Dark Sensual Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes.....

No wonder Siti Nurhaliza is crazy over strawberries dipped in chocolate...they are like.....dark mysterious thing but sensual at the same time....hmmm, can't describe it, you have to taste it for yourself!

Today, I decided to let my hair down, take a breather, Hajar was not well last night, so I too didn't really sleep last night, so I took the day off! After sending the boys off to school, I took Hajar to a GP (the owners are our dear Bad's sister and BIL), had breakfast at Kak Jee's, did some editing, went out again to get Umar, Khadijah, Aiman and Aqiel from school...usually it is Yati's routine, but, I thought since I'm at home, I'll give her a breather.

I had tuna sandwich and salad for lunch, solat..lepas tu I was toying with the idea whether to continue with my editing, tidy up the book-racks upstairs or bake this wonderful recipe that I have been admiring ever since hubby bought the Domestic Goddess book many many moons ago (hubby bought the book to make trifle!) By the way, I made Assam Pedas Ikan Tenggiri in the morning, request from my children!

I thought since Hajar, Khadijah and Umar are happily doing their work upstairs and the older boys are still in school, I'd take the opportunity to try the recipe....it was very simple...

Chocolate-Cherry Cupcakes

125 g butter
100 g dark chocolate (the next time round I will use Valhorna chocolate)
300 g morello cherry jam ( I used 150 g dark cherry and 150 g dark cherry jam, so the cake weren't very sweet)
150 g caster sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
150 g self-raising flour

Preheat the oven at 180 degrees Celcius...I used 150 degrees Celcius, my oven had gone wild lately!

Put the butter in a pan, and heat, slowly just to melt, take off the heat. Stir in the chocolate, that you have broken to pieces, until both are smooth and combined. Add the cherry jam, the dark cherries (which I chopped to very tiny pieces), sugar and eggs. Stir with a wooden spoon , when all is amalgamated, stir in self-raising flour (sifted first). Distribute evenly in cake liners or souffle cups. This recipe makes 12 regular cupcakes or about 40 size 8 cupcake liners. Bake for 20 minutes and let cool on rack.

For the icing/topping chocolate ganache I used 100 g dark chocolate with 100ml double cream, double boiled, whisked and pour on the cakes. Since I couldn't find fresh black cherries, I used strawberries instead......the result, muah! You have to try it...smooth chocolatey taste with a bit of that bitter cherry taste and semi sweet nice strawberry aroma....sedapnya! The cake is dense yet light and moist! I love it!

The batter, distributed in the cupcake liners.
Cupcakes, cooked!
The sucker ("saka" really!), ready to be indulged in!