Book Club was last night.
Two things we always like to have is wine and chocolate so I thought I would supply the chocolate.
Mini cupcakes are always the best because they transport easy and they can be consumed in one bite.
The cupcake part is not really that special but the frosting is what gives it a little more of a decadent kick.
This month’s book club was different in the fact that most of us read the book.
That could be because we chose to go old school and flashback to our days of middle school.
If you are a man you didn’t read this book.
But if you are a woman you most likely did….we read “Are You There God? It’s Me Margret” by Judy Blume.
For those who have read it, you can only imagine how weird our discussion was last night. 🙂
In other news, I thought I was getting a new camera.
Someone I know recently purchased a new camera and was looking the sell her old one.
I was all ready to buy it when I discovered that the lens I need to take my signature up close photos runs around $900.
That is more than what the camera body and the 50mm lens combined were going to cost me.
Sigh. So it looks like I am with the cheapo camera for awhile.
Chocolate Cupcakes
1/2 cup boiling water
1/4 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon soda
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a mixing bowl, combine boiling water, butter, sugar, and cocoa. Beat until sugar is dissolved. Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with the beaten egg, sour cream, and vanilla. Fill greased and lightly floured cupcake cups about half full.
Bake at 350° for 25 minutes. Makes about 12 to 18 medium cupcakes or about 9 to 10 large cupcakes. If you are making mini cupcakes then they only need to be in the oven for 12-14 minutes.
Chocolate Ganache Frosting
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup butter , room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1. Chop chocolates and transfer into a heat proof bowl.
2. Heat cream until bubbles form around the edge of the pan, pour cream over the chocolate.
3. Let sit for 1 minute then stir until combined.
4. Add butter to the chocolate (make sure its soft and at room temp) and stir until combined.
5. Whisk together sugar, salt, milk, and vanilla in another bowl until combined.
6. Pour the sugar mixture onto the chocolate mixture, then stir until combined and smooth.
7. Let sit at room temperature until thickened.
8. Beat with an electric mixer until fluffy.
Marce says
If this is what you do with a cheap camera, I can only imagine what you would do with a better one! I think we are better off this way, it would be plain evil for our waists otherwise and our keyboards would suffer even more from all the drooling 😉
Helen says
That’s pure decadence! Great second shot…not that the other ones don’t make me hungry!
joey says
You work wonders with a “cheapo” camera! 🙂 All your pictures just leap off the page! (and into my mouth I wish) These gorgeous cupcakes are no exception 🙂
Shawnda says
Aaaah, yes – I read that book. The pictures look great, especially that second shot!
Kristen says
Those look fantastic! With your “cheapo” camera, you still make magic.
What kind of camera were you going to get? What is the lens you were wanting?
Heath says
Oh man – your pictures are gorgeous no matter what kind of camera you use. (Anyway, we just sprung for a Canon Rebel with all the junk and the pictures of the new baby so far come out blurrier than the ones with the crappy point-and-shoot! And it was A LOT OF MONEY!!)
Chris says
First…the cupcakes look devine. Second – the book…love it! And, I used to love hear my female students talking after they read it – I felt like I was in a time warp!
Brilynn says
Ha! I read that book in grade five, I can only imagine what you guys talking about, I would have loved to be there! Also to eat your cupcakes.
janelle says
Such gorgeous, yummy photos…
Tanna says
Wish my hand me down camera would do so well as your cheapo!
Those are amasing minis!!
Hester says
I loved that book! wow – brings back lots of memories! I think your photos are totally beautiful…
Patricia Scarpin says
I wish my cheapo camera and the cheapo person behind it worked beautifully like this, too. 😉
Cupcakes look delicious!
Cheryl says
Judy Blume and chocolate cupcakes. What a great combo.
jann says
What lovely photos. Your camera is still producing wonderful shots and you, wonderful treats for us to savour!
Laurie says
Yummy cupcakes, that ganache frosting looks divine!
sandi @ the whistlestop cafe says
Any closer and I would be licking chocolate off my screen. You do wonders with your ‘cheapo’ camera. I always leave inspired!
gattina says
I’m another cheapo 😀
And nice teeth!
bea at La tartine gourmande says
Oh you are talking to the chocoholic here, you know! This pic with the bite missing is so tempting! It is good that I baked super dark chocolate shortbread tonight, otherwise I would feel deprived!
jasmine says
It looks absolutely perfect…I love the swirly top.
j
barbara says
I agree with Bea that half eaten cupcake is very tempting.
veron says
You are right that icing does give it a definite decadent and in my opinion, sexy kick.
Ellie says
Beautiful cupcakes, I feel like I can smell the chocolate wafting from them!
jenny says
YUM! thank you so much for the recipe, delicious!! (i love the height of the frosting, mmmm!)
Susan from Food "Blogga" says
As if the first pic wasn’t tempting enough, you had to really tease us with the bitten one.;) Yum!
Kirsten says
OH MY GOD!!! I SO remember that book. I cannot even imagine how funny it was to eat chocolate and recall early adolecence and how bad/good it was and how much/not much our parents equipped us with.
WOW, a blast from the past. Thanks Peabody!
p.s. Eddie Matney is doing great now, new article:
http://www.azcentral.com/home/food/articles/0228golffood0228.html
maura says
I love that your book club read Judy Blume!
Linda, The Village Vegetable says
wow – those are perfect teeth marks. did your teeth make those?! lovely photographs. this sweet looks absolutely perfect.
gilly says
Cute, chocolate-y, frosted… can’t ask for much more than that. Your book club sounds fun!
Ari (Baking and Books) says
Those macro lens prices are killer that’s for sure. I’ve been wanting one for ages but they are just too costly, so I take a photo then crop it up close in Photoshop. Not ideal, but it works!
And as for the photos in the post – YUM!
peabody says
Linda- lol, yes, those are my teeth marks….I can thank Dr. Sparks my orthodontist from my junior high days.
Freya says
I read all of Judy Blumes books when I was a kid! When my husband and I recently moved, I found Tiger Eyes and couldn’t resist reading it. Took me about an hour though…but I enjoyed every minute!
The cupcakes look really good!