Our morning walk started like all our other summer walks. The rising sun was gleaming through the trees. The light breeze made the wind chimes jingle. And, the city squirrels hopped from trashcan to tree to balcony gathering the treats they’d found. Mom walked swiftly while she loosely held my leash in her right hand, and I trotted alongside her on her left.

I stopped in my favorite spot to sniff the thick patch of grass. All of a sudden, 3 huge dogs with brown fur and warm breath came charging right at us. Mom stood still, but I did what any normal toy poodle would do. I barked and charged at those hounds to protect me and mine until, lucky for them, their parents called them back over. Believe me.

I’m used to being underestimated because of my small size.

I’ve been the “little dog” my entire life. I was the runt of my litter. I was the shorty in Puppy Kindergarten. And, I’m still the “little one” in my neighborhood. I have also come to grips with the fact that I’ll be the “little dog” forever. In fact…

I was completely insecure about my size and secretly looked at it as a weakness for the first two years of my life.

Of course, I’d never let anyone know that. In my eyes, bigger dogs always got all the glory, especially in television commercials. Big dogs even have the tendency to take over your turf. And, instead of taking my small dog bark seriously, humans always respond with “She’s so cute.”

In her book, You Be You, Sarah Knight gives a shout out to all of us who’ve looked at our uniqueness as a flaw. Like us pups who’d rather be naked than take cute selfies in the latest dog collar fashion. Or, us pups who love to play catch by ourselves. And, even us pups who happen to be the shorties in the group.

Her solution to “fixing” those perceived “flaws” is simple. MENTAL REDECORATING. Mental redecorating is simply the process of “refreshing the way you look at and/or deal with” your perceived “flaws.”

In a nutshell, morph your “weakness” into your own unique strength. For example, take my small size.

Mental redecorating is a great exercise to do for all of our unique qualities. You don’t even have to sit in on a 3-week course or read 6 series of guidebooks to do it. And, those big dogs that seem to get all the glory will admire the beautiful life your smallness brings you. Releasing insecurities always deserves a pupcake to celebrate. So…

These Apple Peanut Butter Brownie Pupcakes are dedicated to mental redecorating and turning our insecurities into unwavering confidence.

And of course, we believe that every pupcake has a love story. So, while your favorite pup is PUPPY LOVIN’ on these pupcakes, we’d love to hear from you.

Take one of your “weaknesses” and redecorate it into a strength. What did you learn from that experience? How does your new recognized strength make you feel?

Please share your pupcake story in the box below.

And, after you’ve tried this recipe please share it with us @pupcakesugar on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or all three. We’d love to see how they turned out for you. 

Ingredients

For Apple Peanut Butter Brownie Pupcakes

• ½ Cup Brown Rice Flour
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Pure Honey
• ⅓ Cup Unsweetened Applesauce
• 1 Peeled and Diced Apple
• ¼ Cup Creamy Peanut Butter (unsalted with no added sugars)
• 1 Egg

For Glazed Icing (Optional)

• ¼ Cup Plain Yogurt
• 2 Tablespoons Pure Honey

Instructions

Yields: 6 – 8 Apple Peanut Butter Brownie Pupcakes (24 – 32 Small Brownie Squares)

For Apple Peanut Butter Brownie Pupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. In small bowl mix together flour and baking powder. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl add olive oil, honey, applesauce, peanut butter, and egg. Beat on medium speed until combined.
4. Add dry ingredients into the mixture and blend until mixed.
5. Add diced apples to mixture and blend until mixed.
6. Fill each brownie pan with pupcake mixture. I used a 2.5-inch by 1.5-inch Wilton 12-Cavity Brownie Bar Pan. Bake for 20 – 22 minutes. Pupcakes are done when you can stick a toothpick into the cake and it comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.
7. Cut each brownie square into 4 smaller pieces. (Optional)
8. Pipe, drizzle, or spread honey glazed icing onto the pupcakes.

For Glazed Icing (Optional)

1. In small mixing bowl beat yogurt and honey together on medium speed.
2. Pipe, drizzle, or spread honey glazed icing onto the pupcakes.

Notes

• This recipe is for a fun treat ONLY. It should not replace your dog’s regular meals. Please consult with your vet on the best plan for your dog’s diet.