Chocolate Cupcakes with Mint White Chocolate Ganache

My tribute to St Patrick's Day and a bad day treat for myself. Not bad huh?

This is a moist delicious chocolate cake made with brown sugar and sour cream. It has a rich chocolate goodness that is awesome.

I decided to icing these cupcakes with a silky mint white chocolate ganache. Now we are talking pure decadent pleasure. I enjoyed every mouthful!

I made the ganache and then divided it and made half of it green in a tribute to St Patrick's Day. This is a rich ganache; almost truffle like, so a little goes a long way. You can lighten it up if you choose but I was going for the full works! There are loads of ganache recipes; the one that follows is more the ratio for truffles. I use this when decorating with ganache or when decadence is called for.

These are wonderful for any occasion. The ganache can be colored to fit any occasion or simply left its natural color. These are delightful with the white ganache and sprinkled with crushed starlight mints. Make some for your favorite occasion; chocolate and mint...how can you go wrong?

I have the recipe ingredients below as originally written; I only changed up the mixing steps. I always omit the coffee granules when making this cake but add them in if you like coffee flavor in your cakes. I confess that I can not tolerate anything coffee and sweet related. I love coffee and sugar but can't handle the two together. I never waste my efforts making any dessert that has coffee flavor in it. That's my quirk, so I've put it in the recipe for those that enjoy it.

Decadent Chocolate Cake adapted from Wilton

• 3 squares (1 oz each) unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
  
• 1 1/2 cups hot water
• 3/4 cups sour cream
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
• 2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 eggs (room temperature)
  
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 35o degrees. Grease and flour pans if not using cupcake liners.

In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt unsweetened chocolate; set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, dissolve the cocoa powder and coffee (if using) in hot water; stir well. Stir in sour cream and salt, set aside. I medium bowl combine flour and soda; whisk well and set aside.


In large bowl, beat butter until light and fluffy; add sugar and beat again till combined and fluffy. Stir in vanilla and mix thoroughly. Add eggs; one at a time, mixing just until yellow disappears. Do not over beat at this point. Next, add melted chocolate and blend well; scraping bowl well. Add half of flour mixture and add a small portion of the sour cream mixture; just enough to make the flour mix in well. Now add rest of flour and stir just until combined. Add remaining liquid and stir until combined. Do not overmix your cake at this point.

Divide batter among pans. Bake layers at 35-42 minutes; start checking at 30 minutes. if making cupcakes start checking them at 15 minutes and may take up to 20 minutes.

Cool in pan 10 minutes; remove from pan and cool completely.




Mint White Chocolate Ganache

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 16 ounces good quality white chocolate , chopped
• 3 tablespoons butter (optional but good)
• 2 teaspoon peppermint extract

Place chopped chocolate in a mixing bowl. Heat cream and butter (if using) till almost to the boiling point. Remove cream from heat and stir in extract until combined. Pour hot cream mixture over chopped chocolate. Stir until all the chocolate is melted and thoroughly combined; at this point stir in any food coloring if using and stir to combine. Cover and let the mixture cool to room temperature. When mixture is cool put in mixer and whip until light and fluffy. This will not double in volume but will be fluffy for cupcakes. If using as a piping; you can skip whipping it. Icing cupcakes as desired.

Tips:

• The ganache can be made on its own, chilled, no need to whip and rolled into truffles and decorated as desired. Yum!
• This is a heavier ganache version made for use on cupcakes as shown. If you wish to icing a cake or would like a much thicker icing on your cakes I would double the cream and half the chocolate for a light fluffy version. This version is less dense but still very tasty.
• Omit the mint extract and use on a cake of your choice.
  
• This recipe works equally well with semi-sweet chocolate. Have fun...make it yours.

These were so delicious; I couldn't get the photographer to leave them alone. I hope you enjoy!




I'm glad you're here, pull up a chair and sit a spell.

Mountain Belle

This post is being linked to:

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed With Grace

Southen Pecan Brownies

This is my favorite brownie recipe. Luckily I don’t make them very often because I could eat them all! Brownies are a popular treat with most everyone and these are pure decadence. They are really that good! I have made these with and without the nuts and both versions have been equally delicious. I do recommend that you don't skip toasting the nuts, it's well worth the extra step.

I have used milk, semi-sweet and white chocolate chips / chunks and they all turn out great.

These brownies are dense, chewy and full of rich chocolate flavor. Although I have changed a few things but I change the butter. I have to agree with Paula on this one; butter does make it better. These don’t last long around here.

Southern Pecan Brownies adapted from from “Cooking with Paula Deen”

1 1/2 c butter (3 sticks)

5 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate

2 1/2 c sugar

6 large eggs

2 c all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 c milk chocolate morsels

1 c toasted chopped pecans

Confectioners sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 13x9x2 baking pan or line with heavy duty aluminum foil and lightly grease the foil. The foil aides in removing brownies and makes clean up easier.

In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine butter and unsweetend chocolate. Microwave on high in 30 second intervals, stirring after each, until butter and chocolate are melted and smooth, about 2 minutes. Set aside to cool.

In mixer bowl, beat sugar and eggs at high speed until fluffy. Beating the eggs will give you that shiny crusty brownie crust we are familiar with. If you don't want the crust, then skip the mixer. Instead gently stir the eggs until mixed and then add sugar; stirring just until blended. This will give a softer finished crust. *

Gradually stir in cooled chocolate mixture.

Add salt and vanilla and stir well. Gradually beat in flour and stir just until flour is mixed through. Do not over mix. Stir in pecans and chocolate morsels.

Pour into prepared pan and bake 35-38 minutes or until center is firm.

Once cool, lift brownies from pan using foil as handles. Dust with confectioners sugar if desired.

Tip: When trying to cut fresh warm brownies, the best knife to use is a plastic knife. This will help keep the brownies from crumbling and tearing while you cut them. I know it sounds strange but trust me, it works. I keep one in my baking drawer for just such special occasions.

* This is a great tip I learned from the famous cookbook author and writer Shirley Corriher. I love her books "Cookwise" and "Bakewise".

I'm glad you're here, pull up a chair and sit a spell.

Mountain Belle

This post is being linked to:

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed With Grace

Chocolate Waffes with Fresh Strawberries

Is that chocolate featured as the main course? You betcha! No, I'm not the least bit ashamed about it.

The strawberries are ready in Florida and they are starting to arrive at our local produce markets. I couldn’t resist they looked soooo wonderful.

When I saw these in the store several recipes came to mind but Chocolate Waffles jumped to the front of the line. When chocolate can be featured as the main course then I’m all over it. These are my daughter’s favorite and I have been warned not to eat them all. She's planning on having some when she gets home from work. Now, would I really eat all the waffles? She thinks she knows me so well. Is being a chocoholic genetic?

I’ve been making chocolate waffles for quite a number of years. I have changed recipes, adapted recipes and tweaked my little heart out trying to find that just right combination. I like to make these as a weekend brunch or for a weeknight dinner. Typically chocolate waffles are made as a dessert and are fairly sweet, they are delicious with toppings like ice cream and fudge sauce or fruit. When we are having these as a meal we like them not quite so sweet and then topped w/ fresh sliced strawberries with a drizzle of maple syrup. YUM!

Tonight we had these for dinner with some link sausages. Although in my house they are called “killer” sausages. If not careful they can send out spurts of hot juice out when you cut into them. This happened to my son one time, a line drive right between the eyes. Now, every time we have them we warn him they are attack sausages and they can kill. I have asked him if he would like a pair of goggles before eating them. I’m not sure he finds it as funny as the rest of us. If you decide to serve these with sausage links…Beware the killer sausages!

Chocolate Waffles Adapted from King Arthur Flour Baking Companion

• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  
• 1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder
  
• 1/4 c butter, melted and cooled (or 1/4 vegetable oil)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, slightly rounded
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 c buttermilk, at room temperature
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 c all purpose flour
  
• 1/4 c sugar sugar
  
• 1 pint of strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced
  
• Maple syrup
  

For dessert waffles: additional 1/2 c sugar and 1/4 t nutmeg (optional) stirred in with other dry ingredients. Gently fold 1/2 c chopped walnuts and 1/2 c mini chocolate chips into batter after thoroughly mixing in dry ingredients.

In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, butter or oil, and vanilla. Beat until light, about 2 minutes. At this point your waffle iron needs to be heating up so that once you blend the liquids with the dry ingredients you can begin adding to waffle iron. Blend in buttermilk, then flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Bake waffles in preheated well-greased waffle iron until done according to the manufactures directions for your waffle iron.

Serve topped with sliced strawberries and drizzled with maple syrup. These can be covered with plastic wrap and stored till next day or frozen and pooped in the toaster.

If making as a dessert: top with ice cream and your favorite fudge sauce.

Yield: ten 8-inch waffles. I used a large waffle iron and doubled the recipe for about 7 large waffles.

* If you don't have buttermilk on hand, add 1 T cider vinegar to measuring cup then fill to one cup line with milk. Allow to sit at least 5 minutes, but preferably till room temperature.

We really enjoy these when fresh strawberries are available but we sometimes enjoy them with strawberry syrup (recipe coming) when the fresh berries are not available. These are also delicious with fresh raspberries.

We have farms around here where you can pick your own strawberries. I can't wait till they come in and I will be sure to post more strawberry recipes here. Enjoy!

I'm glad you're here, pull up a chair and sit a spell.

Mountain Belle

This post is being linked to:

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed With Grace