45-minute cupcake challenge

The other night I was laying around watching some old episodes of Master Chef, putting off getting dressed for a special dinner date with the husband, when all of a sudden -whaaattt– one of the challenges on Master Chef was to create an incredible, unique cupcake in 45 minutes!

Pfff, I thought…how are they supposed to bake, cool and decorate a cupcake in just 45 minutes?? I mean, whenever I bake, sure I always say, “ok, I’ll be done with this in one hour”, but then there’s facebook, the cat’s meowing, the phone rings, I get hungry etc. But then it got me thinking…could it be done? I looked at the clock…I had 1 hour to shower, get dressed and be out the door to meet the husband….I’d have to shower while the cakes were baking…but…it could be done!

Considering that I was seriously craving chocolate, I decided to make a Chocolate Bomba Cupcake.

Easy as pie: Whisky-Coffee Chocolate Truffle Recipe

If you’ve ever made a pie, you know there’s not much that’s easy about it. There’s the crust: making it from scratch, letting it rest, rolling it out…the filling: de-skinning the fruit, slicing even pieces…and if you’re going for a lattice top,  you might as well tack on an extra half-hour and a few &%$! moments when the weave inevitably breaks or disintegrates.

In my opinion, the saying should be “easy as truffles”, because really, it doesn’t get easier than this. Chocolate truffles are your basic ganache (chocolate and cream), chilled until solid and rolled into little, uneven balls and coated with your favorite topping. The result is a decadently, creamy chocolate ball that instantly melts in your mouth. If you know a chocolate lover, these are also the perfect birthday gift….easy to make, but they don’t know that.

Here are a few ganache tips that I’ve learned over the years:

-Chop your chocolate reaaaallllyyy tiny. I’ve been lazy and just used big chunks and have had to reheat the entire mixture…ugh.

-Use high-quality chocolate, you can really note the difference. In Argentina, I recommend Fenix brand chocolate. You can buy it at Doña Clara.

-Go wild and add extracts and liquors to your mixture to give it an extra kick (add these after the mixture has cooled down a bit, otherwise it will just evaporate.)

Whisky-Coffee Chocolate Truffle Recipe (adapted from Joy of Baking)

8 ounces (227 grams) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces

1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy whipping cream – crema doble, in Argentina

1-2 tablespoons Whisky-Coffee Extract (I keep this on hand always, just combine 4 tablespoons of Bourbon Whisky with a teaspoon of instant coffee powder)

Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl.

Heat the cream until boiling, and immediately pour onto chocolate, mix with a rubber spatula until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Wait til it cools down a bit and add the whisky-coffee extract to taste.

Put mixture in fridge (or if you’re in a hurry, just stick it in the freezer) until firm.

Scoop out small balls with a teaspoon and shape quickly with your hands into more or less even looking balls (careful, it melts! but then you get to lick your hands….) toss in cocoa powder, toasted nuts, toasted coconuts, sprinkles, powdered sugar or whatever suits your fancy. Stick in the fridge again until ready to serve.