Chocolate Mini-Cupcakes
The chocolate frosting used to adorn these cupcakes is a ganache. It sounds fancy but is easy to prepare. Children love using a pastry bag to pipe on the ganache. Let them practice on a plate or sheet of waxed paper before they graduate to a cupcake. The motion can be a swirl, a zigzag or a simple squeeze that produces a modified star shape.
Yield: 24
INGREDIENTS
Mini-muffin pan liners 2ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup hot brewed coffee or hot water 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting:
1cup heavy whipping cream 2 tablespoons light corn syrup 2tablespoons unsalted butter Pinch of salt
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
PROCEDURE
1: Adjust oven rack to middle position. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line muffin pan with liners. Put finely chopped bittersweet chocolate, cocoa powder and brown sugar in large bowl, then mix in hot coffee or water to melt chocolate. Cool to room temperature.
2: In medium bowl, combine flour, granulated sugar, salt and baking soda; stir with whisk.
3: Whisk whole egg, egg yolk, oil, buttermilk and vanilla into chocolate mixture. Add flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
4: Spoon a little less than a tablespoon of batter into each muffin cup (I use 2dinnerware soup spoons, 1 to scoop and the other to push off the batter). Bake until a toothpick inserted into center of cupcake comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven with oven mitts. Let the cupcakes cool 5minutes in the pan, then remove from the pan and let cool completely on rack.
5. Meanwhile, make the frosting: Fill a large bowl halfway with ice water. Combine heavy cream, corn syrup, butter and salt in medium saucepan and bring to simmer. Carefully remove from heat, then add chocolate and stir with whisk until smooth; transfer to a bowl with high sides. Carefully place in bowl in the ice water (don’t let the water get into the chocolate mixture). Let sit, stirring every few minutes with a spoon, until thick enough to spread or pipe, about 15 minutes.
6: Spread frosting on top, or spoon into piping bag fitted with a star tip and pipe a swirl atop each cupcake.
Source: “The Big, Fun Kids Baking Book”