Chocolate Cupcakes

These cute football cupcakes are the perfect sweet treat to take to your next football party. I first saw these over at Shelly's blog cookies and cups some time ago. If you don't know Shelly you should drop on over she is one of the most creative and entertaining bloggers around. If you want detailed pictures on how to make these, you will find them on her blog.

We used our new favorite chocolate cupcake, which came from Cook's Illustrated, and our favorite butter cream frosting, which just happens to be nearly the same as Shelly's ( except I add a pinch of salt to mine). Since I didn't know what teams were playing on this particular day, I went for a generic football theme, but you can vary the colors of frosting and sprinkles to show your team spirit.

Chocolate Cupcakes from Cook’s Illustrated

Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
¾ cup hot coffee
¾ cup bread flour
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350. Place chopped chocolate and cocoa in a medium bowl. Pour hot coffee over mixture and whisk until smooth. Set in refrigerator until cool, about 20 minutes.
2. Whisk flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda together in a small bowl and set aside
3. Whisk oil, eggs, vinegar, and vanilla into cooled chocolate-cocoa mixture until smooth. Add flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
4. Divide batter evenly among cupcake pans. Bake until cupcakes are set and just firm to the touch, 17-19 minutes. Cool in pans until cool enough to handle. Let cool completely before frosting.

printable recipe

Butter Cream Frosting

via cookies and cups

1 stick softened butter

1/2 c. Crisco
2 t.vanilla .
1/4 cup milk
pinch of salt
6 to 7 cups of sifted powdered sugar 
Color as desired

Directions:

1. Cream the butter and shortening together at a med-high speed for about 2 minutes, until it appears smooth and creamy.
2. Slowly add powdered sugar and beat until fairly well incorporated, mixture will be crumbly
3. Add  milk and vanilla beat at medium-low speed until combined and then up your speed to med-high and beat until light and fluffy

printable recipe

 Oreo Truffle Footballs

1 pkg. Oreos, crushed

1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese, softened.
1 10 oz. pkg milk chocolate candy melts
Royal icing or white candy melts

1. Mix the cream cheese and the crushed Oreos together.
2. Form cookie mix into football shapes about 1and 1/2 inches long place on a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper. Chill in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes..
3. Melt chocolate in microwave until smooth and liquid, be careful not to over heat it. Dip footballs into chocolate, tapping off excess chocolate.  Place on a baking sheet lined with wax or parchment paper to set.
When the chocolate has set, pipe the stitching with either royal icing or white chocolate.

printable recipe

Go Gator!

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