A Bite of Cupcake, a Little Yoga, and Pinch of Love

by Suki | Apr 25, 2013

I am excited to welcome another another guest blogger to Sookton’s Space!

Elena and her daughter love to bake cupcakes!

Elena, the sweet genius behind The Cupcake Factory blog, is going to share her secret recipe for a healthy cupcake (they do exist!)

“I stumbled across Sookton’s Space following a Google search for ‘PCOS + Yoga,'” explains Elena. “I discovered at least two things we have in common and was pleased to find some inspiring and interesting reads to go with it.”

Elena says she discovered yoga about 5 years ago and has been committed to daily practice every since. “I am grateful for the balance it has brought me,” she says. “I try to live well and eat well, I am a stressful soul on a quest for peace which yoga and good food are helping me find.”

And now for the sweet part: she’s a cupcake baker!

Here’s her guest post

“I’d like to talk about healthy cupcakes,” ~ Elena

Go figure right? Sugar paste and heaps of butter cream hardly fit in with the balanced yogic lifestyle, but the truth is I am also a food porn addict.

I could spend far more time than anyone should browsing the web and looking at mouthwatering recipes.

The cupcake has to be the star of the food porn industry, so pretty and bite size that its hard to believe they’re not good for you. So with balance in mind I say its good to give in to temptation every now and then but if you are going to indulge do it properly and make sure every bite is worth it.

How to make the perfect, healthy cupcake:

Bake from scratch

I’m really quite confused about cake mixes, I don’t find them to be any easier than baking from scratch and I’m sure they have ingredients in that are just not necessary. The basic ingredients for a good homemade cupcake are simply; butter, sugar, eggs and flour.

Use real butter

I do not believe in margarine or other reduced fat spreads, better to eat a little of something real than something overly processed. If you really need to worry about the amount of butter you use, then try replacing half the butter with Greek yogurt.

Make your own vanilla extract

It’s so easy to do and there is a world of difference in the flavor. I am currently using my own recipe of bourbon soaked Madagascan vanilla bean. Split real vanilla pods with a sharp knife and scrape out the beans of the pods, tip the beans and the pods into a glass container and cover with an alcohol such as vodka. Leave the container in a cool, dark place for a few weeks until the spirit has turned darker and full of flavor.

Bake with love

This is important, baking is not about getting in a meal, it’s about indulgence and sharing. Give it your all, and reap the benefits when you see the delighted expressions on their faces as they delve in.

If I still haven’t convinced you to dig in and let loose then I will share with you a recipe that will satisfy your sweet tooth without being overly indulgent and is mindful of good for you ingredients.

These cookies are be packed with nutritious nuts and seeds and the Greek yogurt adds a great protein boost for sustained energy and the carob syrup curbs the sugar rush. Oh, and they taste great too!

Oats and Seeds energy cookies

Dry Ingredients

2 cups of rolled oats
1 cup of wholewheat flour
1/2 cup of soft brown sugar
2 tbsp sunflower seeds
2 tbsp dark chocolate chips
2 tbsp chopped dates
2 tbsp crushed almonds
2 tbsp dried cranberries

(Feel free to substitute any of the fruit, nuts or seeds or omit the choc-chips)

Step 1: dry ingredients

Liquid ingredients

150 ml Greek yogurt

1 egg or 2 egg whites

2 tbsp carob syrup or honey

2 tbsp olive oil

Liquid ingredients

Method

1. Preheat the oven to a moderate heat and prepare your baking sheet with greaseproof paper

2. Add all the dry ingredients to a bowl

3. Mix together all the liquid ingredients, make sure they are well mixed

4. Stir the liquid into the dry mix and stir gently with a fork, you don’t want to over mix just to coat all the dry mix. If you need to add a little more oil.

5. Use a spoon to spoon out equal measures of the mix onto your baking sheet and bake for approx 10-12 minutes until golden.

6. Cool completely on the tray and serve with a cup of tea!

These cookies should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge and will last for 2-3 days.