Chocolate Mousse Mini Muffins

This one is for the chocolate lovers! I used my favorite mini-muffin recipe, the easiest mousse recipe I know, and fresh raspberries. Of course, you could top it with cherries, strawberries, or whatever you'd like.

Chocolate Mousse Mini Muffins

3/4 c. cocoa
1 heaping t. baking powder 
3/4 c. butter, melted
1/2 c. boiling water
1 T. vanilla
1 1/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 1/3 c. flour
1/4 t. salt
1/2 - 1 c. mini chocolate chips 

Mousse:

1 c. heavy whipping cream

1 (4.25-oz) Milk Chocolate Symphony Bar 

Topping:

1/3 c. chocolate, melted

1/4 c. powdered sugar

Set oven to 350°F. Line or grease around 38 mini muffin cups. 

In a medium bowl, combine cocoa and baking powder; mix to combine. Add in boiling water; mix well with a wooden spoon to combine. Add in the melted butter and vanilla; mix well.

Add in the sugar, mix well with a wooden spoon. Stir in eggs and mix until combined. Mix the flour with salt. Add in the the chocolate mixture and mix well. Add mini chocolate chips and mix just until combined.

Fill each of the muffin cup almost to the top. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until muffins are just done. After a few minutes, remove from pan and let cool on cooling rack.

While the muffins are cooling, make mousse. Melt chocolate bar and set a side to cool slightly. Whip heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form. Fold in melted chocolate. 

Using pastry tamper, lightly tamp the middle of each mini muffin to create a shell. Fill each muffin with mousse either using a spoon or piping the mousse. Top each muffin with a raspberry. Drizzle melted chocolate over muffins. Sift powdered sugar on top. Refrigerate until serving. 

Scone Nibbles

We loved these treats! The recipe is from King Arthur Baking Company (great recipes). They're nummy with your favorite hot drink. I had it with peppermint tea once and hot chocolate once. Both wonderful.

I didn't cut them the final time after they baked and cooled, so they were a little bigger than a nibble, but still pretty small. I'll cut them the extra time next time cuz I love mini and cute treats.

I used about 1 cup of mini chocolate chips in mine. Next time I'll try them with orange extract instead of vanilla and add orange zest to the dough and glaze. 

Scone Nibbles

2 3/4 c. flour
1/3 c. sugar
3/4 t. salt
1 T. baking powder
8 T. butter, cold, cut in pats
1 - 2 c. mini chocolate chips, or finely chopped semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
2 lg. eggs
2 t. vanilla extract or flavoring of your choice
1/2 - 2/3 c. half & half or milk
 
Glaze
3 1/2 c. powdered sugar
7 T. water, enough to make a thin glaze

1 t. vanilla, optional

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients. Work in the butter just until the mixture is unevenly crumbly; it's okay for some larger chunks of butter to remain unincorporated.
 
Stir in the chips or finely chopped chocolate.
 
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla or other flavor, and 1/2 cup half and half or milk. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until all is moistened and holds together. Stir in additional milk or half and half if the dough seems dry and doesn't come together.
 
Scrape the dough onto a well-floured work surface. Pat/roll it into an 8" to 8 1/2" square, a scant 3/4" thick. Make sure the surface underneath the dough is very well floured. If necessary, use a giant spatula to lift the square, and sprinkle more flour underneath.
 
Cut the square into 2" squares; there will be a total of 16 small squares. Now, cut each square in half diagonally with a pizza cutter, to make 32 small triangles.
 
Transfer the scones to a parchment-lined or well-greased baking sheet. They should all fit onto an 18" x 13" half-sheet pan since they can be set fairly close together. 
For best texture and highest rise, place the pan of scones in the freezer for 30 minutes, uncovered. While the scones are chilling, preheat the oven to 425°.

Bake the scones for 17 to 19 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven, and allow the scones to cool on the pan. Once cool, cut each scone in half once again, to make a total of 64 tiny triangles. 

Make the glaze by stirring together the sugar, water, and vanilla, sifting the sugar first if lumpy. 

Coat each scone with glaze either by dipping each in the glaze or by brushing glaze on with a pastry brush. Allow the glaze to set before serving the scones.