tablea chocolate cupcake, version 1.

I bought a pack of pure tablea de cacao (oops, forgot to take a photo of it) yesterday not really knowing what to do with them.

When I got to work, I began searching the web for some easy recipes. The only problem was that there were no recipes with tablea de cacao. So I tried using the keyword cocoa tablet, to no avail. I tried a few other keywords, this time, Mexican hot chocolate and cocoa nibs. I got a few more interesting results. My only problem was that I'm not sure if these two terms are the same as the Philippine tablea de cacao.

I wrote down one recipe, but when I got home, I decided to tweak another recipe I've saved last week.

It resulted to a delicious dark chocolate cupcake with an almost molten center. It was damn good, yes, but it was missing some oomph.

Because some of the cupcakes sagged in the middle, I decided to fill it with some cinnamon penuche frosting.



So this is the start of my dark chocolate cupcake chronicles. I going nuts just thinking about stuff I want to make using tablea de cacao. I think it's better than the branded baking chocolates, but they're almost at par in terms of the cost. Hehe. Well, this is just me saying. :)

I still don't know what to call these little babies. I initially wanted to call it "Triple Chocolate Cupcakes" then I turned to "Tablea Chocolate Cupcakes" then lastly, "Dark Chocolate Cupcakes."

Thinking about it now, I think the second option is the most appropriate. What do you think?

Tablea Chocolate Cupcakes, version 1

a scant 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
a scant 3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
3 pcs tablea de cacao
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 stick butter, cut into cubes
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F Line muffin pan with cupcake liners.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.

Bring water and sugar to a boil over low heat. Stir constantly until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add in tablea de cacao, cocoa powder and butter. Stir until chocolate has melted and mixture has melted slightly.  Stir in vanilla.

Beat the egg into chocolate mixture using an electric mixer (you can also use a wooden spatula and beat vigorously). Mix in dry ingredients, beat just until combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

Divide batter between muffin tins (about 1/4 cup per cupcake). Bake at 350F for about 20-25 mins.

Cool in pan for about 15-30 minutes before transferring to wire rack.

** Notes:

• The chocolate chips were not part of the recipe. I just decided to add them on a whim. I think that's the reason why some of the cupcakes had a slightly molten center. I'm omitting this next time. 
• Maybe adding 1/4 cup of milk would also balance out the flavors. 
• I'm also thinking about using Dutch-process cocoa powder next time. 
• This is probably best frosted with rich chocolate frosting or whipped chocolate ganache.

Can't wait to do version 2!