Chocolate Treat Day: Chocolate-Almond Cupcakes (Wheat and Wheat-Free versions)

Hello, Wing-a-lings! Long time no see! I didn't mean to disappear for so long, but I was searching for the Stone of Tears when I was ambushed and killed by a Mord Sith. But then another Mord Sith gave me the Breath of Life, and then I distracted her with yummy cupcakes and escaped! Can you tell I've been watching Legend of the Seeker on my Netflix streaming? :)

Tasty enough to distract a Mord Sith!

Remember that soy-free, all-chocolate eCookbook I mentioned before? You were supposed to get that for Christmas, but between the mean-reds and some annoying health issues, well, the cookbook just didn't happen. It pains me to say this, but I've had to make some drastic diet changes for the sake of my health. I tried making other changes first, but deep down I knew what I had to do. I didn't want to, believe me. But in order to keep my body happier, I decided to... give up caffeine! Mwahahaha! What did you think I was going to say? Mwahahahaha *snort snort* :P

Oh, what a dork. Anyway, instead of putting together one single eCookbook, I decided to slowly release the recipes into the wild. I will treat myself to chocolate goodies once every four or five weeks, and I will share my treats with you along the way. Deal? Mkay. Here's the first installment of my Chocolate Treat Day posts, which just happens to be a double treat with a wheat and a wheatless version of these yummy Chocolate-Almond Cupcakes.

Chocolate-Almond Cupcakes (Wheat Version) 3/4 cup almond or rice milk 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract 1/2 tsp almond extract 2/3 cup sugar 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour, sifted 1/4 cup almond flour, sifted 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted 1 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake pan with liners and lightly spray them with cooking spray. 2. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, extracts, and sugar. 3. In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk or stir together the flours, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. 4. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry, and without overmixing, fold until just combined. 5. Pour the batter into the prepared cupcake pan, filling each cavity just over half way full. The batter should be fairly thin, but not totally liquid. 6. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Transfer the cupcakes to a cooling rack and let them cool completely. 7. Spread a generous amount of Chocolate-Almond Ganache (recipe below) on top of each cupcake and decorate with sliced or ground almonds. Makes 12 cupcakes.

Quick! Take the picture! We're running out of light!

Chocolate-Almond Cupcakes (Buckwheat Version) 3 tbsp cornstarch 3/4 to 1 cup almond or rice milk 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract 1/2 tsp almond extract 3/4 cup sugar 3/4 cup buckwheat flour, sifted 1/3 cup almond flour, sifted 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted 1 1/4 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a cupcake pan with liners and lightly spray them with cooking spray. 2. In a small mixing bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in a little bit of milk. Stir in the rest of the milk, oil, extracts, and sugar. It's best to start with 3/4 cup of milk, and then add more later if needed. 3. In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk or stir together the flours, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. 4. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and stir until smooth. The batter should be quite thin, a little thinner than wheat cupcakes, so if you might need to add a little milk until it's *just* thinner than wheat cupcakes. 5. Pour the batter into the prepared cupcake pan, filling each cavity just over half way full. 6. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Transfer the cupcakes to a cooling rack and let them cool completely. 7. Spread a generous amount of Chocolate-Almond Ganache (recipe below) on top of each cupcake and decorate with sliced or ground almonds. Makes 12 cupcakes.

Chocolate-Almond Ganache 3 ounces unsweetened 100% cacao baking bar, chopped* 1/3 to 1/2 cup almond or rice milk 3 tbsp smooth almond butter 1/3 cup sugar 3/4 to 1 tsp almond extract 1. Combine the chopped chocolate, 1/3 cup of milk, almond butter, and sugar in a medium sized saucepan and melt over medium-low heat. It will only take a minute or two, so keep an eye on it and stir constantly! It shouldn't boil, if it starts to boil remove from heat for a minute, lower the heat and try again. 2. When everything is melted and a smooth chocolate cream forms (thanks to your diligent whisking) stir in the almond extract and more milk, if necessary. The ganache shouldn't be runny, it will be quite thick. 3. Taste it for sweetness and almondness and add more sugar and extract if needed. This is plenty sweet for me, but normal people might enjoy a little more sweetness. If you do need to add more sugar, stir vigorously until it dissolves completely. It's OK if you need to warm it up a little again. Let it cool at room temperature and top your cuppies! :) Makes enough for 12 cupcakes. * The only reason I use a 100% cacao bar is because it's the only type of baking chocolate I can find that doesn't have any soy lecithin. If you don't have a problem with soy, go ahead and use a semi-sweet bar instead, or even semi-sweet chocolate chips - just remember to skip the sugar or it will be too sweet!

I have made about elebenty batches of these cupcakes (both wheat and buckwheat versions) and I never get tired of them. I *think* I like the buckwheat cuppies better, but don't quote me on that.

See how flat they are on top?
The batter has to be fairly thin for that to happen!

See how they sank a little on top? I made this batch way too runny
and the cupcakes had a thumbprint on top.
I had to mask my blooper with white chocolate stars!

This was my favorite batch! I made them in a brownie pop mold.
That's vegan white chocolate melted on top,
along with tiny raspberries and mint leaves.

Speaking of Flakemas, I need to show you a few gifts I received from some crafty fellow bloggers, but I'm going to have to leave you with that cliffhanger because this post is already way too long!

PS: I did manage to finish my Happy Post, so if you're ever in need of some silliness, check it out! :)