Chocolate Toffee Carmel Crunch

I had the best surprise in the mail the other day. My dad usually sends me care packages corresponding to the nearest holiday, so when I found a big package in my mailbox from my dad with no holidays in the near future, I was a little perplexed. But nonetheless very excited because who doesn't like mail (sans bills and junk mail). After viciously tearing open the packaging, I found a new standing mixer! I was so excited. Marissa laughs at my passion for cooking utensils and appliances but not that much because she always gets cupcakes out of my new gadgets. Look how cute it is! Thanks, daddy!

 I was so stoked to use it so I whipped up, in my opinion, some of the most majestic looking cupcakes ever with my new accouterments. I was still in a chocolatey mood from the Cookie Dough Cupcakes so I made chocolate toffee crunch cupcakes with salted carmel buttercream. There are so many emotions right now: I'm pretty sure my arteries are clogged from these, the HUNDREDS of textures in this cupcake were to die for, and heath bars never get enough credit.

Just some cupcake bonding.

Weirdos.

The original recipe comes from Bakers Royale but naturally I made some changes.

CUPCAKE:

1 cup flour

1 1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/2 t baking soda

1/4 t salt

1/2 cup butter (melted)

2 eggs

Generous helping of vanilla

1/2 cup of hot, brewed coffee (mine was STRONG)

2 heath bars smashed to smithereens (apparently you can buy chocolate covered toffee bits in the grocery store but smashing candy bars was pretty fun. I'm sure my neighbor wishes I bought the pre-smashed toffee. Sorry 7B...)

Sift together the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Add the butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat for about a minute (cue new mixer!). Add the coffee and beat until combined and the batter is smooth. Fold in the heath bars into the batter. Divide the batter among a lined cupcake tin and bake at 350 for about 19-20 minutes. Let them cool before doing any sort of decorating. In fact, I tossed them in the freezer to make sure they were extra cold before ganaching them. Speaking of ganache...

GANACHE/ TOPPING

1/2 cup chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate but that is just my preference)

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 More Heath bars smashed to smithereens

Heat the heavy cream until almost boiling. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips and stir like crazy until the chocolate is creamy and melted. Dip the cooled cupcakes in the ganache, making sure the top is totally coated. Roll the edges in the smashed heath bars. Place the cupcakes in the freezer so the ganache can harden a bit and the heath bars pieces can set.

SALTED CARMEL:

5 T water

3/4 cup sugar

2/3 cup heavy cream

A sprinkle of sea salt

Ok. Carmel is way tricky and can easily be botched. I have messed it up many times. So just be patient with the process. In a small saucepan heat the water and the sugar on low heat. Using a whisk, stir only until the sugar is dissolved. Once the sugar is dissolved, crank up the heat to high and occasionally stir the mixture by swirling the pot by the handle, but don't stir it directly. The mixture will start to bubble and turn amber in color. This burns quickly so expect the correct amber-y color at about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the heavy cream. BE SO CAREFUL because this mixture tends to bubble and steam a lot. Keep stirring until you have acheived a smooth sauce. Mix in a baby bit of salt, just for a little kick. ANOTHER WARNING: This is SUPER hot. Don't do any sampling for a few minutes because you will singe your tongue right off. Toss the carmel in the fridge or freezer because you will want it cooled for the buttercream.

CARMEL BUTTERCREAM:

1 stick butter (room temp)

3 cups powdered sugar 

Vanilla (as much as your little heart desires, probably around 2 tablespoons)

The carmel you just made

Beat the butter until fluffy (again, in your snazzy new mixer). Add the powdered sugar in batches until combined and smooth. Add the vanilla and blend. Add the cooled carmel to taste. Since carmel has a pretty strong flavor, I started with small amount and added until I was happy with the taste. I think I used about 3 big scoops, though. Spoon or pipe onto the cooled, ganached cupcakes.

I drizzled the left over carmel over the buttercream, which totally threw the texture element over the top. The dense cake, crunchy toffee, creamy buttercream, and smooth carmel flowed so delightfully in this recipe. I think this is what professional chefs mean by layering flavors and textures because all of the different aspects of this cupcake worked really well together. 

These cupcakes were a bit over the top but SO worth it. I think this my favorite recipe so far. SO delicious. Props to Ariston for this sweet instagram photo.

Happy crunching/inhaling/etc.

xoxo,

KG