Cherry Ripe Cupcakes

Happy New Year everyone! I thought I would start off the year with a sweet treat, so I decided to make choc-chip cherry cakes, or as I call them Cherry Ripe cupcakes. The recipe is adapted from a recipe in the Australian Women's Weekly Cupcakes cookbook, which uses glace cherries instead of Cherry Ripe.

Here's what you will need to make them:

• 125g butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut essence
• 2/3 cup caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
• 1 1/2 Cherry Ripe bars, chopped
• 50g dark chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup SR flour
• 1/4 plain flour
  
  
  

  Beat butter, essence, sugar and eggs in small bowl with electric mixer until combined. Next time I might add 1 teaspoon of the coconut essence because you couldn't really taste it.

Add the milk,

coconut,

chopped Cherry Ripe and chocolate,

and the sifted flours. Stir until combined.

Divide the mixture among 12 cupcake cases. I used cute Cherry ones that I got for Christmas. Bake in preheated oven at 180 degrees C for about 20 mins. I baked mine for 25 mins and they were a tad overdone.

For the ganache you will need 1/4 cup cream and 100g milk (or dark) chocolate, chopped. Easy!

Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan.

Pour over the chocolate in a small bowl and stir until smooth.

You can use the ganache straight away and dip the cupcakes or you can leave it to sit at room temperature and then spread it. I topped mine with fresh cherries. Delicious!

P.S. I got Pioneer Woman's cookbook for Christmas and I am going to attempt the Cinnamon Rolls I'll let you know how they turn out!