Chocolate Cream Cupcakes

Chocolate Cream Cupcakes

Cupcake
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream,
1/2 cup vegetable oil,
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour,
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teapoon salt
1/2 cup boiling water
1/3 cup cocoa powder (I used dutch-processed),
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder

Cream filling
3 tablespoons water
3/4 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
4 tablespoons softened, unsalted butter (cut into small pieces)
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
1 1/4 cups marshmallow creme

Ganache
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. Heat the oven to 325-degrees and put cucpcake liners in a standard muffin tin (or you can grease and flour the tin). Combine 1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/4 teapoon salt in a bowl. In a large bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup boiling water, 1/3 cup cocoa powder (I used dutch-processed), 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli), and 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder until smooth. Add 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 2 large eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla and mix until combined. Whisk in the flour mixture until incorporated. Divide the batter evenly among 12 muffin cups and bake 18 to 22 minutes (check doneness with toothpick). Cool them in the tin for 10 minutes and on a wire rack until completely cooled.


2. For the cream filling, combine 3 tablespoons water and 3/4 teaspoon unflavored gelatin in a large bowl and let sit for 5 minutes to let the gelatin soften. Microwave until the mixture bubbles around the edges and the gelatin is dissolved, about 30 seconds. Stir in 4 tablespoons softened, unsalted butter (cut into small pieces), 1 teaspoon vanilla and a pinch of salt until combined and the butter is melted. Let it cool for 5 minutes, then whisk in 1 1/4 cups marshmallow creme until smooth (be gentle and patient, the creme will eventually loosen up and smooth out). Refrigerate the mixture until set, about 30 minutes. Place about 1/3 cup of the filling into a pastry bag with a small, round tip to use for piping the swirls on top of the cupcakes.


3. When you are ready to assemble the cupcakes, microwave 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips with 3 tablespoons unsalted butter until you can stir it smooth. Cool the glaze to room temperature, about 10 minutes. Cut a cone out of the top of each cupcake with a sharp knife (this is easier if the cupcakes have been partially frozen for about 30 minutes first) and then cut off all but the top 1/4-inch of the cone (this will be placed back over the filling). Fill each indentation with 1 tablespoon of the filling and replace tops. Spread 2 teaspoons of cooled glaze over the tops and let set for 10 minutes. Use the reserved filling in the pastry bag to pipe curlicues across the tops.

Truffle Brownie Cups

Truffle Brownie Cups
1 2/3 c chocolate chips morsels, divided
2 Tbsp. butter (do not use margarine)
1/2 c sugar
1 egg
2/3 c all purpose flour
3/4 c heavy whipping cream


Assorted garnishes such as orange zext, maraschino cherries, toasted almond slices and whipped topping.


Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Sprays wells of mini-muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray with flour. Place 2/3 c of chocolate chips and butter into a batter bowl. Microwave on high 40-60 seconds or until smooth, stirring after each 20 second interval. Add sugar and egg to batter bowl; mix until blended using a scraper. Add flour; mix just until flour is incorporated. Using two teaspoons, divide batter evenly among wells, filling wells about two-thirds full. Using a tart shaper (or the bottom of a measuring sppon), gently tap batter to create level tops. Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are set. Do not overbake


Pour Cream into a measuring cup and microwave on high 1-2 minutes or until hot. Pour crfeam into clean batter bowl with remaining 1 cup chocolate chips; whisk until smooth. Place batter bowl into freezer 10-12 minutes or until mixture is cool and starting to thicken, stirring after each 5 minute interval. Spoon ganache into resealable plastic bag.


Remove pan from oven onto a cooling rack: cool 2 minutes. Press tops of brownies with a tart shaper (or bottom of measuring spoon) to make indentations. Cool in pan 3 minutes. Carefully remove brownies from pan. Trim corner of bag to allow the ganache to flow through. Pipe ganache evenly into brownie cups. Garnish as desired.

Tart Class

These recipes are complimentary from one of my friends, Heather, who is also a pastry chef. We taught these recipes to a group of church women and they were a hit!

Pastry Cream
Filling yields enough to fill two tarts. You can divide the pastry cream and add chocolate chips if you want the best of both.

2 c. whole milk (reserve 1/4 cup for slurry)
7 egg yolks
1cup +1 Tbsp. sugar divided
1 tsp. vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean split and seeds removed
2 1/4 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 oz butter
1 c. heavy cream (whipped and unsweetened)

Combine 1 3/4 c milk and half of the sugar in a medium sauce pan. (If you are using the vanilla bean add to saucepan to bring out the flavor. If you are using vanilla extract add it after the cream is finished.) Bring to an almost boil. While milk is heating, combine egg yolks and half the sugar with whisk in separate bowl. Stir cornstarch with a whisk and make a slurry using 1/4 cup of milk. Stir the cornstarch slurry into egg yolk mixture. Once the milk is hot, temper it into the egg mixture, by pouring a half of a cup at a time into the egg mixture and whisking. Do this until the egg mixture is warm. Pour all liquid back into the pot. Whisk constantly over medium heat until the mixture boils for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and butter and whisk till smooth. Pour immediately into a sieve/strainer (ensuring no curdled eggs) resting on top of metal bowl that is sitting in an ice bath. After pastry cream is chilled gently fold in the whipped cream until evenly blended. Chill until ready to use. Fill tart shells with pastry cream until pastry is level with sides of the tart.




Chocolate Pastry Cream
Follow recipe above. After pastry cream is finished and strained, add chocolate chips and place over ice bath.**If you are dividing the pastry cream in half reduce chocolate chips to 1/4 c.** If you are using a full recipe add 1/2 c. chocolate chips. Garnish with chantilly cream aka whipped cream.


Cream Cheese Pastry Cream

Follow the recipe above and omit the butter and replace with an 8 oz package of cream cheese at room temperature.


Chantilly Cream1 pt of heavy whipping cream
1/4 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp of vanilla


Whip heavy cream in a bowl to soft peaks and add sugar and vanilla. Whip together until stiff peaks form.


Tips


Combine eggs and sugar together at the last possible minute. Sugar can burn the eggs and actually cook it.

To temper eggs use a ladle and pour milk mixture in a slow steady stream while whisking into the egg mixture. Ladle milk mixture into the eggs 2-3 times and until the eggs are no longer cool. Return milk mixture/saucepan to the burner and add the egg mixture and whisk constantly.

Strain hot pastry cream through a sieve, fine colander or cheese cloth to ensure there are no curdled eggs aka scrambled eggs. They can be very small. If this occurs, and the curds are very small you can still salvage it by placing it in a blender and blend until smooth.

Have your ice bath ready before you begin making pastry cream. Combine water and ice in a large bowl and place a smaller bowl on top. After pastry cream is finished pour into ice bath immediately to prevent the eggs from further cooking. Heather recommended metal bowls work best.

Heather recommends saucepans without teflon

Add fresh fruit on top of vanilla tart in a pattern or just random pattern. Pastry cream is not supposed to be shown on fruit tarts. Blueberries are excellent for covering holes.

Whole Foods generic chocolate chips are recommended. Also, Trader Joe's 1 pound Belgian chocolate is EXCELLENT and costs the same as chocolate chips.

Pastry cream is good for 5 days. If chilling the pastry cream, place a piece plastic wrap directly on top of it to prevent the pastry cream from forming a film/skin/crust. Be sure there aren't any air bubbles wither.

Tarts are best eaten within 2-3 days.

Pastry cream can be made the night before. Be sure to cover it as mentioned above.

Fill tarts with pastry cream so it is level with tart edges.

If you are interested in using vanilla beans Heather recommended the website http://www.saffron.com/.

To split vanilla beans place on a cutting board and using a paring knife and split it down the middle. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and add to the milk & sugar mixuture in the saucepan. Toss in the remaining vanilla bean pod to get the most flavor possible and remove before adding eggs.

If your milk mixture boils over a little simple add as much milk you think boiled over. If you lost too much...start over!


Tart Dough
Yields four large tarts.

1 lb. butter
1 c. sugar
4 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla. Add flour and mix after each cup. Don't over mix, mix only till combined. Roll dough or chill until ready to use. After dough is shaped in tart pan dock the dough by pressing the end of a fork several times around the dough. This prevents bubbles during the baking process. Bake in tart shell for 20 minutes at 350 degrees until lightly golden brown. If using mini tartlet shells bake only 10 to 11 minutes.

Fill baked and cooled tart shell with chilled pastry cream. Top with desired topping. (e.g. fruit, whipped cream, or chocolate shavings. Serve.


Tips

Heather prefers to use a large measuring cup and press down on the baked tart while hot in the pan to help reshape the tart.

Roll dough out in between to sheets of parchment or wax paper to prevent adding more flour and toughening or drying out the dough.

After shaping dough in tart plan Heather suggests placing the unbaked tart dough in the freezer for 10 min before placing in the oven. This helps keep the butter from melting too quickly. (Butter melts while you shape it.)