Chocolate Coconut Cupcakes

Once again this year, the Super Bowl fell on my birthday.  To celebrate, I wanted to make Buffalo wings in the "old school" way - i.e. deep fried and no exotic sauces, although I did doctor up mine by adding a little Dave's Insanity Hot sauce to the traditional Frank's Red Hot - I like my food spicy.  these came out great but I doubt I'd make them again because of the hassle involved.   To make enough wings for a crowd, the cook is chained to the stove for a long time.    For dessert, I was craving the cupcake version of a Mounds Bar - a chocolate and coconut.  I googled around and couldn't find any recipes that didn't involved Duncan Hines cake mix, so I decided to create my own.

I went back to my trusty Better Homes and Garden cookbook to dig out my usual "go to" recipe for chocolate cupcakes - good old devil's food.  Then, a little online research showed that a coconut filling could simply be made sweetened condensed milk and coconut.  I knew I wanted to top them with a bittersweet ganache and coconut.   I suppose that fans of Almond Joy candy bars could top them instead with sliced almonds....after all,  sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't....

  

Here's the recipes...


Ganache

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
24 ounces 60% cacao dark chocolate chips

Heat cream in the microwave for about a minute until it is boiling. Add the chocolate and let it sit for a couple minutes. Gently stir the mixture until it is homogeneous and the chips are melted. Refrigerate for several hours, stirring occasionally, until quite thick.

Cupcakes
2 c all purpose flour
2 c sugar
1/2 c cocoa powder
1 1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 1/2 c milk
1/2 c shortening
1 t vanilla
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 F. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix dry ingredients.   Add milk, shortening and vanilla and mix until combined, then beat on high for 2 minutes.   Add eggs and beat 2 minutes more. 

Filling
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
7-ounce package sweetened coconut

Mix together until combined. 

To make the cupcakes, line a cupcake tin with paper liners, and fill halfway with cake batter.   Using a small ice cream scoop, add about a tablespoon or so of filling and top with some additional filling.   Bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes.  Allow to cool.  Spread ganache on top of each cupcake and sprinkle with coconut flakes, or sliced almonds.

Makes about 18 cupcakes.