Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes (Gluten, Soy, Casein Free!!)

For a month I have been placed (willingly, I might add!) on a rebalancing diet which essentially means no wheat, cow's milk products, refined cane sugars, soy products, or yeasts.  This can be extremely tricky for the uninitiated - fortunately I have virtually been cooking this way for a year since my daughter India, and husband Greg, have also been on this diet and chosen to eat this way permanently because of how wonderful they felt afterwards.

I have my annual book club meeting tonight at the house of my girlfriend, Kathy (who is also on the same rebalancing diet!) and so, I decided to whip up these little treats for us to snack on!!!  They are really yummy and I obtained almost all of the ingredients at my local "Bulk Barn"!  The recipe comes from an amazing blog ~ gingerlemongirl which you should all check out!  As you can see from the photos, I made a dozen mini-cupcakes for the book club, and the others were for India and Devon as an after-school treat!!  This recipe will make a dozen regular sized cupcakes (there was one large and small cupcake that I didn't photograph as they are presently in my stomach!!!)

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CUPCAKES

Ingredients:

Cupcakes ~

1/3 cup brown rice flour 

1/3 cup tapioca flour

1/3 cup sorghum flour

1/2 tsp xanthan gum

3/4 cup sugar (I used coconut sugar)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 eggs, slightly beaten

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cupcake cups and dust pan lightly with sweet rice flour.
• In a medium sized bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients. Make a well in center of dry ingredients. Add milk, oil, vanilla, and beaten eggs. Whisk together until combined and pour into prepared cups.
• Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Do not over bake as these can dry out quickly!!
• Cool cupcakes completely before frosting.

 Frosting ~

1/2 cup natural peanut butter

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (I used agave syrup)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 - 4 tbsp non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)

Glaze ~

 1/2 cup chocolate chips (I used Callebaut chips)

1 tbsp oil (grapeseed, coconut, or olive)

3 - 4 tbsp water

• In a large bowl mix peanut butter with powdered sugar. Add vanilla and non-dairy milk. You can add more or less milk to create the consistency you prefer.
• Spread peanut butter icing over completely cooled cupcakes.
• In another bowl melt chocolate chips and oil over a pot of simmering water, until melted. Whisk in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you get a drizzling chocolate sauce consistency. Drizzle glaze over frosted cupcakes.
• Serve immediately or chill.