1. Make sure the butter is soft. I usually take it out of the fridge one hour before I start.

2. Preheat the oven to 200°C.

3. Prepare a cupcake pan with apposite paper cups.

4. In a bowl combine butter, sugar and yolks and whish well until you get a uniform and creamy mass.

5. Add chestnut puree and whisk until well combined.

6. Repeat step 5. With the ground hazelnuts and the chocolate bits.

7. Add the flour and the baking powder by sieving them in order to avoid clumps. Whisk until combined but no further, otherwise you’ll end up with a gummy consistency.

8. In a separate bowl combine egg whites and salt. Whip until you get a nice white snow.

9. Add the whipped whites to the cupcake batter. Integrate slowly and with caution, you want to make sure that the batter gets fluffy. Therefore do not overmix.

10. Fill the 12 cupcake forms equally.

11. Bake for 25 minutes.

12. Let the cupcakes cool down.

13. Meanwhile break the chocolate into small pieces and add to a small bowl. Cover with boiling water and let sit for a few minutes. Pour as much water away as you can without losing too much chocolate, add the butter and mix until you get a uniform chocolate mass.

14. In a skillet toast the hazelnuts over a medium flame.

15. Separate the toasted hazelnuts form the hazelnut peel which usually come off when toasting.

16. Chop the hazelnuts into halves and quarters.

17. Decorate the cupcakes with the chocolate cream and toasted hazelnuts.