Monday 12 December 2016

Chocolate and Chestnut Cupcakes

chocolate cupcakes with added chestnut puree made to look like christmas puddings


Do you have cans in your cupboard that have been there for years? I mean literally YEARS?
I do, or rather I did. A can of chestnut puree that I’d been meaning to use every Christmas, but never quite got round to.

chocolate cupcakes with added chestnut puree made to look like christmas puddings

‘Chestnuts roasting on an open fire’ is a lyric that kept popping into my head every time I saw that can and as that’s from ‘The Christmas Song’ I had to incorporate them into something Christmassy didn’t I?


So I decided to make chocolate and chestnut cupcakes to satisfy that chocolate craving but with the sweet, earthy nuttiness of the nut puree. It’s something that I had never tried before, but upon opening the can (which went out of date mid-2017 so I had to use them this year!) I was pleasantly surprised.

chocolate cupcakes with added chestnut puree made to look like christmas puddings


The recipe is for a thick, cakey chocolate batter, which I baked into wee foil cupcake tins from Yatta Box. They were a substantial firm bake, which I drizzled a simple icing onto and sprinkled some holly and berry sprinkles onto, to give that Christmas pudding look.

The flavour was mostly of chocolate as you’d expect but with a slight, pleasing earthiness going on.

These would be great served warm, with some fresh cream on the side. Give them a go…



print recipe

Chocolate and Chestnut Cupcakes
Chocolate cupcakes with added chestnut puree
Ingredients
  • 30 grams plain flour
  • 75 grams sweetened cocoa powder
  • 170 grams granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • 100 ml milk
  • 2 medium eggs
  • 1 can chestnut puree (250g)
  • 85 ml vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 50 grams approx icing sugar
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180C (160 fan) and set out 8 to 12 cupcake liners.In a bowl, sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Set aside.In the bowl of a mixer, beat together the vegetable oil, granulated sugar, eggs and vanilla extract until smooth.Add the dry mix and milk in alternating amounts, finishing with the dry mix and beating after each addition.Lastly stir in the chestnut puree until the batter is smooth. Add more milk if the batter is too thick.Divide between the cupcake cases and bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the centre.Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.Make a simple icing from icing sugar and water, so it is a thick pourable consistency.Drizzle over each cupcake. Decorate whilst the icing is still wet, if doing so.Enjoy!
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 8 large or 12 regular cupcakes


I'm entering these cupcakes into Love Cake hosted by Ness at Jibber Jabber UK - the theme is Winter Wonderland.

chocolate cupcakes with added chestnut puree made to look like christmas puddings

I'm entering these chocolate and chestnut cupcakes into this month's We Should Cocoa hosted by Choclette over at Tin and Thyme. The theme is Festive Favourites.




6 comments:

  1. *goes digging around at the back of the cupboard*

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  2. These sound and look delicious, I love chestnuts :)

    Rachael xx.
    theteacozykitchen.blogspot.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm pleased to say that I've cleared out all my ancient cans (I think) but I'm a fan of chestnut puree and I've just got to buy some more. They sound like very fine cakes to me. I notice that you used a French flavoured puree and, just a word of warning, the unsweetened, unflavoured puree that's commonly sold by British producers gives a very different result. Definitely not a worse result but you do need to make adjustments.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for that warning, Phil! I can only find pouches of unsweetened purée this year - and they are 40% water. I might have to adapt the recipe I want to make to use the sweetened purée.

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  4. I have a tin of black cherries that keeps making an appearance at Christmas but is still unopened! Christmas certainly is the time for chestnuts. I should have told my parents-in-law to bring some tins back from their booze cruise the other week!

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  5. I have several ancient cans and I keep meaning to have a good clear out, but never quite get around to it. I've made chocolate chestnut cakes several times over the years and have enjoyed every single one of them:)

    Thanks for joining in with We Should Cocoa. I hope you had a good Christmas and I wish you a very Happy New Year.

    ReplyDelete

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