Chili Chocolate Cupcakes

These last few weeks leading up to Christmas have been INSANE! There doesn't seem to be enough time to do anything. I've been teaching all day and then playing mom every night. With son #1 in high school and son #2 in junior high, I've attended two choir concerts and two band concerts. I also just finished up a grant writing class ... all I've been doing in my spare time is writing and editing. It's been nuts.

So a couple of weeks ago I got a Facebook message from a friend (I actually know her through my husband ... she's an amazing singer and teaches at the local university). She had heard about my Lavender Cupcakes and my Rose Water Cupcakes, and wanted to know if I'd make some Chili Chocolate Cupcakes.  One of her students is doing a recital for an independent study project and they wanted refreshments. I asked all the important questions, like .... How many? When the answer came back as 60, I knew that there was no way I was going to have time to make these, but I was really intrigued by chili and chocolate together. So, against my better judgement, I said yes. I decided that sleep was for losers and I got to work.

After doing some on-line research, I came up with a plan. I ended up doubling my normal chocolate cake recipe and then added 3 tsp cayenne pepper, 4 tsp chili powder, and 5 tsp cinnamon. This made 78 cupcakes. For the frosting, I made my regular chocolate fudge icing and then added some cinnamon until it tasted right ... real scientific.

The cupcakes were really spicy and my throat was burning after just one bite. The frosting actually helped to subdue the spicy a bit. It's a good thing I had and iced coffee nearby.

To decorate, I found a chili pepper mold on-line, so a bought it. I then used red and green candy melts. I think they turned out pretty cool.

I had my husband go with me tonight to deliver the cupcakes to the theater. Michelle, the student, was there and she told me how excited she was when Kitty told her that she had asked me to make the cupcakes. She told me that she had had the lavender and rose water cupcakes and thought she was going to "fart flowers." It sounds gross, but it made me laugh. I told her that I hope she liked spicy. Her response to me was, "Oh yeah! I'm Mexican!" She also told me, with a smile, that others were coming to her show because of the cupcakes. I feel all warm inside now ... but that could also be because I had a Chili Chocolate Cupcake for dessert.