Tuesday at the Table

I grew up in a home that was health-conscious in a 1960's sort of way. We ate a variety of vegetables, had milk at every meal, included fish in our diet . . . but we also loved our treats. Though there was alot of baking done in our home, we were also enamoured by the convenience of pre-made snacks. Dad packed a Hostess fruit pie in his lunch every day (introduced in 1965, they were a new-fangled item!), and mom would let my brother and I choose from the huge Hostess bin at our grocery store. Nine times out of 10, I'd choose Twinkies. And yup, I took a twin-pack in my sack lunch almost every day of my childhood. Occasionally - you know, for a change of pace - I'd choose their filled cupcakes. Random: Created in 1919, Hostess CupCakes® are the best selling snack cakes in history. It wasn’t until over 30 years later that a baker added the signature squiggles and vanilla-crème filling. 

Which brings us to today.

This weekend I baked up a memory.

For some reason, I'd had this monstrosity on my mind lately, something I baked up for my coworker's birthday a while back . . .

Yeah, that would be a Hostess Cupcake Cake. {recipe found here} It was a big hit, so when I saw the 'regular' size home-made, I just couldn't resist. I made them this time as a fun experiment. I'll make them next time because they're so good! Note to self: pour a tall glass of milk!

Chocolate “Squiggle” Cupcakes (adapted from The Food Network)
Makes 12 cupcakes

Cupcakes
12 cupcakes from 1 recipe Betty Crocker's Devil's Food Cakemix

Filling
1 tablespoon softened butter
¾ cup marshmallow creme

Ganache Topping
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
¼ cup heavy cream, warmed in a saucepan

Squiggle Topping
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
milk

Prepare cupcakes according to directions, using a ¼ cup of batter for each cupcake. (You’ll have some leftover plain cupcakes.)

For the filling, combine the marshmallow and butter in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk until well combined and transfer to a pastry bag  fitted with a wide tip. When the cupcakes are completely cooled gently press the tip into the top of each cupcake. Gently squeeze to inject the cupcake with about 1 tablespoon of the filling. Set aside.

For the ganache, place chocolate chips in a bowl and cover with warm cream. Allow to sit for 3 to 4 minutes and then whisk until melted and smooth. Spoon 2 teaspoons of the chocolate mixture over each cupcake and spread out using the back of a spoon to cover the top. Allow the ganache  to cool and set for at least 10 minutes.

Finally for the swiggles, whisk confectioners sugar with milk (The original recipe called for 2 to 3 Tb., but start with alot less. You don't want your drizzle too runny.) Use a pastry bag with a thin tip to decorate the top of each cupcake. (I used a zip-lock freezer bag with a tiny hole cut in one corner.) 
Enjoy!