Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Mmm...Cupcakes! aka Hi-Hats

I've had several requests for the cupcakes I made for Bobby's birthday, so without further ado...here they are!


Chocolate-covered Hi-hats
(from Cupcakes! by Elinor Klivans)

Cupcakes:
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped then melted and cooled
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup water

In a large bowl beat the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add the melted chocolate and then the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla and beat until the mixture looks creamy the has the color has lightened. Mix in the sour cream. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and water and mix until smooth.

Spray 12 muffin tin cups with nonstick spray (these are going to get big and spread over the top of the tin, so make sure you're prepared!) and then place liners in the tin. Fill each liner until the batter reaches almost to the top (you'll use about 1/3 cup of batter for each cupcake). Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. When done baking, remove from the oven, carefully loosen any tops that are stuck to the pan. Carefully place a wire rack on top of the cupcakes and then invert them onto the wire rack. Turn the cupcakes right side up and let them cool completely.

Filling:
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup water
3 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Combine the sugar, water, egg whites and cream of tartar in a heatproof bowl or in the top of a double boiler (make sure the bowl is at least a 2 quart capacity). Beat with a handheld electric mixer until opaque, white and foamy. Put the bowl over, but not touching, a saucepan of barely simmering water (or the bottom of a double boiler, if that's what you're using).

Beat on high speed for about 12 minutes until the frosting forms stiff peaks. Remove the bowl from the water and add the extracts and continue beating for another 2 minutes. Spoon the filling into a large pastry bag with a plain pastry tip or into a large gallon zip lock with 1/2 inch of a corner cut out(this is what I did, less mess and you can just throw the whole thing away when you're done without having to clean anything). Leaving about 1/8 inch around the edge of the cupcakes, pipe a spiral of frosting on each one, using about a half cup of frosting for each.

Place the frosted cupcakes onto a platter and put into the refrigerator while you make the chocolate coating.

Chocolate Coating:
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons veggie oil

Melt the chocolate and oil until smooth. Let cool for about 15 minutes. Make sure the chocolate is in a bowl that's small and deep enough so that you can dunk the cupcake tops into it.

Holding each cupcake by it's bottom, dip the mound of filling into the chocolate, let the excess drip off and then spoon more chocolate on if needed to cover the edge of the cupcake and any exposed frosting. Refrigerate until the chocolate has hardened, then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, at least two hours. Serve cold.

3 comments:

McArthur Family said...

You are quite the chef...love reading about your creations.

Also, I just wanted to say thank you so much again for sharing your musical talents with us for the musical fireside. I really enjoyed the choir number as well as your piano solo. What a talented woman you are!

Jess said...

I have that same cookbook and have made those cupcakes! Yours look faboo!

bob said...

Just to let everyone know, they were amazing!!!