Nutella Strawberry Cupcakes

For my husband's birthday, I decided to bake something for him without thinking twice about the number of calories involved. I just wanted to pamper the two of us...and at the risk of sounding repetitive, what better than chocolate.

We really gorge on the goodies in December, and its beginning to show on our waistlines. But thats the advantage of winter, with the thick warm clothes covering up a bit for the flab.

Happiness increases when celebrated, and a celebration without something sweet loses its essence - at least for us. But of course, at the last moment, the voice of reason and the pangs of conscience kicked in - so I converted the recipe to a NoBO one - No Butter and Oil!

Ingredients

3 tbsp heaped - whole wheat flour

1 tbsp - crushed oat flakes and hazelnuts

3 tbsp - muscovado sugar ( low sugar version... use 5-6 tbsp for normal sweetness)

4 tbsp - apple strawberry puree

4 tbsp - nutella

2 tbsp - cocoa powder (sweetened)

3 tbsp - low fat milk

1/4 tsp - bicarbonate of soda

1/4 cup - chopped fresh strawberries

a pinch of salt

Method 

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degree C and line a cupcake tray with 7 paper cases.
2. Place the sugar, apple strawberry puree, nutella and milk in a bowl and mix well.
3. Whisk together the flour, oats hazelnuts mixture, salt, cocoa powder and bicarbonate of soda in a large bowl.
4. Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture. Fold in the strawberries. Mix very lightly with a rubber/silicon spatula. Do not overmix
5. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases, filling three quarters.
6. Place the tray in the centre of the preheated oven and bake for 20 - 23 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
7. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. Serve the cupcake upside down with some strawberries and chocolate sauce.

Serves -  7 cupcakes

I used this apple strawberry puree. You can use a homemade apple puree as well.

 I trimmed the edges and served the cupcakes upside down with some fresh strawberries and some chocolate sauce.

Enjoy and have a Merry Christmas!

Orange Oat Muffins

Continuing in the spirit of christmas sweeties, and becuase sweet temptations are always the most tempting, here is another one....
And since its christmas season, it has to be colourful and beautiful. And of course taste heavenly.

Ingredients

3/4 Cup - whole wheat flour

3/4 cup - oat flakes

5 tbsp - muscovado sugar

7 tbsp - sunflower oil

11 tbsp - buttermilk

1 tsp - baking powder

3/4 tsp - bicarbonate of soda

4 tsp - glace orange

1 tsp - orange rind

To decorate -  2 tbsp orange marmalade, to brush on the muffins and sweet coloured confetti to sprinkle on the muffins.

Method 

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degree C and linea muffin tray with 7 paper cases.
2. Place the sugar, oil and buttermilk in a bowl and mix well.
3. Whisk together oat flakes, flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, orange rind, glace' orange in an another bowl.
4. Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture and mix lightly with a wooden/silicon spatula. Do not overmix.
5. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases. (filling them 3/4th full)
6. Place the tray in the centre of the preheated oven and bake for approx 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
7. Let the muffins cool in the tray for 5 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. Brush the top of the muffins with the orange marmalade and sprinkle the sweet coloured confetti on them.

Makes 7 muffins

I like the glaze on the muffins...

and the confetti made them look really cute:)

and they tasted good too...

Enjoy and have a great weekend!