Chocolate Cream Cupcakes...Hostess inspired

As we all know, I love to cook, and have a fascination with cookbooks.  This morning, a cookbook came in the mail for my "preview."  The cookbook is "Cook's Country Blue Ribbon Desserts." Upon opening the book, I found a recipe for Chocolate Cream Cupcakes.  They even had the swirls like a Hostess.  Scott was as excited as I was, and so I baked a batch of cupcakes.  I love that a cupcake is the perfect portion size.  This recipe is also the perfect portion...1 dozen cupcakes. No more, no less.  I can't wait to share this with you! 

So, this chocolaty, moist, creamy cupcake was a great blend of chocolate and sweet.  Since the glaze is made of chocolate chips, it is not overly sweet. I didn't have instant expresso, but did have some Starbucks VIA.  I substituted 1 packet of VIA for the expresso granuals. I was not successful making the loops like the Hostess folks, but you get the idea.  This recipe is much more involved than I orignally thought, but the extra effort paid off in the long run. It was very simple, however it took some time to chill inbetween steps.  I tend to become impatient, and will make the filling while the cupcakes are in the oven next time.  They were a great treat on this St. Patrick's Day.

CUPCAKES
1 cup
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon
1/2 cup boiling water
1/3 cup
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon instant espresso
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

FILLING 3 tablespoons water
3/4 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
4 tablespoon (1/2 stick) unsalted butter , softened
Pinch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups marshmallow créme (see note)  

GLAZE
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. Make Batter: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 12-cup muffin tin. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in bowl. Whisk water, cocoa, chocolate chips, and espresso in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar, sour cream, oil, eggs, and vanilla and mix until combined. Whisk in flour mixture until incorporated. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake until toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out with few dry crumbs attached, 18 to 22 minutes. Cool -cupcakes in tin 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack and cool completely.

2. Prepare Filling: Combine water and gelatin in large bowl and let sit until gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. Microwave until mixture is bubbling around edges and gelatin dissolves, about 30 seconds. Stir in butter, vanilla, and salt until combined. Let mixture cool until just warm to touch, about 5 minutes, then whisk in marshmallow creme until smooth; refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes. Transfer 1/3 cup marshmallow mixture to pastry bag fitted with small plain tip; reserve remaining mixture for filling cupcakes.

3. Assemble Cupakes: Microwave chocolate and butter in small bowl, stirring occasionally, until smooth, about 30 seconds. Cool glaze to room temper-ature, about 10 minutes. Following photos 1 to 3 at left, cut cone from top of each cupcake and fill cupcakes with 1 tablespoon filling each. Replace tops, frost with 2 teaspoons cooled glaze, and let sit 10 minutes. Using pastry bag, pipe curlicues across glazed cupcakes. Serve. (Cupcakes can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for 2 days.)

How to fill the cupcakes:

1. Insert the tip of a paring knife at a 45-degree angle about 1/4 inch from the edge of the cupcake. Cut out and remove the cake cone.

　2. Cut off all but the top 1/4 inch of the cone, leaving a circular disc of cake. Discard—better yet, eat!—the bottom of the cone.

　3. Using a spoon, fill each cupcake with the marshmallow mixture and then top with the reserved cake "plug."

　4. Spread the cooled glaze over the cupcake, concealing the cut-out top. Once the glaze has set, pipe on a curlicue using the reserved marshmallow filling.

all-purpose flour Salt cocoa powder salt