CoConut Jam Cupcakes

Gluten free - dairy free - refined sugar free - nut free
    These are a wonderful gluten and dairy free cupcake, full of the goodness of coconut and absolutely scrumptious fresh from the oven. I've served them for dessert, with heated fruit-juice-sweetened strawberry jam as a 'topping', and they also freeze really well to add to school/ work lunch boxes later on. As usual, I make a double batch (actually, with this one I usually make a triple batch!) so there are plenty for later.   

    I thought I'd do this one with a little Easter twist as well. After the cupcakes have cooled, ice them with Cashew Cream or butter icing, or just spread them with fruit-juice-sweetened jam, then sprinkle with a little dessicated coconut that's been stirred around with some natural green food colouring, and pop a chocolate bunny on top. A fun and not-too-chocolately treat for the kids for Easter-week snacks. Check out my Make Your Own Easter Eggs post for how to make the bunny!
    I love baking them with the strawberry jam inside them, but they're also yummy without it. Raspberry or cherry jam would also be scrumptious!
    
Ingredients

• 125mls of coconut oil (or a nut based oil like almond or macadamia if you don't have coconut)

• 125mls of milk of choice- almond, soy, rice (or dairy if you're able)

• 2 eggs (or egg replacer)

• 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract or paste

• 220grams gluten-free plain flour mix (or spelt flour if you don't have to be gluten-free)

• 100 grams (2/3 cup) rapadura sugar

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

• 1/2 cup organic desiccated coconut, plus1 tablespoon reserved for dusting

• 1/2 cup of fruit-juice-sweetened (refined sugar free) strawberry jam
  
  

Method

• Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line a muffin tin with 12 paper cases.

• In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and 1/2 cup coconut with a large spoon.

• In a separate bowl or jug, whisk together the oil, milk, eggs and vanilla

• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold together with a large spoon until just combined.

• Using an ice cream scoop, place one scoop of mixture into each paper case.

• Optional, if using jam: Using the back of a teaspoon, make a deep well in the centre of each scoop of mixture, and fill with about a teaspoon of jam.

• Bake for about 25 minutes or until a skewer pushed through the centre comes out clean (you'll have to go in through the side to avoid hitting the jam). Sprinkle the reserved coconut on the top.

The cupcakes below were cooked in a molded silicon muffin tray, that I lined with jam in the bottom, and inverted them after cooking.