FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES W/MARSHMALLOW MERINGUE FROSTING

APRIL 13, 2011

cupcake-flourless-final_

Passover is next week and I need to mix up my dessert menu.  I always make a flourless chocolate cake, I have made some bad carrot desserts, and an ice cream pie usually works.  This year I will be making a big batch of macaroons and flourless chocolate cupcakes with meringue frosting.

I had planned on making these cupcakes with Nigella’s royal icing frosting.  That was the original plan. Then, I was reading my friend, Elaine’s blog and she had a chocolate dessert with this marshmallow meringue frosting.  I immediately changed my plan and made this frosting. It is rare that I make a completely new recipe, for a crowd, without testing it first.  I enlisted Levi to help in the kitchen and he was a perfect little helper.  He especially liked the kitchen torch!

After torching the last cupcake, I started to think about whom to give this “test” batch to.  Eli’s friend, J, had ankle surgery the day before(soccer accident).  Who better to receive a batch of cupcakes than her? Due to the medication, she said she hadn’t eaten anything in 2 days and that this was the first “real” food that she ingested since the surgery.  I don’t know if this qualifies as “real” food, but none the less, it is food that we all seem to enjoy.

Not only are these going to be perfect for my Passover Seder buffet, but these would be good anytime of the year(with or without the frosting).

Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes
adapted from here
yield: 40 mini cupcakes

ingredients:
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate coarsely chopped
6 large eggs separated, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar

instructions:
• preheat oven to 275 degrees.
• line mini muffin tins with paper liners.
• in a glass bowl set over simmering water, melt the butter and the bittersweet chocolate. remove from heat, let cool 5 minutes
• add the egg yolks
• using an electric mixer with the whisk attached, beat egg whites until soft peaks.  add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time until stiff peaks form.  they are ready when the they appear glossy.
• add a cup of the whipped egg whites to the chocolate mixture and fold gently.  when fully mixed, add entire mixture to remaining egg whites.  fold mixture.
• using a 2 tablespoon ice cream scooper, fill paper cups 3/4 full.
• bake 14-18 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking time (front to back and lower to upper shelf).
• let cool completely and then apply frosting.

Marshmallow Meringue Frosting
adapted from here
yield: 3 cups

ingredients:
4 egg whites
1 cup sugar
a large pinch of cream of tartar

instructions:
•  combine egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in the bowl of your electric mixer.
• place bowl over a pot of simmering water and whisk until sugar is dissolved and mixture is warmed to 145 degrees F(8-12 minutes).
• remove from heat and attach bowl to your electric mixer.  using the whisk attachment, beat on low speed.  when foamy, turn up to high speed and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form (8-10 minutes).
• pipe frosting on to cooled cupcakes.
• using a torch, slightly burn the meringue(optional).
• these cupcakes are best eaten the day they are made.

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