Lavender Cuppie

Well, where is MY head?  I simply forgot to post these beautiful cupcakes that I had made for the Mother’s Day segment on Fox 43.  So I sincerely apologize for not listing these.  I suppose it’s better late then never, yes?

They are wonderful, as they hold the surprise of the dark chocolate cake below the beautiful icing.  The cake is not a dark color like one would think.  It’s texture is brownie-like, in that it doesn’t rise very high when cooking and then it will settle like a brownie does.  Kind of crinkly, but oh so wonderful in flavor… And this is why I call it a “cuppie.”  Part cupcake, part brownie.  (I don’t think browncake would be such a great term, eh? )

The icing, well, that is truly amazing.  It just takes the cuppie to a new level with a lovely flavor of lavender infused into the icing.  You could chose to decorate it with sugared flowers or place mini chocolate chips on it like I did for the show.  (My sugared flowers, well, I over caked them with the glaze and ruined their beauty!  See, we bakers make mistakes too!)

I hope that you enjoy their beauty and flavor as much as my family (and the news crew!) did.  It really is a lovely balance between a delicate dessert and a hearty one.

Savor the flavors and eat them s-l-o-w-l-y.

Ingredients for the cuppies (courtesy of Food Network):

• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup cake flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method for cuppie:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 24-cup mini muffin pans with paper liners. Melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water). Whisk until smooth, then remove the bowl; keep the water simmering in the saucepan. In another bowl, whisk the sugar, flour and salt; mix into the melted chocolate. Add the eggs, one at a time, then whisk in the vanilla until smooth.  Divide the batter among the prepared cups, filling each three-quarters of the way. Bake until the cakes spring back when touched, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from the pans and cool on a rack.

Ingredients for the icing (courtesy of Martha Stewart):

• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 1/2 teaspoon dried lavender
• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
• Violet gel-paste food coloring

Method for icing:

Bring milk and lavender just to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat, and let steep 10 minutes. Strain, and discard lavender. Whisk in sugar until smooth. Strain again. Add food coloring until desired shade. Spoon icing into cuppies and let cool for an hour.  Can be stored at room temperature for 2 days in a tightly sealed container.

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