Chocolate Cupcakes with PB icing

A co worker had a birthday a week after mine and her favorite treat is chocolate and peanut butter.  I was going to make a pb chocolate pie but we were  having a Thanksgiving lunch that same week, so thought these would be a better option.  Also she could take the leftovers home.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons coconut OR canola oil
1 stick unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, not packed
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs + 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup full fat sour cream
1/2 cup hot coffee OR hot water
18 peanut butter cups (mini)

icing:

1/2 cup creamy pb

4 oz cream cheese

1/2 stick butter soft

2-3 cup confectionery sugar 

** optional 1/2 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F). Line a 12-cup cupcake/muffin tin with cupcake liners and lightly spray the liners with non-stick spray (optional but it does help them peel right off). Set aside.
2. Melt the oil, butter, and chocolate together in the microwave, heating in 30 second increments, stirring between. *You can also melt the oil, butter, and chocolate over very low heat on the stove top, but I find the microwave to be much easier. Whisk mixture completely smooth and set aside to cool.
3. In a medium-sized bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt; stir together until thoroughly combined and set aside.
4. In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, yolk, sugar and vanilla together; beat until smooth. Add the cooled oil/butter/chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth. Add half of the flour mixture, then half of the sour cream. Repeat the process until everything is added, and be sure to mix until JUST combined. Quickly stir in the hot coffee/water. It's important not to over mix, here! Just stir until evenly combined.
5. Scoop 2 tablespoons of batter into the bottom of each cupcake tin, press a peanut butter cup into the batter, then top with another 3 tablespoons of batter; each cupcake mold should be 3/4 full. You will have leftover batter (enough to make another 6 cupcakes).
6. Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Icing:

1. Using an electric mixer, beat the peanut butter and butter on medium-speed until completely smooth. Beat in vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and add in the remaining ingredients, beating until fully incorporated. Increase speed to medium-high and beat the frosting for 1-2 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
2. Once the cupcakes are cooled, spread or pipe the frosting on top then press half of a peanut butter cup on top.

Thanks for stopping by, have a great week and Always Remember to Find the time to Do ALL the things You L♥ve.

Donna

Strawberry Filled Vanilla Cup Cakes

I made these for Valentines Day.  I don't usually do much for this day but this year thought what the HEY!  I also made some white bread rolls which I will share soon.  YUM
These cup cakes have a cream cheese frosting with a bit of strawberry jam for color.

1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 TBL vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup AP flour
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk (I used 1/4 cup half n half and 1/4 cup water)

I used strawberry jam for the filling but you could also use fresh strawberries cook with a bit of sugar and white wine then mashed.

Frosting:
3/4 about 6 oz of soft cream cheese
1/2 cup confectionary sugar
1/2 stick butter, soft
2 TBL milk
1-2 TBL strawberry jam
Cream butter and cheese, add sugar and milk cream til fluffy add strawberry stir to mix.  Guess you could also add red food coloring but hey that doesn't give it any flavor.


Picture with filling, it's not a pretty sight but you cover them so no one has to know.  :)

Preheat oven to 350 and line 12 muffin tins.  In a bowl cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add 1 egg at a time and mix well, add extract.  Combine the flour, salt and baking powder add to the egg mixtures.  Mix well add the milk and combine.  With an ice cream scoop fill cups 2/3 full, I found you could probably get about 15 muffins.  Mine over puffed a bit so I had to do some cutting before I could fill and ice them.  Bake for about 20 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Cool on rack for about 30 minutes.  Then using a knife or a melon baller scoop out a bit of the center and fill with you jam of choice put the stuff you took out back on then frost.
Thanks for stopping by,  have a wonderful Valentine's Day with your sweety, and Remember to Find the Time to Do ALL the Things YOU Love.
Donna