Anco Chili Devil's Food Cupcakes With Roasted Macadamias Recipe

-FOR THE TOPPING-
1/2 c Lightly rosasted Macadamias
– whole or chopped (about
– 2 oz.)
4 oz Semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 c Whipping cream

[Note: Bobby Flay, chef of NYC’s Mesa Grill, prepared this dessert
for a Meals on Wheels benefit meal at the Frontera Grill in Chicago.
Blended with the cocoa and coffee, the chili powder is only mildly
hot and adds something approximating a fruit flavor.]

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9″ square cake pan, line the
bottom with parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper. Measure
out cake flour, cocoa, chili powder, baking soda, salt, baking
powder, and cayenne.
Sift them together 3 times. 2. Using an electric mixer with a large
bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat
in the eggs, one at a time, and continue beating until mixture is
light, fluffy and almost tripled in volume. 3. Fold 1/3 dry mixture
into the butter-egg mixture, then add 1/2 the buttermilk and 1/2 the
coffee. Fold in another 1/3 of the dry mixture then the remaining
buttermilk and coffee. Finish with the remaining dry dry mixture and
the vanilla extract. 4. Spread the batter in the prepared pan. Bake
until cake springs back when touched lightly (30 – 35 min.). Then
turn out of pan and leave on the rack until completely cool. 5. Use a
2-1/2 inch cookie cutter to cut rounds from the cake. Place the
rounds in paper cupcake liners. 6. Make the topping: If the
macadamias are raw, roast them in a 350 degree oven, turning once,
until they just begin to color. Place the chopped chocolate in a
bowl, heat the whipping cream tii the point of a bowl and pour it
over the chocolate. Let cool to warm then drizzle it over the
cupcakes. Top with macadamia nuts.

[Note: Ancho chili powder can be made by stemming and seeding whole
ancho chilies and pulverizing them in an electric spice mill or
coffee grinder. The poweder should be available at markets featuring
Soutwestern ingredients or may be ordered by mail from G.B. Ratto &
Co., 800-325-3483.]

From Chicago Tribune Magazine 3/23/93.