A Little Taste of Heaven (maybe)

For a while I've been wanting to try out a recipe that I found on pinterest. It combines two of my favorite loves in life- chocolate and peanut butter. So, Tuesday, after I went and performed my civic duty of voting, I swung by my house and whipped up a batch of these delicious chocolate cupcakes with whipped peanut butter frosting dipped in chocolate. SO GOOD.

Here's the recipe if you're interested...

INGREDIENTS

CUPCAKES

• 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 cup + 2 TBSP sugar
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

FROSTING

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 large egg whites
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons softened, unsalted butter
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

CHOCOLATE DIP

• 6oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS

CUPCAKES

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tin with cupcake liners

2. Make cupcakes by combining all dry ingredients except sugar (flour , cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt) into a mixing bowl. 

3. Whisk together sugar and wet ingredients (buttermilk, oil, egg, and vanilla) in a separate bowl. 

4. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and whisk until smooth. 

5. Spoon batter into 10 cupcake liners, filling about 2/3 way. 

6. Bake 19-23 minutes. Remove cupcakes and let cool completely on a cooling rack. 

FROSTING

1. While cupcakes are cooling, fill pot with 2" of water and allow to come to a simmer. 

2. Make buttercream frosting by combining sugar, egg whites, and salt in a double broiler.

3. Using the double broiler, whisk ingredients gently until they heat to 160 degrees (this can take a bit...)

4. Transfer ingredients into the bowl of a mixer and whip on medium-high speed until the mixture looks like shaving cream. 

5. Continue whipping and add butter one piece at a time. 

6. Add in peanut butter and vanilla and mix until combined thoroughly. 

7. Pipe the frosting onto cooled cupcakes, in a cone like shape. Transfer cupcakes to refrigerator and let frosting set, about 1 hour. 

CHOCOLATE DIP

1. Once you are ready to dip the cupcakes, fill pot with 2" of water and bring to a low simmer. 

2. Combine oil and chocolate chips and place in a double broiler over the simmering water. Let chocolate melt, stirring gently until smooth. 

3. Turn heat off. Dip each cupcake into the melted chocolate, making sure to cover all of the frosting. Hold upside down for a couple of seconds, allowing some of the chocolate to drip off. (If chocolate starts to harden between cupcakes, turn heat back on on low and stir until melted and smooth. Make sure the chocolate doesn't burn!)

4. Let chocolate dip set before serving, about one more hour. 

There ya have it...ENJOY!