Coffee muffins

Ingredients:

Cupcakes

• 110 g of confectionery flour
• 150 g of sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 15 grams of salt
• 170 g eggs (approximately 3 category C1 eggs)
• 70 g of liquid cooking fat with added emulsifiers
• 60 ml of milk
• 15 gr. instant espresso coffee granules

Coffee-caramel Cuban filling

• 200 g of ready-made caramel dulce de leche or condensed milk
• 100 g of chocolate bar pieces with caramel
• 2 tsp. instant espresso coffee granules

Butter coffee cream

• 355 g of sugar
• 185 g egg whites (approximately from 5 category CO eggs)
• 570 g softened butter
• 15 ml coffee extract (e.g. Trablit)
• Coffee and milk puffed rice for sprinkling

Coffee syrup pipettes

• 110 g of sugar
• 1 tbsp. l. instant espresso coffee granules
• Chocolate sheets for decoration

Preparation:

1. For the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a standard muffin tin with 12 paper cups.
   
   In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, combine confectionery flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and eggs. Beat the ingredients for 8 minutes on high speed. Scrape the dough from the sides of the bowl, add the liquid shortening, and milk.
   
   Beat for another 8 minutes on medium speed. Gently fold in the espresso granules. Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full with batter and bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool completely.
2. For the caramel filling: Mix the dulce de leche, candy bar pieces, and espresso granules well. Place the filling in a pastry bag fitted with a round tip (large enough to accommodate the candy bar pieces).
   
   For the butter cream: In a medium saucepan, bring the sugar and 60 ml of water to a boil. Place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric stand mixer. When the sugar syrup reaches 114°C (230°F) on a candy thermometer, begin whisking the egg whites.
   
   Bring the sugar syrup to 120°C and slowly pour it into the whipped egg whites. Beat on high speed until the mixture cools and forms stiff peaks. Mix in the softened butter and coffee extract. Place in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip.
3. For pipettes: Bring the sugar and 60 ml of water to a gentle simmer. Remove from heat and add the instant espresso granules. Fill 12 medicine droppers with the syrup.
   
   For assembly: Using an apple cutter, cut a hole in the center of each finished cupcake and fill it with the coffee-caramel filling.
   
   Decorate the cupcakes with buttercream, pipe it into swirls using a pastry bag. Sprinkle with coffee and rice pudding. Place a pipette of coffee syrup into each cupcake and garnish with a chocolate wafer.