Sunday, October 24, 2010

Mini Chocolate Tiramisu Cupcakes

Merry Sunday!

I hope this weekend has been wonderful for everyone.

For me, this weekend has been devoted to preparing for a cooking show I will be conducting this coming Saturday.

Before I go on, I should probably explain.I am a Pampered Chef consultant, and as a consultant, I prepare delicious, low cost meals to demonstrate product sold by The Pampered Chef. This is one of my side jobs that I can schedule around my classes at Armstrong Atlantic State University and my normal daily job. This is probably one of my favorite things to do because it involves cooking and eating which are some of my favorite things to do in life.

In preparation for my upcoming cooking show, I went about preparing a batch of delicious, moist, fragrant tiramisu cupcakes so that on Saturday I will be used to preparing the recipe. It is super easy to prepare, and it only takes about 30 minutes total, including time in the oven.

Here's the recipe (As per The Pampered Chef):

Mini Chocolate Tiramisu Cupcakes: (Makes 24 adorable mini cupcakes)

Cakes:
1 small pkg (9 oz) devil's food cake mix
1/4 cup sour cream
1 egg
1 tbsp instant coffee granules
1 tbsp water
1/3 cup coffee liqueur

Filling &Topping:
1 1/2 cups thawed frozen whipped topping (or homemade)
8 oz mascarpone or cream cheese at room temperature (I prefer cream cheese, more cost friendly)
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
Unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray mini muffin pan cups with nonstick cooking spray. For cakes, combine cake mix, sour cream, egg, coffee granules, and water in medium bowl; mix well. Divide batter evenly among cups of pan. Bale 8 to 10 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean.

2. Meanwhile, place whipped topping into large resealable plastic bag; secure and set aside. For filling, combine cheese, sugar, and vanilla in clean small bowl; mix until smooth. Place filling into an additional resealable plastic bag; secure and set aside.

3. Remove pan from oven to a cooling rack. Press tops of cakes down lightly to make slight indentations; cool 2 minutes. Remove cakes from pan to cooling rack. Brush tops with coffee liqueur using a silicone basting brush; cool completely.

4. Trim corners of both bags. Pipe filling over cakes. Pipe whipped topping over filling. Sprinkle with cocoa powder if desired. (**I use a tea steeper to dust the tops of my cupcakes, that way you can evenly dust the tops without getting cocoa powder everywhere.)


This recipe makes for the perfect bite size treat, and even children can enjoy them (Just leave out the coffee Liqueur). My sweet tooth always strikes at the weirdest times, and if you have a few of these waiting in the fridge, they're very yummy cold. At 120 calories each, I think it's better to eat a homemade treat rather than a store bought candy bar to satisfy that sweet tooth. 
Here is how mine turned out, pretty cute if I do say so myself!


I think the next recipe I'll try is a hometown Savannah favorite, Pecan Pie.
Thanks for stopping by!
What is your favorite hometown treat?