Wednesday 8 October 2008

charming chocolate mulberry cupcakes!

'here we go round the mulberry bush, the mulberry bush, the mulberry bush..' except today we're going round the mulberry cupcake - the chocolate mulberry cupcake! i was given some mulberries to play around with and felt the tartness of the berries would work well in the smooth, richness of chocolate.

mulberries are considered a kind of 'super food' because they are full of anthocyanins which are edible pigments which hold potential use as dietary antioxidants providing potential health benefits against a variety of diseases. i found a list of 10 health benefits of mulberries according to traditional medicine and although not scientifically verified, it makes for an interesting read...

Cancer Prevention
Mulberries are a good source of resveratrol, a potent phytonutrient also found in grapes that researchers believe can prevent cancer and aid in the fight of existing cancers.

Life Extension
Because of their resveratrol content, mulberries may be a tool in one's life extension arsenal, as resveratrol has shown in several studies to extend the life of mice.

Blood Tonic
In Chinese medicine, mulberries are considered a blood tonic, meaning that they cleanse the blood and increase its production, strengthening the entire system.

Kidney Strengthener
In Chinese medicine, mulberries are believed to strengthen the kidneys.

Liver Cleanser
In Chinese medicine, mulberries are believed to be effective in cleansing the liver.

Better Hearing and Vision
In China, tea made with mulberry paste is believed to strengthen one's hearing and vision.

Constipation Cure
In Turkey, a treatment for constipation is to eat white mulberries on an empty stomach with a glass of water.

Anemia Treatment
Because they are quite high in iron, mulberries are a great food to use in the treatment of anemia.

Cold and Flu Treatment
In Turkey, mulberry molasses is used as a treatment for colds and flu. Their effectiveness in this way may be due to their high vitamin C content.

Premature Gray Hair Remedy
In several countries, mulberries are considered an effective remedy for prematurely gray hair.

so what did i do...i used a previous recipe...one for black forest cupcakes and just swapped the mulberries for the black cherries. then i topped them off with some melted chocolate and a pecan! they were delicious. the mulberries provided these little bursts of tartness amidst the sweetness of the chocolate. and with all those anti-oxidants in there...what a perfect excuse to eat more!

19 comments:

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Rosie said...

Those mulberry cupcakes look amazing!! I just love the way you have adapted another recipe!! Well done on a great bake :)

Rosie x

Aimée said...

Wow, who knew all that about mulberries?! Very original cupcakes, nice job!

Unknown said...

hi dondon...will get back to you on that...thanks for the link!

hi rosie, no need to reinvent the wheel, right? i love adaptations!

hey aimee, i was amazed to find out all those things about mulberries! fascinating!

Anonymous said...

That's such a coincidence, I was having mulberry jam in my porridge this morning...Great recipe, I'll try it sometime!

The Caked Crusader said...

I don't think I've ever eaten a mulberry. I have a couple of their handbags though!

Unknown said...

hi squeaky mouse - mulberry jam sounds good...and in porridge too! yummy!

hey caked crusader...never too late to try...the fruit that is!

Faery said...

Hello Sinead! I don't know what a mulberry is but these look delicious and I should eat them because of my anemia I am known as the 7.7 girl ha ha ha always trying to rise it but you know it is difficult :D

Unknown said...

hi faery, yes if you are anaemic you should definitely eat mulberries...can you get them there?

Faery said...

nope, I don't even know what a mulberry is :(

Anonymous said...

I have never tried mulberries! It looks like I'm missing out :). It's hard to say no to a chocolate cupcake!

Anonymous said...

A cupcake with health benefits-I like it! :)

Anonymous said...

I never need and excuse to eat a gorgeous cupcake, but now with health benefits I MUST eat cupcakes. My docotor will be very pleased with this information.

Well done on a great post!

Shaheen said...

Mulberry cupcakes?! Now that's new. I should try these sometime. I always thought they tasted better when eat freshly plucked.

How To Eat A Cupcake said...

I don't think I've ever seen a mulberry!

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this one is really charming.. :)

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Lilli said...

where is the recipe?

Outsourcing Manila said...

that is really nice, thanks for sharing it.