Peanut Butter-filled Chocolate Cupcakes

 On a recent trip to Fort Collins, CO I purchased Martha Stewart's Cupcakes cookbook.  It is filled with yummy, delicious looking cupcakes.  This is the first cupcake I made, and I picked it because my hubby LOVES chocolate.  Now I must say- clearly Martha Stewart, although a master at many things, hasn't mastered writing a recipe that can stand up to high altitude cooking.  So next time, I think I'll add a bit more flour because only 1, ONE cupcake didn't sink in the middle.  But they still tasted good...

{Peanut Butter-Filled Chocolate Cupcakes}

recipe compliments of Martha Stewart Cupcakes

makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

4 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3 eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Peanut-Butter Filling {recipe follows}

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.  Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.  Put butter and chocolate in heatproof bowl & set over a pan of simmering water; stir until melted.  Remove from heat & let cool slightly. 

Whisk granulated sugar into cooled chocolate mixture.  Add eggs, and whisk until mixture is smooth.  Stir in vanilla.  Add flour mixture, stir until well incorporated. 

Spoon 2 tablespoons chocolate batter into each lined cup, followed by 1 tablespoon peanut butter filling.  Repeat with another tablespoon of batter, and top with 1 teaspoon filling.  Swirl top of cupcake batter and filling with a wooden skewer or toothpick.

Bake, rotating tin halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, about 40 minutes.  Transfer tin to a wire rack to cool completely before removing cupcakes.  Cupcakes can be stored up to 3 days at room temperature in airtight containers. 

{Peanut-Butter Filling}

 

Ingredients

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

3/4 cup smooth peanut butter

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Stir together all ingredients until smooth.  Use immediately.