Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes

(from Martha Stewart's "Cupcakes")

Yesterday was Joef's and my one-year anniversary (!). Celebrations included running a 5K (you'll know why when you read this recipe), dinner at Pacifico (raw bar platter, shrimp ceviche, plantains, and duck quesadillas, mmmm), an upcoming stint in Cape Cod - and, these cupcakes.

Most people know how I feel about cakes and cupcakes, etc. I generally prefer, say, some ceviche or duck quesadillas, if they happen to be around. But I gotta say, there's a big difference when sweet things are made right - and (thanks to Martha Stewart), these were.

A shout-out to my other inspiration for the cupcakes - my mother-in-law, Betty - who makes a mean Boston Cream Pie that is pretty much one of Joef's favorite things in the world. I'm not sure these can top the actual "pie", but they're a fun alternative.

So, to make 20:

CUPCAKES
6 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for tins
1 1/2 cups flour, plus more for tins
1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Pastry Cream (see below)
Chocolate Ganache Glaze (see below)

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Grease muffin tins with butter and dust with flour, tapping out excess. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine milk and butter in a saucepan and set over very low heat.

2. With an electric mixer on high speed, whisk eggs and sugar into thick, fluffy, and pale yellow - about 5 minutes. (The mixture should be able to hold a drop of itself on its surface for a couple seconds when you lift the mixer.) Reduce speed to medium, and gradually add the flour mixture, whisking just until it combines.

3. Bring the milk and butter just to a boil. With mixer on low, add the hot milk to the batter in a slow, steady stream, and mix just until smooth. Beat in the vanilla.

4. Divide batter evenly among prepared cups. (Note - the recipe says to fill the cups halfway; I ended up the first round with cupcakes that were too small and went for 3/4 full the next time around. Use your judgment based on the kind of muffin or cupcake tins you have.) Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until the cupcakes are golden and a cake tester comes out clean - about 15 minutes. Let tins cool for about 10 minutes, then remove the cupcakes from the tins and let them cool completely.

5. To finish, use a serrated knife to split the cupcakes in half horizontally. Spread about 1 tbsp pastry cream on the bottom half of each cupcake. Spoon about 1 tbsp chocolate glaze over the top of each cupcake. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes before serving, if you can wait that long.

PASTRY CREAM
(Two notes: one, Joef and I agreed that while this filling was delicious, if you were strapped for time, you could probably use a mix. Two, I just realized that I used egg yolks and whites by accident when I made mine. Hmmm. Well, they turned out fine - but you, you follow the recipe, gosh darn it!)
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
Pinch of salt
2 cups milk
1 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. Whisk the egg yolks until smooth in a large bowl.
2. Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan, and heat over medium. Stirring constantly, gradually add the milk in a slow, steady stream, and cook until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble. (Be patient.)
3. Whisking constantly, slowly pour about 1/3 of the milk mixture into the egg yolks (you do this first to prevent curdling). Now pour this into the remaining milk mixture in the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture boils and is thick enough to hold its shape. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
4. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve (gets rid of any pieces of egg white). Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it right onto the surface to keep a skin from forming. Directions say to refrigerate until chilled and firm, about 2 hours - but who has time for that? I popped it in the freezer until the cupcakes were ready to go, but I found it a little too stiff. I'd probably just go with the fridge next time.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE GLAZE
6 oz semisweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp light corn syrup

1. Place chocolate in a small saucepan or heatproof bowl.
2. Bring cream and corn syrup just to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour the hot mixture over the chocolate. Let it stand without stirring until the chocolate begins to melt.
3. Use a flexible spatula to gently stir the chocolate and cream together until totally combined. It helps to begin near the center of the bowl and slowly work your way out. Don't overstir. Will be smooth and glossy. And delicious.