Chocolate Truffle Stuffed Cupcakes with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

A while back, one of my blogging friends mentioned that you could get a coupon for a FREE bag of Lindor Truffles.  Free chocolate?  Nobody in their right mind would pass that up, including me.  I came home that day with a bag full of Extra Dark Lindor Truffles just waiting to be used for something special.  And, what better way than to stuff a cupcake.  

I had seen the recipe for these cupcakes on The Sisters' Cafe.  But, rather than using a box mix, I intended to use my go-to chocolate cupcake recipe from RecipeGirl.  Then, because I still had a ton of oranges in my fridge, I was going to top them with orange cream cheese frosting.  Yum!

 

The chocolate cupcakes are super moist and have a deliciously dark chocolatey flavor.  I think they're even better than the Hershey's Chocolate Cake recipe (which was my former go-to).  The best part is when you cut these cupcakes open and the melted chocolate truffle center just flows out, almost like a chocolate lava cake.  It's one sweet surprise.

 

Alternately, of course, you could also chill these cupcakes which then gives you a solid rock of chocolate to bite into - your choice.  Either way, it's chocolatey orange heaven.  


Chocolate Truffle Stuffed Cupcakes with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting (adapted from RecipeGirl and The Sisters' Cafe)

1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 c. sugar (I used 1/2 c. white sugar and 1/2 c. brown sugar)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 c. hot water
1/2 c. vegetable or canola oil (I used melted butter)
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

12 Lindor chocolate truffles by Lindt

 Line a muffin tin with 12 liners.  Combine the melted butter with the sugars.  Beat in the egg and vanilla.  Mix in the cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add 1/2 cup of the flour and beat well to combine.  Add in 1/2 cup of hot water and mix well.  Add in the rest of the flour, then the rest of the hot water and mix well.  Fill each cupcake liner about 2/3 full with the batter.

Bake at 350F for 5 min.   Then, lightly press a Lindor truffle into each  partially baked cupcake.  Let the cupcakes bake an additional 13-15 min. until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool completely, then frost with orange cream cheese frosting.

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting (Sweet as Sugar Cookies)

8 oz. cream cheese (you can use 1/3 less fat)
4 Tbsp. butter, softened
1 1/4 c. powdered sugar
4 tsp. freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tsp. orange zest  

Beat the cream cheese with the butter.  Add the orange juice, zest, and powdered sugar and beat until soft and fluffy.  Spread on the cooled cupcakes.

Makes 12 cupcakes   

Cranberry Orange Pull-Apart Bread

 

Believe it or not, I still have cranberries from last Thanksgiving in my freezer.  I couldn't help it.  The price for them was too good to pass up and I fully intended to use them to make cranberry sauce.  But, then I ended up going out of town for Thanksgiving, and the cranberries got relegated to the deep freeze instead.  

 

I can't quite say that I regret having several bagfuls throughout the year.  It means that I get to use them to make all sorts of deliciousness like these mini Orange Cranberry Pull-Apart Breads.  I had made an Orange Pull Apart Bread before, but knowing how well cranberries and orange go together, I couldn't wait to use some of them in this bread.  

The result?  Heavenly!  The bread, of course, is the fluffiest thing I have ever eaten and each little piece is coated with delectable orange sugar.  Then, you get the juicy, tart bite of the cranberries to counteract the sweetness and also add a pop of color to your bread.  Finally, you slather the whole thing with cream cheese icing (and who doesn't love that), though even without the icing, the bread is still irresistible.  The mini size of these loaves makes them perfect for giving away as little gifts.  But, do be warned that their smaller size also makes it tempting to eat the whole thing at one go.  I suppose the calories are worth it.  Oh who am I kidding?  Of course it's worth it!  

Orange Cranberry Pull-Apart Bread 

(adapted from That Skinny Chick Can Bake)

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided

1/4 cup sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 tsp. cardamom (I added this)

1/3 cup whole milk (I used 3 Tbsp. Greek yogurt + 2 Tbsp. water)

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup warm water (about 110F)

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

2 eggs, at room temperature

Filling:

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted (I used 3 Tbsp.)

4 tablespoons finely grated orange zest

1/2 - 3/4 c. cranberries, frozen

Cream Cheese Icing:

3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1/3 cup powdered sugar

2 Tbsp. whole milk (I used Greek yogurt)

Grease 4 mini bread pans.  

Combine the yeast with the warm water and a pinch of sugar.  Let stand until foamy, about 5 min.  Combine the yogurt with the melted butter.  Add the yeast mixture.  Stir in the eggs, sugar, cardamom, and vanilla.  Add the salt and 2 cups of the flour.  Stir well.  Continue adding flour gradually until the dough no longer sticks to the bowl.  

Knead the dough on a well-floured surface until smooth and elastic, adding flour as necessary.  (I ended up stirring in about 2 1/4 cups of flour and kneaded the rest in.)  Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a dishtowel, and set in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.  

Combine the sugar with the orange zest, rubbing it in with your fingers until fragrant.  Set aside.  

Punch down the dough, then roll it into a 20 x 12 inch rectangle on a well-floured surface.  Spread with the melted butter.  Sprinkle evenly with the orange sugar.  Sprinkle with the cranberries.   

Cut the dough with a pizza cutter into 20 x 2 inch strips.  Then, cut each strip 10 times so that you have 2 x 2 inch pieces.  Stack the pieces and put them, cut side up, into the pans.  Do not crowd them too much, because they will expand during the second rising.  If the cranberries fall out, just tuck them back in.  Let rise in the pans until doubled, about 20-30 min. (the dough will probably start rising as you work, so the second rising time will vary).  

Preheat oven to 375F.  Bake for 25 min. until the tops start to turn a nice golden brown.  Let cool on rack for 10-15 min., then remove from the pans.  

Beat the cream cheese with the powdered sugar till smooth.  Add the yogurt and mix until the consistency is the way you like it.  Glaze the breads while warm.    

  

Orange Cheesecake Cookie Cups

It's kind of neat sometimes how fate can lead you. Case in point: these cookies.

I fully intended to make them exactly as the recipe directed. But, after baking one test cookie and watching through the oven door as it flattened before my horrified eyes, I knew it just wasn't going to work. So, I spooned the batter into mini muffin cups instead and baked them up that way. Then, I'd have little cookie cups, soft and chewy as they should be.


While they were in the oven, however, I got to thinking. What if I were to hollow out the cookie cups and fill the space with some cream cheese frosting? Wouldn't that be delicious? Oh yes it would!


So, when they came out of the oven, I quickly pushed down a little dent in each one and set them in the fridge to chill before removing from the tins. Then, I whipped up a little frosting, filled the cups, and, as a finishing touch, drizzled them with some melted dark chocolate.


Oh my!!! These turned out far better than I ever imagined they could be when I first began to make them. I just figured I'd have some good tasting cookies, but transformed into cream cheese filled cookie cups? Well, all I can say is thank you fate!

Orange Cheesecake Cookie Cups (adapted from Evil Shenanigans and created by Lisa of Sweet as Sugar Cookies)

1/2 c. butter, at room temperature
3 oz. cream cheese
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. orange zest (I increased this to 1 Tbsp.)
1 c. all-purpose flour

Cream Cheese Frosting (Sweet as Sugar Cookies):

3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 Tbsp. butter, at room temperature
6 Tbsp. powdered sugar

melted semisweet chocolate, for drizzling

Heat oven to 375F and grease two mini muffin tins. Cream the butter and cream cheese until well combined. Add the sugar, vanilla, and zest and blend until ingredients are well combined, but not fluffy. Add the flour and mix until incorporated.

Fill each muffin cup about 3/4 full with cookie dough. Bake for 10-15 min. until set or a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs attached. While still warm, make a dent in the center of each cookie to form a little cup (you can use a small spoon or your finger). Chill in the fridge for 30-60 min. until completely cold. Remove from the muffin tins.

Cream the butter and cream cheese together. Add the powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Pipe the frosting into the cookie cups (I used a ziploc bag with the tip cut off) or spoon it in. Drizzle with the melted chocolate. Put into the fridge until ready to serve.

Giant Orange Cranberry Cookie - SRC

For this month's Secret Recipe Club, I was assigned to Jaida's blog, Sweet Beginnings. Not too long ago, she was assigned to my blog, so I was thrilled to have the chance to reciprocate. Although she has a lot of savory recipes, I'm sure you know what I gravitated towards - the SWEETS!!!


Since I had a ton of orange zest and juice cubes in my freezer, I decided to make her Orange Cranberry Cookies. I did make several changes to the recipe. I increased the amount of orange zest since I like a lot of orange-y flavor. Then, I decreased the amount of cranberries. I also omitted the white chocolate chips from the dough and opted instead for melting some white chocolate and drizzling it on top after baking it. Finally, since I know my oven has a tendency to flatten cookies, I decided to put all the dough into a round pan and bake it up as one giant cookie (no flattening now!).


The giant cookie turned out lovely and putting it into a pan proved to be a good call. I'm also glad that I upped the amount of zest because then I could really taste the orange flavor. Thanks so much Jaida for making this SRC a sweet one!

Giant Orange Cranberry Cookie (adapted from Sweet Beginnings)

1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
1 Tbsp. orange zest
1 Tbsp. orange juice
2 Tbsp. egg
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. dried cranberries
melted white chocolate, for drizzling

Heat oven to 350F. Line a 9-inch round cake pan with foil and butter the foil. Cream the butter with the sugars. Add the orange zest, juice, and egg. Slowly mix in flour, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Stir in the cranberries.

Spread the dough evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for 35 min. or until a toothpick comes out clean. When cooled, drizzle with melted white chocolate.

Chocolate Orange Cookies

Do you like chocolate? I know, who doesn't, right? Well, how about oranges? And, how about chocolate AND orange together? It's certainly one of my favorite combos. Alright, I have a lot of favorite flavor combos, but who said you could only have one favorite.


At any rate, the two come together harmoniously in these cookies. Eating them is pure bliss. You take a bite and the crisp orange-sugar crust shatters the moment it touches your lips. Then, your teeth sink into soft, chocolatey cakiness. One bite and you'll definitely be craving more.


Chocolate Orange Cookies (Dulce Dough)

2 Tbsp. orange zest
1 1/3 c. sugar, divided
2/3 c. butter, softened
1 egg
1 1/2 c. flour
1/3 c. cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda

Combine 2 tsp. orange zest with 1/3 c. sugar. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers until the sugar is orange and fragrant.

Rub the remaining orange zest into the 1 cup of sugar with your fingers until it is orange and fragrant. Cream with the butter. Add the egg and mix well.

Combine the flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and then roll each ball in the orange-sugar mixture.

Place balls of dough at least 2 inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 350F for 10-12 min. or until set. Cool slightly and remove from cooking sheet.

Notes:
1. The recipe doesn't say to do this, but I'd recommend chilling the dough for at least 1 hour before rolling. My dough was very sticky (like thick cake batter) before I chilled it, but was much more manageable once it was cold.

2. I ended up using 2 tsp. of zest for the rolling sugar (which was double the amount originally stated in the recipe) and then using the other 4 tsp. for the cookie dough. I couldn't really taste the orange in the cookie itself, so next time, I'd probably increase the total amount of zest to 2 Tbsp.

3. I found that the chilled dough made for thicker cookies, which I liked. The dough that got warm out of the fridge made for flatter cookies.

Cranberry Orange Ginger Bread

When I was a kid, I remember how I only liked bread if it was white, and, of course, that meant the squishy, air-filled, breads you find in the supermarket aisle. Thank goodness my palate has since changed and I've grown to love breads of all kinds and flavors and textures. Yup, those supermarket breads no longer have a presence in my home.


Now only fresh, homemade bread appears on my table and it's anything but plain white. I specifically search for recipes that are full of something special that will wow the tastebuds, and boy do I ever have a lot of recipes all queued up just waiting to be made.

This time, since dried cranberries were super cheap, I decided to make this Cranberry Bread found on The Avid Baker. It's got that delicious combo of cranberries and orange, but this time in a yeast bread instead of a quick bread. Naturally, I couldn't resist dressing it up just a little with some candied ginger. I just knew it would pair well with the flavors.



I just loved how this bread was studded with fruit in every bite and the orange was not at all overpowering. That's just how I like it and the ginger also added a yummy touch. Not to mention that the egg glaze turns the crust into something truly superb (I could nibble on that alone and be happy). The bread is a little denser than others which probably means that it would make one fantastic french toast too. With breads like this, who needs storebought? I definitely can't wait to bake bread again.


Cranberry Orange Ginger Bread (adapted from The Avid Baker)

1 1/2 c. bread flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/4 tsp. yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. milk, warmed to 110F (I used skim milk)
1 large egg
1 Tbsp. butter, melted
1-2 Tbsp. orange juice
2 tsp. orange zest
1/2 c. dried cranberries
1/4 c. chopped crystallized ginger
1 egg yolk mixed w/ a little water (for glazing)

Combine the milk and the yeast with a pinch of sugar and let sit till foamy, about 5 min. Add the melted butter, egg, orange juice, and orange zest and stir until well blended.

Add the flour a half cup at a time until the dough no longer sticks to the side of the bowl (you may need to add a little more - the dough will still be tacky though). Transfer to a floured work surface and knead the dough until smooth and slightly tacky, but not sticky, adding more flour if necessary, about 7 min. Knead in the dried cranberries a little at a time. You can also knead in the ginger now or see below for what I did. Form the dough into a ball.

Oil a large bowl. Add the dough to the bowl, turning to coat with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 1/2 hours.

Grease two mini loaf pans. Punch down the dough. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and divide into two pieces. Roll each piece out into a small rectangle. At this point, you can sprinkle the ginger on top and then roll it up jelly roll style and put it into a mini loaf pan. Repeat with the other piece of dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise about 1 hour until doubled in size. You can sprinkle more ginger on top if you wish. Glaze with the egg yolk + water. Bake at 350F for 25-30 min. Let cool in pans for a few minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool.

Notes:

1. I put my dough into the fridge overnight for the first rising.
   
2. The original recipe called for 1/2 Tbsp. orange extract, but the orange zest + juice works just as well.
   
3. The recipe above is half the original recipe which gave me two mini loaves.