From the web…Liquorice cupcakes

http://unafinestradifronte.blogspot.com/2010/11/cupcakes-alla-liquirizia.html

Ingredients x 12 pcs

Cupcake
130 g room-temperature butter (original recipe 145 g)
220 g flour 00
1/2 teaspoon liquorice powder* (original recipe 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder)
1/2 teaspoon chemical yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
300 g granulated sugar
3 organic eggs

Liquorice cream
100 ml milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons Amarello Liquorice powder

Liquorice Frosting
200 ml fresh cream
100 g white chocolate

2 teaspoons liquorice powder

*In absence of Liquorice powder, you may also finely grind pure Liquorice in a coffee grinder!

Preparation

Cupcakes

Pre-heat oven 170 °C. Mix flour, Liquorice powder, yeast and salt (dry ingredients).

Cream butter and sugar until soft and fluffy and alternately add eggs (liquid ingredients) and dry ingredients with a spoon, until all ingredients are barely mixed (do not over mix , I also add a bit of milk). Pour into baking cups (original recipe suggests sinking in some chopped pears), set in the baking pan and bake for 40-50 minutes (toothpick test). [Cupcake recipe from “Cupcake – Autentiche ricette dei cupcake americani” by A. Morov]

Liquorice cream

Mix cornstarch with Liquorice powder and drizzle in the heated milk.

Put the mixture over a low flame, and stir constantly, until thick.

Remove from flame and pour into a ceramic container , in order for it to stop cooking

Frosting

Finely chop chocolate and add 50ml heated cream (follow the intructions correctly, to avoid compromising the following steps) and the Liquorice. Mix the ingredients with a whisk until mixture is smooth and then add the remaining cream (unheated). Cover and set to cool in the refridgerator overnight.Whip up frosting before applying to cupcakes.

Assembly.

Cut each top off and set aside, to core the cupcake.

Fill cupcakes with Liquorice cream and close with the tops set aside. Decorate the top of each cupcake with the frosting and complete with a bit of pure Liquorice.