PMS Who? Cupcakes

As I was perusing some of the awesome cooking blogs that are out there, I stumbled upon this masterpiece from the cupcake project for these "Better than sex cupcakes", and I swear I heard the angels in heaven sing a chorus as I gazed upon this beauty. I mean chocolate times five! This woman is a genius! I must promptly start petitioning to have a Nobel prize awarded to her for this stunning creation. I'm a hardcore chocoholic, so when I come across a recipe that caters to my addiction I nearly piss my pants with excitement. I changed it up a bit, and used different recipes for everything, but the original concept is pure brilliance. I mean chocolate cupcakes, with chocolate chips, and chocolate mousse filling, frosted with chocolate ganache and chocolate butter cream frosting! As you can see I messed around with them a bit. Some of them have buttercream frosting on top and some of them have chocolate mousse on top. Also some are filled with buttercream instead of chocolate mousse. I know, I know. I can never leave well enough alone. I cant help it. I'm under the delusional impression that I'm creative so bear with me.

OMG! Look at that creamy chocolate mousse filling! How can you see that and not get light headed and filled with goosebumps from the anticipated ecstasy that is sure to follow?! Though I swear they were so good they made my nipples perky after the first bit, they were NOT better than sex (I just want to know what kind of wackass sex you are having if cupcakes are better than it, but that is another story), hence why I changed the name to "PMS Who? Cupcakes". These cupcakes will leave PMS broken and bleeding in a corner crying for its mama. I am not kidding. They are no joke. Make them for your man, he's sure rub them all over your body and give you fabulous loving that is hopefully much better than these cupcakes;)

XOXO

Stay sweet;)

P.S. My cupcakes were lacking chocolate chips because I forgot to put them in. I was devastated, but they were still yummy, and I plan to make them again very soon.


P.P.S. They were also lacking the ganache that was suppose to frost the top of the cupcakes before the buttercream, but it was late and I was too tired to melt anymore chocolate, but I will make these again and pull out all the stops. I promise.

PMS Who? Cupcakes Part 1- The Ghirardelli Grand Fudge Cupcakes
Source: Ghirardelli.com
Makes approx. 24 cupcakes

3/4 cup(s) Unsweetened Cocoa
2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cup(s) sugar
1 teaspoon(s) baking powder
1 teaspoon(s) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
1 cup(s) butter or margarine, softened
1 1/3 cup(s) milk
2 large eggs
2 teaspoon(s) vanilla
2/3 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (I forgot them, but I beg you in the name of all that is holy DO NOT FORGET THE CHOCOLATE CHIPS)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and lightly flour baking pans. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and add vanilla and eggs one at a time, scraping bowl after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture and milk (starting and ending with the flour mixture), while mixing on low speed. Continue to mix until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Scoop batter into cupcake cups about 1/2 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

PMS Who? Cupcakes Part 2 - The Ghirardelli Chocolate Mousse
Source: Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet baking chocolate wrapper (yes ghetto I know, but I'm all about convenience, and when I took off the wrapper it was just there begging to be made) Also I had been trying to find a good mousse recipe, and this one caught my eye because it was one of the few where the eggs aren't completely raw which kind of skeeves me out.

4 large egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1-1/2 bars (6 oz.) Ghirardelli Semi‑Sweet Chocolate Baking Bars, chopped

Beat egg yolks in small bowl on high speed until thick and lemon colored, about 3 minutes. Gradually add sugar then beat. Heat one cup whipping cream in saucepan over medium heat inst until hot (do not boil). Gradually stir half of the hot cream into egg yolk mixture then combine back into hot cream in saucepan. Cook over low hear about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture is blended and thickens. Let cool for 10 minutes, then add chocolate to mixture and stir until thick, about 5 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally, just until chilled. Beat remaining 1-1/2 cups whipping cream in chilled medium bowl on high until stiff. Mix 3/4 cups of the whipping cream into chocolate mixture until blended. Fold remaining whipped cream gradually into chocolate mixture until well blended. Fill pastry bag.

Filling cupcakes using the cone method (Do not be impressed I just learned about this literally 3 days ago)

Make a small round incision (about 3/4 of an inch) on the top of the cupcake going down into the cupcake in the shape of a cone (like a mini snow cone). Not too far down or you'll get all the yummy cupcake center out. Cut off the end of the cone so that you only have the top of the cupcake left to cover the hole up with. Pipe in chocolate mousse and cover with the left over top of the cone. Don't worry if it looks all beat up at this point. Once you frost them you can't tell the difference.

PMS Who? Cupcakes Part 3 - The Chocolate Ganache
Source: cupcake project
3.5 oz of Semi-Sweet chocolate broken into small pieces
1/3 C heavy cream

Place the chocolate in a small glass bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it just starts to boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir until all the chocolate is melted and integrated with the cream. While it is still warm, spread a thin layer of it over the cupcakes. It will harden when it cools.

PMS Who? Cupcakes Part 4 - The Chocolate Buttercream
Source: Ghirardelli Unsweetened Cocoa label

6 Tbsp. Butter softened to room temperature

2-2/3 cups Confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup Unsweetened cocoa

1/3 cup Milk

1/2 tsp. Vanilla extract

In bowl, beat butter until light and fluffy. In separate bowl mix sugar with cocoa. Blend sugar mixture with butter alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Beat until smooth. Blend in vanilla. Fill pastry bag and pipe pretty designs on your cupcakes!

Enjoy!