Whether dressed up for after dinner or casual for after school, cupcakes are everywhere these days. This season, combine two luxurious flavors-pomegranate and chocolate-which complement each other for a memorable treat.


Pom Chocolate

Cupcakes

Makes 24 cupcakes


Cupcakes:

Juice from 2-3 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates,* or 1 cup POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup water, heated to boiling

3/4 cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons vinegar (not wine vinegar)

1 tablespoon vanilla


Pomegranate Chocolate

Frosting:

Juice from 1 large POM Wonderful Pomegranate,* or 1/4 cup POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice

6 tablespoons butter

1 6-oz. package chocolate chips

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups powdered sugar

1-2 tablespoons whole milk


Vanilla Cream Cheese

Frosting:

1 8-oz. package cream cheese

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

21/2 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon whole milk


Garnish:

1 cup arils from 1-2 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates


Cupcakes: Prepare garnish-Score 1-2 fresh pomegranates and place in a bowl of water. Break open the pomegranates under water to free the arils (seed sacs). The arils will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the membrane will float to the top. Sieve and put the arils in a separate bowl. Reserve 1 cup of the arils from fruit and set aside. (Refrigerate or freeze remaining arils for another use.)

Prepare fresh pomegranate juice* and preheat oven to 350° F with rack in the center. Place a paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-sized muffin cups.

Whisk together the dry ingredients to combine well. In a large measuring cup, combine pomegranate juice and boiling water.

Add oil, vinegar and vanilla to the pomegranate juice mixture. Add to the flour mixture all at once and whisk to combine (batter will be lumpy). Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups-about half full.

Bake 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and free of crumbs. Let cool. Frost with pomegranate chocolate or vanilla cream cheese frosting and decorate with arils.

Pomegranate Chocolate Frosting: Prepare fresh pomegranate juice.* In a saucepan, bring pomegranate juice and butter to a boil. Remove from heat; blend in chocolate chips. Stir in vanilla and powdered sugar. Beat until frosting is of spreading consistency. If frosting is too stiff, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk to thin.

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting: With an electric mixer, beat together cream cheese and butter. Add vanilla, powdered sugar and milk, and beat until frosting is of spreading consistency.

* For 1 cup of juice, cut 2-3 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates in half and juice them with a citrus reamer or juicer. Pour the mixture through a cheesecloth-lined strainer or sieve. Set the juice aside.



Chocolate and pomegranates are brought together in these memorable cupcakes.



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