The girls came over the other night to watch the Bachelor (go Melissa!), so I whipped up these cupcakes from a cupcake calendar that one of the girls gave me for Christmas. Unfortunately, that particular girlfriend was sick and didn't end up making it. When making these, I set two of them aside to send to my other girlfriend who's birthday is today. Happy birthday T!
Since this was the first time using a recipe out of the cupcake calendar, I wasn't sure how these would end up. But...holy ma-noly! These are fantastic! They're very chocolaty and the perfect texture....dense, yet fluffy, yet moist! Is that even possible to be that perfect!? (Isn't that what Jason, the Bachelor, just said about Melissa!?) 🙂
This calendar doesn't list a different cupcake recipe every day, as you might expect, but instead gives a basic recipe then variations the next couple of days. Personally, I like this idea. I made a few tweaks of my own, such as leaving off the frosting and topping with powdered sugar hearts, instead.
If your significant other is a chocolate lover, make these cupcakes for Valentine's Day...they are sure to please!
Ultimate Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes (adapted from The Cupcake Calendar)
1 ½ cups (10 ½ oz) bittersweet chocolate chips
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
4 eggs
4 egg yolks
½ cup sugar
2 tbsp. Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted (I used a Dutch blend)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Place 12 paper baking cups in a muffin pan. Put the chocolate and butter in a double boiler, or medium bowl over a pan of simmering water, and stir until completely melted. Set aside to cool. In large bowl, cream the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and thick. Gently fold in the melted chocolate and remaining ingredients.
Spoon the batter into the cups. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Then remove the cupcakes and cool on a rack.
Bring back your elementary school craft skills and cut a heart shape out of wax paper. Use both the die-cut and the stencil shape to cover the cupcakes and sift the powdered sugar over top to make your heart topping.
Speaking of Valentine's Day, don't forget to check out how you can win a RED ice cream maker from Pennies on a Platter!
Penny Says: Have guests coming over last minute? Find a basic baking recipe where you have all ingredients on hand. If you are missing one minor ingredient, don't go out and buy it, just make it without and it just may turn out better (like this cupcake recipe, I left out ground almonds)!
