Chocolate Minicakes

I'm not a chocoholic. I don't think I'm a chocoholic. FRE, am I a chocoholic? I know people who can't go 24 hours without a cocoa bean fix. Me? I just want it for 3 days out of the month. And when I want it, boy do I want it! These moist (thanks to the dates) minicakes pack the necessary chocolate punch, and have fewer calories and fat than one of my oatmeal pancakes. Choc on!

Ingredients

1/3 cup water
1/3 cup pitted dates, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 oz. bittersweet chocolate (chunks or chips) (not unsweetened)
3 tbsp. light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. molasses
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
pinch salt
2 tbsp. whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)


Special Equipment

• 12-cup, nonstick, mini-muffin pan. If your pan is not nonstick, or has lost much of its non-stick quality, line with paper mini-muffin cups.


• Small food processor, about 3 to 4 cup capacity. A larger processor will work but there is so little batter it ends up being thrown to the extremities of the bowl.

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1 Preheat oven to 325°F.

2 Rub 1 tsp. vegetable oil on the insides of a 12-cup, nonstick, mini-muffin pan.

3 Collect all ingredients. Measure listed amounts of dates, cocoa, chocolate, sugar, and flour. Set aside.

Note: The batter will come together pretty fast once the chocolate is melted. You don't want it to cool too much while you're collecting and measuring the other ingredients.

4 Bring water and dates to a simmer in a small saucepan. While still hot, transfer to a small food processor. Add cocoa powder and chocolate and pulse a few times to blend. Let cool a minute or two; you don't want the egg to start cooking. Add sugar, molasses, egg, vanilla, vinegar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Blend until smooth. Sprinkle the flour over the batter and pulse once or twice just to combine.

5 Divide batter evenly among cups. Bake about 20 minutes. Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before removing from pan.

Note: Even if you're using a non-stick pan the muffins may resist removal. Slide a small butter knife gently around each muffin before slipping it out. The tops of these muffins will be shiny and slightly moist, so try not to pile them and avoid storing upside-down.

Enjoy!