Something Chocolaty for Easter ~ 復活節獻禮: 讓我著迷懷念的味道...

My friend Caroline brought me a chocolate cupcake with fleur de sel ganache from Kara’s Cupcakes a while back and that little handcrafted cupcake has made such a lasting impression that it sent me on a hunt for the perfect chocolate cupcake recipe! Numerous trials and pounds of Valrhona chocolate and cans of cocoa powder later, I am please to tell you that I found it in this glorious book! These cupcakes are nothing short of richness and so addictive with the tense chocolate flavor, fluffy texture, almost ganache like center and best eaten when they are still warm.

Giving thoughts that Easter Sunday is around the corner, I want to dress them up and give to friends who celebrate this holiday. I like the chocolate and salted caramel combo since this so I made some caramel as the filling then topped with ganache glaze and garnish with truffle eggs. Making truffle egg is a first for me, something I have been anticipated to give a try since it was published in Martha Stewat’s Living magazine a while back! I used a different truffle flavoring though I followed her coating instruction. It was fun but also messy at the same time; take care not to stain your hands with the food coloring like I did.

Btw, giving a little more thought on decorating, these splendid little cakes will be ideal for afternoon tea with girl friends, as an elegant dessert at dinner party and would make a magnificent birthday cake too! I have been baking batches of them since I discovered the recipe and I am sure you’ll be the same^^




Espresso Truffle Eggs
Makes 30 eggs

100g bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
5g espresso bean, finely grinded
50ml heavy cream
1tbsp Myer’s rum

For the coating:
300g white chocolate, finely chopped
3 – 4drops Sky-blue gel-paste food coloring

Place the bittersweet chocolate into a heatproof bowl. Bring the cream to just simmer over medium heat; remove from heat. Pour it over the bittersweet chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, stir until smooth. Stir in the espresso bean, and let cool to touch then stir in the rum. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until very cold and set but still pliable, about 1 hour.

Using a demi spoon, scoop balls of ganache, transferring them to a jellyroll pan lined with parchment paper; refrigerate for 10 minutes. Using your hands, roll each ball into an egg shape. Place in freezer until very firm, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, put the white chocolate into a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until smooth; remove from heat. Let cool until lukewarm then add a few drops of food coloring, and swirl lightly with a toothpick.

Dip the eggs in swirled chocolate, letting excess chocolate drip back into bowl. As you work, transfer eggs to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper; refrigerate until set, about 1 hour. Truffles can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.



Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes
adapted from The Essence of Chocolate recipe by Stephanie Hersh

1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup quality unsweetened cocoa powder
10 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature, diced
½ cup dark brown sugar
½ tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 large egg
¾ cup whole milk

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Line 12 muffin cups (3/4-cup capacity) with paper liners.

Stir together the flour and cocoa powder in a small bowl, and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and beat on medium speed for about 5 minutes, or until pale, light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary.

Add the egg and beat until incorporated. Add the flour mixture and milk alternately in two batches each, scraping down the bowl as necessary. Continue mixing until the batter is a uniform color.

Pour the batter into a pastry bag without a tip; snip the tip once the bag is filled. Pipe the batter into the muffin cups about two-thirds full. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until the cupcake spring back slightly when pressed in the center.

Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan on a cooling rack, then remove and allow to cool completely on the rack.

Assemble:
Using a chef's knife, scrape milk chocolate bar at a 90-degree angle, forming enough fine shavings to measure ½ cup; set aside.

Spoon a teaspoon of salted caramel sauce into the center of the cupcakes. Place the cupcakes on a cooling rack then set it over a jelly roll pan. Spoon a spoonful of chocolate ganache glaze over each cake; letting some drip down the sides then using the ganache as the adhesive, build a wall of wood grain chocolate decoration round the cakes. Form a nest with chocolate shavings on top, and fill with truffle eggs.



自從朋友請我吃過Kara’s Cupcakes 的鹽之花甘那許巧克力杯子蛋糕後﹐我就對那個充滿濃濃巧克力香氣及濃郁濕潤的口感的點心著迷不已念念不忘至踏上狩獵終極巧克力杯子蛋糕食譜之路。無數的試驗又耗掉不少Valrhona巧克力及可可粉後﹐終於在這本書中找到了﹗剛烤好時還是軟心的﹐表面形成一層脆脆硬薄膜﹐好吃到不行﹐一氣吃多個也不膩。超濃郁但沒有厚重的口感﹐是記憶中懷念的味道。

過兩天是復活節﹐為了配合節日送給朋友應節決定好好的給它們裝扮一下。自從吃過這個﹐發現焦糖跟巧克力實在是絕配﹐決定在蛋糕中心抹上自製的焦糖醬。焦糖醬因加入鹽之花調味所以帶有淡淡的鹹味至讓巧克力更富存在感。為了讓巧克力更濃郁(沒辦法﹐我是巧克力狂迷)﹐再淋上甘那許鏡面。說到復活節又怎麼可以沒有蛋呢? 很久前Martha Stewart的Living雜誌刊登過松露蛋的做法﹐覺的很有趣﹐很想嘗試所以決定做這個作為裝飾。製作過程很好玩不過要小心處理食用色素﹐不要沾到喔~

這個杯子蛋糕要是裝飾成不同的風格還可以配合不同主題的party哦﹗大家不妨發揮你的想像力製作出屬於你的風格的杯子蛋糕造型~

咖啡巧克力松露蛋
約30顆

100g 苦甜巧克力﹐切碎
5g 咖啡豆, 摩碎
50ml 鮮奶油
1湯匙 蘭姆酒
300g 白巧克力﹐切碎
數滴 天空藍食用色素

蛋糕卷烤盤中鋪上烤纸﹐備用。將巧克力切碎﹐倒進耐熱容器中備用。鮮奶油倒進鍋子裡用中火加熱煮至剛沸騰後離火。將熱奶漿注入切碎的巧克力中﹐輕輕搖幾下鍋子﹐好讓熱奶漿覆蓋巧克力碎塊﹐讓靜置2分鐘﹐然後用橡皮刀攪拌均勻至順滑看不見碎粒即可。拌進摩碎的咖啡豆﹐攪拌勻﹐靜置放涼至微溫後拌入蘭姆酒。蓋上保鮮膜﹐放進冰箱冷藏凝固約60分鐘。

取出﹐用小匙舀取出甘那許球﹐小心倒在鋪了烤纸的蛋糕卷烤盤上﹐放進冰箱冷藏10分鐘。取出﹐用手將甘那許球揉成橢圓形﹐放冰庫冷藏60分鐘成形。

將切碎的白巧克力倒進耐熱容器中隔熱水加熱融化。用橡皮刀攪拌均勻至順滑看不見碎粒後離火。待降溫至微溫時﹐滴數滴食用色素在巧克力中﹐用牙籤拉出大理花紋。從冰箱取出巧克力蛋﹐分數次倒進巧克力漿中﹐用製作巧克力專用叉子將巧克力蛋取出﹐在碗邊輕輕敲一下去掉多餘的巧克力漿後放在鋪了烤纸的蛋糕卷烤盤上﹐再放冰箱定形﹐約60分鐘即成。

松露蛋用密閉容器包好放冰箱存放﹐可以保存2個星期。



極濃巧克力杯子蛋糕
12個

1杯 麵粉
½杯 無糖可可粉 (品質越好﹐成品約出色)
10湯匙 室溫無鹽奶油﹐切丁
½杯 黑糖
½茶匙 蘇打粉
1/8茶匙 發粉/泡打粉
1/8茶匙 鹽巴
1顆 大的雞蛋
¾杯 全脂奶

事前準備:
- 將一烤架移到烤箱中格﹐烤箱預熱至350°F/175°C。
- 在12杯份量馬芬烤盤鋪入紙模﹐備用。

將麵粉跟可可粉混合拌勻備用。混合無鹽奶油﹑黑糖﹑蘇打粉﹑發粉和鹽巴﹐然後用電動攪拌器以中速攪打至富含空氣且顏色變淡成乳霜狀為止﹐約5分鐘。加入蛋﹐攪打均勻後﹐再交替地分數次加入可可麵粉跟牛奶﹐充分攪打均勻。

將麵糊倒進擠花袋中﹐剪去一角﹐將麵糊擠入烤模中至約8分滿﹐輕輕敲一下烤模釋放氣泡後放進預熱過的烤模裡﹐烘烤約15 - 20分鐘。當用手指按蛋糕的中心時回彈時﹐就烤好了。從烤箱取出﹐擺在網架上放涼10分鐘﹐然後脫模整個放涼。

將蛋糕包好放冰箱存放﹐可以保存3天﹐使用前靜置回溫即可。

組合及裝飾蛋糕:
用小刀在牛奶巧克力磚刮出約1/2杯巧克力屑﹔備用。舀取1小匙焦糖醬﹐抹在蛋糕中心。待所有的蛋糕都抹上焦糖醬後﹐將蛋糕排放在網架上再擺放在蛋糕卷烤盤裡。舀取一大匙微溫的巧克力甘那許醬﹐淋在蛋糕上﹐任它溢滿源周邊流下﹐將烤盤提起輕敲一下會幫助甘那許平均攤開。甘那許降溫的快﹐這時動作要迅速。將切成不停形狀的木紋圖案巧克力裝飾貼在蛋糕的側面整個包覆起來。最後用小匙將巧克力屑在蛋糕上描畫出鳥巢狀﹐再擺1顆松露蛋在鳥巢中即成。