Chocolate Cupcakes w/ Nutella Buttercream Frosting

TGIF!  I've got the weekend off of work and I'm ready for it!  I'm not so ready to wake up super early tomorrow morning and fun 3.1 miles at 8am.  In the cold.  But, it's my own doing.  I freely signed up for the race knowing what I was getting myself into.  And so if I'm to be punished, so be it.

Bold statements are usually made in our house.  Usually those involving death threats (in a loving manner, of course.  like I tell everyone who looks seemingly shocked after I threaten to kill Andy - this is how we talk, hehe) or, heaven forbid, threats to take away chocolate cupcakes to one's co-workers instead of leaving them at home.  Yes.  Andy looked at me with disgust as I loaded these up last week to take to work.  Hey.  I left him 3.  And he had already eaten 3 the night before too.  So seriously.  He had his fill, it was time to give them to a more deserving crowd. 

I know it took me a while to post these, but hey, I wanted to save the best for the end of the week.  And there's a new poll at the end of this post, so don't forget to vote for my next little treat (I promise it won't take me as long to post this time!).

Obviously, they were still a tad warm when I frosted them - but it's hard to resist =)

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:


1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons espresso powder
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon white/clear vanilla extract
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
chopped hazelnuts (optional)

Nutella Buttercream:

Adapted from My Baking Addiction's recipe

1 & 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 13-ounce jar of Nutella
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon white/clear vanilla extract
2-3 cups powdered sugar (original recipe called for a full lb., and by all means, go ahead with that if you'd like, but I just couldn't see using that much sugar)
6-8 tablespoons heavy cream

For the cupcakes:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line muffin pans with paper liners.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Mix well and set aside.

In a separate, medium-sized bowl, combine the milk, vegetable oil, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar, and mix well.

Slowly add wet mixture to dry ingredients and stir until just incorporated.

Fill muffin liners about halfway to 3/4 full.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove cupcakes from oven and let cool in tin for about 10 minutes.  Remove cupcakes from tin and transfer to a wire rack to let cool to room temperature before frosting.

For the frosting:

This makes a TON of frosting, so you could definitely save some for later or half the recipe if you're not doing too many cupcakes. (I made about 18 cupcakes, and still had a bunch leftover)

In a large bowl, beat butter and Nutella until well combined. 

Slowly add in powdered sugar and continue beating until incorporated.

Add salt, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons of heavy cream. Beat on low speed until moistened.  Add heavy cream, one tablespoon at a time, until you reach your preferred consistency. 

Beat frosting on high until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.

Fill a piping bag with a little bit of frosting and pierce the cooled cupcakes in the center to fill and then decoratively frost the tops.  Sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts, if desired.

Remember those bold statements I was talking about earlier?  Well, Andy mocked me when I told him I was buying Nutella.  He's somewhat sheltered in the Nutella area, and jokingly made faces at me as I put it in our cart at the grocery.  

So to his surprise, he actually loved these cupcakes.  So much so, that he made the boldest statement ever, saying that these were the best cupcakes I'd ever made.  Ever.  So seriously, if Andy can make such a statement, I think these are definitely worth a go.  And as for my coworkers, they loved them too.  So they're definitely a crowd pleaser. =)

And to the poll!  I'm in a vague and random sort of mood, so I'll leave it somewhat open.  I'll definitely need something to replenish me after I'm done with my race tomorrow morning!  Enjoy your weekend guys!

Mini Chocolate Peanut Butter Tarts

TGIF!  You know how excited Fridays make me.  I've just 8 hours of work to get through and then the weekend is mine to conquer!

And you didn't think I'd leave you empty-handed for Valentine's Day did you?  Andy received these a week early, so he's been slowly munching on them.  They've made him a very happy camper, let me tell you.  He even almost threatened me, as I was taking a few of them to work!  But I had to explain to him that I am the boss, especially since I made them.  So I can choose who receives them!  Hehe.  He straightened up after that. =)

So browsing the internet last weekend, I came across Mary's, over at One Perfect Bite, recipe for a Chocolate Peanut Butter Torte.  My mouth was drooling and I was faced with the decision of whether to make a large torte, like Mary's, or make miniature versions to share (and of course portion control!).  It was obvious, I needed to miniaturize this beauty, and that's exactly what I did!

So whether you make these for your Valentine, yourself, or just the random guy/gal walking his/her dog down the street.  I urge you.  Make them.  They will instantly brighten your mood, and are definitely not Valentine's Day specific.  Chocolate and Peanut Butter are a combination deemed fitting for any day of the year!

Oh, and don't forget this week's poll at the bottom!

Ingredients:
Adapted from One Perfect Bite's Recipe

For Crust:

1-2 packages chocolate graham crackers (about 10-15)

1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
pinch of salt

For Filling:

1 & 1/4 cups unsalted peanuts, divided

1/4 cup peanut butter chips, chopped

1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips, chopped
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
2 cups heavy cream
1 & 1/4 cups powdered sugar
12 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 & 1/2 cups peanut butter
2 tablespoons milk


For Topping:

1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Start by making your crust.  Preheat oven to 350 F and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.

Add chocolate graham crackers to bowl of food processor and pulse until finely ground.  In a small bowl, combine graham crackers, melted butter, and salt.  Mix until the crumbs stick together nicely.

Press mixture into a thin layer covering bottom and sides of cupcake liners.  Freeze crust for 10 minutes.

Bake for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before filling.

For the filling,  place 1/2 cup of peanuts, peanut butter chips, chocolate chips, sugar, espresso powder, cinnamon and nutmeg in the bowl of your food processor.  Pulse until peanuts and chips are in little pieces.  Transfer mixture to a bowl and set aside.

In a separate medium-sized bowl, whip 2 cups of heavy cream until it holds medium peaks. Slowly add 1/4 cup of powdered sugar and whip until cream holds medium-firm peaks.  Transfer whipped cream to fridge until needed.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with remaining 1 cup of powdered sugar until cream cheese is smooth.  Add in peanut butter, whole milk, and 1/4 cup of chopped peanuts and mix until well combined.

Gently fold in about 1/4 of whipped cream to lighten the mixture.  Stir in chocolate chip & peanut mixture.  Then slowly fold in remaining whipped cream.

Fill each cupcake liner about 3/4 full of filling.  Refrigerate for about 3 hours, or until filling is set.

For chocolate ganache topping, carefully melt remaining chocolate chips in microwave-safe bowl in 30 second intervals.  When chocolate is melted, pour in heavy cream, and mix until combined with chocolate.

Pour chocolate over each mini tart and smoothing with a spoon, if desired.  Chop remaining 1/2 cup of peanuts and scatter over top of tarts. Chill for at least 20 minutes, or until chocolate is set.

Then try to resist these.  It's damn nearly impossible.  Well... in our household anyway.  Hope you guys have a great weekend, with whatever you do!

So what should I make Andy for Valentine's Day this weekend?

The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie

Happy Friday!  I'm off this weekend so it's definitely a great Friday!  Andy and I are about to head out to dinner and have some drinks with some friends, but I thought I'd cap off the week with the Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie.

The chocolate chip cookie is one of those cookies that, once you find that perfect recipe, you don't switch it out.  One that you always make when you find yourself with that craving for chocolate chip cookies.  And everybody's perfect chocolate chip cookie is different.  I'm a soft and chewy gal.  Andy, he's pretty much a "I love every chocolate chip cookie known to man" kind of guy.  So, needless to say, this was a winner for both of us.  And for once, I made a cookie and had absolutely no leftovers to bring to work.  And I didn't feel guilty.  Is that bad?  Hehe.

What's your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe?

And don't forget to read until the end and vote in the poll (after the recipe!) for next week's dessert!  


Ingredients:
Adapted from Buns In My Oven's Recipe

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 stick of chilled butter (8 tablespoons) cut into small cubes
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 & 1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 & 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 300 F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, beat both sugars and butter cubes until fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.  Add in egg, vanilla, and baking soda and beat for another minute or two.

Mix in flour and salt.  Beat on a low speed until just incorporated.

Fold in chocolate chips.

Spoon batter onto parchment paper, making your cookies the desired size.  I did a nice heaping tablespoon full on each of my cookies and had the perfect "two-hand" cookie.  You know, the cookie you want to hold in both hands and just grin from ear to ear after each and every bite.  You know what I mean, right?  Right.

Bake in oven for about 16-18 minutes and then cool cookies on cooling rack.  The cookies will be soft and chewy, and gone in no time flat!  You might want to double the recipe if you're planning on feeding more than 2!  Hehe!

Well, the first poll I did went pretty well, so I've decided to do another one!  I have a couple different options so just pick your favorite and we'll see who wins next week!