Almond Joy cupcakes

Almond joy cupcakes look unassuming...

...but check out what's inside!

I have been talking about these cupcakes for months. No lie.

Almond Joy candies have to be one of my favorites, although I've always thought they'd be better if they were enrobed in dark chocolate rather than milk. Not that I won't devour them anyway regardless of the chocolate intensity, but don't you think that a marriage between a Mounds and an Almond Joy would create the perfect candy? And then throw a cupcake into the mix...

My mom and sister and I all love coconut. I don't really get people who don't (but then, I don't care for jelly beans and I also like Cadbury Cream Eggs so what do I know?), and granted, this cupcake is geared towards a specific audience. I'd probably not take them to my niece's fifth-grade class and expect them to vanish. But I'd not trust their chances at a Kessler family reunion (that's my mom's side of the family and we appreciate our groceries, and the more off-the-wall, the better). Even I, and I'm not really a sweets person, am having a hard time not dipping into the tray of these tucked into the back refrigerator. I was downright grateful to send my sister back to the desert with over a half-dozen, and I hope to gift the rest of these tonight to some unsuspecting friends. I need to make a cupcake I won't eat.

Be that as it may, this one turned out better than even I'd hoped. I've seen other cupcakes with this theme on the internet, but I wasn't satisfied with what I saw. I knew I wanted white cake, not chocolate, and I knew I wanted the dark chocolate to coat the cupcake just like the candy. Had I any of the filling leftover, I would have frozen it and dipped it in melted chocolate for homemade candy bars.

However, I had the most wonderful helper in the kitchen this time, my beloved sister Deirdre (for whom the baby at the end of this post is named), and she is generous with her filling. The cupcake lids were perched on top of the filling like jaunty, spongey berets! She was also responsible for the almonds on top, and as the family artist, they looked perfect. I probably would have just lumped them on there. Deirdre has a far more delicate touch than I. Not to mention she's one of my most gratifying tasters! But back to the cupcakes...

I haven't used nuts like this as the crust before, and I really flew by the seat of my pants on this one - I just added a little of this and a little of that and used what sounded good and then hoped for the best...and it worked (and I love it when that happens!). So what you have is a crunchy, deeply nutty crust, with a moist, springy white cake, filled with a coconut filling just like the candy (but better, because you can add more coconut and vanilla) and topped with a dark, not very sweet ganache. It's like the perfect coconut, almond, and chocolate candy reborn as a cupcake, and the contrast of flavors and textures (sweet! bittersweet! savory! crunchy! gooey! smooth!) plays together really, really well. I would have to say this is one of my very favorite cupcakes...and it makes about 24, so feel free to share.

~ Almond Crust for cupcakes ~ 

• 1 1/2 cups ground almonds (ground in food processor)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 12-count muffin tins with baking liners; set aside.

Combine all ingredients together in a small bowl. Press about a tablespoon's worth of the almond mixture into the bottom of each cupcake liner, pressing down to make an even layer. Bake at 350 for about ten minutes (be aware of the smell - if you smell toasted nuts, the crust is ready. If you smell burning nuts, you'd better start over). Set aside to cool while preparing the cupcakes batter.

~White cupcakes ~

• 1 cup milk
• 6 large egg whites (3/4 cup), at room temperature (I used the ones from a carton and you can, too!)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar 
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened

Pour milk, egg whites, and extracts into small bowl, and mix with fork until blended.

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in bowl of electric mixer at slow speed. Add butter; continue beating on low speed until mixture resembles moist crumbs.

Add all but 1/2 cup of milk mixture to bowl and beat at medium speed for two minutes. Add remaining half cup of milk mixture and beat 30 seconds more. Scrape sides of bowl. Return mixer to medium speed and beat 20 seconds longer.

Divide batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake until thin skewer or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 15-17 minutes. Let cool completely before filling and frosting.

~ Coconut filling ~

• 1 14-ounce can condensed milk
• 1 7-ounce bag of shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoons salt

Combine all the ingredients for the filling in a medium bowl. After cupcakes have cooled, cut a cone-shaped piece out of the middle of each one, trimming the bottom of the cut bit so it forms a lid. Using teaspoon, scoop in a bit of the coconut filling into the cupcake's cavity, then top with the lid. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes. Chill before topping with ganache.

~ For ganache ~

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• toasted sliced almonds, for garnish

On the stovetop, bring cream to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Off the heat, stir in chocolate and mix well until fully incorporated and shiny. Let cool for about 15 minutes before using (this will also let your cupcakes chill).

Carefully spoon the cooled but still liquid ganache on the top of each cupcake. Sprinkle the toasted almond slices around the outside of each cupcake.Chill the cupcakes in the refrigerator until the ganache is set (about 15 minutes).

This is the mighty Baby Deirdre

Baby Deirdre with cupcake...

Baby Deirdre heartily approves of the cupcake.