Black Bottom Cheesy Cups

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Prep Time: twenty minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

Cheesecake Filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
one massive egg
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
.
Cupcake Batter:
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
one cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened extra-dark cocoa or Dutch cocoa powder
one teaspoon baking soda (not baking powder)
one teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk or water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
one Tablespoon cider vinegar
one teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6 ounces semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips (about one cup)

Preparation:

In a small bowl, blend cream cheese, egg, and 1/3 cup sugar until smooth. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line mini-muffin tins with paper liners.

Stir in milk or water, vegetable oil, cider vinegar, and vanilla. Beat until smooth.

In a nonreactive massive mixing bowl, whisk together flour, one cup sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.

Bake in middle of oven 14 minutes, or until firm. Cheese filling may still be a bit soft but will firm up.

Fill paper-lined cups about 1/2 full. Top each with about a half teaspoon cream cheese mixture. Press two to three chocolate chips in to cheesecake filling on each cupcake.

Icy before serving.

Yield: about 60 mini-cupcakes

For standard cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 standard muffin cups with paper liners. Prepare filling and batter as above. Fill paper-lined cups about 1/2 full. Top each with about one Tablespoon of cheesecake mixture. Press three to four chocolate chips in to cheesecake mixture on each cupcake. Bake in middle of oven 25 to 30 minutes, or until firm.

Yield: 24 cupcakes