Chocolate Bean Cupcakes

1 ¼ cup sugar

1/3 cup margarine, melted (they said soy margarine)

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbs grated orange zest, optional (I didn’t use it)

1 15-oz. can black beans, drained, rinsed and pureed

1 cup flour

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 12 cupcake tins with paper liners (I actually ended up with 15 cupcakes….but I have a broken stone muffin pan, so I can do that!)

To make cupcakes, beat sugar, margarine and eggs on high 3 minutes or until thick and creamy. Fold vanilla extract and orange zest into pureed beans. In small bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. Fold egg mixture into beans, then fold flour mixture into beans by thirds. Fill cupcake tins two-thirds full. Bake 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 4 minutes.

I found this recipe in a magazine, but sorry, don’t know which one. I tasted the batter and oh my, it’s yummy! Can’t wait for the cupcakes!!

Scrubby Nubby Dishcloth

Scrubby Nubby Dishcloth

CO 41 (or any number divisible by 5 + 6 more stitches)

First 6 rows are worked in garter stitch

Throughout pattern, maintain k3 edging at beginning and end of all rows
scrubby block is worked p1,k1,p1,k1,p1

stst block is worked k5 on odd rows and p5 on even rows

rows 7-13: edging, stst block, scrubby block, stst block, scrubby block, stst block, scrubby block, stst block, edging

rows 14-20: edging, scrubby block, stst block, scrubby block, stst block, scrubby block, stst block, scrubby block, edging

rows 21-28: repeat rows 7-11

rows 29-36: repeat rows 12-16

rows 37-43: repeat rows 7-11

rows 44-50: repeat rows 12-16

end with 6 rows of garter stitch as worked at start.

If you try this pattern, please let me know how it works for you. This is the first pattern I've written, and I TRIED to keep it simple.

**Thank you to my friend Rebekah, who suggested making the blocks 7 rows tall instead of the original 5 rows. Changes have been made above.