Sweet Catch

Gluten-Free Glazed Triple Chocolate Cupcakes

I'm a lucky girl. I started dating my husband when I was 16. Even at that young age, I knew I had found a keeper. He is always finding new ways to remind me of that fact.

Rob is as comfortable in the kitchen as he is on the bridge of a virtual starship. Earlier this week he whipped up these glazed triple chocolate cupcakes for me to take to work for my boss's birthday.

I love this recipe. It is rich, decadent and amazingly gluten-free. Rob is always on the look out for good recipes that let me enjoy the things we used to eat before I had to cut back on gluten. He adapted it from a dessert bread recipe on the Land O' Lakes site. He substitutes Namaste brand Perfect Flour Blend for the flour mixture in the recipe, and then he bakes the mixture in cupcake wrappers rather than loaf pans.

Gluten-Free Glazed Triple Chocolate Cupcakes
Cupcake Ingredients:

2/3		cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2		cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened
1		cup gluten-free semi-sweet mini chocolate chips, melted
2		eggs
2 1/2		cups Namaste Perfect Flour Blend
1 1/2		cups applesauce
1		teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
1		teaspoon baking soda
2		teaspoons gluten-free vanilla
1/2		cup gluten-free semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

Glaze Ingredients:

1/2		cup gluten-free semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
1		tablespoon LAND O LAKES® Butter
5		teaspoons water
1/2		cup powdered sugar
1/4		teaspoon vanilla
		Dash salt

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine brown sugar and 1/2 cup butter in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add 1 cup melted chocolate chips and eggs; continue beating until well mixed. Add flour blend, applesauce, baking powder, baking soda and vanilla. Reduce speed to low; continue beating, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips.

Spoon batter into muffin wrappers. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until center crack is dry when touched. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pans.

Meanwhile, combine 1/2 cup chocolate chips, 1 tablespoon butter and water in 2-quart saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth. Remove from heat; stir in powdered sugar, vanilla and salt until smooth and creamy. Frost each loaf with glaze. Cool completely.

Note: These are excellent warm, so pop them into the microwave for a few seconds to make them nice and gooey before you bite into one.

This is a picture of Rob sitting in his commander's chair with is first officer Benjamin.