Blackbottom cheesecake cupcakes

Black Bottom Cupcakes
Cream Cheese Filling
16-oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 large egg whites, room temperature
2 tbsp sour cream, room temperature
1/3 cup miniature chocolate chips (not full size*)

Cake
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup sour cream
1 1/3 cups water
1/2 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, make filling. Beat together cream cheese, sugar and salt until smooth. Beat in egg whites and sour cream. Stir in chocolate chips and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, salt, flour, cocoa powder and baking soda. Make a well in the center and add in sour cream, water, butter and vanilla. Stir together until just combined and no streaks of flour remain.
Divide cake batter evenly among 24 cupcake liners. Top each portion of batter with 1 rounded tablespoon cream cheese mixture (It is ok to have a little left over).
Bake for 20-25 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the side (cake only part) should come out with a few moist crumbs on it. Rotate pans halfway through baking if you are using two racks.
Cool in pans for 5 minutes. Cream cheese filling should sink slightly in this time. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes 24 cupcakes.

*Full-sized chocolate chips will sink to the bottom of the cupcakes, while miniature chips will remain suspended in the cream cheese center.

NOTE: Tried and Tested the cream cheese filling December 12, 2010

Chocolate Fudge Brownies

Ingredients

3 eggs
3/4 c. of all-purpose flour
1-1/2 c. of white sugar
3/4 c. of butter
3/4 c. of cocoa
1/4 c. of pancake syrup
3 tbsp. of corn oil
1/2 c. of sliced almonds
1/2 to 3/4 c. of chocolate morsels

Bake the chocolate fudge brownies

Preheat the oven to 350^oF. Grease a 9″x6″ cake pan.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs until light in color. Add the flour and sugar and mix until blended.

Over low heat, melt the butter then stir in the cocoa, pancake syrup and corn oil. Cool for a few minutes. Stir into the flour mixture until well blended. Fold in the sliced almonds. Pour into the greased pan, top with chocolate morsels and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or just until a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean.

DO NOT OVERBAKE. Cool before cutting. For best results, cool to room temperature then chill in the fridge for a couple of hours before slicing. If you’re patient and wait until the thing has chilled, the brownies will have smooth rather than frayed edges. And the texture is much better too after chilling because you get to experience the fudgy-ness in all its decadent glory.

NOTE: Tried and tested December 15,2010