Savory Cupcakes - Fig, Goat Cheese, and Onion

Have you ever thought you were going to drink Sprite, only to find that your server had mistakenly refilled your glass with water?  While water can be satisfying, if caught unaware, the sip can be strange and unnerving.  Likewise, when you hand someone a savory cupcake, you have to warn them to not expect a sugar rush (although with my savory cupcakes, the onion on the top should be a bit of an indicator).  Once savory cupcake tasters have clear expectations, they can settle in and enjoy a unique culinary experience.

My friend Danielle best described these fig, goat cheese, and grilled onion savory cupcakes as follows:

It tastes like dinner.  You know how after you've had a good meal, you are left with a sweet satisfied feeling in your mouth?  That's this cupcake.

The cupcakes were dense and biscuit-like, and while I chose to top them with a light spread of fig and goat cheese frosting, they would also be well received served naked (the cupcakes - not you) during a cocktail party.

Carob Cupcakes with Chicory, Dates, Figs, and Almonds

These carob cupcakes contain none of the key ingredients in carrot cake or zucchini bread and yet, as each taster took a bite, they would question whether carrots or zucchini were involved. The cupcakes actually contained chicory, dates, figs, and almonds, and had an almond butter frosting.

Regardless of the contents, tasters enjoyed the cupcakes. I certainly did! They were moist and very breakfasty - the perfect cupcake to have in the morning (perhaps with some Teeccino - the product that inspired the cupcake).

Who Will Make These Cupcakes?

This carob cupcake recipe is a Cupcake Project original. While I loved it, I would be shocked and thrilled if anyone else makes it since it requires so many unusual ingredients. However, there is one reader who should definitely make these cupcakes:

Fluffyhelen was the only reader who said that she had every unusual ingredient on my list.

A very (as in tonight) recent review of Cupcake Project on Is This Thing On said:

For Thanksgiving this year, I tried out CP’s Sweet Potato Casserole cupcake and it was one of the best cupcakes I have ever made. I love to read about CP’s crazy concoctions, but my budget and location in Maine make my list of wacky ingredients rather short. Because of this drawback, I give Cupcake Project 4 out of 5 sprinkles.

I understand the complaint, but if using wacky ingredients is the one thing to make me lose a sprinkle, I'll take it!

Carob Cupcake Recipe

Makes 18-20 cupcakes

• 2 C flour
• 1 1/2 t baking powder
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1 T chicory
• 2/3 C sugar
• 3/4 C butter, room temperature
• 1/2 C sugar
• 1 C barley wine (if you don't have any, you could just use your favorite beer)
• 1/2 C carob molasses
  
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 C plain yogurt
• 1/4 C fig jam
• 1/4 cup baking dates (dried dates pitted and smashed)
• 1 C slivered almonds

1. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and chicory.
2. In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in eggs and yogurt.
4. In a small bowl, mix barley wine and carob molasses.
   
5. Alternately fold in flour mixture and the barley wine/molasses mixture, ending with the flour.
6. Stir in the fig jam, dates, and almonds.
7. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full.
8. Bake at 350 F for 25 minutes.
   

Almond Butter Frosting Recipe

The almond butter frosting recipe was the same one that I used on my apricot cupcakes. You can find the recipe in the apricot cupcake post. I dusted the top of the cupcakes with chicory and some sprinkles for color.