Milano Melts Cupcakes

Chocolate.....just saying the word invokes a euphoria....although I have many favorite cookies, milanos have been on my list for a very long time.  Sooooo when Pepperidge Farm came out with Milano Melts....I thought I'd died.  Crunchy yummy cookie with melted chocolate inside....I find myself licking the inside more than just eating the cookie sometimes.

So of course I couldn't resist a Milano Melts Cupcake.

This is a simple vanilla cupcake, with a chocolate ganache center and a swirled chocolate and vanilla buttercream topped with a milano melt cookie.

Mmmmmmmmmmm............

The recipe is below!  Have fun!

Milano Melts Cupcakes

makes 2 dozen

Cupcake Ingredients

3 cups cake flour

1  1/2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

2  1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1  1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

2  1/4 cups sugar

5 large whole eggs plus 3 egg yolks, room temperature

2 cups buttermilk, room temp

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

24 milano melts cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 24 cupcake tins with liners.

Directions:

1. Sift together both flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.  Reduce speed to medium.  Add whole eggs, one at a time.  Scrape down sides of bowl as needed.  Add yolks and beat until thoroughly combined. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk and beat until combined.  Add vanilla.

3. Divid batter into cupcake liners.  Fill each about 2/3 full.  Bake until toothpick inserted comes out clean - about  15 - 20 minutes.  Let cool before adding ganache and buttercream.

Chocolate Ganache Ingredients  (Do this first as it needs to sit in fridge)

6oz semisweet chocolate, chopped (I use Bakers Chocolate)

2/3 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

Directions:

1. Over medium heat, cook heavy cream and corn syrup.

2. Place chocolate in heat proof bowl.  Once heavy cream comes to a boil, remove from stove and slowly pour over chocolate.  Stir until well incorporated and ganache starts to thicken.  Place in refridgerator until thick but stirrable.

3. Once the ganache has thickened and cupcakes are cool.  Cut a coned shape piece out of the center of each cupcake and spoon a tablespoon (or more, up to you) of the ganache in the middle.  Replace the piece that was cut out.

Swirled Swiss Meringue Buttercream Ingredients

5 egg whites

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

4 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1.  Place sugar and egg whites into a heat proof mixing bowl.  Set over a pan of simmiering water and whisk until sugar is dissolved.  Mixture will be smooth when rubbed between fingers.

2.  Whisk with whisk attachment on medium speed until egg whites form stiff but not dry peaks.  Add butter a little bit at a time until well incorporated.  Add vanilla.

3.  Replace with paddle attachment and mix on medium high.  Scrape down sides of bowl and continue mixing until frosting is smooth.  Takes about 5 minutes.

4.  Remove about 1/2 cup of buttercream from mixer and set aside.  Add 2 tablespoons of the chocolate ganache to the buttercream still in the mixing bowl and swirl with spoon.  Do not mix.  Add more buttercream if it starts to turn too chocolatey.  Add more chocolate by teaspoons if you need more swirl.

5. Place in piping bag and pipe onto cooled cupcake. 

Decorate cupcakes by placing a whole or half of a Milano Melts on top.  Variation:  chocolate cupcake, with chocolate buttercream and chocolate Milano Melts.

Enjoy with a cup of coffee or a nice glass of milk! :)

>> Short Cut - Box<<

1 box yellow cake or french vanilla cake mix

3 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup oil

Mix together and pour into liners.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.