Oh! Nuts sent me some nuts to bake with. I kind of forgot what a giant pain skinning hazelnuts is, but it’s definitely worth it. (I use the boil with baking soda method.)

Then I threw the hazelnuts and some milk chocolate chips into the food processor for a few pulses.

I adapted this from a recipe from Baking From My Home To Yours.I’m not sure why she recommends baking them for 18 minutes because that seemed WAY too long (I’d check them after about 10 minutes – if they start to darken they’ve baked too long). I cut out snowflake shapes and dusted them with powdered sugar to make them a little more festive.

I know it’s hard to have a bad chocolate cupcake, but some are definitely a lot better than others. This recipe not only dirties just one bowl, but it makes perfectly textured cupcakes with big chocolate flavor. The creamy milk chocolate frosting on top is a nice contrast to the dark chocolate in the cupcakes.

This made enough extra batter to fill 4 ramekins, so I ended up with 16 cupcakes, which were quickly devoured at a family dinner. The batter is very liquid, so make it in a bowl you can pour easily from, if you have one. Someday I may try baking this as a layer cake because I loved the flavor and texture so much, but for now, it will be my new go-to chocolate cupcake recipe!

Recipe:

Cupcakes:
(adapted from Martha Stewart)

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a 12-cupcake pan with paper liners. Grease 4 ramekins.
Sift the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
Add the eggs, warm water, buttermilk, canola oil, and vanilla and mix with a fork just until combined (make sure there are no lumps of flour).
Pour into prepared pans, filling about 3/4 of the way.
Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Cool in the pans for about 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely

Frosting:
(adapted from Chocolate Shavings)

1 stick of butter, softened
1 3/4 cups of confectioners’ sugar
3 ounces milk chocolate
a few tsp milk

Chop the chocolate and melt in the top of a double boiler. Set aside to cool.
Cream the butter in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.
Add the confectioners’ sugar, then chocolate, and beat on medium, adding milk in 1/4 tsp increments if necessary to make smooth frosting.