Aztec Cupcakes

• For the cake:
• Spices and almonds:
• 40g / 1 1/2 oz. ground almonds (about 1/3 cup)
• 1/2 Tbs. coarsely ground black or mixed-color peppercorns
• 1 tsp. curry powder
• Dry:
• 80g / about 3 oz superfine raw cane sugar (you can also whirl granulated sugar in a food processor until it's finer)
• 120g / 4 1/4 oz. cake flour (about 2/3 cup)
• 2 Tbs. best quality cocoa powder
• 1/8 tsp. (a big pinch) baking powder
• Moist:
• 200g / 7 oz. (two standard bars) dark chocolate with at least 70% cacao content
• 150g / 5 1/4 oz. (1 stick plus 1 1/2 Tbs.) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 eggs yolks from 'large' eggs
• 1 Tbs. instant coffee granules
• Egg white:
• 4 egg whites from 'large' eggs
• 1 pinch salt
• Booze:
• about 1/2 cup mocca liqueur or rum
• For the chocolate ganache:
• 200g / 7 oz (2 standard bars) dark chocolate with at least 70% cacao content
• 100g / 3 1/2 oz (1 stick less 1 Tbs.) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/8th tsp. cayenne pepper (add more at your discretion, but be careful)
• 1 Tbs. mocca liqueur or rum

1. Cont.
2. Chop or bash the 2 chocolate bars into small pieces. Put the pieces into a microwave-safe bowl, and nuke at medium-low level for 3 minutes. Take out, stir and nuke for an additional 2 minutes. By this time the chocolate should be melted; if not, nuke for additional minute or so - don't overdo it or your chocolate will turn grainy and icky. Stir well.
3. Add the butter in pieces to the warm chocolate and stir very well - it should be smooth and glossy. Add the coffee granules and the almond-spice mix. Keep warm.
4. In a clean, totally dry bowl, mix together the egg whites and pinch of salt. Whip until it forms soft peaks (an electric mixer is a very good thing to have for this task).
5. Add about 1/3rrd of the whipped egg white into the chocolate-butter mixture, to lighten it. Now, add the dry mixture by the tablespoon or two to the wet mixture, folding it in - don't overmix or your cake will be a bit tough. Fold in the rest of the egg whites gently (if the batter is a bit streaky it's fine).
6. Fill the cupcake cups about 2/3-rds full with the batter, using two spoons - it's about 1 very heaped tablespoon per cup. (Use one spoon for scooping, and the other one for sliding the batter off the first spoon.)
7. Put in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. The cake should rise a bit, and still look a bit moist.
8. While the cupcakes are still warm, drizzle each with a teaspoonful of mocca liqueur or rum. Let cool to room temperature.
9. In the meantime, make the ganache. Melt the chocolate as described before, and beat in the room temperature butter into the warm chocolate. Add the salt, cayenne pepper and liqeur, and beat very well. Put it in the refrigerator to firm up a bit.
10. When the cupcakes are cool, spoon on the ganache. Put the cupcakes in the refrigerater until the ganache is firm.

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Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/aztec-cupcakes-50121442 (may not work)