Intermission- With a cupcake

I'm really into cupcakes lately. I LOVE them. I think it is my dessert of choice 90% of the time. This cupcake recipe is one of my FAVORITES! Yummm, it is so chocolatey, moist and perfect in that little cup of goodness. The frosting just adds to it's greatness. It is carmel frosting. I have made these a few times lately and I've gotten good reviews. Even a couple of "this is the best cupcake I've ever had". So, all I'm saying is, you gotta try this one.

Of course, I've altered the recipe so that I don't feel as bad about eating it. The original recipe called for 1 Cup of oil, and 1/2 Cup of butter. I used my applesauce replacement and couldn't even taste the difference. Ok, well, there was a difference. My cupcake paper wasn't oily, and my tongue didn't have a coating of oil on it when I was done eating. That's about it. This revised version has been the one bringing in all of the good reviews.

Texas Chocolate Cupcakes

2 C flour

2 C sugar

1 t salt

1/2 t baking soda

1/4 cup baking cocoa

1 C water

1 C applesauce (unsweetened)

1/2 C butter

2 eggs

1/3 C buttermilk

1 t vanilla extract

Carmel Icing (No, I didn't alter this one. I'm afraid. If you have any suggestions, I'm willing to try)

1 C packed brown sugar

1/2 C butter, cubed

1/4 C milk

2-2 1/4 C powdered sugar

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda. In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring cocoa, water, applesauce, and butter to a boil. Gradually add to dry ingredients; mix well. Combine eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla; gradually add to batter and mix well (batter will be very thin).

Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

For icing, in a saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter and milk. Cook and stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to medium. Do not stir. Cook for 306 minutes or until bubbles form in center of mixture and syrup turns amber. Remove from the heat; transfer to a small mixing bowl. Cool to room temperature. Gradually beat in powdered sugar. Spread or pipe onto cupcakes.

Yield: 2 dozen or less