Keto Debbie” Chocolate Cupcakes

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS:

CUPCAKES:

• 3 large eggs, separated
• ¼ cup Swerve confectioners’-style sweetener or equivalent amount of liquid or powdered sweetener
• ¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter (or coconut oil if dairy-free), melted but not hot
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup blanched almond flour
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda

FILLING AND DECORATION:

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese (Kite Hill brand cream cheese style spread if dairy-free), softened
• ½ cup Swerve confectioners’-style sweetener or equivalent amount of liquid or powdered sweetener
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cashew milk or heavy cream

GANACHE

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (or coconut oil if dairyfree)
• 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream (or full-fat coconut milk if dairy-free)
• ¼ cup Swerve confectioners’-style sweetener or equivalent amount of liquid or powdered sweetener
• Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean (about 8 inches long), or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTION:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 6-well jumbo muffin pan.
2. To make the cupcakes, place the egg whites in a bowl and whip until stiff peaks form. In a second bowl, combine the egg yolks, sweetener, butter, and vanilla and whisk until well blended. In a third bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients until fully combined. Gently fold the egg yolk mixture into the whipped whites, then slowly fold in the dry mixture. Fill the greased pan with the batter, filling each well about three-quarters full. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cool completely in the pan before removing.
3. While the cupcakes are cooling, make the filling: Place the softened cream cheese and sweetener in a small bowl. Using a hand mixer, combine until smooth. Slowly add the cashew milk to thin the filling. Transfer the filling to a piping bag. Fill the cupcakes by poking a hole in the bottom of each cupcake and piping in the filling. Reserve a few tablespoons of the filling for the white swirl on the top. (Leave the reserved filling on the counter; if it sets in the refrigerator, it will become too hard to pipe.)
4. To make the ganache, place the butter and chopped chocolate in a double boiler or in a heat-safe bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Heat on low, stirring often, until just melted (don’t let the chocolate burn!), then add the cream, sweetener, and vanilla. Stir until smooth and thick.
5. Dunk the top of each cupcake into the ganache. Set the cupcakes upright on a serving platter. Place in the refrigerator for 5 minutes to set the ganache. Remove from the fridge and, using the reserved filling, pipe little swirls on the top of each cupcake, moving from one end to the other.
6. Store extras in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 1
   month. Allow to thaw to room temperature before serving