Ferrero Rocher Cupcakes

I have a ton of recipes planned for the next few days. Tons of actually healthy recipes.

However, I figured I may as well just post the final chocolate recipe for a while. Besides this recipe is perfect for this time - a couple of weeks after Easter and you have leftover chocolate - you can do this. My chocolate wasn't leftover - everyone knows I am such a huge fan of Ferrero Rochers that I got an insane amount for Easter. So I found a great way to use 12 of them!

You can sub the Ferrero Rocher for other hard shelled chocolates - but Ferrero is undoubtedly the best choice.

So what is new with me? Well, I got a journalism job! I was asked to write two articles for the next issue of a magazine - I get to interview two fashion designers and then write the articles! I've been studying journalism for seven weeks now, so this is incredibly exciting news! It makes me feel pretty good about my career choice - I've always been terribly worried that I am not a good enough writer to make it as a journalist or writer. Knowing that at least someone out there likes my writing, makes me feel a lot better. I just can't imagine doing anything else with the rest of my life - as long as I am writing, I will be happy. I would love to have a novel published one day - getting two articles published in a magazine is a great step towards that.

So, enough about me.

These cupcakes are absolutely lovely - the Ferrero Rocher doesn't quite do what you expect. The chocolate on the outside of the ball melts,the small hazelnuts meld into the batter, the crisp shell softens a little, the chocolate inside the shell remains hard and the hazelnut inside provides the perfect crunch. The batter seems a little sweet when you first taste it (as you will undoubtedly do, like me), before being baked. But trust me, leave it as it is. When combined with the rich chocolate of the Ferrero Rocher, the mixture is perfect. And the hazelnut - the perfect crunch in an otherwise soft and sweet cake.

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Average Cost: $

Main Ingredients: chocolate and Ferrero Rochers!

Recipe adapted (slightly) from: Gninethree

Occasion: Snack, dessert

Menu Options: I would bring this as a treat to parties – or maybe make a bunch of these adorable cupcakes for a friend’s birthday instead of a large cake.

Makes 12 – actually there is a LOT of batter and you could make around 16. Calorie count based on 12.

What you need:

-          1 cup white all-purpose flour / self raising four

-          1/4 cup cocoa powder

-          1/3 cup caster sugar / granulated sugar

-          1/2 cup brown sugar

-          1/2 tsp baking soda

-          1/2 tsp baking powder

-          1/4 tsp salt

-          1/4 - 1/2 cup olive oil

-          1 egg

-          1 cup buttermilk

-          1 tsp vanilla essence

-          12 Ferrero Rocher chocolates

What to do:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (if using a fan forced oven).

Sift the flour and cocoa powder together into a large bowl. Add in the remainder of the dry ingredients and stir well.

In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients together until well combined using a handheld or stand mixer.

Add the wet and dry ingredients together. Mix slightly with a wooden spoon, then using the mixer, beat until well combined.

Using a spoon, place a drop of the mixture into lined muffin tins (I prefer to line my muffin tins with silicone cups, but if you don’t, feel free to simply drop the mixture into a muffin tin). Just place enough to cover the bottom of the top. Add an uncovered Ferrero Rocher chocolate to each muffin tin. Cover the chocolate with remaining batter. I would make twelve cupcakes first and then use the rest of the batter to make any remaining cupcakes.

Bake for twenty minutes or until tops are firm. A toothpick inserted into the cake, not in the middle, as the chocolate is there, should come out clean.

Cool slightly, but I would advise to eat them warm as they are amazing!