Chocolate Beet Muffins Prove Chocolate Is The Best Vegetable

Prep

1. Preheat your oven to 375. Cut off the top and bottom of the beet, rub with oil, and cover in aluminum foil
2. When oven reaches temperature, place foil-wrapped beet on middle rack and roast for 1 hour. Remove beet and allow to cool.
3. While the beet cools, turn your oven to 350 and coat a mini-muffin tray with cooking spray.
4. In a large bowl, pour in the flour, coca powder, baking powder, baking soda, and a pinch of salt; mix until blended.
5. Dice beet into four or so pieces and place in blender or food processor; blend or chop until soft. (Add a little water if having difficulty breaking down the vegetable into smaller parts.) Add in egg, cottage cheese, a glug of olive oil (or whatever oil you got), and a pour of vanilla extract; mix again until blended.
6. Pour beet mixture into the bowl with flour mixture and stir to combine.
7. Pour batter into the muffin wells, leaving a little room at the top of each. If using, place a few chocolate chips into each well.

Cook

1. Bake for 12 minutes if using a mini-muffin tray, or 15 minutes if using a regular sized tray. You can check for doneness by sticking a knife into the center of one: if comes out clean, the insides are cooked.
2. Remove muffins from tin and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Serve

1. If you cook these in a mini-muffin tray, you can just hand 'em off ; but they’re moist enough that even regular sized muffins will only need to a cut or two for your child to manage on his or her own.