Coconut Cupcakes

I've been working on some new cupcake recipes this week... and eating 'em a few times a day (for research of course!). I wanted to make a low-fat and sweet (but not too sweet) coconut cupcake for Eric, since he loves just about anything with coconut in it. This cupcake is gluten-free, oil-free and not loaded with sugar... and still so yummy that we've managed to polish off the whole batch already (and I just baked these little guys three days ago)! Oh, and before I forget to mention it, the frosting is smooth, rich and creamy, but low in calories and fat! Why would anyone need cups of fat and sugar when you can add a little kuzu, arrowroot or cornstarch to thicken things up?! Enjoy!

Cupcake ingredients:

• 1 ¼ cups brown rice flour
• ¾ cup garbanzo bean flour
• ⅔ cup evaporated cane juice
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup coconut shreds
• 1 ¾ cup non-dairy milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Lightly oil a 12-muffin tin.
3. In a bowl, combine the first five dry ingredients.
4. Pour the coconut shreds into a blender and blend into a coarse flour.
5. Pour the non-dairy milk and vanilla into the blender, and blend to combine.
6. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and mix until just combined.
7. Bake 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Frosting ingredients:

• ⅓ cup non-dairy milk
• ¼ cup evaporated cane juice
• 1 Tablespoon coconut butter
• 2 Tablespoons kuzu (or other thickener such as arrowroot or cornstarch)
• ¼ cup water

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, combine first three ingredients and place on medium/low heat.
2. In a bowl, thoroughly combine kuzu and water. (I really like the smooth texture that kuzu creates. Let me know what thickener works best for you!)
3. Pour mixture into the saucepan and stir well.
4. Simmer 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until cream thickens.
5. Refrigerate and allow to thicken.

Yields: 12 cupcakes and frosting