Saturday, February 13, 2010

Brownie Heart Cupcakes

Ingredients:
  • Vegetable oil cooking spray
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
  • 15 oz (3 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 12 oz unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 6 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • Basic buttercream (see recipe below)
1.) Preheat oven to 350. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Coat an 8-inch square cake pan with cooking spray, line bottom with parchment, then spray parchment.

2.) Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Place butter and chocolate in a heatproof mixer bowl set over a pot of simmering water, stirring until chocolate melts.

3.) Attach bowl to mixer, add sugar, and whisk on medium-high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla. Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture.

4.) Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Spread remaining batter in square pan. Bake until set but still soft, about 18 minutes. Let cool in tins and pans on wire racks.

5.) Frost cupcakes with buttercream. Cut out 24 hearts from brownie in pan using a 1 1/2-inch heart-shaped cutter. Top each cupcake with a heart.

Basic buttercream:

Ingredients:
  • 12 oz (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 pound convectioners' sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Beat butter with a mixer on medium0high speed until pale and creamy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium. Add sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating after each addition. (After every two additions, increase speed to high, and beat for ten seconds, then reduce speed to medium-high.) Add vanilla, and beat until buttercream is smooth. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. (Bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth before using.

Cook's notes: Make sure you don't overcook these cupcakes or they will become crumbly like brownies. Don't forget they still cook a little bit after you take them out of the oven. Cupcakes will keep, covered, for about 3 days. Add some red food coloring in the frosting to make it pink, as these are Valentine's day cupcakes! These are really rich so make sure you have a glass of milk!!

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