Week 4. "Stay healthy, we're back at school!" Grapefruit Buttermilk Cupcakes with Chai Icing

I am sad to say that the main reason I chose to make these cupcakes is because I was feeling poor, and I only had to buy two ingredients to make these since I already had most of them. However, these cupcakes had a fabulous zip of an after-taste! AND got the Zach Wachter seal of approval! They were also an amazing, refreshing break from sweet-y, chocolate-y cupcakes. (Also, I magically had all of the ingredients for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies in my cupboard...so I made them to give those chocolate-lovers a fix! Also called Heaven Cookies, they are a crowd-pleaser...I'll post that recipe soon!)



"Stay healthy, we're back at school!" Grapefruit Buttermilk Cupcakes with Chai Icing
Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup reduced fat margarine, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg white
1/2 cup 1% buttermilk or plain low-fat yogurt
1/2 cup 100% pink grapefruit juice
1 tablespoon pink grapefruit zest
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

Ingredients for Icing
1 8-ounce package of non-fat or reduced-fat cream cheese
½ cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground clove
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat margarine and sugar with an electric mixer.

Beat in egg. Combine lemon extract, juice, zest, and buttermilk in a small bowl. Add half the buttermilk mixture and beat on low speed. Add half the flour mixture and beat just until combined. Repeat with remaining buttermilk and flour mixture. Divide batter evenly into the prepared cups. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the cupcakes spring back when the tops are pressed or until a toothpick tester comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes from the muffin pan an cool completely on a wire rack.

In a medium bowl, beat ingredients for icing until smooth. Once the cupcakes are cool, use a small spatula or butter knife to ice them. Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
original recipe by skinnychef.com

**Hannah's Hints**

* Carly and I didn't have a zester, so instead she used a peeler and then chopped up the peelings...and they were delightful! They give a nice zing when you hit them in the cupcake. So fear not, if you are sans zester!

* For the first time, you can probably skip tasting the batter...the whole she-bang with icing and all is perfect.

* Grapefruit and buttermilk are both high in nutrition, and create a tender and refreshing texture. Hooray for healthy AND delicious!