Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes

Along with most of the worlds population, I am addicted to chocolate. Every once in a while (or everyday), I have to feed my craving! These little chocolate cupcakes are perfect for a chocolate fix. I found this recipe in Southern Living magazine, the April 2017 edition. If you crave intense chocolate, you will enjoy the original recipe. I was curious to see what the outcome would be with a few changes to the original recipe. Instead of dark chocolate, I used semi-sweet chocolate chips. My family liked these cupcakes even better than the original ones! I topped the cupcakes with whipped cream and a few raspberries. It was scrumptious. The raspberries, chocolate, and cream complemented each other perfectly. You can't go wrong with chocolate!

Bon Appetit!

Tips:

You can substitute semi-sweet chocolate chips for the dark chocolate chips. You can also do a combination of the two chocolates, if you prefer. Just make sure that you have 1 1/4 cups of chocolate in total.

Instead of the ice cream, you can whip up some whipping cream, and place a few raspberries on top.

Have fun and experiment with toppings!

Preparation time is 25 minutes. Total time is 1 hour.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups dark chocolate chips (8 ounces)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 large eggs, separated at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
4 cups fudge ripple or fudge swirl ice cream
3/4 cup jarred caramel topping
3/4 cup chopped toasted pecans
Whipped cream, optional

Ingredients for Whipped Cream:

1 1/4 cup whipping cream

1/4 cup sifted powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla (or other flavoring/extract)

Directions for Whipped Cream:

Beat whipping cream at high speed of an electric mixer until foamy. Gradually, add powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

Directions for Cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with baking liners; lightly coat liners with cooking spray. Place chocolate and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high until mixture is melted, about 1 minute, stirring every 15 seconds. Stir in vanilla and salt. Cool slightly. Stir in egg yolks. Place egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on medium-low speed until foamy. Increase speed to high, and beat until medium peaks form, about 2 minutes. Decrease speed to medium; beat in the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Increase speed to high, and beat until stiff peaks form, about 1 minute.

Stir one-third of the egg white mixture into the chocolate mixture. Gently fold in the remaining egg white mixture. Divide the batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Bake in preheated oven until set in center, 25 to 27 minutes. Let cupcakes stand in pan until completely cool, about 20 minutes. To assemble dessert, remove liners from cupcakes. Place the cupcakes on serving plates; top each with about 1/3 cup ice cream. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon caramel topping, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon toasted pecans.