Chocolate filled chocolate cupcakes CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE!

Chocolate x3? Chocolate 3 cubed? C3??
Anyway enough of that because 1. I'm confused already, and 2. I no longer lay claim to knowledge of mathematical things like I used to once upon a time.


Frosty wanted chocolate cupcakes. Not just any old chocolate cupcakes - chocolate cupcakes with chocolate cream in the middles and chocolate cream on top. Okay. Simple enough. I made it with mockcream/buttercream out of simplicity. Although it was a challenge in this heat at the moment! 35 degrees C out there!

I am happy with the result.

Hollowed out

Buttercream filling

om nom nom

Buttery short crust pastry

Being on a tight budget lately, I've been doing more home baking and trying to stretch things out, food-wise. Always keeping a well stocked pantry of SR and Plain flour. I've even managed to dig out my old (OLD!) work apron (Ahh back in the days of kitchen handery.)... I truely am a housewife.

I made a beef mince pie (the recipe is much like this, only replace steak with mince.) the other night and had to have a(nother) crack at making pastry - I've only made pastry once or twice prior to this and it was a bit of a failure.. not too much mind you, but still.
So I used the following recipe, and it was enough to make both base AND lid of a 9 inch pie dish.

2.5cups plain flour
1 cup cubed COLD butter
Pinch of salt
A few tablespoons of ice cold water

In a large bowl dump the flour, salt and butter in, and using your fingers, crumble the butter and flour together - it should resemble a crumb-like texture.
Add the water in, start with 3-4 table spoons - you will need to knead it to bring it together. Add more water by the tablespoon as needed - you'll know you have enough when you're able to pinch a small ball of it and it stays together. Not too wet and not too crumby. Turn it out onto a floured board and lightly knead it into one big ball - then divide it into 2. Shape them both into a ball each then flatten out to a thick disc shape.

Wrap in plastic wrap then pop them into the fridge for about 20 minutes.

Once you've made and cooled your pie filling - take one of the pastry discs out of the fridge, and turn it out onto a floured board, roll it out to fit the base of your LIGHTLY GREASED pie dish. I think mine rolled out to about 3 or 5mm thick. Mine wasn't a perfect circle, but hey I like it rough anyway. ;)  (Tip - Lifting rolled pastry is a pain the arse, so once you're done rolling it, use your rolling pin to help lift it into the pie dish. Put the rolling pin at the edge of the pastry, and gently with your fingers help roll it onto and over the pin. Then it's just a matter of unrolling it all once on the pie dish. )

Lay your filling in, and do the same for the lid of the pie. Seal the edges with a fork, trim it if you want it to look neat, I prefer the rustic look. Brush a beaten egg over the top and cut a V to allow steam to escape.

Bake at around 180C for around 40-60 minutes or until lightly golden!

Ultimate Chocolate Mousse of Doom

This is a RAW egg based recipe.. so..... if you can't eat that, don't eat this.

200g GOOD dark chocolate (don't use cooking chocolate!)
20g butter

Thickened cream (600ml)
3 eggs separated (one bowl for yolks, one bowl for whites!)

Break the chocolate up into more manageable pieces, without eating it.. or some...  and set it with the butter in a heatproof bowl over a pot of lightly simmering water, to melt it. Stir occasionally as it melts and make sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl.

As that's left to it's own devices, melting, as it does.. in a large mixing bowl whip up 1 cup (ok so I may have used 2 cups?) of Thickened cream. Set that aside into the fridge.

Chocolate melted yet? Remove from the heat and let it cool to BLOOD temperature then beat the egg yolks into it.
Gently fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture, then whip up the egg whites in another bowl, until soft peaks form.. Then gently fold into the chocolate mixture until all combined.

If you want to be fancy, divvy it up into pretty martini glasses, or if you're lazy leave it in the mixing bowl. Allow it to set in the fridge for a few hours. Serve with whipped cream, cherries, raspberries.. whatever!

Ok it may look like a pile of poo, but trust me, it's delicious choccie mousse!