There are a number of things that just do not pair well with wine - driving, public speaking, tightrope walking, work. Oh, and chocolate. Say what now!
Yeah, that was no error - chocolate and red wine are a no-no! Well, according to this article on Serious Eats that asks that we Please Stop Pairing Red Wine and Chocolate (with exceptions).
Well, I should just shut this post down and be on my way, glass and bottle in tow. But, I so want us to enjoy some chocolate and wine in these pretty little cups. So, let's ignore the article's plea and live on the edge.
So happy we did that! Heaven in a paper cup, topped with clouds of creamy, whipped cream and served up with a pretty plastic spoon. Can I get an amen!
I may have received an even bigger amen if I drizzled some glaze over the frosting, but I wanted to keep their innocence in line with the playful cups.
I can tell you how the light airy texture of the vanilla whipped cream complemented the rich, moist texture of the cake, how the cherry gelatin coupled with the chocolate helped to boost the notes in the wine, how the glaze was the real cherry on top, or how I convinced myself that three servings were equivalent to one because they are small cups - but I won't bore you. I suggest you give them a try and we'll chat once you have.
And what's a great cupcake without an equally great cup? I got these and every other design they had in stock at HomeSense. No telling if you will find the things you like on your next visit, so best to play it safe and strip them of their inventory while you have the chance. Man I love that place!
Unlike paper liners that require a muffin tin for baking, these little scalloped edges of adorableness have claimed their independence. Well, sort of. Just place them on a cookie sheet and you are good to go. It pained me to throw them out once they were scraped clean of their chocolate innards.
Aha - light bulb moment! Line them with plain cupcake liners!! And do my best to not get batter or frosting on them... Wish me luck with that!
So yes, there are some things that should not be paired with wine, but everything tastes much better with chocolate, especially when served in cute, little cups like these. Eat up!
Chocolate and Wine Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream
Chocolate and wine nestled under clouds of whipped vanilla goodness!
Servings: 24 mini cupcakes
Ingredients
Cake
- 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
- 1 cup cabernet sauvignon or another red wine of your preference
- ⅓ cup 2% lactose-free milk
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 3 large eggs slightly beaten
- 2 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 box black cherry gelatin
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Glaze
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- ½ cup red wine
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Frosting
- 2 cups 35% lactose-free cream
- 3 tablespoons icing sugar
- ¼ teaspoon crushed vanilla beans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Place cupcake holders on a medium-sized cookie sheet; set aside.
- Melt chocolate in a small bowl placed over a small saucepan of simmering water. Let cool 5 minutes. In a small bowl, combine wine and milk; set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and the granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs; beat for 2 minutes. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and beat until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- In a large bowl, whisk flour, gelatin, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to combine. Add to mixer bowl, along with the wine mixture, and beat on low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Spoon batter into prepared cups.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool completely before decorating.
To make the glaze:
- Combine the butter, wine, and confectioners' sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, over medium-high heat. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Use a fork to make holes in the cupcakes and using a small spoon, sprinkle a small amount of glaze onto each.
To make the frosting:
- Ensure the cream is properly chilled - chilling the mixer bowl also helps. Pour the cream into the bowl of an electric mixer and sprinkle in the crushed vanilla beans. Whip the cream on high setting, adding the icing sugar until firm peaks are achieved. Use a piping bag and a
- #885 tip to pipe swirls onto the cupcakes.
Notes
cake and glaze recipes adapted from Martha Stewart
Although not much, butter contains traces of lactose - 0.5% as opposed to the 4.9% that is present in cow's milk. So I can avoid butter, or remove the lactose and enjoy even tastier versions of butter - clarified butter and Ghee. And they are easier to make than I initially thought. You can learn all about them 
A lot of confectioner's sugar, a little warm lactose-free milk and a handful of fresh or freeze-dried berries - all that's left to do is dip, sprinkle...
And enjoy with a glass of lactose-free milk and a whole lot of polka dots! 🙂
My niece had a hand in making and decorating these little bites and we managed to make 
