Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache Sauce

I learned how to bake these delicious cupcakes at a cooking class taught by Ro. Z. in San Diego (http://www.rozsweetartstudio.com/). These delectable desserts received rave reviews from friends and strangers because they are crusty on the outside and gooey on the inside. Even if you are a novice, your friends and family will think you are a seasoned baker when you share there cupcakes.

My husband and I are blessed to have our first girl on the way. I can foresee us baking these cupcakes together because they are simple and fun to make.

Please use good ingredients when you make your cupcakes. It really does make them taste better.

The recipe below is for 12 cupcakes:

Cupcake Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup 60% dark chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli)
• 1/4 C. unsalted butter
• 3/4 C. granulated sugar
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 1/2 C. cake flour
• Peanut butter (don't use sugar free)

Chocolate Ganache Ingredients:

• 4 oz. good semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 C. heavy cream
• 1/2 t. instant coffee grains

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt chocolate and butter in a glass bowl and allow mixture to cool.

Beat eggs in an electric mixer. Slowly incorporate sugar then add vanilla. Add chocolate/butter mixture then add flour being careful not to over mix.

Fill pan lined with cupcake liners with batter using an ice cream scoop until liners are 1/2 full. Don't overfill the tins because your cupcakes will expand in the oven. I highly recommend using an ice cream scooper because it is faster and less messy than a spoon.

Using a decorating bag with a 4B or 6B decorating tip, squirt a little peanut butter into the center of each cupcake.

Bake for 20 minutes and let cool.

To make the chocolate ganache, cook the chocolate, cream, and coffee on the top of a double broiler until the mixture is smooth.