Paleo Sweet (ch)Eats: Boston Cream Pie Cupcake

Today marks the first day of the CrossFit Games Opens and the Lenten season. Coincidence? For some of you, the next 5 weeks/40 days will be quite a mental and physical challenge, so good luck and power through! Unfortunately, both cavegirls will be sitting out of the Opens this year ... I am missing two seasons in a row now because of my pesky shoulder, but I'm well on my way to recovery and can't wait to be completely back in the game once I wrap up physical therapy and work my way back. While I won't be competing as an athlete, I still hope to do the Open WODs at whatever scale-able level my shoulder can handle, and CG Tiff will likely do the same... so long as the cavebaby is okay with it. 


Growing up in a Catholic household, and attending a Catholic university, giving something up for Lent has not been a foreign concept to me. The traditional purpose of Lent is the penitential preparation of the believer—through prayer, penance, repentance, almsgiving, and self-denial. This year, I have decided to give up sugar, beer (no more cheats), and a very convenient delivery system called Seamless. I usually like to actively do something new for Lent as well, but I haven't thought of that yet so... work in progress. Anyway, this post is kind of like my farewell to sweets for the next forty days. I was lucky enough to have the day off for President's Day, so all I did was wod, bake, and read... it was perfection. My last sweet (ch)eat for forty days... I hope you like it, I know I sure did!

Boston Cream Pie Cupcake (inspired by a Martha Stewart recipe)
1 1/2cups almond flour - plus more for tins
1 1/2 tspn baking powder
1/2 cup coconut milk
3oz (6tbsp) grass-fed butter (softened) - plus more for tins
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated honey
1 tspn vanilla extract
Vanilla Cream (see below)
Dark Chocolate-Ganache Glaze (see below)


Preheat oven to 350F, butter and flour muffin tins. Whisk the flour and baking powder in a small bowl while warming milk and butter in a saucepan over medium to low heat.


Using a mixer, beat the eggs and honey on high until it becomes thick and pale, for about 5 minutes, and then beat in the dry ingredients. Bring the milk/honey mixture to a boil, remove from heat, and slowly beat into the mixer on a low speed until smooth. Finally, add the vanilla.


Divide the batter up into the muffin tins, filling each tin about half-way. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until a light golden-brown color. Cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then remove and let cool on wire racks. Depending on the size of your cupcakes, you may need to cut each in half to create your boston cream pie. I divided my batter up sparingly so each cupcake served as a top or bottom. 


Spread about 1 tablespoon of vanilla cream on each cupcake bottom, sandwich with the top, and spoon the ganache glaze over. 

Vanilla Cream
2 large egg yolks
<1/4 cup honey (base on your desired level of sweetness, I found 1/4 cup to be too much)
2 tbsp arrowroot powder
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 tspn vanilla extract


Whisk yolks until smooth while you heat the honey and arrowroot in a small saucepan over medium heat. Slowly add the coconut milk into the saucepan and cook, stirring, until the mixture bubbles and thickens. 


Pour 1/3 of the mixture into the yolks and whisk until blended. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes. Finally, stir in the vanilla. Place the vanilla cream into a bowl (pass through a fine sieve if necessary), cover, and refrigerate until cold. 


Dark Chocolate Ganache Glaze
2/3 cup coconut milk
6 oz dark chocolate - chopped


Bring coconut milk to a boil, remove from heat, and add chocolate. Whisk until smooth and let stand for five minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool slightly, use immediately.