The Next Best Thing to Boston

Mini Boston Cream Cupcakes

Our favourite part of the week, as well as many others, is the weekend. On the weekend, you can do anything you want...a few months back, we and our amazing cousin Nicole made something a little bit "spunkier" then what we usually make....MINI BOSTON CREAM PIES!!!

Perfectly Baked Cupcakes

Cutting them in Half

Filling the Cupcakes with Pastry Cream

Putting on the Glaze

Mini Boston Cream Cupcakes

This was the one recipe that surprised us, not only because it tasted AMAZING, but also because the cupcakes were perfectly...and we actually mean perfectly...spherical! The perfect cupcake always makes it taste so much better! And don't get us started on the cream...so fluffy, so creamy, so light! What we think really brought it all together was the drizzled chocolate on top. I think we can all agree...chocolate always makes everything better!  Thank you thank you thank you Nicole, again, for these spectacular photos! These are definitely one of our favourites, so unique and so delicious!We hope you all enjoy this fantastic recipe!

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INGREDIENTS:

Cupcakes:

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
1 1/2 cups flour, plus more for tins
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Pastry Cream:
4 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 cups milk
Pinch of salt
1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Glaze:
See Icing&Glazes page
DOUBLE THIS RECIPE!(may have to triple)

DIRECTIONS:

Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Brush standard muffin tins with butter; dust with flour, tapping out excess. Whish together flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine milk and butter in a saucepan; set over very low heat.

2. With an electric mixer on high speed, whisk eggs and sugar until fluffy, pale yellow, and thick enough to hold a ribbon on the surface for several seconds when whisk is lifted, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to medium. Gradually add flour mixture, whisking until just incorporated.

3. Bring milk and butter just to a boil. With mixer on a lower speed, add hot milk mixture to batter in a slow, steady stream; mix until smooth (do not overmix). Beat in vanilla.

4. Divide batter evenly among prepared cups, filling each halfway. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until cupcakes are golden and a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 10 minutes. Run a small offset spatula or knife around the edges to loosen; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in an airtight containers.

5. To finish, use a serrated knife (and a gentle sawing motion) to split cupcakes in half horizontally. Spread about 1 tablespoon pastry cream on the bottom half of each cupcake. Replace top halves. Spoon about 1 tablespoon glaze over each cupcake. Refrigerate 30 minutes before serving.

Pastry Cream 
1. Whisk egg yolks until smooth in a large bowl. Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan, and heat over medium. Stirring constantly, gradually add milk in a slow, steady stream, and cook until mixture thickens and begins to bubble, about 5 minutes.

2. Whisking constantly, slowly pour one third of the milk mixture into egg yolks (this step is called tempering, which keeps the yolks from curdling). Pour mixture into remaining milk mixture in saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture comes to a full boil and is thick enough to hold its shape when lifted with a spoon, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.

3. Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a heatproof bowl. Cover with parchment paper or plastic wrap, pressing it directly on surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled and firm, at least 2 hours (or up to 2 days).
RECIPE FROM MARTHA STEWART CUPCAKE COOKBOOK

Chocolate Glaze
See Icing&Glazes Page