#25 - Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 egg
1 1/3 cup white sugar
8 oz. Philly Cream Cheese
6 oz. Nestle's chocolate bits
1/4 cup Hershey's cocoa
salt
Arm & Hammer baking soda
1/2 cup Crisco canola oil
cider vinegar
vanilla
flour
cold water

Filling:
Combine 1 egg, 1/3 cup of sugar, 8 oz. cream cheese. Beat with mixer until smooth. By hand, stir in 6 oz. chocolate bits. Set aside.

Cupcake batter:
With mixer, combine 1/2 cup canola oil, 1 cup white sugar, 1 TBSP vinnegar, 2 tsp. vanilla, 1/4 cup cocoa, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1 cup of cold water and 1 1/2 cups flour. Beat all ingredients with a mixer until smooth.

Place batter in paper cups in cupcake pans (makes 18-24 cupcakes). Fill each cup 1/3 full with chocolate batter. Place one heaping tsp. of filling into middle of each cup. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool and serve.