Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

     When we were in Maine, my son took school a little serious. He has always found school easy. Why? It is because he is very competitive. If his sister could do it, then he was going to make sure he could do it. He would try to help her with her homework in which she would get really angry about. She didn't need his help because he is two grades lower than her. Is he any smarter than her? No but boy he really likes to win. In school, he was fortunate to have teachers who would push him. If he found a subject easy, they seemed to make his learning a little more challenging. When we moved to North Carolina, he did slack. Before, he had never even missed a spelling word. Now, he was missing a lot of words. Did he still make honors? Of course but the effort was not there. I've told my kids that what is important is there effort and not the grades. They really need to work as hard as they can. I really feel that is what makes someone go far in life. Well, my son is taking his school a little more serious again. Maybe it is because his sister really does? Whatever the reason, I am glad.
     Now to these cupcakes-my daughter loved them. I think she ate the majority of them. My two guys liked them too. It could have been the peanut butter frosting I used. I did try placing a mini peanut butter cup in a few of the cupcakes. Don't do it. The peanut butter cup sank to the bottom and burned. The guys didn't care since they just peeled the peanut butter cup away and ate the rest. Good thing I only had done it to a couple.These are some dark cupcakes. They are as dark as an October night!

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes aka Dark, very dark Cupcakes
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup dark cocoa powder
8 oz. unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. Set aside. 
3. Heat the milk for 1 minute until warm. 
4. Mix the milk with the dark cocoa powder. Set aside. 
5. In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar. 
6. Add the vanilla and the eggs to the butter mixture. 
7. Stir in the dark cocoa powder mixture.
8. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until incorporated. 
9. Bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
10. Allow the cupcakes to cool on a wire rack before frosting.

Recipe by Jen of Sweet Morris.

Two years ago...................................I made Apple Crisp.
Three years ago.................................I made Mace Crumb Muffins.
Four years ago...................................I made Cheesy Basil Stuffed Chicken.

Did you already know........................
-The darkest time of the night is half way between dusk to dawn. 
-In October, the constellations Aquarius and Pegasus are easy to view.
-Before dawn tomorrow, Jupiter and Venus can be viewed above the moon.