Deep Fried Tagalongs Food

TAGALONG CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
• Heat the coffee and milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just comes to a simmer, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the heat, and then whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl. Let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
• Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
• Whisk the sugar, oil and vanilla into the coffee milk mixture until completely blended. Then whisk in the egg until smooth. Whisk in the flour mixture until just combined.
• Divide the batter among the muffin cups with 1/4 cup ice cream scoop (about 3 tablespoons each). Bake until the tops spring back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out mostly clean (a few moist crumbs are fine), 20 to 25 minutes.
• Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan set over a cooling rack, and then remove the cupcakes directly to the cooling rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, place the peanut butter chips in a heat-safe medium bowl. Heat 3/4 cup of the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just starts to simmer, about 2 minutes. Pour the hot heavy cream over the peanut butter chips, shaking the bowl to ensure the chips are submerged, and let sit for a minute. Stir the mixture together until smooth and well blended, and then stir in the remaining 1/4 cup cold heavy cream.
• Place in the refrigerator until it thickens to the texture of stiff peanut butter, about 20 minutes.
• Beat the mixture with an electric hand blender until it just gets fluffy and lightens in color, about 2 minutes; do not overbeat or there is a chance the heavy cream will start to break.
• Spread a scant 1/4 cup of frosting on each cooled cupcake (Tip: Use an ice cream scoop to ensure all the cupcakes get the same amount of frosting). Then top each with a chocolate-covered peanut butter cookie. Serve immediately.

PONZU SAUCE FOR DIPPING

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a bowl and let stand 24 hours. Strain through a cheesecloth and store up to 3 months in a cool, dark place, or in the refrigerator.