Rich Chocolate Beet Muffins

Recipe :

Preheat Oven to 350º

• 2 ½ cups beets, pureed
• ½ cup water or reserved beet juice
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
• ¾ cup cocoa powder
• 1 ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips
• ¼ cup nuts (optional)

Quarter or halve beets depending on size, steam, rub peels off, slice and puree. Line muffin tins with paper or grease them. In a large bowl, combine beet puree, beets juice or water, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. In a separate bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Add the beet mixture, chocolate chips and nuts to the flour mixture. The batter will be maroon in color but the cooked product will be dark fudgey brown. Fill muffin tins ¾ full and bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. You may use 2 loaf pans as an alternative and make sweet bread instead of muffins.