A Milky Way Birthday

This was the start of my week after a great weekend.  Literally the start...I did it again....I got up and made 3 dozen cupcakes before 7am.  Sometimes you just got to do what you go to do.  

Well Kathryn came into town this past weekend and we made some awesome mustachio pistachio shortbread.  Well that and we went and had some alligator fritters and delicious beignet pancakes Saturday.  Yes, you read that right AND they were served with chocolate sauce, the pancakes that is.  But hey went for a run and then ate healthy for dinner, making up some delicious kale pesto (recipe from Shutterbean) served over pasta and roasted vegetables.  Then we went out had a few drinks and took in the great view from the top of the W at POV.  It was a great weekend; a perfect weekend when I knew this week would be crazy.  

The birthday girl made the request easy this time, just something chocolaty.  Well it just so happened I was reading a book Kathryn gave me, by a North Carolina author and in it one of the main characters made a Milky Way Cake.  I of course thought, WHAT is a Milky Way cake...Google!  Up popped a few recipe and I knew I had to try it and Krista's birthday gave me just the excuse.

So, I got up Monday morning and whisked together these cupcakes, and frosted them when I got home Monday night.  Warning these cupcakes are incredibly dense, but them simply melt in your mouth and the frosting is rich and thick.  These smell amazing!  So if you are looking for a melt in your mouth, rich and delicious cupcake, give them a try.  Warning 2:  They are not at all healthy, but sometimes we all deserve a little treat.  Enjoy!

The Milky Way bars...all 8 of them.

Time for scooping...

These will not puff like normal cupcakes...they are seriously dense and rich and not for the faint of heart.

This is fluff and it just looked awesome.  I think small children would enjoy being able to stick there hands in this and play.

Happy Birthday!

Milky Way Cupcakes: (recipe adapted from Christine's Kitchen Chronicles)

*makes approximately 3 dozen cupcakes

8 Milky Way bars

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, 2 sticks at room temperature

1 cup sugar

4 eggs at room temperature

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk

1 cups chopped pecans, toasted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line two muffin tins with paper liners and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

2.  In a medium sized sauce pan, melt the Milky Way bars and one stick butter, set aside to cool.

3.  In a large mixing bowl, cream together remaining two sticks of softened butter with the granulated sugar.  Whisk in the eggs one at a time, until well combined.  Whisk in the melted Milky Bars until well combined, set aside.

4.  In a medium sized mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt.  In a wet measuring cup, combine buttermilk and vanilla extract.

5.  Add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the sugar mixture, alternating between flour and buttermilk, mixing between the addition of each.  Begin and end with flour. Using a table spoon or cookie scoop, pour/scoop batter into prepared liners until 2/3 full.

6.  Bake for 16-18 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool in muffin pan for 3-

5 minutes, then remove to cooling rack.

Frosting:

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup evaporated milk

1 cup marshmallow fluff

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1/2 bag (6 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips

1.  Combine the sugar and evaporated milk in a heavy saucepan.  Cook to the soft-ball stage(234 degrees on a candy thermometer...this will take a while).  

2.  Remove pan from heat and whisk in the marshmallow fluff, butter and chocolate chips, stirring until melted.

3.  Carefully frost the cupcakes while the frosting is still warm.  It will harden as it cools.  Enjoy!  

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