Hostess-Style Cupcakes

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05

Title: HOSTESS-STYLE CUPCAKES
Categories: Cakes
Yield: 18 Cupcakes

--------------------------------PASTRY CREAM--------------------------------
1/2 c Sugar, divided
1/4 c Cornstarch
4 Egg yolks
2 c Milk, divided
1/2 ts Vanilla

----------------------------------CUPCAKES----------------------------------
5 oz Unsweetened chocolate,
-chopped
1 c Brown sugar, firmly packed
1 c Milk, divided
4 Egg yolks, divided
8 tb (1 stick) butter, softened
1 c Sugar
2 c Flour
1 ts Salt
1 ts Baking soda
1/4 c Whipping cream
1 ts Vanilla
3 Egg whites

----------------------------------GANACHE----------------------------------
6 oz Semisweet chocolate,
-chopped
3/4 c Whipping cream

----------------------------PURE WHITE FROSTING----------------------------
1 c Powdered sugar
1 tb Milk

To make pastry cream, mix 1/4 cup sugar and cornstarch in a bowl until
smooth. Add egg yolks and mix until a paste is formed. Stir in 1/2 cup
milk.

Combine remaining 1.1/2 cups milk and 1/4 cup sugar in a saucepan and bring
to a boil. Pour hot mixture into a bowl, whisking constantly. Pour back
into pan.

Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and thick.
Remove from heat and stir an additional minute. Stir in vanilla and
transfer to a bowl. Cover with buttered parchment paper touching top and
chill a minimum of 2 hours or as long as 2 days.

To make cupcakes, butter and flour a 12-cup and a 6-cup muffin tin.

Melt chocolate in the top of a double boiler or in a bowl over simmering
water. In another bowl, combine brown sugar, 1/2 cup milk and 2 egg yolks.
Whisk until combined. Add to melted chocolate and stir constantly (while
cooking over simmering water) until mixture is shiny and thick, about 3
minutes. Set aside to cool.

In a clean bowl, cream butter and sugar until light. Add remaining 2 egg
yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. In another bowl, mix
together, flour, salt and baking soda.

Combine 1/4 cup whipping cream, vanilla and remaining 1/2 cup milk in a
small bowl and reserve.

Pour cooled chocolate mixture into creamed butter and sugar. Whisk until
smooth. Add combined dry ingredients and cream mixture in three stages,
alternating liquid and dry ingredients, and ending up with liquid. Beat egg
whites until soft peaks form. Gently fold, all at once, into batter. Spoon
batter into muffin cups, about 2/3 full.

Bake in a preheated 325^F oven for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick
inserted in center comes out clean. Set aside to cool, in pan on rack,
about 10 minutes. Invert and set aside on a sheet pan lined with parchment
or wax paper to cool, about an hour.

To prepare ganache, place chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan
bring 3/4 cup whipping cream to a boil. Pour into chocolate and stir until
chocolate is completely melted. Let cool until mixture is less than body
temperature.

To make pure white frosting, mix powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl
until smooth.

Using the tip of a small paring knife, cut a small cone from bottom of each
cupcake. Reserve cones. Scoop out about 2 teaspoons cake from center of
each cupcake ( A grapefruit spoon works well for this step) Fill a pastry
bag fitted with a plain tip with pastry cream. Pipe cream into cupcakes,
then replace reserved cones. Place bottom-side down on the lined sheet pan
and chill.

When ganache is room temperature, dip cupcakes in to coat tops. Chill for a
few minutes to firm chocolate. Fill a plain-tipped pastry bag with frosting
and decorate with a squiggle across each top, trying for 7 loops on each
cupcake. Store in refrigerator until serving time.

Makes 18 cupcakes.

Test Kitchen Notes: You're likely to have some extra pastry cream and
ganache. Use them for other desserts or eat them out of the bowls. It's
almost as much fun as licking the beaters. The cupcakes are best if eaten
within a couple of days.

Source: City Cuisine

From: The Orlando Sentinel April 19th 1990

From The Cookie Lady's Files

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