Cream-filled Chocolate Cupcakes

I heart my mummy! I miss her terribly having been away for almost 1.5 years. This is the longest I have been away from her. And this is the 2nd Mothers' Day I am not with her. I admit I never knew how much I took her for granted until I moved out and away. I often miss her incessant questions about my day after work, her horrid cooking, her hilarious bimbotic comments, and mostly, I miss just having her around. Well - you always feel safe with your mother around. Nothing could possibly be that bad with mummy around, right?

In celebration of Mothers' Day, here are cream-filled chocolate cupcakes from Martha Stewart (simple cos everything she bakes is awesome). Her recipe called for store-bought marshmallow creme but I figured the whole point about baking is to make everything from scratch right? So off I went to make my own marshmallow creme!

I'm not sure what the bottled ones taste like but this homemade creme is pretty darn good! Paired with a moist chocolate cupcake - yummmmmmmmy!

Cream-filled Chocolate Cupcakes

(bakes 12 cupcakes)

Chocolate cupcakes

- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)

- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

- 1 cup flour

- 1 teaspoon baking powder

- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

- 1/4 teaspoon salt

- 1 cup white granulated sugar

- 2 eggs

- 1/2 cup sour cream

Marshmallow creme filling:

- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar

- 1/4 cup water

- 1/2 cup + 1/8 cup light corn syrup

- 1/4 cup egg whites

- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)

1. Marshmallow creme recipe: Beat the egg whites and 1/8 cup light corn syrup until stiff peaks form. Set it aside.

2. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, 1/2 cup light corn syrup and water, cover and bring it to a boil. Then, cook it uncovered without stirring, until it is about 242 degrees F.

3. Slowly, pour the hot syrup into the egg whites mixture. Add the vanilla and beat for 5 mins.

4. Scoop out 1 1/2 cups of the creme and add the butter to it. Beat until the mixture is smooth. Then refrigerate it until it thickens and ready for use.

5. Chocolate cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tray with paper liners.

6. Whisk together the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

7. In another bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

8. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat well after each addition.

9. Then add the flour mixture alternating with the sour cream (flour - sour cream - flour). Beat well after each addition.

10. Fill the muffin cups with the batter, filling it 2/3 full.

11. Bake for 25 - 30 mins, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool completely before assembly.

12. Assembly: Scoop out the tops of the cupcakes and fill them with the marshmallow creme. Then, replace the tops.

13. You can decorate the tops of the cupcakes with the remaining creme.

As these cupcakes were baked, I wished from the bottom of my heart, that Mummy got to have the first bite. I heart my Mummy.

Profiteroles

It was almost 88 degrees out today and I was wishing for the cold! Humans are just insatiable huh? I bitch and moan for the sunshine to come when it was winter, and now that fake summer came during spring I am dragging my feet while bitching and moaning about how my dress is sticking to my body from sweating! What do you do when summer springs a surprise on you? Head out, get an iced mocha followed with ice cream. SUMMER BLISS!

This week, I have a yummy lil recipe for you. It's choux pastry in the form of profiteroles! Vanilla cream in a puffy ball of choux pastry topped with rich chocolate ganache is messy to eat but extremely satisfying to devour.

And...if you are craving more ice cream with this weather, I strongly urge you to replace the vanilla cream with vanilla or coffee ice cream. OOOOOOOH......

Profiteroles

(bakes 12)

- 1/2 cup flour

- 1/2 teaspoon white granulated sugar

- 1/4 teaspoon salt

- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

- 1/2 cup water

- 2 eggs (lightly beaten)

Egg wash:

- 1 egg

- 1/8 teaspoon salt

Vanilla cream:

- 2 egg yolks

- 1/4 cup white granulated sugar

- 2 tablespoons + 1/2 teaspoon corn flour

- 1/8 teaspoon salt

- 1 cup milk

- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate ganache:

- 1/2 cup heavy cream

- 1 tablespoon butter

- 4 oz semi sweet chocolate (chopped)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Sift together the flour, sugar and salt.

3. In a small saucepan, bring the butter and water to a boil.

4. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the flour mixture quickly, then return it to the heat and stir constantly until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the saucepan to form a ball.

5. Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the dough on low speed for 1-2 mins to release the steam.

6. Gradually pour in the lightly beaten eggs and mix until it forms a smooth and thick sticky paste.

7. Spoon tablespoons of dough onto the baking sheet leaving inches between each.

8. Brush the tops with the egg wash (egg with salt).

9. Bake for 15 mins. Then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for another 40 mins, then turn the oven off, leave the door ajar and let it cool down a lil for 15 mins. Then let it cool completely on a wire rack.

10. Vanilla cream: Whisk the yolks until smooth.

11. Mix the sugar, corn flour, salt and milk over medium heat until it bubbles. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens and bubbles, this will take about 4-5 mins.

12. Pour 1/3 of the mixture into the yolks and whisk.

13. Then pour this back into the mixture and replace it over the heat and continue to stir for another 2-4 mins.

14. Mix in the vanilla extract and refrigerate it for a few hours.

15. Chocolate ganache: Heat the heavy cream and butter until it boils, then pour it over the chopped chocolate.

16. Let it stand for 1 min and whisk until smooth. Let it thicken before use (takes about 1 hour).

17. Assembly: Slice the profiteroles horizontally, spread the vanilla cream inside and pour the chocolate ganache on the tops.

Now...I am off to make myself a martini to cool myself down. Speaking of which, I have a simple yummy recipe for lychee martini, anyone?

Chocolate Strawberry Ganache Cupcakes

I gotta admit - I'm falling behind with the blogging! I've baked these rich and sweet babies a week ago and completely forgot to blog about them. Maybe it's the Spring weather...with the sunshine out almost every other day, there is so much more to do than typing away at a laptop! Anyway, I need to catch up on the blogging, I have another recipe I need to post asap too!

Back to the Spring weather, strawberries are everywhere and dirt cheap!!!! I'm just trying to find as many strawberry recipes to bake as I can. This recipe is adapted from cupcakeblog.com and is one that has been sitting in my thick book of "internet recipes to bake" for almost a year now. And I totally regret not attempting these earlier - they were crazy delish!!!!

It's a simple chocolate cupcake, filling with a chocolate strawberry ganache where there is a hint of the strawberry flava but a rich and intense chocolatey taste. And it is then topped with my favourite chocolate frosting that I like to use on all cupcakes if I can help it.

This cupcake was a hit with grown men, women and even 5 and 11 year old kids. I received a perfect 10 for these, you gotta bake them!

Chocolate Strawberry Ganache Cupcakes

(bakes 12 cupcakes)

Chocolate cupcakes:

- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)

- 1 cup white granulated sugar

- 2 eggs

- 1/2 cup + 4 tablespoons flour

- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

- 1/8 teaspoon salt

- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

- 1/2 cup milk

- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate strawberry ganache filling:

- 4 oz bittersweet chocolate (chopped)

- 3/4 cup heavy cream

- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

- 1/8 teaspoon salt

- 2/3 cup strawberry puree

Chocolate frosting:

- 8 oz semisweet chocolate (chopped)

- 3/4 cup heavy cream

- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1. Chocolate cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tin with paper liners.

2. Beat the butter until smooth. Then add the sugar and beat until fluffy.

3. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat well after each addition.

4. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder.

5. Mix in the flour mixture, alternating with the milk (flour - milk - flour - milk - flour). Mix well after each addition. Then mix in the vanilla extract.

6. Fill the muffin cups till 2/3 full.

7. Bake for 22 - 25 mins, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool on a wire rack before filling and frosting the cupcakes.

8. Chocolate strawberry ganache filling: Heat the heavy cream until it boils and pour it over the chopped chocolate. Let it sit for 1 min, then whisk it to combine until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and salt.

9. Mix in the strawberry puree. Chill it in the fridge until ready to use.

10. Chocolate frosting: Heat the heavy cream and butter until it boils, then pour it over the chopped chocolate. Let it stand for 3 mins, then whisk until smooth.

11. Let it cool and thicken in the fridge for 1-2 hours. When ready to use, beat the mixture until it is of a frosting consistency.

12. Assembly: Using a knife, cut out a cone shape in the middle of the cupcakes.

13. Fill the cupcakes with the ganache filling.

14. Top it back with the cones.

15. And finally, frost the cupcakes!

P.S. I just started training with a personal instructor and I don't think he will be very happy to hear about my baking habit. Hmmm...I am secretly wondering if offering him a cupcake on a weekly basis will be a good idea. Maybe he'll go easy on me?