Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes

Check in : Al

Okay.. Janice is a genius.... hence, i think she deserves a nobel prize. And, no offence Jan, but, i didnt you could cook so so well. Your pasta looked EXTRA yummy (especially when i only had a piece of toast this morning. Oh shoot. Which reminds me, i have my multivitamin in my coat pocket. Was rushing this morning.. didnt have time to eat right.) So, back to Jan, just looking at the yummy pasta (and yes, Habanero is one killer ingredient. We grow them on my balcony. Also grow curry leaves - very essential stuff, tomatoes, thai chilles, spring onions, basil leaves and attempting to grow rosemary) Oh yeah.. the yummy Pasta... it's really enticing me to come visit you! :) YUMS!!!!! And yeah, it's really all about food with me. A true true wai-sek-gwai.

Today is the 15th of the month - chinese calendar.... so, got to eat vegetarian... So, dinner tonight would either be some taufu dish or some loh-hon-chai dish. Which is all good with me. As for lunch, we have a kitchen in my office. It's also a pretty private kitchen - only about 5 of us use it. But, i use it the most and try to make the most of it. I eat in everyday (only the occasional extra thick and yummy chocolate milkshake from jack-in-the-box, which i should also write a blog about "Milkshakes at Fast food joints".) So, lunch is usually a supped-up ramen. Since we don't get Maggi here, only Nissin ramen ok! No cheap ramens for me..! And don't anyone dare say eating too much ramen ain't good for u... because my ramen meal will also include some sort of protein in the ramen (chunks of chicken breasts or egg) and definately lots of veggies. Sometimes as a treat, some enoki mushrooms. YUMSSSS :) But today, lunch menu is pesto and artichoke pasta with garlic bread. (I make one helluva garlic bread) Will try to get a picture and post it.. if i remember that is.

Anyway, since Janice posted one heck of a pasta recipe (which i till try VERY soon, thank you very much), I saw this recipe on TV last night. It looked extra good and I know Suan will definately enjoy it. I will probably try it this weekend (coz baking takes a little more effort.. we don't usually have baking ingredients like heavy cream at hand). But, I'm posting it for anyone else to try. It's a recipe for Chocolate Ganache cupcakes. It's from a lovely lady on Food Network and her name is Ina Garten and her show's name is Barefoot Contessa. (Janice, don't know if you have cable, but Food Network is one heck of a channel) So here it is. Enjoy!

Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes
1/4 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 (16-ounce) can chocolate syrup (recommended: Hershey's)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour

For the ganache: 1/2 cup heavy cream
8 ounces good semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
Candied violets, for decoration, optional

Line muffin pans with 12 paper liners. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time. Mix in the chocolate syrup and vanilla. Add the flour and mix until just combined. Don't overbeat, or the cupcakes will be tough. Scoop the batter into the muffin cups and bake for 30 minutes, or until just set in the middle. Don't overbake! Let the cupcakes cool thoroughly in the pan.

For the ganache, cook the heavy cream, chocolate chips, and instant coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally. Dip the top of each cupcake in the ganache. Decorate with candied violets, if desired. Do not refrigerate.