Most excellent white chocolate orange cupcakes

I wasn't sure my kids would like this or if it would come out right off the bat, but as I was mixing the extracts and the perfume filled the house, I knew. Tasting the batter was a clue, and the cupcakes, a revelation.

The kids were squabbling as they walked in the door, so I threw cupcakes at them (figuratively speaking, of course. I'd never do that to these cupcakes). My daughter said they were awesome, my youngest son, that they were fantastic...then he ate six when I wasn't looking.

My oldest son has decided that he doesn't hate gluten free any more, oh, and can I have another one, mom?

The kids shoved a cupcake at John when he came home, beating me to it. On the third cupcake, he was too full to eat it, so he sat in his recliner and cuddled it, sniffing every couple of minutes. I've never seen him so blissed out on a pastry before. I think he stopped at five.

I had to make a second batch.

The kicker was when I was throwing away some old banana bread muffins (a sad experiment that shows how far I came). He looked at me incrediously, and a little hurt. "Are those more cupcakes? Are you hiding them from me?"

The force is strong with this one. I feel like a GF Yoda.

Adapted from the Nosh on This cookbook, which I'm totally going to buy, because she understands flavor. I had to remove the dairy, added chocolate extract and used real lemon juice instead of lemon extract (because that stuff is really strong) and used my flour blend, which is a great 1:1 stand in.

She has some tasty coconut frosting and flavored syrup that I didn't even attempt, but you should check out the options.

White Chocolate Orange Cupcakes

2 c GF flour, mine or the Nosh blend here

1 1/2 c sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 c canned coconut milk

1 tbsp lemon juice

4 eggs

1/4 c olive or canola oil (mild oils only)

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp orange extract or liqueur

1/2 tsp chocolate extract (you don't want to miss this. oh, boy!)

1. Mix dry stuff. Add wet stuff and mix well. Pour into prepared muffin tins and bake at 350 F until slightly golden and knife comes out clean. 25-30 min in my oven. Don't jiggle the pan or it won't dome nicely. Enjoy!

GF flour mix:

1 c rice

1/2 c brown rice

1/2 c sweet rice

1/2 c toasted bean flour

1 tbsp potato flakes

1/4 tsp pectin

Makes 2 3/4 c mix.