It's Cherry Pie Day, Folks...well yesterday!
First of all, I would like to send out my thoughts and support to the good people of Kalamazoo, Michigan that are trying to make sense and recover from the mass shootings that took place last night. Events such as this touch us all and require us to come together as a community whether we live within it or a hundred miles away. Like John Donne once wrote, "any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee...."
So, who would have thought that there was such a day devoted to Cherry Pie? When I heard there was a Cherry Pie Day, I turned on the Runaways and listened to "Cherry Bomb" and researched what this day actually means. I learned quite a bit. First of all, no one knows who started it but I hypothesize it was a Brit with wooden teeth that fell victim to this sweetened fruit.
Here are some interesting facts. Pies started in Britain. They were placed in long, rectangular pans, probably a bread pan and the crust was called a coffyn in which the cherries were placed in it to bake. They never ate the coffyn, only the warmed, sweetened fruit. Whoah! What a waste. Even in the Roman ages the flaky deliciousness was left untouched. It wasn't until the American Revolution that the term crust was used instead of coffyns and it was then that we began to call cherry pie, 'the All American dessert." Haha! I love being an American but boy do we know how to take something and lay claim to it.
When it comes to baking, it is important to know what you can do and what you can do well. It is just as important to know what you don't do as well. Pie is something that I do not do so well. Doesn't mean I have stopped trying but I would never subject you to that until I am fully, 100% pleased with the result, so I decided to make what I call "Dark Chocolate Cherry Bomb Cupcakes." I don't think Joan Jett will mind but maybe I will have to ask her as I am going to see her in concert soon.
These cupcakes please me on many different levels. Chocolate, buttercream frosting and a chocolate covered cherry in the center as well as on top. I will tell you, don't make these unless you can get your hands on fresh cherries, frozen won't work because you need to dip them in chocolate and the frozen become mushy. These are elegant, cute and sassy. You will love them if you like chocolate and cherries...and enjoying the all American dessert your own way.
Dark Chocolate Cherry Bomb Cupcakes
Ingredients
Chocolate covered cherries
6-8 oz dark chocolate
36 fresh cherries
For the cake
12 TBSP unsalted butter
1/2 cup + 2 TBSP dark chocolate cocoa
1/2 cup + 4 TBSPs hot water
1 1/2 cups plus 1 TBSP flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream
For the Frosting
4 egg whites
1 1/4 cup sugar
3 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
1/3 cup cherry puree (about a dozen pitted and stemmed cherries in a food processor or blender.
Instructions:
1.) Make the chocolate covered cherries for the center of cupcake, pit and stem 18 cherries.
2.) Melt half the chocolate and place the stemmed and pitted cherries in chocolate. Place on wax paper and let harden.
3.) Melt the last half of chocolate and. Dip the stemmed cherries in chocolate and place on wax paper. (Note the pit is still in these.)
4.) Preheat oven to 350* and line cupcake pan with liners (this will make 18 cupcakes.)
5.) Whisk cocoa and hot water together. Set aside
6.) In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. (not the sugar.)
7.) At medium speed of mixer, mix melted butter and sugar together for 5 minutes.
8.) Add eggs and vanilla, and chocolate mix.
9.) Alternate adding flour with sour cream.
10.) Fill liners 2/3 full.
11.) Toss the stemmed and pitted cherries in the 1 TBSP of flour and place on top of the cupcake.
12.) Bake for 18 minutes.
Allow to completely cool.
For the frosting: Now don't be afraid of the meringue buttercream frosting. I am telling you to keep your cool and not freak out. (I freaked out) but I wanted to try it and evolve as a baker. Having said that, I found the frosting to be fabulous and light, but next time I am going to do cream cheese frosting.
1.) Boil water on the stove. In another bowl, crack the egg whites into and whisk. Place the bowl with eggs over the boiling water and keep whisking until the temp reaches 170*.
2.) Place in a stand mixer bowl and and whisk for 10 minutes until peaks form.
3.) Add butter, a little bit at a time.
4.) Once all butter is added, add the cherry puree.
Now, if your's is soupy, don't worry. Place in the ice box until it has cooled and then re-whisk. It will be beautiful, I promise.
5.) Put in a piping bag, and swirl onto cupcakes, topping with a chocolate covered cherry.
And "hello, Dad. Hello, Mom. Here's your ch...ch...ch...cherry bomb!"--The Runaways
FattFatty likes Cupcakes too!!
