Dark Chocolate Truffle Cupcakes

Pressing chocolate truffles into the centers of warm homemade cupcakes creates a simple yet decadent dessert.

Ingredients:

1	cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour
1	cup (250 mL) sugar
1/2	cup (125 mL) unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2	tsp (2 mL) baking soda
1/4	tsp (1 mL) baking powder
3/4	cup (175 mL) water
1/3	cup (175 mL) vegetable oil
1	tsp (5 mL) Double-Strength Vanilla
1	egg
12	dark or white chocolate truffles
	Additional unsweetened cocoa powder

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Place paper liners in wells of Muffin Pan. In Stainless (4-qt./4-L) Mixing Bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder; mix well. Add water, oil and vanilla. Beat on low speed of electric hand mixer just until combined. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Add egg; beat an additional 2 minutes or until well blended. Using Large Scoop, divide batter evenly among liners.
2. Bake 18-22 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean. Remove pan from oven to Stackable Cooling Rack. While cupcakes are warm, snip a 1/2-inch-deep (1-cm) “x” into top of each cupcake using Professional Shears. Press one truffle into each cupcake until flush with top of cupcake. Cool 20 minutes or until cool enough to handle. (Truffles will melt into cupcakes.)
3. Carefully remove cupcakes from pan. Remove paper liners; sprinkle cupcakes with additional cocoa powder using Flour/Sugar Shaker.

Yield: 12 servings

Nutrients per serving: (1 cupcake): Calories 240, Total Fat 13 g, Saturated Fat 5 g, Cholesterol 20 mg, Carbohydrate 32 g, Protein 3 g, Sodium 75 mg, Fiber 2 g

U.S. Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1 starch, 1 fruit, 2 1/2 fat (3 carb)

Cook's Tips: For a quick way to gauge how deeply to snip into the cupcakes, measure 1/2 in. (1 cm) from the tip of the Professional Shears.

The cupcakes can be made about 1 hour in advance, and the truffles will stay fluid.

Keep cupcakes steady when removing them from the pan and removing the paper liners. The truffle filling is fluid and can spill easily.

Jazz up these cute desserts by tying a seasonal-specific colored ribbon around the base of each cupcake.