Cuppycakes

As part of my new calling, I was asked to do the dessert for our Relief Society Christmas party. Naturally I turned to my brilliant sister Mary for ideas, and she suggested these cupcakes. Some of you girls will remember eating them in Park City. Lucky you, now I have the recipe and can share it with you!

Chocolate Cupcakes
Makes 18

1/2 c Butter
1/2 c Cocoa
1 1/2 c Unsweetened Applesauce
2 1/2 c All-purpose Flour
2 c Sugar
1 1/2 ts Baking Soda
1/2 ts Salt
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1 c Mini Chocolate Chips

Heat butter and cocoa together in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add applesauce and bring to a boil. Set cocoa mixture aside to cool. Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl with a wire whisk. Add eggs and vanilla to cocoa mixture. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Add chocolate chips, but don't overmix. Scoop about 1 1/2 oz into paper lined cupcake pans. Bake 15-20 min at 350*. Cool and dip tops into warm ganache.

Ganache
12 oz good quality semi-sweet chocolate chips
12 oz heavy cream
1 ts vanilla

Bring cream to a boil and pour over chocolate. Let sit 5 min. Add vanilla and stir until smooth and glossy.

I decorated these with crushed peppermint candies for Christmas. You could use shaved white chocolate in January, heart candies in February, gumdrop shamrocks in March (roll gumdrops flat with extra sugar and cut out with a cookie cutter), robin's egg candies in April, edible flowers like pansies or violets in May, fresh berries in June and July, gummy pop bottles in August, sugared grapes in September, candy corn in October, salty sweet potato chips in November.

It's cupcakes all year long!

Ana Montana