Chocolate Cupcakes with Almond Crunch

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Who would expect that Parisian patisseries would turn out cupcakes -- that beloved confection so indigenous to American bakeries! On a recent visit to the City of Light, I discovered that plenty of the city's sweet shops were displaying fabulous versions, and fell in love with one in particular -- a dark chocolate little gateau, glazed with ganache and sprinkled with caramelized almonds.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Almond Crunch are a close facsimile. The batter includes both cocoa powder and semisweet chocolate to produce a rich chocolate flavor. In place of frosting, a creamy ganache is used inventively. A small cavity is made (with an apple corer or a little knife) in the top center of each cake and filled with some of the chocolate mixture. The remaining ganache is used as icing. Crushed caramelized almonds (prepared simply by cooking nuts in sugar and water) are a final garnish. Serve these delectable creations at spring celebrations such as graduation, wedding or anniversary fetes.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Almond Crunch

Makes 12 cupcakes

Almond Crunch:

1 /4 cup sugar

1/2 cup almond slivers, toasted (see note)

Cupcakes:

1/3 cup Dutch process cocoa powder

3 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

3/4 teaspoon almond extract

Glaze:

1/2 cup whipping or heavy cream

4 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

For almond crunch, line a baking sheet with foil. Stir sugar and 1 tablespoon water in a small, heavy saucepan over medium low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium high and boil mixture without stirring until color is rich amber brown, about 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in almonds, then pour mixture onto foil and cool completely. Break into chunks, place in a plastic bag, and pound with a rolling pin into a coarse powder. (Almond crunch can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 4 days.)

Arrange a rack at center position and preheat oven to 350 F. Line a standard 12-mold muffin tin with cupcake liners. Bring 1/2 cup water to a boil and remove from heat. Whisk in cocoa powder and chopped chocolate until smooth. In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking soda and salt.

With an electric mixer on medium speed, cream butter and sugar until light and smooth, stopping machine to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in cocoa and flour mixtures alternately, in half cupfuls, stopping machine to scrape sides of bowl as needed. Stir in almond extract.

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups and bake until a tester comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Carefully remove cupcakes from tin to cool on a rack.

For glaze, bring cream to a boil in a small, heavy saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate until smooth. Cool 10 minutes. Then, using an apple corer (or a small sharp knife) cut a 1-inch deep piece from the top center of each cupcake. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of chocolate mixture into each cavity and replace cut-out pieces. Coat cupcakes with glaze, then sprinkle with almond crunch.

Note: Use slivered, not sliced, almonds, and bake on a rimmed baking sheet in a preheated 350 degree F oven until lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Watch carefully. Remove and cool.

 

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Chocolate Cupcakes with Almond Crunch Recipe

(c) 2010 Betty Rosbottom Recipes