The first time my friend, Kylee, made these for me, way back in 2007 at the very first holiday baking extravaganza, I wanted to kiss her. Well, I did anyways. She's my very good friend. And to whomever gave her the recipe, I'll kiss you, too.
These Black Bottom Cups are THAT good. And they're bite size, which automatically makes them even tastier. And, I promise, you cannot, will not, and won't want to eat just one tiny cup. You might even find yourself having to make another batch just to put on the holiday platters you promised friends and family. Here's a word to the wise: don't tell people what you're making...in case it never makes it on the tray. It's always a little, ummm awkward trying to explain what happened to the dozen or so missing cookies.....
This year, however because I can't leave well enough alone, I healthi-fied them a bit more than my already adapted recipe below. Instead of a mixture of whole wheat pastry flour and white flour, I replaced all flour with pureed black beans. I'm known for doing this, see Exhibit A, Exhibit B, and Exhibit C. (While we're on the subject of beans, check out my famous Black Bean Burgers, if you haven't already.) And let me tell you, there is good news and bad news. Let's start with the bad news: when replacing all flour with pureed beans, the cups will fall apart. They might look somewhat pretty now, but try getting those things out of the liners. The mess didn't stop me; just use a spoon.
The good news: the mess didn't stop others either. All proper etiquette went out the window when it came to these delicious cups. There are a few members of my family that request these treats every Christmas season, but this year my mother-in-law couldn't get enough of them. I had to bring her the rest of my stash once she devoured hers. Lesson learned: possibly try a mixture of flour and pureed beans next year. If you give it a try, be sure to let me know how they turn out. Happy baking!
Black Bottom Cups
*adapted from my friend Kylee's recipe (pureed bean-less)
Makes about 4 dozen mini cups
8 oz Neufchatel cream cheese
1 egg
1/3 + 1 c sugar
pinch of salt + 1/2 tsp
6 oz semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
1/3 c canola oil
1 c water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c flour
1 c whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa
1 Tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp baking soda
1 c chopped nuts (optional)
Preheat oven 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, egg, 1/3 c sugar, and pinch of salt; mix well. Fold in chocolate chips; set aside. In a large bowl, combine 1 c sugar and oil. Add water and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa, and 1/2 tsp salt. Add to oil mixture. In a separate small bowl, mix vinegar with baking soda (and enjoy the fizz). Add vinegar mixture to flour mixture. Stir in nuts, if desired.
In mini cupcake pans, with mini liners, add 1 tsp black mixture and top with 1/2 tsp white mixture.
*Note: I tend to get a little crazy when it comes to filling the cups, usually due to lack of patience and time. But these bake up much prettier if you take your time and use the correct measurements... instead of the tablespoons I tend to use...(hence the not so flattering above pictures).
Bake 25 minutes or until set. Cool completely on wire racks. (or they might be messy, but tasty.)
Nutritional Information (without nuts): Per Mini Cup (48 in batch)
80 Calories; 4 Fat; 8 Sugar; 11 Carbs; 1 Protein
These are absolutely perfect paired with a steaming cup of coffee.
With Love and God Bless,
Brindi
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