:: Red Velvet Cupcakes ~ week 7 sugar-free ::

I've cleared Week 7 and am so ready for my final week!!

People have been asking me what my plan is for once I finish this detox. Will I continue steering clear of sugar? The plan, for the most part (and those are the key words), is that, yes. The most painful part of these 8 weeks is the inability to 'give in', even for a friend who's slaved in the kitchen all day, a birthday party cake, family special occasion, etc... These 8 weeks are about re-setting my body, so it was very important that I didn't 'cheat'. But in general, ordinary life, I want to be able to say, "Ok, this deserves an exception." Hopefully I will be able to keep it like that!

One thing I have learnt so far, is that there are just billions of delish things to fill your life with, without needing sugar! Besides succulent roast chicken dinners, spicy wedges with sour cream, coconut-fried fish, cheesy cauliflower bakes and most savoury foods all being allowed (people seem to forget it's just no sugar, not no food!), there are just countless sweet creations available too. My hands-down favourite this week, were these:

.red velvet mud cupcakes.

Secret ingredient to these moist, sticky, sweet, luxurious cupcakes?

.beetroot.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

I Quit Sugar - The Chocolate Cookbook 

by Sarah Wilson

2 large beetroot, grated raw (don’t bother peeling, I threw mine in the Thermomix to 'grate')

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoons vanilla powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch sea salt

1 1/2 cups almond meal

4 tablespoons raw cacao powder 

3 tablespoons softened coconut oil (or light olive oil)

1/4 cup rice malt syrup

1 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 170 C and line a cupcake tin with 12 cupcake cases. Blend all ingredients (in
a blender or with a stick blender) until it’s a smooth batter, then divide between the 12 cases
and cook for 40 minutes.

I topped with spreadable creamcheese, whipped with a couple of Tablespoons of rice malt syrup. Absolutely the perfect way to finish them off. Full of good fats to fill & satiate you. Beetroot are naturally sweet too! But do they taste like beetroot? Well, not really. Jase said he could just sense something 'different' about them, but not enough to turn him away from eating quite a few! They are super moist and brownie-like.

This recipe came from The Chocolate Cookbook, part of the I Quit Sugar series. I won't be posting any more recipes from this cookbook due to copyright, but it's only $16 for your own e-copy, so head over and get one! All the recipes are really incredible, and "do-able" for the average pantry!