Foodie Friday

My birthday is this Sunday and I am so excited because I love love love Birthdays! Not just mine, I love celebrating other people's birthdays as well! I came into work today and my desk was covered in Birthday goodies! My boss had decorated my office with all shades of pink balloons and covered my desk in pretty pink sparkle pens and all kinds of fun stuff! She had made rainbow chip cupcakes with pink icing and they even had little pink tiaras on them! SO cute!! She also gave me a bag full of great gifts including a sunglasses case and id case by Vera Bradley and 2 books that I had wanted: LA Candy by Lauren Conrad and Miracle on the 17th Green by James Patterson! I was sooo excited! She made me feel so special and I just wanted to share it with you guys and publicly thank her on my blog!

So onto Foodie Friday...

I love cupcakes. My best friend K loves them even more than me, she wants to eventually open up her own cupcake shop which I would LOVE!! So because it's my birthday and cake is on my brain (a smidge self indulgent but it is MY blog after all haha) I have chosen some super yummy cupcakes to share with you guys. 

Aside from Rainbow Chip cupcakes, Chocolate are my FAVE!! I am definitely a chocolate girl.. throw in a little ganache and I'm in heaven! So these cupcakes look like just the ticket!  I hope you all have a fabulous Friday! Do something fun to celebrate the end of another week we have been blessed with!

* also.. My Tigers play tonight so I have to say.. GO TIGERS!!

Pink Love :)
-J

Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes

by Ina Garten

Ingredients:

1/4 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
11 fluid ounces chocolate syrup (recommended: Hershey's)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour

For the Ganache:
1/2 cup heavy cream

8 ounces good semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
Candied violets, for decoration, optional

Directions:

Line muffin pans with 12 paper liners. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time. Mix in the chocolate syrup and vanilla. Add the flour and mix until just combined. Don't over beat, or the cupcakes will be tough.Scoop the batter into the muffin cups and bake for 30 minutes, or until just set in the middle. Don't over bake! Let the cupcakes cool thoroughly in the pan.


For the ganache:
Dip the top of each cupcake in the ganache. Decorate with candied violets, if desired. Do not refrigerate.

Cook Time: 30 Mins.
Level: Easy
Yields: 12 cupcakes