Cupcakes Grow Up

When you think of cupcakes, the first thing that may come to mind are those tasteless cakes with sugary bright-blue frosting showered with colored sprinkles. Those are terrific when you’re a kid. But there is another kind of cupcake--elegant, delicious and loved by adults as well as children.

And during the holiday season, when many of us rediscover the pleasure of casual entertaining--potluck dinners, open-house celebrations, buffet dinners and progressive parties--cupcakes are the perfect dessert.

Among the fanciest cupcakes I know are visitandines , or French almond and brown-butter cakes. In France they are baked in a variety of shapes, from oblong to boat to mini-muffin, and they make exceptional cupcakes. They are wonderfully rich and flavorful, so no frosting is needed, but for the holidays you can crown them with a thin layer of your favorite chocolate frosting. This quick frosting has a taste far superior to those consisting mainly of powdered sugar.

FRENCH ALMOND AND BROWN-BUTTER CUPCAKES

Soft butter

1 1/3 cups slivered almonds

1 1/4 cups sugar

3/4 cup flour

8 large egg whites, at room temperature

Rich Chocolate Frosting, optional

Generously butter 24 to 30 small boat-shaped or small square molds or non-stick 12-cup muffin pan.

Place almonds along with 1/4 cup sugar in food processor and grind to fine powder. Transfer to heavy saucepan. Add remaining 1 cup sugar. Sift in flour and mix well. Add egg whites and mix very well, using whisk.

Melt 1 cup butter over medium-low heat in small saucepan until butter browns into small bubbles and has nutty smell. Do not burn butter. For easy pouring, transfer to glass measuring cup.

Heat almond mixture over low heat, whisking constantly, until just warm. Be careful because mixture burns easily. Remove from heat. Gradually whisk in melted butter. Transfer to measuring cup and let stand 5 minutes.

Stir batter. Pour enough batter into molds or cupcake pan to fill by about two-thirds. Set molds on sturdy baking sheet. Bake small molds at 400 degrees about 15 minutes, or muffin pan at 375 degrees about 20 minutes, or until top is set and light beige and edges are golden brown. Unmold immediately onto wire rack and cool. Frost with Rich Chocolate Frosting. Keep cakes in airtight container. Makes 24 to 30 small cakes or 12 cupcakes.

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Rich Chocolate Frosting

5 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

1/3 cup whipping cream

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, well chilled, cut into 2 pieces

Combine chocolate and cream in top of double boiler and set over simmering water until chocolate is melted. Remove from pan of water and stir until smooth.

Add butter and stir until blended. Refrigerate 15 minutes. Beat at high speed until frosting is thick enough to spread, about 8 minutes.