Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Snack Cakes and Hot Cocoa

I made these snack cakes to go with an amazing cup of hot cocoa. The cakes have a bit of pumpkin, a touch of spice and a whole lot of chocolate chips. The cocoa is even more special.

The folks at Hotel Chocolat sent me their hot cocoa maker, called the Velvetizer, along with packets of the 70% cocoa and their salted caramel cocoa. Both are so good but I'd be lying if I said I didn't gravitate toward the salted caramel. By the way, they have 16 different flavors to choose from so I have more sampling to do.

You just fill the machine with milk (any kind) up to the fill line, add the cocoa packet and plug it in. Within a couple of minutes you have the smoothest, creamiest, frothiest barista style cup of hot cocoa.

The cocoa is quite perfect just as it is but that doesn't mean we can't still tinker, right? I added a spoonful of pumpkin puree, left over from the baking, and a pinch of cinnamon. It worked great and added a punch of autumn flavor to the cocoa.

Hotel Chocolat also makes chocolate in lots of flavors and fillings. They sent me a sampler to taste and I might have eaten two of each while I was "tasting" them.

I baked the snack cakes in one of those autumn shaped pans that has pumpkin, maple leaf and acorn molds. But, don't worry, any muffin tin will work just fine.

You can serve the snack cakes as they are but I added a cinnamon glaze because more is more when it comes to my favorite autumn flavors. Since the weather lately has been cold and wet, I'm content to stay inside with these treats and my new hot cocoa obsession. Enjoy!

Yield: 12 Servings

Author: Anita Schecter

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Snack Cakes and Hot Cocoa

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 50 Min

Recipe for pumpkin and chocolate chip snack cakes, topped with a cinnamon glaze and served with pumpkin and cinnamon hot cocoa.

Ingredients

For the Pumpkin Hot Cocoa (per serving):

• 6 oz. Milk
• 1 Packet Hotel Chocolat cocoa mix
• 1 Tablespoon unsweetened pumpkin puree
• Pinch of ground cinnamon

For the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Snack Cakes:

• 1 Stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 Cup granulated sugar
• 1 Teaspoon vanilla
• 1 Egg
• 2/3 Cup unsweetened pumpkin puree
• 2 Cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Teaspoon baking powder
• 1 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 Teaspoon salt
• 1 Cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

For the Cinnamon Glaze:

• 1/2 Cup powdered sugar
• 2 Tablespoons milk
• 1/4 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and butter and flour a muffin or cakelet pan. You can also use baking spray with flour in it.
2. Cream together the butter and sugar, using a stand or hand mixer, for a few minutes until lightened in color. Beat in the vanilla, egg and pumpkin puree.
3. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet, just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and spoon about 1 1/2 oz. of the batter into each cakelet or muffin cavity.
4. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
5. Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, salt and cinnamon and drizzle over the cooled cakes.
6. Add the milk, hot cocoa packet, pumpkin puree and cinnamon to the Velvetizer, plug it in, press the ON button and wait until the machine turns itself off. Pour your frothy hot cocoa into a mug and enjoy with a snack cake.

Created using The Recipes Generator

This recipe is sponsored by Hotel Chocolat. Thank you for supporting the products I love and use in my kitchen.