Welcome to my Friday night.

   Remember how I have that goal to make more friends? This is why. Lately, I've been obsessed with making the perfect Pumpkin Pie. However, last night I went a different direction - chocolate cupcakes. It's Friday night and I am home alone - baking. Yes, I really was baking. About 2 1/2 cups of cocoa and sugar later and viola! Delicious home made chocolate cupcakes! So much for my "eating healthier" goal... At least I was being productive, right?

   I didn't have enough cocoa to make the entire frosting recipe so I cut it in half, which required me to get kind of creative. I say "kind of" because I mostly just copied those little hostess cupcakes... Here are the recipes for the cupcakes and the frosting. I just found them online, but they really are so delish. I feel like I gain 10 pounds every time I eat one because of the frosting, but they are just so good that I keep eating them! Anyway, here you go...

Devil’s Food Cupcake Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2/3 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 extra large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• ½ cup flavorless vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 Tablespoon espresso powder dissolved in 1 cup boiling water

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line cupcake pans with 24 cupcake liners.

Sift flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar together into a medium bowl.

Combine the egg, milk, oil, vanilla, and dissolved espresso powder in a medium bowl and whisk by hand until well mixed. Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk to combine.

Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling them about half full.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until the cupcakes are puffed and feel springy. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.

http://www.weddingbeepro.com/2009/07/01/delicious-chocolate-cupcake-recipe/

**The only things I did different were: I dissolved 2 tablespoons of cocoa in 1 cup of boiling water instead of espresso powder. I also added a little bit of extra vanilla - maybe 1 teaspoon extra. Oh, and I also used 1% milk instead of whole milk, you know, to make them more healthy. 

Chocolate Buttercream Icing Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
• 3/4 cup cocoa or three 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate squares, melted
• 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
• 4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approximately 1 lb.)
• 3-4 tablespoons milk

Makes: About 3 cups of icing

Directions:

Stiff Consistency: In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add cocoa and vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Re-whip before using.

For Thin (Spreading) Consistency Icing: Add 3-4 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk.

http://www.wilton.com/recipe/Chocolate-Buttercream-Icing

**I cut this recipe in half except for the milk - I still used 3 tablespoons of milk, and it was fluffy and delicious. Then, I put it in a ziploc bag, cut one little corner off and squeezed the frosting through the little hole to decorate the cupcakes. Also, I used the regular dark brown vanilla and it worked just fine. Also again, as a side note, "confectioner's sugar" is really powdered sugar - I didn't know that before... Oh yeah - I made the "stiff consistency" icing. Okay. That's all.

Well, I hope you enjoy chocolate cupcakes - 24 of them to be exact. And I also hope that you are never so bored on a Friday night that you resort to baking chocolate cupcakes with no one for company except your two dogs. And dogs can't even talk so they don't make for very good company.