Zucchini Cupcakes

It is really amazing to get the feedback from you guys! Even if it's not as a comment, but just as a private message it's... wow, I can't tell you how great that is! Makes me smile (banana smile - you know what i mean!)

Anyways, I have loads of pictures and loads of subjects for posts I could do so I think I should use them. Now that it's decided.... I'm on a diet. Again. You know, bikini season's coming up, you gotta look good! But don't you worry. I'm not going to stop baking. N E V E R!I actually baked brownie cupcakes just 2 days ago :>

But as the "diet" subject came up I thought about my diet cupcakes (I know that's kind of an oxymoronic expression :>) and I figured I have to find more recipes for healthy stuff like that. BUT for now, I figured out I still haven't posted the recipe for them!

DIET (zucchini)  CUPCAKES

from  "Cook Yourself Thin " show :)

Ingredients:

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cupcakes:

• 1 1/4 cup  flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp of seeds from vanilla bean or you can simply add a bit of vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1  3/4 cup  ZUCCHINI! peeled and grated! :) - that does the trick!
• you can add 1/2 cup of ground almonds if you want 

frosting:

• 3 egg whites
• 1 cup of sugar
• pinch of salt
• vanilla extract
• zest from 1/2 lemon

What to do?

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• Start with the frosting! So in a heatproof bowl combine egg whites, sugar, salt & extract

Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir until it's warm and everything's melted (1-2 min)

Take the bowl from the pan and mix its contents until  it's glossy, cool AND STIFF  (when you put it over your head upside down nothing can fall out of it!) - it can take a good 5 minutes...

 Stir in gently the lemon zest and put in a fridge for about 30 minutes

Now let's proceed with the cupcakes!  Preheat oven to 180C. Combine flour, (almonds) and baking powder in one bowl

In another bowl whisk eggs with sugar and salt and vanilla until it is one-colored and combined

Beat the zucchini with a mixer on low speed a little bit

Mix zucchini, dry and "wet" ingredients together until corporated 

Fill in the paper liners and bake for about 20-25 minutes in an oven preheated to 180C (356F)

 Decorate the cooled cupcakes with frosting and  BON APPETIT! 

I want to stress that YOU CAN'T MAKE OUT ZUCCHINI in them while eating! They don't taste like it at all! Try them yourself and check that out! It is just a substitute for butter and they have half of the calories they would normally have.
And that's how my cupcakes look today! I've decorated them with banana as I had it at home and thought it was pretty good idea :)

enjoy!

xoxo

Annie