Milk Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

I'm pretty sure I could spend the rest of my life making cupcakes and I would be perfectly happy. Perhaps it's my love of miniature things, I don't know. But THESE cupcakes were an exciting discovery. I didn't know exactly what I was making until they were done and sitting in my fridge. What started in my head as a two-layer chocolate cake turned into uber-moist cupcakes that taste exactly like chocolate covered raspberries... but cake. I guess I'm at my best when I have no clue what I'm doing.

I made a full batch for a very special occasion - my friend Garam's birthday! A group of us devoured them pretty fast and when I told an acquaintance that I have a food blog, he asked me where he could order these cupcakes. New business plan? I think so. Don't worry friends, you'll still get free food... for now. ;)

Milk Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes (adapted from Hershey's)
Makes: 24 cupcakes  Prep: 35 minutes  Total: 2 hours

Ingredients
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup boiling water
2 cups fresh raspberries
3/4 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup butter, room temperature
6 oz milk chocolate
1/3 cup raspberry juice (from filling)

Directions
Combine sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in eggs, then add milk, oil and vanilla and mix well. Add 1 cup boiling water (batter will be very thin) and pour into cupcake tins. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out dry.
In a small pan, heat water, sugar and fresh raspberries on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until most of the water is cooked down. Pour out 1/3 cup of liquid from boiled raspberries and reserve for frosting. When raspberry filling is relatively thick, remove from heat and refrigerate for 1 hour.
To make the frosting, combine powdered sugar and butter in a large bowl and beat until fully incorporated. Microwave milk chocolate and stir until fully melted, then add butter and sugar with raspberry juice.
When cupcakes are cool, scoop out a spoonful from the center of each and pour in raspberry filling. (You may top with the scooped-out cake if desired.) Pipe on frosting and top with raspberries to serve.

Cranberry-Raspberry Chocolate Cake Truffles

 

Happy Valentine's Day! What better way to celebrate this wonderful/terrible holiday than by sharing these cake truffles with your significant other/eating them alone while sobbing and watching a romantic comedy? Whether you are a lover or hater of the holiday, you're probably a lover of delicious sweets and that is why these cake truffles are the perfect treat. :)

I was lucky enough to share these yummy cake truffles with many people I love in my life. My roommates here in New Jersey got the first taste. Then I mailed a box to Dylan in Cleveland as an early Valentine's Day gift. (If you have any doubt about how good these are, he got the package on Saturday afternoon and they were gone by Sunday night... I gave him six...) Finally, I got to spread the love with some beautiful Boston friends I stayed with this weekend. These rich little truffles go a long way, so sharing them with loved ones is easy.

Cranberry-Raspberry Chocolate Cake Truffles
Makes: 40 truffles  Prep: 15 minutes  Total: 24 hours

Ingredients
1 box white cake mix
*3 eggs
*3/4 cup vegetable oil
*1 1/4 cup cranberry juice cocktail
2 8-ounce cream cheeses
1/2 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup raspberry jam
20 ounces chocolate chips (white, dark or milk)
Pink and white sprinkles

*Ingredients depend on box directions. The important part is to replace the water with cranberry juice.

Directions
Mix boxed cake as directed, replacing the water with an equal amount of cranberry juice. Bake as directed and let cool. Crumble cake into a large bowl.
In a mixer, combine cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla. Add cream cheese frosting and raspberry jam into the crumbled cake and mix until fully incorporated. Roll into 1-inch balls and lay on a parchment paper covered baking sheet. Refrigerate overnight.
Remove cake truffles from fridge. Melt chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between. Dip balls in chocolate, lay on baking sheet and cover with sprinkles. Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Raspberry Almond Thumbprints

I've decided that December will be a month of cookie recipes. With only three days left until Christmas, cookies are kind of the only thing on my radar. Today I had my best girlfriends over to bake and decorate cookies. Of course, we had to devour some brie and queso dip before getting started. Seriously, every party we have involves cheese... probably not normal. Anyway, I whipped up a few batches of these thumbprints (based off of my grandma's recipe) and my friends made some classic sugar cookies. Here are the prettiest cookies of the bunch:

It's funny how we spend so much time shopping and getting ready for the holidays, but the best moments are simply sitting around with your best friends and family. I moved to Boston several years ago, but somehow I still find the same charms every time I come home. As I write this I'm listening to "Love is Christmas" by Sara Bareilles, so perhaps that's why I'm feeling so introspective. To wrap this up, when you're running around this holiday season don't forget to slow down and enjoy the people around you. And also have a cookie. :)

Raspberry Almond Thumbprints
Makes: 1 dozen cookies  Prep: 10 minutes  Total: 20 minutes

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg, divided
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup slivered almonds, chopped
1/4 cup raspberry jam

Directions
Mix butter, brown sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl. Crack the egg and separate the white from the yolk, saving the egg white in a small bowl. Add the yolk to the sugar mixture and mix well. Add flour and salt and mix until fully incorporated.
Lightly whisk egg white. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and dip into egg white. Roll into finely chopped almonds and place on a greased baking sheet. Press thumb into the center of each cookie and bake at 375 for 10 minutes or until the dough is set. Remove and let cool. Fill each cookie with raspberry jam and store in an airtight container until ready to serve.