Irene's Funny Bone

Hurricane Irene, please go away! Windows are boarded, sandbags have been bought, precautions are all set. This has not been a good last weekend before school starts. I should be basking in the day sun, getting my tan (okay, freckles) on. Instead I'm sitting inside watching the weather channel. At least we're safe. School officially starts this Wednesday. I'm hoping for a good year, a nice quiet year with angels for all 125 students. A girl can dream....


Funny Bone Cupcakes
adapted from blogs.courier-journal.com
Oven 350        Makes 15-17 cupcakes
Cupcakes:
1 stick salted butter, room temperature
2 ounces dark chocolate chips
½ cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
¾ cup all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup buttermilk

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Filling:
½ cup whipping cream
¾ cup dark chocolate chips
2/3 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup creamy peanut butter

Frosting:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
5 tablespoons salted butter, room temperature
¾ teaspoon vanilla
Up to 1/3 cup whipping cream

Cupcakes:
Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.In a bowl, combine butter, chocolate and cocoa, and microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring until smooth.
Sift flour, baking soda and baking powder together into a bowl.








In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla until fully mixed.












Add the cooled chocolate mixture, and beat on medium. Add a third of the flour mixture followed by half the buttermilk. Beat well, and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add another third of the flour and the rest of the buttermilk, and mix. Add the rest of the flour, and beat until just combined.








Divide batter evenly between muffin cups (I filled 17 with this much batter). Bake 15 minutes or until cakes test done in center. Cool on rack.















Filling:
In a pan over medium heat, stir together the cream, chocolate chips, butter and sugar until mixture is melted and smooth. Stir in peanut butter until melted and combined.Hollow out center of cooled cupcakes with an apple corer.













Fill centers of cupcakes with ganache. Let ganache cool before frosting cupcakes.
















Frosting:
Beat together the powdered sugar, peanut butter, butter,  and vanilla until creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add about half the cream, and beat in at high speed. Beat in more cream as needed to make a spreadable icing.Frost cupcakes with peanut butter frosting.