Double Chocolate Mini Cupcakes

This recipe came from a local newspaper. These cupcakes are very chocolate, rich but not overly sweet.

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Yields: 48-55 mini cupcakes

Ingredients

• Cupcakes

• 1 1⁄3 cups  sifted all-purpose flour
• 1⁄3 cup  dutch process cocoa
• 3⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 cup unsalted butter, softened, cut into pieces
• 1  cup sugar
• 1  tablespoon instant coffee, dissolved in
• 1  tablespoon hot water
• 3⁄4 teaspoon vanilla
• 2  large eggs
• 3⁄4 cup  whole milk
• 1  cup  miniature chocolate chip

• Glaze

• 6  ounces  semisweet chocolate, chopped or 6  ounces  miniature chocolate chips
• 6  tablespoons unsalted butter, cut up
• 6  tablespoons heavy cream or 6  tablespoons  whipping cream

Directions

1. This recipe makes about 50 to 60 miniature cupcakes.
2. Line miniature muffin tins with liners (I purchase the mini liners at a craft store that carries cake supplies).
3. Preheat oven to 350. Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt into a bowl and blend.
4. Cream butter thoroughly, until very soft. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat for a minute or two. Beat in coffee mixture and vanilla.
5. Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition.
6. At low speed, add dry ingredients in three equal additions and milk in two equal additions. In other words, add one third of the dry mixture, then half of the milk, then another one third of the dry ingredients, followed by the rest of the milk, and then the last of the dry ingredients. Scrape down the bowl as needed. The mixture is about the consistency of a thick pudding.
7. Stir in the miniature chocolate chips. Pour batter into cups. I fill them pretty close to the top; when they bake, they come over and make a mushroom shape, which is how I like them. If you prefer smaller, then fill accordingly. I have found that using a cookie scoop (looks like a small ice cream scoop, it's for cookie dough) works well to fill the muffin cups without too much mess.
8. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes from the pan and let cool completely.
9. For glaze, put chocolate, butter and cream in top of a double boiler (I just use two pots). Use low heat and stir until mixture is smooth. The glaze doesn't look very chocolate-like until right at the end. Stir completely to make as smooth as possible. Remove from heat and let the glaze cool for five minutes. Spoon glaze on each cupcake and swirl. A miniature rubber spatula works well. The glaze is very shiny, but becomes more fudge-like as it cools.
10. Each time I make this recipe, I have glaze left over; you probably could cut it by one fourth, but I've never wanted to take a chance on not having enough. Anyway, as far as I'm concerned, the glaze left in the pan is the cook's reward -- have a couple spoonsfuls when you're done!