Alisa Fleming ~ Strawberry season has officially arrived in the northwest. I walked into my local grocer this week and scored a pound of organic strawberries (okay, I may have bought two) for $1.99.

I think we take strawberries for granted in North America. They’re repeatedly cast aside whenever a new “superfruit” pops on the market, even though just one cup of these ruby-red gems (and seriously, who stops at one cup?) contains loads of Vitamin C, manganese, fiber, and a swarm of other vitamins and minerals. And, while strawberry flavor may abound year-round, strawberries themselves only hit their stride for about one month – from May to June.

Now, besides eating them whole, I think few would argue that strawberries are simply made for desserts. But rather than negate their delicious health benefits with fluffy white flours, added fats, and white sugar, I’d like to recommend the recipe below ...

Still on the sweet side, but retaining a great deal of nutritious virtue, the Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Meringue Frosting from the new cookbook, Gluten-Free Cupcakes by Elana Amsterdam (you may know this incredible woman from Elana’s Pantry) boast just a few ingredients … allowing that natural strawberry flavor to shine.

Like most of Elana’s recipes, these cupcakes are dairy-free, grain-free, and free of refined sugars, but they do contain eggs. If you confuse eggs with dairy, you’re not alone. You can see my post on this topic here for clarification.

For those of you, who have the green light on eggs, enjoy …

Strawberry Cupcakes

Reprinted with permission from Gluten-Free Cupcakes: 50 Irresistible Recipes Made with Almond and Coconut Flour. Copyright © 2011 by Elana Amsterdam, Celestial Arts, an imprint of Ten Speed Press, a division of the Crown Publishing Group, Berkeley, CA. Photo Credit: Annabelle Breakey. 

Makes: 8
Sweetness: Medium

• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup agave nectar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 8 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a large bowl, combine the coconut flour, arrowroot powder, salt, and baking soda. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, agave nectar, and vanilla extract. Blend the wet ingredients into the coconut flour mixture with a handheld mixer until thoroughly combined, then fold in the strawberries.

Scoop 1/4 cup of batter into each prepared muffin cup.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 1 hour, then frost and serve.

Strawberry Meringue Frosting

Reprinted with permission from Gluten-Free Cupcakes: 50 Irresistible Recipes Made with Almond and Coconut Flour. Copyright © 2011 by Elana Amsterdam, Celestial Arts, an imprint of Ten Speed Press, a division of the Crown Publishing Group, Berkeley, CA. Photo Credit: Annabelle Breakey.

Makes: 3 Cups
Sweetness: High

• 1/4 cup agave nectar
• 2 egg whites
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh strawberries

In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the agave nectar to a boil, stirring constantly. Decrease the heat to low and simmer for 6 to 10 minutes, watching constantly and stirring occasionally, until the agave nectar darkens slightly from its original amber color, then remove from the heat and set aside.

In a deep bowl, whip the egg whites to stiff peaks using a handheld mixer. Be sure to push the beaters around the bowl to incorporate air into the whites. This step is important; if your egg whites are not whipped to stiff peaks, the recipe won’t work. Stop whipping as soon as the egg whites are stiff; overwhipping will result in egg whites that are dry and grainy. The foam of the whites will be stiff enough to stand up in well-defined, unwavering peaks.

Drizzle the warm agave nectar very slowly into the egg whites, while whipping with a handheld mixer, to keep the peaks stiff. The meringue will become pearlescent and shiny.

Allow to cool to room temperature, then fold the strawberries into the meringue. Use right away.

Article by Alisa Fleming, founder of GoDairyFree.org, blogger at Alisa Cooks, and author of Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook for Milk Allergies, Lactose Intolerance, and Casein-Free Living. Alisa is also a freelance writer for several publications, with an emphasis on creating recipes for various types of special diets.