Week 2. "Happy Birthday, Mom!" Chocolate-covered Cherry Cupcakes

Well, these cupcakes were an adventure...suffice to say that these taste MUCH better than they look (thank goodness!)



"Happy Birthday, Mom!" Chocolate-covered Cherry Cupcakes

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup butter, softened (5 Tbsp plus 1 tsp)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 (1 5/8 ounce) hershey milk chocolate candy bars, each broken in 12 squares
• 12 maraschino cherries, without stems,patted dry with paper towels

FROSTING
• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 2 teaspoons maraschino cherry juice
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar

Garnish
• 1 hershey milk chocolate candy bar, melted
• stemmed maraschino cherry, patted dry

Directions
1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. Line 12 regular-size (2 1/2-in. diameter) muffin cups with paper or foil liners.
3. Whisk flour and cocoa powder in a small bowl until blended; set aside.
4. In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt with a mixer on high speed 2 minutes or until well blended.
5. Add egg and vanilla; beat 2 minutes or until fluffy.
6. Reduce mixer speed to low; beat in milk (batter will look curdled), then the flour mixture just until blended.
7. Spoon evenly into lined muffin cups Place a square of chocolate in center of each cupcake.
8. Top with a cherry and another square of chocolate.
9. Bake 18 to 20 minutes until a pick inserted off center comes out clean.
10. Cool in pan on a wire rack 5 minutes before removing from pan to rack to cool com-pletely (cupcakes will sink in center).
11. Frosting: Beat cream cheese, but-ter and cherry juice in a medium bowl with mixer on high speed until blend-ed and smooth.
12. Reduce speed to low; beat in confectioners' sugar.
13. Refriger-ate 15 minutes or until firm enough to spread.
14. Frost cupcakes.
15. To garnish: Top each cupcake with 1 or 2 cherries.
16. Melt chocolate bar and scrape into a ziptop bag.
17. Cut a tip off a corner of bag; drizzle chocolate over half or all the cupcakes.
18. Cover and refrigerate until serving or up to 1 day.


**Hannah's Hints**

* Only fill the trays HALF-WAY or less...I didn't know how much they'd rise and they spilled over and caused difficulty getting them out...the edges fell off. So don't fill them too much.

* It's a little awkward to try to balance the cherry and chocolate sandwich in the unbaked cupcake, so push it down, but not far enough to hit the bottom or else it may stick to the paper in the end.

* This recipe makes EXACTLY enough for 12 cupcakes. And the frosting is just about enough, too! So, that's nice!

* I didn't do any garnish because I make cupcakes not to look pretty, but to taste delicious! I wish I could make pretty cupcakes like these for my mom...



...but she chose these to be made especially for her birthday!

She said they were yummy!


Next week I'll be in my kitchen...less space, but MINE! And I have lots of baking goodies from Christmas, so I'm super excited! Getting into Carousel rehearsal will cause lots of cupcake inspiration, I'm sure!