i have been neglectful. but life has been in an small uproar, it seems. lately though, living in small quarters, with a small budget, and without roommates has shifted my outlook on baking. i developed a significant bent in this new direction when i encountered a cookbook titled Small Batch Baking. Well, now, here's someone who took the idea and flew with it. So seeing that someone else had conquered this idea, I thought I'd try my hand at it. I've been hoarding recipes of enormous proportions, both of size and taste, so now I pulled out one of them and made some adjustments. Here follows some recipes and notes for my own satisfaction. Always, always use the finest chocolate available.

Azo Chocolate Cupcakes (about 4-6)

3.4 tsp butter
1.4 oz dark chocolate
1 lg egg
3.2 tsp sugar
1.6 tsp flour
salt

1. melt the chocolate with butter. Let it cool while you do the rest.
2. Mix the yolk and sugar, add the flour. Add in the chocolate mixture.
3. Combine the egg whites and salt, beat it til stiff. Fold it into the rest of the batter. Fill cupcake holders with impunity. They only rose ever so slightly.
4. At 400 F, bake it for 20 minutes. (watch them carefully, this is where I'm still tinkering with small batch baking)

Technically, you're supposed to cool it for an hour, wrap it in foil, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Then you're supposed to bring it to room temperature for 2 hours before serving. I almost followed these directions. They're tasty no matter what, but give it gander. I just ate one nearly a month after I made them. I thought it was still highly edible, but perhaps that's my own biased stomach and palate after scrounging the hospital for anything edible.


Flourless Chocolate Cake (or Brownie?) I still made these in cupcake tins and they were Rich.
4 cupcakes.

1.3 oz bittersweet chocolate
1/3 stick of butter
1/4 cup of sugar
1 lg egg
1/3 of 1/2 cup of cocoa powder

1. melt together chocolate and butter
2. whisk in the sugar
3. whisk the egg and add it in. (perhaps next time, i'd try to beat the egg whites. meebe when i have a mixer)
4. sift in the cocoa powder. fill cupcake holders with impunity. these practically hold their own shape.
5. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes.

These went GREAT with vanilla cream. Next time, i think i'd recommend fresh whipped cream to go with though. I think this one could have jam added, nuts, even chili powder perhaps. These did NOT stick around though.

no pictures...til July, probably.