Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes with Avocado Frosting

Cupcake recipe adapted from Better Homes & Gardens

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups shredded zucchini
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 2 avocados, mashed
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup agave nectar (or honey)
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, mix together shredded zucchini, eggs, sugar, honey, yogurt and vanilla; set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together whole wheat flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
4. Spoon mixture into 24 prepared muffin cups, about 3/4ths full, and bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Set aside and allow to cook completely before adding the frosting.
5. To make the Avocado Frosting: In a blender or using a hand mixer, mix together the mashed avocados, cocoa powder, agave and vanilla until smooth. Let sit in the fridge until cupcakes are cool and frosting is stiff - enjoy!

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Serving Size: 1 cupcake • Calories: 148 • Fat: 3.7 g • Carbs: 28.2 g • Fiber: 3.8 g • Protein: 4 g • WW Points+: 4 pts

Cooking Tips : 

Feed Them What They Want Using These Tips

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Use fresh ingredients, as they make the food more flavorful, and they are also less expensive.

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Measure cooking oil you are using! This will help you lower the fat in your cooking. Doing this will make you aware of exactly how much oil you're using.

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Follow the recipe exactly when you prepare macaroni and cheese. The macaroni turns out perfect this way and delicious because the great looking cheese is melted on top of the noodles. Use a solid face spoon when you serve to make sure you get plenty of cheese scooped up the finished product. Spice it up the dish with some type of pepper!

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Try ketchup as a batter ingredient for your fried foods. Ketchup is not only for dipping cooked foods into, try dipping them in ketchup before rolling them in flour or breadcrumbs.

Those of you who like making fish dishes should try taking DIY to the next level and do some fishing to get their raw ingredients.

Being able to cook tasty meals is always a plus, whether you want to cook for family members or you want to make a great impression on a date. All around the world, people sit down with family and friends to share a meal. The following article will demonstrate several easy ways you can begin to impress others with your culinary prowess.

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Do not cook everything right after adding seasoning. Cook a small amount in the shape of a patty first.

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To make your French fries crisper, let the raw potatoes soak for about half an hour in cold water prior to frying.

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Sauteing vegetables in a small amount of chicken broth is a healthy way to cook. This is a delicious and healthy way to prepare veggies.

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Storing herbs and spices in warm locations will lead them to lose their flavor quicker.

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Tiramisu Cupcakes

Ingredients :

• 6 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pound mascarpone cheese
• 1 cup strong brewed coffee, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons rum
• ladyfingers baked in cupcake wrappers 
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• a small amount of dark chocolate for chocolate curls (optional)
• 
  

Instructions :

1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until well blended.
2. Whisk in milk and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils.
3. Boil gently for 1 minute, remove from heat, and allow to cool slightly.
4. Cover tightly and chill in refrigerator 1 hour.
5. Remove from refrigerator and whisk in mascarpone until smooth. Set aside.
6. In a medium bowl, beat cream with vanilla until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
7. In a small bowl, combine coffee and rum.
8. Drizzle approximately 1 tbsp + 2 tsp of the coffee/rum mixture over each pre-baked ladyfinger. Add it a little at a time and wait for it to absorb into the ladyfingers before adding more. When it stops absorbing, stop adding more.
9. Spread the mascarpone mixture over the soaked ladyfingers.
10. Pipe or spread the whipped cream over the mascarpone.
11. Sprinkle with cocoa powder.
12. Optionally, top with chocolate curls. Make the chocolate curls using a vegetable peeler on a piece of chocolate. It works best if the chocolate is slightly warm, but not melty.
13. Cover and refrigerate 4 to 6 hours, until set.
14. 
    

Notes

- adapted from Tiramisu II on Allrecipes

Cooking Tips :

Heat Up The Kitchen With These Useful Tips

Many folks can view cooking as an annoyance. This article will give you suggestions on how to do that.

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Sauteing veggies in a bit of chicken broth is very healthy. This technique is a tasty way to cook vegetables.

Measure the oil you use! This will help you lower the fat is present in your foods while cooking.This should enable you to closely monitor the exact amount of oil that you are using.

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Storing these items in warm locations will lead them to lose their flavor.

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Potatoes are divided in different categories, and you can't always substitute one for another.

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Put heavier, then put the lettuce and other ingredients that wilt easily on top.

Avoid adding salt and garlic to dried beans until they have not yet softened.Both garlic and salt can prevent the beans from getting softer while they cook.

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As you can see, it's possible to make cooking interesting and less like a chore. Use the suggestions you learned here to help make meal preparation time a chance to show your creativity and enthusiasm.

Food Can Be A Wonderful Adventure

Many people want to learn the culinary arts but are intimidated by various aspects of great cooking success. The great thing about cooking is that you can take it one step at a time, and by following the tips in this article, you will be convinced that you have what it takes to be the next top chef.

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Partially frozen meat is easier to slice into thin strips. This works especially useful for the meat slicing styles typically used with Asian cuisine. However, to make sure that the meat cooks evenly, so it cooks evenly.

Try adding cauliflower to your mashed potatoes to cut some calories and fat. The taste of cauliflower will blend seamlessly with the potatoes. Cauliflower is also the same texture and color of potatoes when mashed so it's a great way to add more veggies, offering you a perfect way to add another vegetable to your dish while cutting calories.

You can even put it on foods other than meat. Try using it to season roasted pumpkin seeds sprinkled with the seasoning for a tasty snack or mix it in your scrambled eggs. Everyone will wonder what your secret ingredient!

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One great cooking tips you can find is to use your own thing. You need not have to follow a recipe word for word. That is a true cook!

It is important to take proper care for your wooden cutting boards. A wood cutting board can warp or split by too much exposure to moisture, heat and dryness.Do not immerse the cutting board in water, just sponge it off using warm, clean it using a sponge and warm water. You can do some restoration to a damaged board by regularly oiling it with a product specifically for cutting boards to maintain yours. Make sure you let your board has completely dried before using.

Learn a little bit about any new foods that you haven't worked with before. You might be surprised how much you can do with that new ways to use the food.

Red or new potatoes contain skins that are too thin of a skin to hold the filling.

Use soft butter instead of melted butter for creaming sugar and butter to make cookies. If it is melted, however, or put the prepared dough in the refrigerator. Your cookies will spread the right amount if you use cooler dough.

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Whatever reason for becoming a good cook, knowing how to cook will always prove beneficial. Every culture in the world values mealtime with loved ones. Using what you've learned through this article will allow you to become a better cook!