Festive Chocolate Cupcakes

What's not to love about cupcakes? Especially soft-as-clouds chocolate ones, topped with decadent chocolate ganache made with Valrhona 70% choclate. These were my final entry into C's client goodie bag and boy were they as easy to eat as they were to make. The recipe is from More From Magnolia (I've been obsessed with Magnolia cupcakes ever since I watched Sarah Jessica Parker bite into a pink one in Sex And The City - I'm such a follower, I know). You can get the recipe here.

Instead of using Magnolia's suggested Buttercream Frosting, I decided to top it with my favourite ganache recipe.



You essentially chop 115 grams of the best bittersweet chocolate and boil up 125ml of heavy cream. When the cream is boiled, pour it over the chopped chocolate and let it sit for about 30 seconds before stirring it up. Then add 30 grams of cubed butter, softened at room temperature and stir till you get a smooth mix. Refrigerate it, stirring every 5 minutes or so until it's at the consistency you want. Then spread over the cupcakes.

To add a touch of festive shine, I sprinkled silver dragees on top.