Toasted Coconut

Yield:  More than enough for 24 cupcakes
Bake Time:  5 - 7 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups coconut, sweetened

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Line a baking pan with aluminum foil. 

2.  Spread the coconut evenly on the pan.  Bake for 5 minutes, or until the coconut starts to turn a golden brown.  Turn the coconut over and bake for another 2 minutes.  Remove from oven, allow to cool to room temperature.

Dark Chocolate Ganache

Yield:  24 cupcakes
Prep Time: 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups dark chocolate, or bittersweet chocolate pieces
1/2 cup heavy cream

1.  Add chocolate pieces and cream to a medium size microwave safe bowl and heat mixture for two 30 second intervals.  Stir to combine.  Allow to cool slightly.  Dip the tops of cupcakes into the melted mixture, then allow the chocolate to set up and cool on a wire rack.

Snack Cake Filling or Icing

Yield:  36 cupcakes
Prep Time: 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup shortening
2 cups powdered sugar
1 pinch salt
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.  In a large bowl on medium speed beat the butter and shortening until light and fluffy.  Slowly add the powdered sugar and salt.  Add the milk on tablespoon at a time, then the vanilla, and beat until light and fluffy. 

2.  Attach a small pastry tip with a round opening to a pastry bag, and fill the bag with the filling.  Push tip through the top of each cupcake, and fill until you see the cupcake expand.

3.  For icing, use a pastry bag and make decorative swirls on each cupcake.

Strawberries

Strawberries, picked fresh from the garden...or found in your local grocery store.  Mmmmm.

Mellow Cream Pumpkins

A fun yummy topping for a Halloween cupcake.  Similar to the candy corn, only tastier.

Chocolate Sprinkles

Chocolate sprinkles add a fun layer as a topping to almost any cupcake.  Don't be shy with the sprinkles. 

Coconut

Shredded, sweetened or unsweetened, toasted or not.  Coconut makes a great topping that adds an earthy sweetness to almost any desert.  Sprinkle it liberally on top of any frosting.

Milk Chocolate Glaze

Yield:  Enough for 24 cupcakes
Prep Time:  5 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups milk chocolate chips
5 tablespoons olive oil

1.  In a small sauce pan, heat the chocolate chips and olive oil over low heat, stirring until smooth.

2.  Carefully dip cupcake frosting cone into chocolate coating.  Refrigerate until set.

Whiskey Ganache Filling

Yield:  Enough for 24 cupcakes
Prep Time:  5 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

8 oz bittersweet chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons Whiskey

1.  In a medium heat proof bowl, break up the chocolate into small pieces.

2.  In a small sauce pan, heat the cream to a simmer, and then pour it over the chocolate pieces.  Wait a minute to allow the chocolate to soften, and then stir the mixture until well combined.

3.  Add the butter and whiskey, and stir until well combined.  Allow to cool.

Dark Cherries

Cherries make a great addition to almost any dessert.  They may be purchased canned as a pie filling, preserved such as maraschino cherries, or fresh picked.  Just make sure they are pitted, or pit them yourself.

Cranberry Orange Drizzle

Yield:  Enough for 24 cupcakes
Prep Time:  15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups fresh cranberries
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup sugar

1.  In medium sauce pan, combine the cranberries and orange juice.  Simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes, until all of the cranberries have burst.

2.  Remove the pan from heat, and stir in the sugar until all of the sugar has dissolved.  Allow to cool.

3.  Once cooled, puree the mixture in a food processor, and store in the fridge until needed.

Chocolate Ganache

Yield:  More than enough for 24 cupcakes.
Prep Time:  10 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

8 oz semisweet baking chocolate pieces
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature

1.  Place chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl.

2.  Heat heavy cream in a small saucepan over low heat until simmering.  Pour over chocolate and let stand for about two minutes, or until the chocolate has softened.

3.  Add butter and swirl until smooth.  Allow ganache to cool before using.

4.  Swirl ganache over frosted cupcakes.

Caramel Sauce

Prepare the caramel sauce the day before if possible, to allow it to cool down and thicken up.  When prepared correctly, this sauce is delightfully RICH!

Yield: Enough for 24 cupcakes
Prep Time: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup water plus two tablespoons water
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
6 tablespoons salted butter
1 cup heavy cream

Have all of your ingredients within reach and ready to add when needed.

1.  Pour water into a 3 quart saucepan, add the sugar, and heat to boiling, while constantly whisking to dissolve the sugar.

2.  When the mixture reaches a boil, stop whisking and allow the mixture to boil.  Carefully swirl the pan occasionally until the mixture turns a dark amber color.  The caramel color change will come up through the mixture along the sides of the pan.  So it is important to carefully swirl the mixture in order to integrate the color. 

3.  Once the mixture turns a dark amber color, immediately add the butter and whisk until the butter has completely melted.

4.  Remove the pan from the heat and carefully pour in the heavy cream, immediately whisking to combine the ingredients.  Be mindful here as the mixture will bubble vigorously.  Continue to whisk the mixture until it is smooth.

5.  Allow the caramel sauce to cool 10 -15 minutes before pouring it into a thick glass jar.  When no longer warm to the touch, refrigerate the caramel sauce for later use.

Candied Ginger

Candied ginger makes an excellent topping.  The tangy flavor is sweet with a hint of spice to it.  The consistency should be soft and chewy.  Ginger spice also has the health benefit of reducing nausea.

Milk Chocolate Shards

Yield:  More than enough for 24 cupcakes
Prep Time: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups (11.5 oz bag) milk chocolate chips

1.  Line a cookie sheet with tin foil.

2.  In a small sauce pan, melt chocolate chips over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth.

3.  Remove from heat, and spread chocolate to 1/8 inch thickness on the cookie sheet.  Refrigerate about 30 minutes.  Break into pieces, and garnish on top of frosting.

60% Cocoa Dark Chocolate Chunks

Dark chocolate chunks made a great addition to any cupcake.  Whether crumbled up and added to a cake batter, or added as a topping to a cupcake.  The higher percentage of cocoa enriches the chocolate, and adds a bitter sweet character to the flavor.

Raspberry Curd Filling

The raspberry curd is prepared ahead of time, and allowed to cool down before adding it into the cupcake.  It has a tart and tangy raspberry flavor.

Yield:  Enough for 24 cupcakes
Prep Time:  15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 cups frozen raspberries
6 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 teaspoons Limoncello liquor

1.  In a medium sauce pan, on low heat, add the frozen raspberries.  Gently crush and stir until the raspberries have completely broken down.  Gently mash raspberries over a course strainer into a bowl to get out as much raspberry juice as possible.

2.  Add the eggs and sugar into a small sauce pan and whisk together.

3.  Place the small sauce pan into a larger sauce pan filled half way with water, over medium heat.

4.  Into the egg mixture add the raspberry juice, butter and Limoncello.  Stir constantly for about 10 minutes.  The mixture is ready when it has thickened up a little and coats a spoon.  Remove from heat and allow to cool down.  Pour mixture into a bowl and refrigerate until needed.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Yield:  Enough for 24 cupcakes
Prep Time: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

12 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mini semisweet chocolate morsels

1.  Beat the butter and sugars together on med-high speed until fluffy, about 2 - 3 minutes.

2.  On low speed, mix in the peanut butter, milk and vanilla.  Add the salt, and gradually add in the flour.  Stir in the mini semisweet chocolate morsels.

If the cookie dough is too crumbly, just add a little milk.

This recipe does not use eggs in the cookie dough, so you can ball up the topping into bite sized morsels and eat them as is!

Mini Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Mini dark chocolate peanut butter cups make a great topping on a chocolate cupcake, or just about any other cupcake.  For a real treat use these as a filling.  Or just go out a buy a box of these and eat them all up.
 

Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans

Chocolate covered espresso beans are wonderful all on their own.  However, they also make a great topping on certain desserts.  Try one on the Mocha Cupcake with Espresso Buttercream Frosting.  It takes the whole chocolate espresso mocha experience up to a whole new level of YUM!

On a side note, take a handful of these, crush them up, and sprinkle them over a bowl of cold vanilla bean ice cream...mmmmm.