COFFEE & TOFFEE

I don't mean to brag or anything, but these cupcakes are absolutely amazing! I have always been a huge fan of coffee ice cream with Heath, so when Nic suggested it cupcake style I was all for it. I found a good coffee cupcake recipe and then decided for the frosting to just do Cool Whip with Heath toffee bits in it. It's probably really lazy of me to use Cool Whip all the time, but to be honest I am not a huge fan of overly-sweet buttercreams and frostings. The creamy and light flavor goes so perfectly on this cupcake, it's like adding a little creamer to your morning cup. To top it all off I sprinkled more Heath toffee bits and a chunk from cut up Heath bars. I wanted to pipe the frosting with a star tip but the chunks were just too big and clogged the tip. Next time i will consider blending the bits so they are more finely ground and able to go through the star tip. Anyways, I highly recommend trying these out, so simple and delicious!

Coffee Cupcakes

2 cups all-purpose flour 

1 teaspoon baking powder

 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 

1/4 teaspoon salt

 1/2 cup boiling water

 2 tablespoons instant-espresso powder 

1/4 cup whole milk 

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature 

1/2 cup granulated sugar 

1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar

 2 large eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the cupcakes: Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Pour water over espresso powder; let cool. Combine espresso with milk. Beat butter and granulated and brown sugars with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with espresso-milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour (batter may look broken). 

2. Fill 15 cups (of two 12-cup muffin tins) three-quarters full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 20 to 22 minutes. Let cool; turn out cupcakes from tins.