Chocolate Beet Muffins

FROM MANDI, OUR LOCAL CSA MEMBER:

"For those members with a beet aversion- there's nothing a little chocolate won't fix!

Chocolate "Dirt" Muffins

2 1/2 cups beets, pureed

1/2 cup water or reserved beet juice (if you boil instead of roasting)

1 1/2 cups rapadura

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

3/4 cup fair trade cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup fair trade chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat Oven to 350º. Line muffin tins with paper or grease them. In a large bowl, combine beet puree, beet juice or water, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. In a separate bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Add the beet mixture, chocolate chips and nuts to the flour mixture.

The batter will be maroon in color but the cooked product will be dark fudgey brown. Fill muffin tins ¾ full and bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Makes two dozen. You may use 2 loaf pans as an alternative and make sweet bread instead of muffins.

-m"

THANK YOU, MANDI!