Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Peanut & Chocolate Sauce

This evening my husband wanted peanut butter something. So I was going to make a cookie and my son pipes up with I want a peanut butter and jelly cookie! It then evolved into a peanut butter chocolate cupcake; so you can thank them for this creation. I was so impressed with the flavor and texture of the cupcake. It is very moist and airy tasting; not at all dense like some gluten free baked goods can taste. The sauce however was supposed to be a frosting so I did have an epic fail moment there. Oh well – it tastes wonderful! Be on the lookout for a peanut butter and jelly cookie something or other though – that sounds like I challenge I’m ready to try! This makes 9 cupcakes

½ cup sweet sorghum flour

½ cup brown rice flour

¼ cup almond flour

¼ cup tapioca starch

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp xanthan gum

½ tsp sea salt

1 cup almond milk

¼ cup applesauce

¼ cup peanut butter, creamy (almond butter would work also)

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

Chocolate Sauce

¼ cup carob chips or chocolate chips

1 Tbsp almond milk

Peanut Sauce

¼ cup peanut putter

½ cup peanut butter powder (PB2)

¼ cup tapioca starch

½ cup powdered sugar or coconut sugar

½ cup almond milk

• In a large mixing bowl, combine flours, starch, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum and salt. Add in milk, applesauce, peanut butter, egg and vanilla. Blend over medium speed for about 1 minute or until ingredients are well combined. 
• Pour batter into greased muffin tins (or tins lined with baking cups). Bake at 350°F for about 20-25 minutes or until cupcakes are baked through. Let cool about 10 minutes. 
• While cupcakes are baking, combine ingredients for chocolate sauce in a glass bowl. Microwave for about 30 seconds or until chips are melted. Stir to blend sauce. 
• In a separate mixing bowl, combine peanut sauce ingredients and blend over medium speed for about 3 minutes or until well combined. 
• Drizzle peanut sauce over cooled cupcakes. Top with drizzled chocolate sauce. 

Shrimp Lettuce Wraps with Ginger Lime Peanut Sauce

This dish makes a perfect light dinner or even a quick lunch. The lettuce wraps are great by themselves, but the peanut sauce is the real kicker to this meal. It complements all of the ingredients well and gives it a little bit of an Asian flavor. Feel free to substitute the shrimp with chicken or pork; you could even leave the meat out and go meatless! Just don’t forget the sauce J This makes four servings of two wraps per serving.

Lettuce Wraps

8 slices of romaine lettuce
1 large tomato, thinly sliced
¼ cup carrots, thinly julienned
1 avocado, thinly sliced
¼ cup leek, diced
¼ cup peas, cooked
½ pound of shrimp, peeled & deveined
½ tsp garlic, minced
1 dash lemon juice
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp olive oil
Sauce
¼ cup peanut butter
1 Tbsp soy sauce (gluten-free)
¼ tsp sesame oil
½ tsp lime juice
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp rice vinegar
½ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp garlic, minced
¼ tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp paprika
¼ tsp cilantro, finely diced
½ tsp fresh ginger, minced

• In a large skillet, cook shrimp in olive oil. Season shrimp with garlic, lemon juice and red pepper flakes.
• While shrimp is cooking, make sauce. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients until sauce is smooth.
• On a serving plate, make lettuce wraps by filling each slice of romaine with shrimp, tomatoes, carrots, avocado, leek and peas.
• Drizzle peanut sauce over each lettuce wrap and serve with additional sauce if desired.