Recipe Redux – Chocolate Cream Cheese Mini Cupcakes

A special treat for you today and in the future on the 21st of every month.

I just recently became a Recipe Reduxer. What is that you might ask?

The recipe challenge group is moderated by Regan Jones, Serena Ball and Deanna Segrave-Daly and is made up of members (healthy food bloggers) known as “The Recipe ReDuxers”. On the first day of each month, the moderators set the monthly theme (i.e. “whole grains highlighted” or “beyond the peanut butter sandwich” etc.) and share it with members. On the 21st of the same month, all group members post their Recipe ReDux on their blogs and include links to other members’ blogs. It’s that simple!

This month’s theme is small bite desserts with a healthy twist. I thought long and hard on this one and I decided to revamp a favorite of mine. Chocolate Cream cheese cupcakes. After much deliberation on exactly what I would alter I came up with this game plan. The highlights include, subbing in dark chocolate, whole wheat flour, low fat cream cheese, and apple sauce for the canola oil.

These small bite cup cakes are decadent and delicious. Major problem is really just eating one.

Ingredients

Cream Cheese Topping

• 8 oz. Low fat Cream Cheese
• 1 Egg
• 1/3 Cup Sugar
• 1/2 Tsp. Salt
• 1 Cup Dark Chocolate Chips

Dry Batter

• 1 1/2 Cup Whole wheat flour
• 1 Cup White Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Cocoa
• 1 Tsp. Baking Soda
• 1/2 Tsp. Salt

Liquid Items

• 1 Cup Water
• 1/2 Cup Apple Sauce
• 1 Tsp. White Vinegar
• 1 Tsp. Vanilla

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray muffin tins with cooking spray.
2. Stir the cream cheese to a creamy, smooth consistency. Add egg, sugar and salt and stir (blend) (cream) to uniform smooth consistency.
3. Stir in the chocolate chips.
4. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl, form a “well ” and set aside.
5. Combine liquid ingredients in another bowl.
6. Stir liquid ingredients into dry ingredients. Be sure not to over mix.
7. Spoon chocolate mixture into muffin tins until about 2/3 full.
8. Top each muffin with a tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture
9. Bake small muffin tins for 9 -11 minutes and regular muffin tins for 20-25 minutes.
10. Remove from oven and let cool.
11. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip:  Altering recipes is really trial and error, you win some and you lose some.  These were still definite winners as the overall taste/flavor did not change and still delivered a decadent feeling.

Well there you have my first ever recipe redux creation.  I hope you like it. Even though the schedule had me post on Thursday, I will stop in tomorrow morning and share before the weekend. Have a great Thursday.

Take care
zesty