pat's Recipe

Tiny Chocolate-Cherry Bombs

Category: July 4th

2 10-oz. jars maraschino cherries with stems
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup butter, melted and cooled, or canola oil
2 Tbsp. kirsch, cherry-flavored brandy, brandy, cherry juice or milk
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1 cup powdered sugar

Directions
1. Line 1-3/4-inch muffin cups with silver or red foil bake cups. Drain cherries, reserving 2 tablespoons juice; set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add milk, butter, kirsch and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed just until combined. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add egg and beat 2 minutes more.

3. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the batter into each muffin cup.Push a cherry into batter of each cup, keeping stem end up.

4. Bake in a 350 degree F oven 18 to 20 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool cupcakes in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

5. In a medium bowl combine powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon reserved cherry juice. Add additional juice, 1 teaspoon at a time, to make and icing of drizzling consistency. Drizzle over cupcakes and allow to set before serving. Makes about 55 tiny cakes.

Note: If necessary, refrigerate batter while first batch bakes. If you run out of cherries, just add an extra tablespoon of batter to the muffins for plain chocolate bombs.

makes about 55 little cakes