Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Box-of-Chocolates Cupcakes


Box-of-chocolates cupcakes
By: Taste of Home Magazine Feb/March 2010

Cupcakes
1 pkg (18-1/4 oz) Devil’s food cake mix
1-1/3 cups of strong brewed Coffee
3 Eggs
½ Canola oil

Chocolate-Coffee Filling

8 oz bittersweet Chocolate, chopped
3 Tblsp. Sugar
4 Tblsp. Strong brewed Coffee (divided if desired)
3 Egg yolks, beaten
1-1/2 cups Whipped topping (I used Coolwhip)

Ganache

4 oz bittersweet Chocolate, chopped
2 oz white baking Chocolate (for designs on the tops of the cupcakes)
¾ cup Heavy whipping cream (divided if making white for decorating)
2-1/2 teasp. Corn syrup (divided if making white for decorating)


In a large mixing bowl combine the cake mix, coffee, eggs and oil; beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Then beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Fill paper lined muffin cups 2/3 full.
Bake @ 350 F for 18-22 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the centers come out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pans to a wire rack.

Melt chocolate, sugar & 3 Tblsp. of coffee and stir until smooth. (Recipe suggests a double boiler, I used the microwave on low and it turned out fine.)
Stir a small amount of the hot chocolate mixture into the beaten egg yolks then return all to a bowl (or pan if using a double boiler). Cook & stir for 4-5 minutes or until the mixture reaches 160 F.

Here is where I made changes:

You can divide this mixture into 3 separate bowls and flavor each differently as described in the magazine or place the entire chocolate mixture into one bowl and use the same filling for all of the cupcakes.

Now that all of the chocolate mixture is in a bowl add the remaining coffee and the whipped topping (all of it) and fold in until mixed then chill for 10 minutes.
Place the chilled chocolate mixture into a pastry bag with a small tip.

Modification: using a toothpick puncture the bottom of each cupcake liner after the cupcakes are baked so you can easily place the tip of your pastry bag into each cupcake, then fill.


Fill each cupcake by inserting the tip of the pastry bag into the bottom of the cupcake (where you have already made a small hole) and gently squeeze to fill until the top of the cupcake expand SLIGHTLY. (I bold this because it is quite easy to overfill and crack the top of your cupcake, just watch as you fill it will be easy to see the cupcake expand.)

For the ganache, place chocolates in separate small bowls.

Modification: I doubled the bittersweet chocolates, added all of the cream and all of the corn syrup to one bowl and did not use the white chocolate.

In a small saucepan bring cream just to a boil. Pour ½ of the cream over the bittersweet chocolate and the remaining cream over the white chocolate. Wisk until smooth.
Stir 2 teasp. corn syrup into the bittersweet chocolate and 2 teasp. corn syrup in to the white chocolate.
Cool, stirring occasionally until room temperature or until ganache thickens slightly.

Dip tops of cupcakes in to the bittersweet ganache and lift up using a swirling motion to remove excess chocolate. Use the white ganache to pipe designs on the tops of the cupcakes if desired.

Refrigerate until set.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.


**I have added the other filling option recipes for you to try
FILLINGS:
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons strong brewed coffee, divided
3 egg yolks, beaten
2 tablespoons thawed orange juice concentrate
2 tablespoons chocolate hazelnut spread
1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
1-1/2 cups whipped topping

Divide mixture among three small bowls. Into one bowl, stir orange juice concentrate. Stir hazelnut spread and cream into another; stir remaining coffee into the third bowl. Fold 1/2 cup of whipped topping into each. Chill for 10 minutes.

3 comments:

  1. Saw your link on Foodie Blogroll and had to take a peak. Very good recipes you have here! Will have to try out those Chai Cupcukes as they look amazing :)

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  2. oh my! looks delicious!! YUM! and i have to get one of those things for the mixer!!!! HOW AMAZING!!!!

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