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Mary Thurston

Chocolate-Covered Twinkie Cupcakes...YUM!

Cupcake Ingredients:

• 1 (18.25 oz.) pkg. yellow cake mix

• 1 cup ricotta cheese

• 4 eggs

• ¼ vegetable oil

• ¼ cup water

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line two 12-cup cupcake pans with liners.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and beat with an electric mixer until the batter is smooth and well-combined.

3. Scoop batter into each cupcake well, filling each about 2/3 full.

4. Bake on the center rack of your oven for about 20 minutes, or until the tops of the cakes spring back when lightly pressed.

5. Remove the pans from the oven and place on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing the cupcakes from the pans to cool directly on the wire racks.

6. Prepare the filling and frosting.

Filling Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons hot water

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 jar (7 ounce) marshmallow cream

• 1/2 cup shortening

• 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a small bowl, combine hot water and salt until the salt is dissolved. Cool.

2. In another small bowl, beat the marshmallow cream, shortening, confectioners' sugar, cooled salt mixture, and vanilla until light and fluffy.

3. Place the filling into a pastry bag or decorating gun and insert the tip into the tops of the completely cooled cupcakes.

4. Squirt about a tablespoon and a ½ of filling into each cupcake.

Ganache Ingredients

• ¾ whipping cream

• 1 cup milk chocolate chips

1. Place the whipping cream and chips in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat.

2. Stirring constantly with a whisk, melt the chips completely and stir until the ganache is smooth.

3. Dip the tops of the cupcakes into the ganache and twist your wrist up to prevent the ganache from running down the cupcakes’ sides too much.

4. Refrigerate to set the ganache and to store the cupcakes.

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