Chocolate Coconut Cream Cuppies!

Well Hello my Lovlies... Tonight I have a demonstration for you ... some helpful hints and tips .. and a mouthwatering idea.. but No chocolate cupcake recipe.. You see.. I have actually developed this recipe of my own, and while I am VERY proud of it .. because it is quite delish .. I also want to open my own dessert shop one day and I can't give away ALL my recipes....... SO with that I hope you enjoy this post regardless and if you live nearby me ( In Saratoga Springs Ny) You are more than welcome to order a doz cuppies anytime :)  Here goes!

Alright so, here's the deal .. Tomorrow is one of my co workers birthday's ... and If she's reading this .. she now knows she's getting cupcakes.. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELIZABETHHHH!!!!! She's most definitely the person I relate best to at work .. despite our vast difference when it comes to lifestyle.... regardless I hemmed and hawed over what kind of goodie to make her, a cake, a pie, muffins, when I finally decided  that cupcakes are just my most signature and most work friendly dessert, I then had to decide what KIND.. as I am currently revising my white cake recipe.. I decided to go with chocolate ... and was pretty much set on Chambord Buttercream when I got a killer coconut craving in the late afternoon - So here you have it- Chocolate Coconut Cream filled cuppies with Coconut Buttercream.

First I needed to make the filling .. and heres my Tip#1 of today .

All it takes to make a Kick ass QUICK filling is the following 

1 Vanilla ( or chocolate .. or any flavor you desire really) Instant pudding

1 cup heavy Cream

1/2 milk ( I use full fat)

1/2 tsp flavoring IF desired (More if its Mild ... Like Chambord for instance)

Mix all the ingredients up together with a whisk, cover with plastic and set in the fridge until set (Basically until your cupcakes are cooked and cooled)

I won't tell you that this is also the only way I will eat pudding.. No .. because it is FAR to decadent for something like that ......... *cough*..

Next up .. Chocolate cupcakes :) 

I'll show you what I put in my cuppies... and how I do it .. I just won't tell you how much .. So if you can figure it out .. power to ya .. ( just a hint , the picture may not be exactly accurate , in fact its not .. so don't go and try just from the ingredient pic) 

My chocolate cake hint ..... You do see pictured Hersheys special dark cocoa.. ok .. so I don't LOVE hersheys.. but it is decent .. and the dark cocoa is that little umph that chocolate cake deserves .. 

Butter and sugar are first combined.. then eggs are added and I whip it all up good .. 

Meanwhile add your cocoa to Boiling hot water to dissolve, then cool as much as you can (I'm pretty impatient so I stick it in the fridge for like .. 5-7 min .. )

Once "cooled" add to your butter mixture with the mixer on Low --

See the steam .. ( Mine's still hot .. shhh don't tell.. )

Once that is all mixed together you can add your flour mixture ( bksoda, salk, powder.. ) 

 just mix until it's fully incoorporated.. then into prepared and lined cupcake tins ..

I use a measuring cup with a spout to pour the batter into the cups as it is really runny ..... but maybe it wouldn't be if I cooled the chocolate .. meh .. who know's .. I do know that I will most likely NEVER find out.

I don't trust those silicone cupcake things... good old fashioned pans and liners do me just fine.. and I love the look of chocolate cupcakes with brown liners... just my personal taste ..

Into the over at 350 for 15-17 min .. ( not like you really care you don't have the recipe.. ) 

They come out looking like ... 

Hellllllo Lovers!!

I had serious time constraints ( yea great time to make a filled cupcake right ?) so I put these guys on a cooling rack with some room in between and popped them in our spare fridge  for 20-30 min ... 

I like a lot of filling in my cupcake so I employ an old fashioned potato peeled to help me get the proper size hole in the middle of my cupcake.. only because an apple corer proved to be TOO large.. 

Now that theres holes in the mid's of your cupcakes ( which I realize is hard to see in the pics.. But They are there I promise) You are ready to fill .. 

Easiest way is with a piping bag or if you don't have them , a ziplock with the corner cut off . :)

VOILA!

Next Stage .. Buttttttahcream .. Mmm.. drool...

You've all seen me make frosting, so here's the abridged version

2 sticks super soft butter but not melted.

8 cups SIFTED ( cant stress that enough)  conf sugar

flavoring ..... I used ABOUT 1 1/2 tsp

about 1/2 tsp salt 

 and enough liquid to make it come together , in this case I used some heavy cream and some nonfat milk ... maybe ......... 8 tablespoons? more or less .. 

MIX MIX MIX MIX MIX .. then FROST THE CUPCAKES... yes.. 

UHM yes... I used a bad again to just make a beautiful dollop of frosting which I like to call the "Retro Bakery Dollop" because there is he FAB bakery that I follow on Twitter and Facebook called Retro Baker Las Vegas that uses this general design when frosting their cupcakes.. I've yet to try one .. but I'm PRETTY sure I'll be floored... (Check out their site www.retrobakerylv.com)

Oh yea Obviously I dunked these in some shreaded coconut and then stuck some ( Ok I precisely placed one of each color on each cupcake) of the little almond joy pieces .... kind of like M&M's but almond joy ... Hi Heaven much ?? 

Oh and have a look at the INSIDE...

That's what I'm talking about!!!! 

Well  I hope you enjoyed this post .. even though there was no recipe .. you can apply some of the basic ideas to your own recipes .. or maybe it will inspire some flavor combinations ... or I dunno ..just make your mouth water a little :) I know my coworkers will have a Happy Friday with these guys in the kitchen !

Have a Sweet One !! :)