Chocolate Beet Muffins

Sometimes it can be a challenge to get the recommended amount of vegetables in your diet. Here is a recipe that uses red beets in unexpected ways.

These muffins are naturally sweetened. No one will know that they contain beets!

Ingredients:

• 3 medium beets washed and scrubbed

• 1 cup all-purpose flour 

• 1/4 cup cocoa powder

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt

• 1 medium egg at room temperature

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted

• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup

• 1/2 cup liquid honey

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/3 cup sour cream (can substitute Greek yogurt)

• 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions:

To cook the beets:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.  Wash the beets but do not peel or trim them. Wrap whole beets in aluminum foil and roast until they can be pierced with a fork.  This may take about an hour or longer depending on the size of the beets.

2. Once the beets are cooked mash them with a potato masher or a fork.

3. You will need 1/2 cup of the beet purée for the recipe.  Store the rest of the purée in the freezer to be used at another later date for more beet muffins.

For the muffins:

1. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F. 

2. Line a muffin tin with 12 muffin liners.

3. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a medium mixing bowl.

4. Whisk the egg into a smaller bowl until frothy.

5. Add the melted butter to the egg mixture and beat until incorporated. Add the maple syrup, honey and vanilla and beat until the mixture is smooth and glossy.  Stir in the beet purée and combine well.

6. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and then fold in the sour cream (or yogurt). Do not over-mix but do eliminate any lumps.

7. Distribute the batter into the prepared muffin tin. Sprinkle a few chocolate chips on top.

8. Bake in the oven for about 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

9. Remove from the oven and let the muffins cool completely in the tin.

Recipe adapted from http://simplebites.net/chocolate-beet-snack-cake-recipe/