Chocolate Olive Oil Cupcakes with Goat Cheese Frosting and Pistachios

 

 

 

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Chocolate Olive Oil Cupcakes with Goat Cheese Frosting and Pistachios

cupcakes

This recipe is adapted from Orangette, who adapted from Epicurious. The batter does need to be chilled for 30 minutes, so plan accordingly. This makes a lot of cupcakes – almost 32.

3 oz fine-quality semisweet chocolate
1 ½ cups hot brewed coffee [or cold press, heated]
1 ½ cups unsweetened cocoa powder [not Dutch process]
3 cups sugar
2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
¾ tsp baking powder
1 ¼ tsp salt
3 large eggs
¾ cup olive oil
1 ½ cups well-shaken buttermilk
¾ tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line pans with paper liners.

 

Finely chop chocolate and place in a bowl with the cocoa powder. Pour the hot coffee over the chocolate and cover. Let sit for five minutes, and then whisk until smooth.

Into a large bowl sift together sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl, beat eggs with an electric mixer until thickened slightly and lemon-colored [about 3 minutes with a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a hand-held mixer]. Slowly add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to eggs, beating until combined well. Add sugar mixture and beat on medium speed, until just combined. Chill batter for 30 minutes.*

Divide batter between pans, filling about 3/4 full. Bake 10 to 14 minutes, until a tester inserted in center comes out with the tiniest bit of crumbs.

Cool cupcakes completely in pans on racks. Remove and frost.

goat cheese frosting with vanilla bean and pistachios

This frosting is inspired by Always With Butter’s birthday cake. It is creamy, dreamy goodness.

4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
8 ounces goat cheese, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 vanilla bean, scraped
pinch of salt
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
pistachios, shelled and chopped

 

In a standing mixer, beat butter, cream cheese and goat cheese until smooth and slightly whipped, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla, vanilla bean and salt, and beat until combined. Turn mixer to low, and slowly add the powdered sugar [about 1/2 cup at a time] until combined. Increase speed to medium high, and beat frosting until smooth and slightly whipped, 4-5 minutes. Frost cupcakes and sprinkle with pistachios, if desired.

Alkaline Balance leads to Beauty

To go deeper into a previous post describing the importance of Apple Cider Vinegar and Alkalinity in your diet, I find that the balance of the acid/alkaline in your body determines its health.  Beauty, being the face of Health, is deeply connected to the food we eat.

Unbalanced acidity causes: puffiness, inflammation, tissue degeneration, sore muscles, dryness, itchiness, and water retention.  Minerals are those elements that help to Transform the acidity to alkaline, or to keep the ratio more balanced.  Minerals are found mostly in dark leafy greens, milk products (goat cheese and milk are the best), bones(which we rarely eat due to the high levels of metals present), and stems of plants.  These above listed items that contain high levels are minerals are also the most Alkaline.  

Fruits high in Alkaline: Green leaves (not fruit but very alkaline), Olives, Kiwi, Cranberry, Grapes, Ornage, Lime, Grapefruit, Figs, Pappaya, Pomegrantate, Apples, Chilis, Cherries, Blackberries, Raspberries.

Herbs to Drink for more Akalinity. Nettle!

Nuts and Seeds.  In my family we have started a sprouting revolution.  My next post will be about the Transformation from seeds to sprouts.  Nuts and Seeds are acidic, until they are sprouted, which they then turn alkaline. 

Now dont go crazy and start only eating alkaline.  We need the correct balance in the foods we eat.  If you have some meat (acidic) then balance with green leafy vegies (alkaline).  If you eat meat and rice (acidic) balanace with a green salad with olives (alkaline).

If you are too alkaline the body will become lazy, if you are too acidic the skin will turn toward more acne.  Balance  your self!

Photo taken from http://earthmother-intheraw.blogspot.com/2010/06/wheatgrass-king-of-alkaline-foods.html Great information here!  Wheatgrass is super healing!