Made with Love

I found this great idea for a super cute Valentine Cupcake on a website called Glorious Treats.  She used a basic Chocolate Cupcake and Cherry Frosting for the filling.  However, I've made a Cherry Frosting before using the juice from a jar of maraschino cherries, and I didn't love it.  So, I put my own little spin on it...

Chocolate Cupcake + Homemade Raspberry Mousse.

It was well worth the effort.  

Raspberry Mousse Filling.

• 3 cups Frozen Raspberries (should make 1 to 1 1/2 cups when pureed)
• 1 packet Gelatin
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• 6 tsp Meringue Powder
• 1/3 sugar

Simmer the raspberries in a saucepan until soft.  Transfer to blender and puree.  Using a sieve, separate the seeds from the puree and set aside.

In another saucepan, add Gelatin packet with 3 Tbsp water and let sit for a few minutes to soften the gelatin.  Add 1 cup raspberry puree to the gelatin and simmer until gelatin has dissolved.  Let cool to room temperature.  

In the meantime, add 6 tsp Meringue Powder to a mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment.  At 6 Tbsp cold water.  Beat on high until still peaks form, and resemble stiff egg whites.  Slowly add sugar, then raspberry puree.

Next, whip the heavy cream until stiff.  Gently fold in the raspberry mixture and place in the fridge until set.

Cupcakes.

Use a basic chocolate cupcake recipe, or, if using a box mix, I prefer Western Family Chocolate Fudge.

After the cupcakes are baked and cooled, use a sharp knife to cut the tops of the cupcake, right on the liners edge.  Using a small heart cookie cutter, cut a heart out of the cupcake top, and dust with powdered sugar.

Pipe the mousse onto the cupcake, and replace the cupcake top.  I then piped extra mousse inside the heart.

While skiing up at Beaver on Tuesday, we had lunch with on of Brielle's friends and her dad.  She was eating what looked like a super yummy cookie, and I told her that her mom bakes cookies better than me.  She replied "that's cuz she makes everything with love."

Well there... now I do, too.  And it's obvious, don't you think?