Mock Hostess Cupcakes

There is power in food. It can spark a memory or make you fall in love. This little cupcake reminds me of Valentines Day. Years ago, I made these minuture cupcakes for a valentine road trip/picnic. They were such a hit that I made them several years in a row. So to me, they are Valentine's food.

Ultra moist, dark chocolate mini cuppys are filled with a creamy white chocolate ganache. Dipped in a bittersweet glaze and decorated with a little royal icing.

I like to make the little hostess squiggle but you could decorate with some offset criss-crosses and add a whimsical flower. Perfect for tea time! Or Valentines Day!

You can see my piping skills sucked today. I used a disposible decorating bag instead of my usual pastry bag and tip. It just wasn't flowing the way it should have. But instead of stressing, I just went with the flow. No pun intended! My suggestion when making these, make the filling first. While it is chilling, then begin the cupcakes. The glaze and icing take no time and besides, thats the fun part.


Mock Hostess Cupcakes

From the cookbook

White Chocolate by

Janice Wald Henderson

Cupcakes

1/2 cup plus 2 TBS flour

2 1/2 TBS cocoa powder

(preferably Dutch process)

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

3 TBS vegetable oil

1 1/2 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

1 tsp vanilla

Filling

1 cup heavey (whipping) cream

6 ounces finely chopped white chocolate

Glaze

3 ounces finely chopped bittersweet chocolate

3 TBS boiling water

Icing

1 TBS egg white, at room temperature

pinch of cream of tarter

1/2 cup plus 2 to 3 TBS powdered sugar

Make the cupcakes:

1. Position a rack in the center and preheat oven to 325. Lightly butter 24 (1 ounce) mini muffins cups.

2. Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Mix in the sugar. Make a well in the center. Whisk in the water, oil, viniger, and vanilla. Blend till smooth. (The batter will be very thin.)

3. Spoon the batter into the prepared cups. Bake untill a cake tester inserted into the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean, about 12 to 14 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the pan on a wire reck for 5 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pans and finish cooling on the rack.

Make the filling:

4. In a heavey medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the cream to a boil. Add the white chocolate and remove from heat. Let the mixture stand briefly; stir till smooth. Transfer to a metal bowl and refrigerate until chilled thoroughly, stirring occasionally. With an electric mixer, beat the white chocolate mixture just untill fluffy. About 1 minute.

5. Transferr the filling to a pastry bag fitted with a 3/8 inch plain tip. Insert the pastry tip 1/4 inch into the bottom of each cupcake and squeeze a little filling into each one.

Make the glaze:

6. Place the chocolate in a small bowl. Whisk in the boiling water and blend till smooth. One at a time, dip the top of each cupcake into the warm glaze. Turn the glazed cupcake right side up and set on wire rack on top of a baking sheet. Refrigerate the cupcakes for 5 minutes or to set the glaze.

Making the icing:

7.In a medium bowl, whisk the egg white till frothy. Stir in the cream of tarter. Gradually mix in enough of the powdered sugar to make a fairly stiff and smooth icing. Fill a small paper cone with the icing and cut a 1/8 inch opening at the tip. Remove the cupcakes from the refrigerater. Pipe a design (a squiggle,spiral,etc,) on the top of each cupcake. Let the design harden and then cover and refrigerate the cupcakes. Serve at room temperature!