them...again, in disbelief that it would actually work let alone taste good. i just didn't believe they could be cakey and lite. i knew they sounded healthy, but was this going to far? at what point do you sacrifice flavor for the health factor?....i've been known to take it a bit too far.

as you can see...these worked. i went by the original recipe for the first batch. well, i did add 1 scoop of protein powder and realized i shouldn't have. they were just a bit dry. MY BAD ! so for the second batch i thought i would add a little moisture, a little more flavor and a few more healthy ingredients. they came out way better than the first batch. this is a recipe i will make again and again. i've already stocked up on the canned beans.



PUMPKIN WALNUT WHITE BEAN MUFFINS
adapted from Island Cook at iFood.tv


makes 12 reg. size muffins
preheat oven to 350 degrees
Ingredients
15.5 oz can of White Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed well
2 Eggs (i might have used Egg Beaters)
1/4 cup low fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 T. flax
1/8 cup pysillium husk
1/4 cup oats
1 cup Splenda
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice
2/3 cup Fat Free Dry Milk
1 Tbs Vanilla(a little extra never hurts)
3 Tbs veg oil
1/2 Cup Walnuts plus more for the tops

In a food processor, puree the beans well. Add the eggs and cottage cheese and blend scraping sides and blending until it is smooth. Add the pumpkin and pulse in. Combine with all the other Ingredients in a mixing bowl or pulse in your processor if it is large enough, but don't over mix though. Spray muffin tin and fill...I'll bet mine were about 3/4 full. ...I used silicon baking cups because the first batch stuck to the paper liners. Sprinkle a few walnuts on top. Bake for 20 minutes and check with a toothpick.

These keep quite well. i kept them wrapped in the fridge and enjoyed them through the week. Just pop in the microwave to take the chill off.

Guilt-Free Chocolate Cupcake

this is hands down THE BEST guilt-free CHOCOLATE CUPCAKE RECIPE i have ever tried. first and formost i must thank Stephchow for this fabulous fat free treat. recently she posted about her Chocolate Cream Pie and she mentioned that she used this cupcake recipe for the cake layers. well, i can't thank her enough for linking to an older post of hers that led me to this chocolate cupcake recipe.


for the photo i dressed them up a bit. of course the added peanuts and the dollop of Nutella adds a bit of the guilt back in, but it looks cute. the chopped peanuts are worth the extra calories, but i swear these don't really need a thing. oh...and i wanted to mention that they really were best the day of baking. i had one the next day and while it was still good, over the top guilt free good...it was best the day of. maybe if i had wrapped them tighter over night they would have kept that just baked texture.......hmmmm. i shall be more careful next time.

as you can see in the photos, i chose to try the wonder batter in a mini cake pan and it works just fine, really cute. i think it might work in any size pan. stephchow shows that it works in a 8" for a regular cake size so i think it's pretty flexible, just watch your cooking time...oh...and the recipe says it makes 12 cupcakes. mine made 6 cupcakes and 2 mini loaves, which i think translates to about 10 FULL cupcakes. i like a cupcake thats pushin' over the edge. the first one should be big enough so i don't feel the need for a second. hmph!...yeah right...who am i kidding. the problem with these is they're so guilt-free you think you can have 10! they're healthy and everything, but watch it...they are that good...mmmm...specially right out of the oven...i have to go make more today !


GUILT-FREE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

from STEPHCHOW. click HERE for original post and check out the other goodies she makes with a heathy spin.

Fudgy Chocolate Cupcakes (makes 12)

1 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1/4 cup splenda blend for baking

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup Hershey's 100% Cocoa Special Dark

2 tsp Baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

dash salt

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup chocolate chips (i used semi-sweet chips)

1 tsp cocoa and 1 tsp powdered sugar to dust cupcake tops

Preheat over to 350 F

Mix apple sauce, splenda, vanilla, beat in egg. In a separate bowl mix flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon. Add flour mixture to wet mixture a little at a time, stir in chocolate chips. Spoon batter into 12 silicon muffin cups (or lightly greased cupcake tins)

Bake for about 20 minutes or until tops are firm to touch. Dust with cocoa/powdered sugar mixture.
MY NOTES........i used 6 baking cups (should have used silicone) and 2 mini loaf tins.

things i added...

approx 2 Tbsp mini chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped roasted, salted virginia peanuts

AND 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (maybe a touch more)

CHOCOLATE MUD CAKES

calling all chocolate lovers...

CHOCOLATE MUD CUPCAKES !!!

with an easy peezy chocolate glaze.

and a few spicy pecans thrown in for good measure. you know, i wonder where that saying originated from..."a little more for good measure"...measure of what exactly?...

MY SANITY?...if a few more of anything could keep me sane, then i'm all for it.

these cupcakes are great. as a matter of fact, this type of cake is my new favorite. i think it's because of the melted chocolate and butter added to the batter. it definitely adds to the moist factor. i have made a white chocolate mud cake (whole cake) a few times and LOVED it. it's so dense just a small piece will do and it makes such a good base for decorating. i even thought of making petite fours and making each one all cute and pretty, but lost the erge as soon as i had it. soon. BUT this time i though i'd try cupcakes. the texture is unlike a regular cupcake. a little less flakey-a little more crumbly. i think if i had pulled them out just a few minutes before, they would have been more like the dense white cake version i was thinking of. don't get me wrong...these are killer good.

i really recommend the glaze as well. it's so easy and it holds up so well. i was able to individually wrap each cupcake in a baggie. the glaze is so nice and smooth that it didn't stick all over the place like a normal frosting would. yet, the glaze is still soft to the bite, it doesn't harden like a shell.

CHOCOLATE MUD CUPCAKES

300g dark chocolate

300g unsalted butter

5 eggs

125 caster sugar

115g self-rising flour

preheat oven to 160 celsius

place 14-16 paper muffin cups in tin

in a med. bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water, melt the choc. and butter together, stirring well so as not to seize up on the sides. when melted remove and let cool a little as you prep.

beat the eggs and sugar together in a large bowl untill pale and thick. fold in the flour and then stir in the melted chocolate mixture untill well blended. (i used a mixer for the whole process)

spoon the mixture into the cups and bake for 15 minutes. the cupcakes should be soft and gooey in texture and appearance. i left mine in just a bit longer, being my 1st time and all, and they came out great...just a bit more puffed. maybe less gooey. remove from the oven and let cool befor glazing or frosting.

EASY PEEZY CHOCOLATE GLAZE

1 c. chocolate chips

1 can condensed milk (14oz.)

1 tsp vanilla

melt the choc. and con. milk together. i like the double boiler method

add the vanilla and stir well....DONE!

pour or spoon over what ever you are glazing...works magnificently with BUNDTS. i used it here on this quintuple choc. cake

you can even use a few coatings if you like it thick. i did on the cupcakes...and as i said, i doesn't harden to the bite, but it does dry and make easy to handle or cover it need be.

MINI CHERRY CRUMBLE PIES

these lil'pies are way too good. if you love crumbles and crisps, you'll love these. i don't know about you, but i'm the one that likes to eat most of the topping off leaving the rest of the guests with some crumbs and alot of sugary fruit. so shoot me! well, these are basically all crumble topping with a little fruit...YUM!

so i'm the first to admit i can get a little obsessed with something and just not let it go untill i've either run the idea into the ground OR found the perfect solution. stating this because i got a bit osessed with crumbles and crisps. we've been so lucky with all this beautiful fruit this summer and i couldn't help myself. well, on my search for the perfect recipe i came across this one. larissa called them mini cherry pies, but i gotta say, to me it's the perfect crumbly crisp combo. larissa's recipe is found here . many thanks to larissa for solving and ending my obsession...for now.

my only alteration was the filling. i had a few bing cherries and a handful of ranier cherries AND i happen to have a good ol' can of retro cherry pie filling in the pantry. so i improvised and used a bit of all three. i think the little spoonfull of pie filling really added a good "goo facter". actually kind of a good glue facter. they just might have been a bit too crumbly without it. who knows? you gould probably use a small spoonful of any flavor jam as well.

whatever you decide to put inside, these are fun and easy to make and would be great for a brunch party...hmmmm maybe dressed up with a bit of vanilla bean ice cream?...

carrot pumpkin prune muffins "take 2"

so i had to make these again...they were really good the first time, BUT i knew i could improve

this time i used a spice cake mix

added 2 Tbsp wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder and a handful of toasted chopped pecans

THESE ARE A KEEPER !

classic vanilla cupcakes

CLASSIC VANILLA CUPCAKES

you can't go wrong with this recipe, and, it soooo easy. sorry i'm not good with links yet, but here's where i found it...thanks to ladyironchef.

http://www.ladyironchef.com/2008/12/21/vanilla-cupcakes-the-grand-dame-of-cupcakes/

low fat blueberry oatmeal almond muffins

LO-FAT BLUEBERRY OATMEAL ALMOND MUFFINS...

1st try...i will probably expirement with this a little...they might be a bit prettier with fresh rather than frozen blueberries...these are really moist and dense. so good for you and will keep you going 'till lunch.

i found the recipe here thanks to stephchow...http://stephchows.blogspot.com/2009/01/blueberry-oat-muffins.html