Day 9: Two (exactly two) Chocolate Cupcakes

I LOVE chocolate. I mean honestly, what girl doesn’t love chocolate?  I personally wouldn’t trust a girl who says she doesn’t love chocolate because she has to be lying, but that’s me. Men have steak as their comfort food and well women, we have chocolate and all kinds of chocolate at that! White, Dark, Milk, you name it, we got it and trust me, I’ll eat it. If you want to win me over, then buy me some chocolate, but it better me the good stuff like See’s or Godiva! With chocolate on my mind, I can’t think of a better way to start off the weekend then with a rich chocolate cupcake! Sometimes it’s good to indulge a little and that is just what I’m going to do today. After all, I think I deserve it after this long week at work 🙂

For day 9 of the Pinterest Project, I am baking Chocolate Cupcakes. [Side note: for those of you who are reading my blog for the first time, the Pinterest Project is something I started March 1st where everyday I create something that I have repinned onto my Pinboards.] Back to the cupcakes and chocolate !  These aren’t just any cupcakes, this is a special recipe that bakes exactly TWO cupcakes, which is perfect because it’s not like I need 24 all to myself. This recipe was repinned from “Brett Bara’s” blog.

Two (exactly two) Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cocoa powder
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda (just eyeball half of a quarter-teaspoon and it will be fine)
• 1/16 teaspoon salt (otherwise known as a pinch)
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/16 teaspoon vanilla (ie, just a few drops)
• 1 tablespoon chocolate chips (optional)
• Chocolate Frosting (mini recipe follows)

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine all dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. In a second small bowl combine the wet ingredients (water, oil, vanilla). Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients and stir until well combined. Using a muffin pan, divide batter between two cupcake liners and then sprinkle chocolate chips on top (I used Hershey’s mini baking kisses). Bake for 18 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

 

Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
• 3 tablespoons confectioners sugar
• 1 teaspoon half and half or any milk/cream
• dash of salt

Directions:

Melt butter in a small bowl. Combine all remaining ingredients and whisk together until smooth. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes until icing starts to set. Whisk icing again then allow it to reach room temperature until cupcakes are cool enough to frost. [Brett recommends that you start on the frosting immediately after you put the cupcakes in the oven, so that it will be ready to go once the cupcakes are cool.]

While making these I thought that this would also be a good recipe to use for making mini cupcakes. I’m almost positive that you could use a mini-muffin pan and make 12 mini-cupcakes from this recipe. Obviously the baking time would have to be altered, but a few mini-cupcakes might be fun to make as well! I’ll have to test it out, but my guess is that it would take about 10-12 minutes to bake the mini ones.

If you like chocolate, then this is a recipe for you! The only issue I had with these cupcakes was the when I was making my frosting it started clumping together as opposed to being really smooth. But, that was probably my fault as I started making the icing and then walked away from it for about 15 minutes so some of the ingredients had already begun to set. Overall though, I was very satisfied. I only ate half of a cupcake, so I’ve got plenty of chocolate to eat later!

The softest, chewiest chocolate chip cookies

A few months ago I bought a new cookie sheet – a Martha Stewart cookie sheet to be exact. With that cookie sheet came a recipe for the softest chocolate chip cookies I have ever made in my life. I am by no means obsessed with Martha Stewart, but this recipe is just that amazing. This cookie sheet was the first Martha Stewart housewear item I have ever bought, but based on this recipe alone, I’m impressed by Martha. The cookies stayed soft, even after they were cool and even days later. This has yet to happen with any other cookie receipe I’ve tried. If you’re like me, then you hate it when you spend all your time mixing, measuring and spooning cookie dough just to have hard cookies. After all, it’s those melt in your mouth ones that are the best! I’ve made this recipe numerous times (including two nights ago) and everyone loves them! Try it out and trust me, you’ll be glad you did.

Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies [makes about 3 dozen]

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup [2 sticks] unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar [I use dark brown sugar instead]
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups [about 12 ounces] chocolate chips [Hershey’s makes mini milk chocolate kisses for baking and that’s what I use.]

[All the ingredients you’ll need and definitely use the mini kisses in lieu of normal chocolate chips]

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda; set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the butter with both sugars; beat on medium until light and fluffy. [I just mix it by hand with a large spoon.] Add the salt, vanilla, and eggs. Beat until well mixed, about 1 minute. Add flour mixture; mix until well combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
2. Drop heaping tablespoon-size balls of dough about 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
3. Bake until cookies are golden around the edges, but still soft in the center, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool on baking sheet 1 to 2 minutes. [I remove them from the baking sheet immediately.] Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

[Cookies straight out of the oven on my Martha Stewart cookie sheet]

[Cookies! Golden brown and cooked to perfection.]

After baking these, it’s hard to resist eating them right away. Even though the recipe states it yields 3 dozen cookies, I normally get at least 4 dozen out of a full batch. Also, I’ve used light brown sugar, but the dark brown sugar just gives the cookie dough a richer taste. These cookies will change your world.

Happy munching!