- November 23, 2024
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For those of you that haven’t noticed the explosion of pink and red everywhere, Valentine’s Day is rapidly approaching. I can’t say that I particularly enjoy this holiday.
It usually involves me oohing and awing over the beautiful flower arrangements that my co-workers receive and boycotting Facebook to save myself from the gushy pictures that friends, past and present, share with the internet world.
When you’re a kid, Valentine’s Day is fun because you get to pick out cool cards to give to all your classmates — pictures of elephants that say “Nuts for you” or a baseball that reads “you’re a hit, valentine.” As you get older though, the gifts become more elaborate and more singled out. In middle and high school, there was always that girl walking the halls with the annoyingly large teddy bear. As a teenager, there was always the anxiousness before going to school that day. Would you a candy- or flower-gram from your crush? Or yet, would you be that girl with the obnoxious teddy bear?
One year, in high school, I got called down to the office to pick up a box of long-stem roses that had been delivered to me. It was anonymous. I blushed the rest of the day.
In college, Valentine’s Day was all about going out with my single-girl friends, in protest of boys.
As I get older, my amount of single friends is slowly dwindling. So, as an adult, I usually spend my Valentine’s Day with two of my favorite things, a bottle of red wine and a lot of chocolate.
I have been searching for a baking recipe that includes those two favorites. I had seen a couple that I wanted to experiment with, but then I saw that local personal chef, Roseanne Cotto, had posted exactly what I was looking for on her business Facebook page; chocolate red wine cupcakes with espresso ganache.
She was nice enough to share her recipe with me. The cupcake recipe used was adapted from a “Food & Wine” magazine cake recipe. And the espresso ganache is just something a little extra that Cotto felt would round out the desert. By adding a third favorite ingredient, these cupcakes are sure to keep me company Thursday night.
Chocolate Red Wine Cupcakes with Espresso Ganache
Makes about 24 cupcakes
Cupcakes
What you need:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups dry red wine
What to do:
Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two cupcake pans with cupcake liners. In a bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter with the sugar at medium-high speed until fluffy, about four minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until incorporated.
Add the vanilla and beat for two minutes longer. Working in two batches, alternately fold in the dry ingredients and the wine, until just incorporated.
Scrape the batter into the prepared liners about 3/4 full, and bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a rack; let cool completely. Dust the cake with confectioner's sugar and serve with whipped cream. or attempt the following espresso ganache.
Espresso Ganache
Via Roseanne Cotto
What you need:
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 ounce semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 teaspoon finely ground espresso
What to do:
In the bowl of a double boiler add all ingredients until chocolate melts and is well blended. Let cool slightly then take each cooled cupcake hold at the base and dip into the ganache.
