Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes

I was reading a food blog recently that mentioned that one of the rules of blogging, food blogging in particular, is to never begin your post with an apology.

What?!

I must've mis-read my rulebook, because I was sure it said to begin every post with an apology. So, now that I know the rules, I am just going to skip the whole where-I've-been song and dance that I usually do to start these things off.

I will, however, mention that there's an almost 8 month old baby asleep upstairs as I type, who's finally got the hang of this going to sleep thing we've been working on for a bit. The moment he hits the crib, he grabs his pacifier, shoos me away, twists into a half rollover and promptly falls asleep. Leaving me with evenings, glorious evenings, full of time to just dance around and relish the fact that I have nothing to do. Except the dishes. And the sweeping. Or the laundry. Or all the sleeping I need to catch up on.

But! I've chosen to ignore all of those things and instead, I am finally writing to tell you about the cupcakes I made for, hmmm, was it Henry's 3 month-a-versary?

Oh yeah. Remember that little game I wanted to play where every month I made homemade cupcakes for Henry? You were so polite to not laugh directly in my face. My readers are so nice to me. What you're looking at are the last cupcakes I made (let me see...8 minus 3 is-- we don't really need to figure out how long I've been sitting on this post, now do we?) .

I have, however, continued the little cupcake tradition, I just now buy really elaborate and delicious ones from the gourmet cupcake store around the corner to plop the little one next to for photo time (which is getting harder and harder to do as the months go on and Henry has gained the ability to reach and grab and scoot. Again, you were all so nice not to laugh and mock my little idea....really, you were...)

Yes! That is a scoop of ice cream on your cupcake!

Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes

From: Martha Stewart Cupcakes

Yields: 22 standard cupcakes, or 12 standard + 4 jumbo cupcakes*

Think of these less as cupcakes and more as individual fudge-y sundaes. The crackly sunken tops create the perfect place to nestle a nice scoop of ice cream. Which then calls for a drizzle of chocolate sauce. And maybe a sprinkling of nuts...?

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (or 1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips)

6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1) Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Melt butter and chocolate in a large heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pan of simmering water. Stir to combine, then remove bowl from heat and let cool slightly. Whisk in egg yolks.

2) With an electric mixer on medium speed, which egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beating until peaks are stiff and glossy, but not dry (do not overbeat). Which one quarter of the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten; gently fold mixture into remaining whites.

3) Divide batter evenly between cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until cupcakes are just set in centers, about 25 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes (their centers will sink).

4) Top with scoops of ice cream, taunt young baby with cupcake, then promptly eat. Enjoy!

*A word on Martha Stewart's cupcake book, or any cupcake book in general. I highly recommend that you look at how many cupcakes the recipe calls for BEFORE starting to make them, so that you don't end up owning one cupcake tin, but realizing as you're about to pour the batter that you've just whipped up a recipe that yields 42. (who does that? They should be ashamed, and definitely never admit to doing it, especially on their blog...)