*healthy* cupcakes

Just because I have a cupcake business, doesn't mean I like my kids having sugar.

In fact I'm not a big fan of it at all and try to limit it whenever I can.

When we have leftover cupcakes I usually push them on other peoples children (or just other people) to get them out of my house. And unless they my kids have been cupcake deprived, they usually don't notice that they're gone.

That said, my 20 month old knows the word "cupcake". Him and big brother hadn't had cupcakes in quite sometime and I had just gotten my Kiwi magazine (focused on parents and health) for the month that spotlighted a chocolate zucchini cupcake. I conveniently had several bags of shredded zucchini still in my freezer from my garden this summer so I thought I would put it to use.

Here is the recipe with my modifications in parenthesis:

Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes from Kiwi magazine:

2 cups white whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons cocoa

1 cup extra light olive oil (I used canola)

2 cups turbinado sugar (I used regular sugar)

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups grated zucchini

3/4 cup dark chocolate chopped (I used 3/4 ghiradelli dark chocolate chips)

Preheat over to 350

Mix flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cocoa in a bowl, set aside.

Using a mixer cream the oil and sugar until smooth, add eggs one at a time beating about a minute in between each addition. Mix in vanilla.

Add the zucchini and chocolate and mix well. Add dry ingredients in three batches, mixing in between.

Line muffin cups and fill 2/3 of the way full. Bake about 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Ganache:

1/2 cup heavy cream

8 ounces dark chocolate (I used more of the ghiradelli dark chocolate chips)

1 teaspoon vanilla

(They have other directions, but I'm going to give you the easy way, because that's how I roll)

Place all ingredients in a microwave safe bowl, heat in 30 second intervals stirring well in between. Should need no more than a minute, be careful not to overcook.

Dip cupcakes in ganache, top with pretty sprinkles and allow 15 minutes to set.