A Little Bit of Heaven in a Cupcake!

If you find yourself craving a little bit of an indulgence and have you a little time to play around, I highly suggest some Cocoa Cayenne cupcakes with a lemon thyme cream filling and a chocolate ganache glaze.  They are slightly work intensive, but the outcome is heavenly!  Or, you could just call upon your local gypsy girl and she could whip you up a batch in no time!

Cocoa Cayenne Cupcakes with Lemon Thyme Cream Filling and a Chocolate Ganache Glaze

Cupcakes:

¼ cup cocoa

1 cup flour

½ tsp Salt

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp cayenne

8 oz bittersweet chocolate

½ cup + 2 Tb butter

4 eggs

½ cup sugar

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 and line cupcake pan.  Sift flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and cayenne and set aside.  Melt the bittersweet chocolate and butter and set aside.  Beat the eggs and sugar until it thickens, about 5 minutes.  Reduce speed and add cocoa mixture and vanilla.  Beat until combined.  Gradually add the flour mixture.  Fill cupcake pan and bake approximately 30 minutes. 

(Or, you could just cheat on the cupcake part and purchase the box mix at Wegmans... The box mix from Wegmans can be found in the organic section and is gluten free!  A plus on so many levels!)

Ganache:

9 oz bittersweet chocolate

1 cup heavy cream

1 Tb dark rum

Chop chocolate and place in a small bowl.  Heat cream in sauce pan over medium heat.  Bring just to a boil.  Pour over chopped chocolate.  Whisk until smooth.  Stir in rum.  Allow to cool until thick.  Whip with a whisk until light and fluffy.

Lemon Thyme Filling:

1 Cup heavy cream

3 Sprigs of fresh thyme

½ cup lemon curd

Heat 1/3 cup of cream and the thyme in small sauce pan to a boil.  Reduce heat and cook 3 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Let stand for 30 minutes.  Pour mixture through a sieve into a medium bowl.  Discard the thyme.  Refrigerate the mixture for 1 hour.  Beat remaining cream on high until soft peaks form.  Add the thyme mixture and lemon curd and beat until stiff peaks form.

 To Assemble:

When the cupcakes have cooled, use a paring or other small knife to make the area for the cream filling to go.  Cut a small circle on a 45 degree angle in each of the cupcakes.  Remove the center.  Cut a portion of the center of the circle so just the largest part of the circle is left to place back on the cupcake once filled.  Spoon the cream filling into the center of the cupcake and place the lid back on.  Add the ganache to glaze the cupcake and then put a dollop of cream filling on top of the ganache.  If you are feeling fancy, add a touch of thyme to the top.

I'm Back, Baby! First Stop, Nashville!

Greetings!  I know it has been a while since I have "blogged".  Many of you have probably followed my other blog about a cross country road trip.  If not, I highly suggest you check it out when you have time...

http://roadtripdiscovery.blogspot.com

I'm back, baby! 

After a recent disappointment of canceled plans, I decided to try taking my happiness into my own hands and not wait around for others.  And, lucky for all of you, I am going to write about it and y'all are going to read about it.... and like it! 

I recently saw a side of Nashville I didn't know existed.  Sort of hard to believe, even for me.  After countless years of flying in and out of the Nashville airport to visit my sister and the miscellaneous tourist locations, I was exposed to a complete opposite side.  The "Redneck" side.  While I was visiting over the Easter/Passover holiday, we had the pleasure of joining the Redneck Comedy Bus Tour.  We learned about important subjects such as moonpies and where the country stars hang out when they are not in jail (we also saw where they hang out when they are in jail).  Very entertaining if you ever find yourself in the Nashville area with two hours to kill.

www.theredneckbus.com

 

With a quick stop at the Country Music Hall of Fame... The windows are shaped and spaced to replicate the keys of the piano and the circles around the top of the building are all the sizes that records have come in over the years.  A very interesting and beautiful place to spend some time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Did you know...???

 

On February 16, 1862 the Union was victorious at Fort Donelson and within days Clarksville and Nashville fell into Union hands?  Interesting, right?!

 

 

And what would a trip south of the Mason Dixon line be without some good ole fashioned Bar B Que?  Rick's Bar-B-Q in Dover, TN cooked it up with some mouth watering ribs, chicken and of course bbq!

Be sure to check back often.  I will be updating on a regular basis!