Chocolate Avocado Cupcakes

Published: Thu, 02/03/22

February News from Chetwyn

Happy February! This month we have complied some farm updates and a delicious cupcake recipe for you to enjoy. We hope all of you have been doing well--we miss seeing you at the market!

Pruning the Avocados

We closed out January with the big project of pruning all the avocado trees back down to 6 feet. The reason we keep the trees short is because it makes it easier to reach the avocados when it's time to pick them. In addition to cutting the trees down to 6 feet, we also prune a few branches off the side so sun light can get in between the trees.

It is interesting to see how the different tree varieties grow in very different ways. The Fuertes grow low branches way out along the ground. The Zutanos will double in height each year (even when we trim them back down). The Mexicola Grandes spread out in all direction with their branches. The advantage of us being such a small farm is that we can take time to tend to each of our trees. We enjoy spending time out in the groves, and the dogs love running around and trying to find any gopher holes or avocados that we missed while harvesting.

Mulch = Happy Roots

After one of the wettest Decembers in years, January turned out to be a very dry month. Luckily the days have still been cool, so the soil has stayed nice and damp. This means the grass continues to grow and mustard flower in the grove have burst into bloom.

Another thing we have noticed in the grove is our hard work paying off! There is a big difference between the trees that have mulch and the ones that do not. Avocado trees have shallow roots, so the ones with a mulch covering appreciate the extra protection to keep in the moisture. No surprising news here, but our February task will be to spread mulch over the last of our trees. We know they'll love it!

Our Secure Pasture

This morning, when I went down to do chores, there were 4 coyotes on
the other side of the fence. I'm glad the goats and sheep have such a
great protection crew--the horses, donkey and llama are the power team! The donkey and llama have run off coyotes several times, and the horses' large size help deter them as well.

We now have even made it possible for the chickens to walk into the pasture with the herd to eat insects and weed seedlings. They have lots of protection under the trees from dangerous birds, and because of the guardian animals I have no fears of them being taken away by predators.

Cupcakes from Frozen Avocados

We have started to pick a few of our early variety of avocados to see how close
they are to the correct oil content. It is just in time since we are pulling the last of our Lamb Hass out of the freezer.

Freezing avocados is a great way to store them. Once the frozen avocados thaw, the texture and taste isn't quite the same as before, but they are still just as nutrient-rich and delicious to use in baking and smoothies.

Here is a delicious recipe for avocado cupcakes; it may look like a lot, but it's a fairly simple recipe. These sweet treats will be perfect for valentine's day or to add to the the Super Bowl spread.

If you have some on hand, you can use fresh avocado in place of the defrosted frozen avocado that this recipe calls for.

Ingredients for Cupcakes

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup warm water
1/2 cup defrosted avocado
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp distilled white or apple cider vinegar

Ingredients for Frosting

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 cup defrosted avocado
3 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 to 2 tbs coconut oil

Instructions

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- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F

- Line a twelve-cup cupcake tin with paper liners, and set aside

- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside

- Using a blender, puree the water, avocado, vanilla, and vinegar until smooth. Fold the avocado mixture into the dry mixture until thoroughly combined

- Pour the batter evenly among the prepared cupcake tins and bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes

- Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting and serving (about 2 hours)

Stay safe and stay awesome this month.

Warmly,

Dave and Anna

Chetwyn Farm