mini red velvet cupcakes for one

every night after dinner i need something sweet.
the size and richness of the meal never holds me back.
i'm the one after thanksgiving who's ready for pie without the break between courses.
i'm the one who has a bowl of cereal for dinner and still is on a chocolate hunt by the time i rinse my bowl.
i like my sweets.
i do, however, try not to go too crazy.
i'm not eating huge slabs of cake or mountains of ice cream every night.
most nights, it's a few andes candies.
a handful of granola.
a cookie or two.
maybe even fruit if i'm feeling healthy.
on friday, i was feeling a little inspired to try something new.
thanks to two new blogs i've been reading.
chocolate covered katie who invented the single lady cupcake.
this is a recipe to make just one cupcake.
you know, so you don't have 24 cupcakes sitting in your house just for you and your husband.
and mama pea who made vegan red velvet cupcakes.
healthful cupcakes made with beets!

are you still reading?

yep, it's beets.
in cupcakes.
no, i'm not crazy.

see they look like "normal" mini cupcakes

even though they have beets in them.
and i swear you can't taste the beets

they just give the cupcakes that nice red color.

i doubled katie's recipe to make 5 mini cupcakes,
which i decided was a dessert serving for me and nelzo on friday night.

and i planned on a vegan icing, except i was out of powered sugar.

and i'm not one for naked cupcakes.

especially when i remember i have a few of these left...

although, certainly not for long....

melted chocolate is really a perfect food all on it's own.

but does make an excellent cupcake topping.

Recipe: Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes for One

Ingredients:

1 beet

1 tbsp water

6 tbsp flour

2 tsp canola oil

4 tbsp almond milk

1 tsp cocoa powder

2 tbsp sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

7 andes candies

sprinkles

Method:

-preheat oven to 350

-blend 1 beet and water in food processor till apple sauce consistency

-mix flour, salt, cocoa and baking soda in one bowl

-mix beet sauce, canola oil, sugar, almond milk and vanilla extract in another bowl

-add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mix till combined

-divide dough into greased mini muffin pans, should make about 5

-bake 10 minutes, remove and cool

-melt andes candies in a small saucepan on lowest setting

-dip each cupcake into chocolate, add sprinkles

btw, after watching the 10,000 maniacs video, i realized i'm basically wearing the same outfit today that natalie merchant is wearing in 1993.