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Vanilla Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C)
and lightly butter 12 muffin cups, or spray with a non stick vegetable spray.
In a
separate bowl
sift
or whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
In the bowl
of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until soft (about
1-2 minutes). Add the sugar
and beat until light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes). Scrape down the sides
of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs, one at a
time, beating well after each addition.
Beat in the vanilla extract.
Then, with the mixer on low speed,
alternately add the flour mixture and the milk, in three additions, beginning
and ending with the flour.
Evenly fill the 12
muffin cups with the batter and bake for about 16 - 18
minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake just comes out
clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
Pastry Cream:
In
a medium-sized heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the
sugar. Add the cornstarch (corn flour) and salt and mix until you have a smooth
paste.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan
bring
the milk just to boiling (the milk starts to foam up.) Remove from heat and
slowly pour the milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to prevent the
eggs from curdling (pour through strainer if necessary). Pour the egg mixture
back into
a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until boiling, whisking constantly. When it boils,
keep whisking the mixture for another 30 - 60 seconds or until it
becomes thick. Remove from heat and
immediately whisk in the butter and vanilla extract. Pour into a clean bowl and
cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a crust from forming. Cool
to room temperature and then refrigerate until firm. The pastry cream can be
stored for up to 3 days. Whisk
or stir
before using to get rid of any lumps that may have formed.
Chocolate Glaze:
Melt the chocolate, butter, and corn syrup in a stainless steel bowl placed over
a saucepan of simmering water. Remove from heat, stir in the liqueur, and let
cool until it thickens slightly (to pouring consistency).
Assemble: Place
the pastry cream in a piping bag fitted with an 1/2 inch (1 cm) plain tip. Fill
each cupcake with the pastry cream by inserting the pastry tip into the top of
each cupcake and squeezing just until you start to see cracks in the top of the
cupcake. Then pour about 1-2 tablespoons of the chocolate glaze onto the center
of each cupcake, letting it drip down the sides. Let the cupcakes sit at room
temperature for an hour or two, or until the chocolate glaze dries. The cupcakes
can then be covered and stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days. Bring
to room temperature before serving.
Makes 12 cupcakes.
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