Love Cupcake

Devil's Food Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Chocolate. Devil's Food Chocolate. Absolutely divine. So delicious. I made these for my sister's birthday. This recipe had been on my list of cupcakes to try and they were a complete success. Include some chocolate buttercream for the frosting and you are in heaven.

Devil's Food Cupcakes

(adapted from Martha Stewart)

 

3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

3/4 cup hot water

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 1/4 tsp coarse salt

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter

2 1/4 cups sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tbsp plus 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream, room temperature

 

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a standard muffin tin with paper liners. Whisk together cocoa and hot water until smooth. In another bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

2. Melt butter with sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring to combine. Remove from heat and pour into a mixing bowl of an electric mixer. Mix on medium-low speed and beat until mixture is cooled, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. Scrape down the sides of bowl, if needed. Add vanilla, then the cocoa mixture and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the sour cream and beating until just combined after each.

3. Divid batter evenly into lined cups and bake for about 20 minutes. Allow to cool for 15 minutes and remove cupcakes from tins and allow to cool completely on wire racks.

 

I used my favorite chocolate buttercream recipe to frost these cupcakes.

The birthday girl, my sister.

Enjoy!!

Oatmeal, Cranberry and Chocolate Chunk Cookies

These cookies should actually just be called "chunky" cookies. They have so many delicious chunks of chocolate in there that you kind of forget about the oatmeal and cranberries. But I thought I should include some of the other ingredients in the name of the cookie rather than just chocolate. But they're good. And kind of healthy. These are from watching another episode of Giada at Home, I have a growing collection on my PVR that I have to watch and write down recipes still. These are good, they'll disappear so quickly you'll have to make another batch.

 

Oatmeal, Cranberry and Chocolate Chunks Cookies

(adapted from Giada de Laurentiis)

1 cup flour

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 egg, at room temperature

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 cups old fashioned oats

1 cup dried cranberries

4 oz of bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped ( a bar or chocolate chips can be used)

 

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a medium mixing bowl whisk together dry ingredients; flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment cream together butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add egg and vanilla to creamed mixture and mix together.

4. Add the dry ingredients in batches to the wet ingredients. Scrape down sides of bowl and paddle. Add the oats and mix together. Add the dried cranberries and mix. Add the chopped bittersweet chocolate to the mixture and mix.

5. Using an ice cream scoop to spoon the cookies onto the baking sheet. Use the back of the spoon to press down the tops of the cookies. Bake for 15 minutes, and until the bottoms are golden brown. Allow to cool. Bakes about 2 dozen cookies.

I ran out of cranberries so, I mixed in some raisins as well and they tasted delicious. As well as I had no bittersweet chocolate, only semisweet and again delicious. Enjoy!!