Oh My Tiramisu!!

Themed dinner time again!!

This go around it was Italian. While the Chief is very good around the kitchen we opted that he would be making the dinner and I would be baking. He chose to make stuffed shells and braciole, and I chose tiramisu cupcakes. I was a little bit nervous, but oh my they turned out to be amazing!!!




TIRAMISU CUPCAKES

Ingredients
CUPCAKES
1 (18 1/4 ounce) package white cake mix
3 eggs
1/3 cup oil
water

LIQUID COFFEE LAYER
2/3 cup water, boiling
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons instant coffee

MASCARPONE FILLING
1 cup mascarpone cheese (from tub)
3 tablespoons Kahlua (or coffee extract)
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 (8 ounce) container french vanilla cool whip

FROSTING
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
chocolate shavings (to garnish)


Directions
1Make mascarpone filling mix first & allow to chill 4-6 hours or overnight.

2Mascarpone filling: Beat mascarpone, Kahlua and condensed milk until well blended. Fold in cool whip. Chill 4-6 hours.

3Prepare cupcakes as directed on box of white cake mix & bake accordingly. While these are baking prepare the liquid coffee as below.

4Liquid Coffee: Boil 2/3 cup water in microwave (or boil on stove) and stir in instant coffee then powdered sugar & allow to cool to tepid. Once cooled, use a fork to poke holes into cupcakes so that they will absorb the liquid cofee & then brush liquid coffee onto each cupcake using silicone baking brush. ** I usually make 3 fork piercings across top **.

5Fill pastry/icing bag with mascarpone filling & inject about 1 spoonful via bag directly into top-center of each cupcake.

6Prepare Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting: Beat butter and cream cheese until creamy with hand mixer on low. Slowly add powdered sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add vanilla and increase mixer to medium. Blend until frosting is fluffy.

7Frost each cupcake with frosting & garnish with chocolate shavings (use dark chocolate bar & cheese grater).