Cream Cheese Filled Chocolate Cupcakes

Getting ready to leave China, I had 1/2 cup of butter and 8 ounces of cream cheese to use up.  I found a recipe that was similar to this, but I had to make changes for exactly what I had left to use up.  I was pleased with the results.

Cream Cheese Filled Chocolate Cupcakes

1 1/2 c. flour
1 c white sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Mix these all together in a large bowl.  Make sure it is well blended.

In a small bowl:

2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup softened butter (this must be butter!  no margarine)
1 tsp vanilla
1TBS apple cider vinegar

Blend together and then add to the flour, sugar, cocoa mixture.  Mix until well blended
Fill lined cupcake pan with about 1/2 inch of batter.  You will have a total of 18-20 cupcakes with batter left over for just a minute.

Mix together:

8 oz of cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt

Mix with a mixer until the sugar is well blended in. 

Add:

1/2 to 3/4 cup chocolate chips

Put a TBS of the cream cheese/chocolate chip mixture in the batter that is in the cupcake tins.  When all the cream cheese mixture has been added to the batter in the cupcake tins, finish putting the rest of the batter over the top, using up all the rest of the batter. 

If you want, you can add chopped walnuts or pecans to the top of the cupcakes.

Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees.  Test with a toothpick to see if they are done.  No batter will be sticking to the toothpick if they are done.

Kay Cox's Basic Cream Fondant

This will be posted in two different sizes.  First the small batch, then the large batch numbers in parenthesis.

4 Cups white sugar                (10 lbs white sugar)
1 cup milk                              (4 cups whole milk)
1/2 cups whipping cream        (2 cups whipping cream)
2 Tbsp white corn syrup         (1/2 cup white corn syrup)
2 Tbsp butter                         (1/4 lb of butter aka 1/2 cup butter)
Pinch of salt                           (1/4 tsp salt)

Combine all ingredients in a large pan, place over heat and stir constantly until mixture begins to boil.  Keep boiling rapidly until fondant reaches desired temperature, soft ball stage (230-232 degrees).  If a firm fondant is desired, cook two or three degrees higher.  Cool as rapidly as possible and beat.

When making the fondant, the amount of cream, milk and butter can vary to make as rich a fondant as you like.  You may use more milk and less cream, but increase the butter, etc.  Ten pounds of sugar when dipped makes twenty pounds of chocolates.