---------- 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 Corn starch
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
1/2 c 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

Pastry Cream:

Mix 1/4 cup sugar and corn starch 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.

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
2/3rds full.

Bake in a preheated 325?F oven for 20 to 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.

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.

Recipe by City Cuisine

Recipe FROM: The Orlando Sentinel, Apr 19, 1990

Posted by: The Cookie Lady

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