Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you are all having a wonderful holiday. In honor of this lovely day, I am posting a recipe for some decadent mascarpone cupcakes.
This recipe comes from one of my favorite Food Network chef's: Giada de Laurentis. It's a recipe for her
Chocolate Chip Mascarpone Cupcakes. I made a few adjustments to the recipe as I went along and have written them in. The recipe is from FoodNetwork.com (you can use the link above).
Cupcakes:
* 5 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
* 1 cup water
* 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
* 2 1/4 cups sugar
* 1 cup vegetable oil
* 3 large eggs
* 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
* 3 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips (recommended: Nestle morsels)
Ganache:
* 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips (recommended: Nestle morsels)
* 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* Special equipment: 2 (12-count) muffin pans with paper liners
Directions
For the Cupcakes:
Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F.
Combine the unsweetened chocolate and water in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir constantly until the chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes. Whisk in the mascarpone cheese until the mixture is smooth.
Beat the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl until blended, then add the mascarpone mixture. Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture. Stir until just blended.
Divide the batter among the prepared muffin pans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes completely before dipping, (about 30 minutes).
For the Ganache:
Place the chocolate chips in a small bowl. Combine the heavy cream and vanilla extract in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook until small bubbles appear on the outside edge of the cream. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate chips. Using a fork, gently stir until all the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
Give the chocolate mixture about 5-10 minutes to thicken before beginning to dip the cupcakes. Give it a quick stir before you start dipping. It should be a nice, thick, ganache.
Dip the tops of each cupcake in the ganache and transfer to a baking sheet. Place the dipped cupcakes in the refrigerator to set, about 15 to 20 minutes. Allow cupcakes to return to room temperature before serving.