I must confess: This week’s “Healthy Baking” recipe is not so healthy. My Lemony Valentine’s Day Cupcakes contain all the usual suspects: sugar, flour, bugger, eggs, and even cream cheese. Why? I firmly believe that if you, like me, are making and eating baked goods on a weekly basis, you’d better learn how to clean up some of your recipes and replace processed sugars, flours, and fats with healthier, whole grain ingredients, as a favor to your health and the health of everyone who gets to partake in your cake. But there are those (rare) special occasions when I think it’s okay to indulge; sticking a little sugar in your bod once in a blue moon won’t kill you, and knowing how to savor and enjoy it when you do have it probably has some kind of health benefit, according to some doctor, backed by some study, somewhere.
So on Valentine’s Day, I’m eating one of these cupcakes. They’re not vegan, sugar-free, or raw; nor are they excessively heavy. They taste great and you can decorate them any way you please; they’re a huge improvement over oily, impersonal grocery store cupcakes and they won’t take you much longer to procure. More »