Chocolate Porter Cupcakes Porter Ganache Caramel Corn Crunch Toasted Meringue Recipes

CARAMEL GANACHE

Steps:

• Whisk 4 ounces chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate into the warm caramel sauce until smooth. Drizzle over vanilla ice cream.

CHOCOLATE PORTER CUPCAKES, PORTER GANACHE, CARAMEL CORN CRUNCH, TOASTED MERINGUE

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a mini cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
• Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl. Set the bowl aside.
• In the bowl of an electric stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the sugar and oil together, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and then add the vanilla and coffee extracts and 1 egg at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
• Whisk your porter beer and cocoa together in a separate bowl and set aside.
• Turn the mixer to low and add your sour cream. Continue with the mixer on the lowest speed and add the flour mixture and cocoa mixture, alternating between the two, beginning and ending with the flour.
• Fill the prepared liners half full with the batter and bake for 30 minutes. Cool.
• For the ganache: In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the porter beer to 130 degrees F. Pour the beer over the white chocolate in a clean medium bowl. Whisk until incorporated. Transfer the ganache into a sauce bottle for use. Hold at room temperature until the cupcakes are cooled.
• For the caramel corn crunch: In a microwave-safe bowl, heat your peanut butter and milk chocolate for 30 second increments until melted. Stir with a spoon between heating. Crush the caramel corn in a food processor until fine. Pour the chocolate mixture over the caramel corn. Stir with a spoon until incorporated. Chill in the refrigerator until set. Scoop with a number 70 ice cream scoop on to a plate lined with waxed paper. Reserve at room temperature until assembly.
• For the meringue: Combine the sugar and egg whites in a saucepan. Whisking constantly over low heat, bring the mixture to 110 degrees F. Pour the egg mixture into a standing mixer fitted with a whip attachment. Whip until it reaches room temperature; the mixture should be light, fluffy and shiny. Add the vanilla extract and salt. This recipe should be done just prior to assembly.
• To assemble: Push the caramel corn filling into the middle of each porter cupcake. Fill in the hole with the porter ganache. Chill until set.
• Fill a piping bag fitted with a star tip half full with the meringue. Pipe on top of the cupcake. Toast the meringue with a kitchen torch. Garnish with caramel corn.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Let eggs stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Meanwhile, place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. In medium bowl, mix flour, cocoa, baking soda and baking powder.
• Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat softened butter and brown sugar with electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Beat flour mixture into sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk on low speed, beating after each addition, just until smooth. Scrape side of bowl occasionally.
• Spoon batter evenly into muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake 14 to 17 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips and cream uncovered on High 45 to 60 seconds; stir. Continue to microwave in 15-second increments until chips can be stirred smooth. Grasp bottom of each cupcake, tip upside down, and dip into ganache, twisting slightly as pulling away for a smooth finish.
• To make white chocolate curls, pull a swivel-bladed vegetable peeler down the edge of white chocolate bar, using long, thin strokes. Sprinkle each cupcake with about 2 teaspoons white chocolate curls, using toothpick to lift curls. Let stand at room temperature until ganache is set, about 2 hours. Store at room temperature.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
• Combine sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating briefly after each addition. Mix in chocolate syrup and vanilla extract. Add flour; mix until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Scoop batter into the prepared muffin cups.
• Bake in the preheated oven until tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 30 minutes; do not overbake. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• While cupcakes are cooling, combine chocolate chips, heavy cream, and instant coffee granules for the ganache in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring between, until melted.
• Dip the top of each cupcake in the ganache. Do not refrigerate.