CUPCAKES!

Having gone to the Multi Cultural Fair this weekend where they had AMAZING cupcakes, I found this recipe to share at
http://www.confessionsofacookbookqueen.com/

and zeroed in on this gem

http://www.confessionsofacookbookqueen.com/2010/06/chocolate-covered-twinkies-homemade.html
*Adapted from Joy the Baker

INGREDIENTS

2 cups all purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk

Place rack in center of the oven and preheat oven to 350.

Spray a Twinkie pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl of an electric mixer at medium high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at time, beating for 1 minute in between each addition. Beat in vanilla extract. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture alternately with the milk in 3 batches, starting and ending with flour. Beat until just incorporated.

Fill each cup in the prepared pan about 2/3 full of batter. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until the cakes are slightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cakes comes out clean. Remove from oven and let pans cool on wire racks. Do not try and remove Twinkies from pan until almost all the way cool or they may fall apart.

Once Twinkies are completely cool, fill with Twinkie Cream



Twinkie Cream (From Todd Wilbur)

2 teaspoons very hot water
1/4 teaspoon salt
7 oz jar marshmallow cream
1/2 cup shortening
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine the hot water and salt in a small bowl and mix until salt is dissolved. Let the mixture cool.

Combine the marshmallow cream, shortening, powdered sugar and vanilla extract in a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer until fluffy.

Add the salt water to the filling and beat well to combine.

Scoop into a pastry bag with a small tip and pipe into cooled Twinkie cakes.

**I allowed my Twinkies to cool in the refrigerator overnight before dipping in chocolate. This allowed them to firm up so they wouldn't fall apart when rolled in warm melted chocolate.

You will need a bag of Milk Chocolate Candy Melts and a bag of Dark Chocolate Candy melts. Pour about half of each bag into a medium sized bowl and melt in the microwave according to instructions. Mix well so that the milk and dark chocolates are well blended and not marbled. Place one Twinkie at a time in the bowl and roll around to coat, spooning chocolate over the Twinkie if necessary. Place coated Twinkie on wax paper until set. If you want sprinkles, be sure and sprinkle them on before the chocolate hardens.


Repeat until all Twinkies are coated (there should be about 12 total). It may be necessary to melt the other half of the chocolate coating to finish.