Double Chocolate Fudge Hazelnut Macaroon Cupcakes

I love when a creation keeps building upon itself. I'm still working my way through the million mini chocolate fudge cupcakes that I made and froze. They freeze extremely well, and are just as moist and fudgy on retrieval. What a great idea to keep a few in the freezer for those unexpected guests!
Anyway, I thawed some and meant to ice them for a goodie box I was sending off to someone. It never happened.
I had just trialed a batch of hazelnut macaroons (not the french variety...I'm too scared to attempt them as of yet) and they were sitting side by side on the bench. After killing a few stomachs with coating the cupcakes in too much icing last time, I started to reconsider the whole icing idea. And the little macaroons looked at me with their nutty eyes and cried out to me to be combined. They fitted perfectly on top of the cupcakes and looked so pretty. They tasted even better, the textures went so beautifully together.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE FUDGE HAZELNUT MACAROON CUPCAKES

GLUTEN FREE HAZELNUT MACAROONS (adapted from Super Food Ideas Magazine, June 2005)

1 cup hazelnut meal
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 egg white
1 tsp vanilla essence
10-12 whole hazelnuts to decorate
1/4 cup chocolate icing to decorate

Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease and line one baking tray.
Combine all ingredients in a clean dry bowl and beat on high until a thick paste comes together.
Using your hands, roll mixture into 10-12 walnut sized balls and press each gently on the top onto the baking tray.
Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing and placing on a cooling rack.
Pipe a small blob of chocolate icing onto the top of each using a small star nozzle. Place a whole hazelnut on the top of each. Serve as is or use to top the cupcakes in the following recipe.

MINI CHOC FUDGE CUPCAKES (these are not gluten free)

125g butter
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cups caster sugar
1/2 heaped cup plain flour
a pinch of baking powder
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 180C.
Melt the butter and the sugar in a saucepan and stir. Sift flour, baking powder and cocoa into a bowl. Pour the butter mixture, eggs, and vanilla into the flour mixture and combine thoroughly. Add the chocolate chips and stir through. Spoon the mixture into a silicone mini muffin tray (alternatively muffin cases) and cook for 20 minutes or until firm. Leave to cool for 10 minutes before removing. Top with a blob of icing and the hazelnut macaroons in the above recipe.

NOTES: This recipe has been halved and should make around 15-18 mini cupcakes.