BEST RECIPES-Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberries

Ingredients

• 2 oz. (56g) unsweetened chocoláte, chopped
• 1 cup (130g) áll-purpose flour (spooned into meásuring cup ánd leveled)
• 1/4 cup (21g) unsweetened cocoá powder (spooned into meásuring cup ánd leveled)
• 1/2 tsp báking sodá
• 1/4 tsp sált
• 1 cup (200g) gránuláted sugár
• 1/4 cup (56g) unsálted butter, softened
• 1 lárge egg
• 1 lárge egg yolk
• 1 1/2 tsp vánillá extráct
• 1/2 cup (120g) sour creám
• 1/2 cup (120ml) boiling wáter

Stráwberry Buttercreám Frosting

• 1 cup (17g) freeze dried stráwberries
• 1 cup (230g) fresh stráwberry puree (from stráwberries blended in á food processor)
• 3/4 cup (170g) unsálted butter neárly át room temperáture
• 3 1/4 cups (390g) powdered sugár
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp vánillá extráct
• Few drops red food coloring (optionál)

Chocoláte Covered Stráwberries

• 12 smáll fresh stráwberries
• 4 oz. (113g) semi-sweet chocoláte

Instructions

For the cupcákes

1. Preheát oven to 350 degrees. Line á 12-cup muffin tin with cupcáke liners. Melt chocoláte in á microwáve sáfe bowl on 50% power in 20 second interváls, stirring between interváls until melted ánd smooth, set áside to cool slightly. 
2. In á mixing bowl whisk together flour, cocoá powder, báking sodá ánd sált for 20 seconds, set áside.
3. In á lárge mixing bowl using án electric hánd mixer mix together sugár ánd butter until combined (it won't come together entirely but mix until lumps of butter áre creámed).
4. Mix in egg, egg yolk ánd vánillá extráct. Mix in melted chocoláte then mix in sour creám. 
5. Ádd hálf of the flour mixture ánd mix on low speed until combined then ádd remáining hálf ánd mix until combined. 
6. Ádd ábout 1/5 of the boiling wáter át á time, mixing until combined áfter eách áddition. Once wáter hás áll been blended mix bátter on medium-low speed for 1 minute.
7. Divide bátter ámong prepáred muffin cups, filling eách ábout 3/4 full. Báke in preheáted oven until set ánd toothpick inserted into center comes out cleán, ábout 17 - 20 minutes. 
8. Remove from oven, tránsfer to á wire ráck ánd cool 10 minutes, then tránsfer to án áirtight contáiner (one thát doesn't touch tops. I like to do this to seál in moisture) ánd állow to cool completely before frosting. 
9. Once cool frost with stráwberry buttercreám frosting ánd top with á chocoláte covered stráwberry. Store in án áirtight contáiner in refrigerátor (for best results serve within the dáy át room temperáture). 

For the stráwberry frosting

1. Pláce freeze dried stráwberries in á smáll reseáláble bág, seál bág ánd crush stráwberries to á fine powder with á rolling pin. Sift through á fine mesh sieve into á bowl to remove seeds, set áside.
2. Stráin stráwberry puree through á fine mesh sieve ánd meásure out 3/4 cup, then pour into á smáll sáucepán set over medium-low heát. 
3. Simmer puree, stirring occásionálly until reduced by ábout two thirds to á 1/4 cup, ábout 10 - 14 minutes (meásure ánd if it isn't quite 1/4 cup then return ánd continue to simmer, if it's not reduced to correct ámount it will máke the frosting runny). 
4. Pour reduced puree into á smáll bowl, then freeze or refrigeráte, stirring occásionálly until fully cooled.
5. In the bowl of án electric stánd mixer fitted with the páddle áttáchment, whip butter until pále ánd fluffy. 
6. Mix in powdered sugár, reduced stráwberry puree, freeze dried stráwberry powder, lemon juice, ánd vánillá ánd continue to mix until frosting is pále ánd fluffy. Tint with color if desired.

For the chocoláte covered stráwberries

1. Melt chocoláte in á smáll microwáve sáfe bowl on 50% power in 30 second increments, stirring between interváls, until melted ánd smooth. 
2. Dip stráwberries in chocoláte, let excess run off then tránsfer one to eách cupcáke.
3. Recipe source: Cooking Clássy

This article and recipe adapted from this site

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