Double CHOCOLATE Pumpkin Cupcakes

This cupcake recipe is perfect for any Fall, Thanksgiving or Halloween gathering or party!

** Great for a kids' Halloween party too.

My daughters love these cupcakes and with pumpkin in them, I love them even more...nothing like getting fruits and veggies in little ones, when they are least suspecting - hehe!


Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes

Cupcakes

Ingredients:
* 1 1/2 C. cake flour
* 2/3 C. DOVE Chocolate Discoveries cocoa powder
* 2 t. baking powder
* 1 t. baking soda
* 1/2 t. salt
* 1 C. plain lowfat yogurt
* 1 3/4 C. canned pumpkin (15 oz. can)
* 1 t. white vinegar
* 2 t. vanilla extract
* 1/2 C. unsalted butter, softened
* 1 1/2 C. lightly-packed light brown sugar
* 3 large eggs
* 8 oz chopped DOVE Chocolate Chef Series Dark Chocolate

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners.

2. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt together; set aside. In a separate bowl, stir together the yogurt, pumpkin, vinegar, and vanilla extract, set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, and using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Alternately beat in the flour and pumpkin mixtures in thirds (for example, beat in 1/3 flour mixture followed by 1/3 pumpkin mixture and repeat until everything is combined). Fold in the chocolate.

4. Working quickly, spoon batter into cupcake cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Place cupcake pans in the center of the preheated 350 degree oven and bake approximately 25 minutes. Cupcakes are done when they spring back when lightly touched or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool pans on wire racks for 10 minutes then remove cupcakes from pans and let cool completely on the wire racks.

5. While cupcakes are cooling, prepare cream cheese frosting (recipe follows). When cupcakes are completely cool, spread with frosting.


Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
* 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
* 1/4 C. unsalted butter, softened
* 2 C. powdered sugar
* 1/4. t. vanilla extract
* 1/2 t. DOVE Chocolate Discoveries Spice Chai Tea

In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and Spice Chai Tea. If frosting is too soft, chill in fridge for 15-20 minutes.

Frost cupcakes and decorate with molded chocolates, sprinkles, shaved chocolate, etc...ENJOY!

To purchase DOVE Chocolate Discoveries products, please contact me at DecadentChocolate@gmail.com.

Halloween/Fall Candy Making

As I prepare for a candy making workshop tomorrow, I think about the wonderful tastes of Fall. All of the spices, pumpkin, gingerbread. Ahh, and the comfort foods. But I digress....back to the candy making. I will be teaching how to make strawberries that look like ghosts, truffles rolled in pumpkin pie spice, bark with dried apples, cranberries (or raisins) and walnuts to name a few! Then there are the chocolate covered pretzels, who doesn't love the sweet-salty combo? Decorate with Fall/Autumn sprinkles - festive. The ladies will have such FUN! I love seeing their faces light up with delight.

Fall/Winter Chocolate candy making!

Calling all candy makers! If you are preparing to entertain this fall and winter and enjoy making your own chocolate candies, I invite you to check out DOVE Chocolate Discoveries September's special. A Professional grade tempering unit retailing for $300+, but may be purchased this month for ONLY $99!!! This is an awesome offer and not offered that often. The offer is valid when purchasing our CANDY LAND BUNDLE for $54. The CANDY LAND BUNDLE includes 1 1/2# milk or dark chocolate (your choice), 1 # white chocolate and three Winter design transfer sheets (snowflake, snow swirl and tree).

Ideas for the holiday season:

~ Chocolate swizzle sticks in drinks or to decorate desserts
~ Peppermint bark
~ Truffles that look like turkeys and may be used as place settings for Thanksgiving!
~ Use cookie cutters with the design transfer sheets, fill with 1/8" to 1/4" chocolate and pop out. Great to decorate desserts, beverages, make several and decorate a cake! Lovely!!!!
~ Chocolate ribbon curls made with the design transfer sheets to decorate desserts, cupcakes, etc. Pretty!!

Make your own treats to serve at your party/event or for gift giving! Your gift recipients and guests will be surprised to hear you made them. I LOVE chocolate candy making!! Have FUN playing in your chocolate! For more information, ideas or to place an order, please contact me at DecadentChocolate@gmail.com.

Adult S'mores

As we welcome autumn, nothing says bonfire like s'mores! If you do not have space for a bonfire or in case of inclement weather, never fear...I recently made an adult only s'mores in the microwave:

Ingredients:
Graham Crackers
Marshmallows
DCD Merlot Fudge Sauce, Raspberry Cabernet Fudge Sauce or Creme de Menthe Fudge Sauce

Place a graham cracker on a plate, cut up a marshmallow into 4-6 pieces and lay on the graham cracker, drizzle with the Fudge Sauce and microwave for 7-8 seconds and you have a decadent Smore's for one.

Enjoy when you get home from work as a snack or after the kids are in bed! So easy and so YUMMY, you will be wanting more than one!

Fall/Holiday Catalog

Hello Fellow Chocoholics!

Fall is almost here and DOVE Chocolate Discoveries new catalog is waiting your review! We have to many wonderful new products to offer to entertain during the fall and winter holidays! One of my favorite new products is the Spiced White Sipping Chocolate!!! It tastes like Gingerbread and may be made into a hot toddy as well. In fact pair the Spiced White Sipping Chocolate with our Gingerbread with chocolate chips mix and you will be ready for the leaves to begin falling to the ground. Another wonderful product is our Cinnamon Apples a la Mode. Each apple is drizzled with the perfect amount of white chocolate and they taste like homemade apple pie without the fuss. Have a couple along with the Spice White Sipping Chocolate?

Thank you for visiting my blog!

In chocolate,

Kim