Chocolate Beer and Pretzel Cupcakes

By srumbel

These cupcakes are moist, with a crunchy pretzel bottom crust, topped with a delicious peanut butter buttercream, and garnished with pretzel crumble, caramel, and mini chocolate chips.
from sweetteaandsavinggraceblog.com

Ingredients

• CRUST/PRETZEL CRUMBLE (reserve 1/3, approx 1/2 c for garnish)
• 1 1/2 c salted pretzel sticks
• 4 1/2 Tbsp butter, melted
• 1 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
• CHOCOLATE BEER CUPCAKES
• 1/2 c chocolate stout beer (I used Boulevard Brewing Co. Tasting Room Oatmeal Stout, Kansas City, MO)
• 1/2 c (1 stick) butter
• 1/4 c + 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 c flour
• 1 c sugar
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1/3 c sour cream
• 1 tsp vanilla
• BUTTERCREAM
• 1/2 c (1 stick) butter, room temperature
• 1/2 c heaping of creamy peanut butter
• 1 1/2 - 2 c powdered sugar
• 1/4 c heavy cream
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• GARNISH (optional)
• Pretzel crumble
• Mini chocolate chips
• Homemade caramel sauce or your favorite store bought

Preparation

Step 1

PRETZEL CRUST

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees and line your cupcake pan with liners.
In a food processor, pulse the pretzel sticks into small chunks.
Add the brown sugar and melted butter, process on high until well combined and the pretzels are in smaller crumbs.
Press about 1 Tbsp of pretzel crumbs into the bottom of each liner, reserve approximately ½ c of crumble for the garnish.
Bake the crust for 8 – 10 minutes. You want it to just be golden brown.

CHOCOLATE BEER CUPCAKES

In a heavy saucepan, bring the butter and beer to a simmer over medium heat.
Add the cocoa and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat and add the vanilla, let cool slightly.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg together with the sour cream
Very slowly add the warm chocolate mixture to the egg/sour cream mixture, whisking constantly.
Add the wet mixture to the dry and mix until just combined and no lumps remain. Do not over mix.
Scoop batter over pretzel crust and bake for 17 – 19 minutes.
Cool cupcakes in the pan for about a minute and move them to a covered container. This helps to keep the cupcakes moist or you prefer, you can move them to a cooling rack.

PEANUT BUTTER BUTTERCREAM

Using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, cream the butter and the peanut butter together until it pales in color a bit.
Turn the mixer to low and slowly add powdered sugar ½ c at a time.
Add the salt and the vanilla.
Add the heavy cream and beat on high until light and fluffy.
Using your favorite tip (I used Wilton 1E) pipe a swirl of buttercream on top of each cupcake.
Garnish with the reserved pretzel crumb mixture, mini chocolate chips, and caramel sauce.

*These cupcakes are best stored at room temperature in a covered container for a couple days. You can refrigerate them, but allow to come to room temperature before serving.

Serves: 1 doz