Friday, March 9, 2012

Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

Man, March is the month for birthdays! My dear co-worker, Cindy, has a birthday coming up on the 11th, so I [once again] volunteered to make her some birthday cupcakes!

It also happens to be that time of the year where those little devils in green uniforms (aka the Girl Scouts) start to bombard your local grocery store, Target, Walmart, etc....selling those disgusting cookies......

Ok ok ok, I know as much as you know how delicious they are!!!!!! I always stick to the basic, Thin Mints and Samoas. After buying my boxes of cookies I always fight with myself on how I should have bought one of each flavor (the realist in me tells me that I don't even need the boxes I just bought)!!!

I have only bought 2 boxes of cookies this season (yes, you read that correctly, only TWO!!!!). Those 2 boxes happen to be 1 box of Samoas and 1 box of Thin Mints! ;) Didn't want to step outside my box this year....nope, this wasn't the year to do that! Now, if we survive 12/21/12, then I will buy a box of Lemonades or Shortbreads, or maybe even some Tagalongs......but until then......

After buying said cookies, I stuck the Thin Mints in the freezer....WHERE THEY BELONG, and gave the box of Samoas to the hubby.

***Shocker Alert***
I did NOT eat a single Samoa!!!!!!!!!! Not a one! Can you believe it? Cuz I can't!


Well, I have been saving those freezer Thin Mints since I bought them for a special occasion......

These cupcakes were that occasion!


Mint Chocolate Cupcakes
(cupcake recipe slightly adapted from Sprinkle Bakes)



INGREDIENTS:


3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups + 3 TBSP cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup hot water
3/4 cup heavy cream
3 TBSP canola or vegetable oil (I used canola)
2 tsp vanilla extract
10 Thin Mint cookies, crushed
10-15 Andes mints, broken into pieces (or you can use a bag of those "Andes Bits")

DIRECTIONS:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees

-In a large bowl, sift together the cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt

-Add in the cookie pieces and Andes pieces and stir to coat the "chunks" with the flour mixture


-Add in the eggs, water, cream, oil, and vanilla and mix until all is incorporated

-Spoon into prepared cupcake tin and bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean

-Allow to cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack


Now it's time to whip up some yummy frosting!!!

Mint Chocolate Chip Buttercream Frosting
(adapted from my buttercream recipe)




INGREDIENTS:
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 TBSP Crisco
1 (2lbs) bag powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
Whipping cream
Mint flavoring
Mini chocolate chips
Green food coloring (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
-Cream together the butter, Crisco, vanilla, and mint flavoring

-Slowly add in the powdered sugar
*The mixture will become very dry and crumbly. This is normal and just keep adding in the powdered sugar (a little mixing motivation can be found HERE)

-Once all of the powdered sugar is added, start adding in your whipping cream, 1 TBSP at a time, until desired consistency is reached
*I have found my magic number of TBSPs is 10, but you may like your frosting creamier, or less creamy, so keep adding until your desired consistency is acquired

-Add in food coloring (I used about 5 drops of gel food coloring)

-Mix well until color is uniform and then add in the chocolate chips

-Frost cupcakes and devour!!!!

I was really bummed, though, after making these.....I had grand plans of doing pretty, swirly frosting on top of them, but ran into a problem.....the mini chips clogged up every frosting tip I had! So I had to frost them the old boring way....with a knife. :(

But on a positive note, these cupcakes taste just like a Thin Mint cookie!!!! :D I love how you would get chunks of cookies in each bite! Yum!!!

I am definitely going to be needing my bootcamp after making these! LOL!!!


So, for some exciting news.....I got an email today from my friend, Jaime, of whom I met at my first triathlon. Her and I rode the entire bike ride together while chatting and then met back up after the race in the transition area and exchanged emails (she lives in Colorado). Well, she will be out in my home town next month and will be staying at one of the wineries here in Temecula!!!! I live only about 5 miles from wine country, so I am super stoked!!!! She invited Davey and me to dinner while she is out visiting and I am majorly excited to see her!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yay!!!!

Also, I headed to the store today to get the stuff for my foodie pen pal! I can't wait for her to get my package and I hope she enjoys all that I picked out for her!!! Packages should be going out around the 15th (no later). I can't wait to see what comes in mine!!!! :)

Well, time to sit back and relax and spend some quality time with the hubs!!! <3

Have a great night everyone!

<3










3 comments:

  1. Yum, these look delicious. I love mint and chocolate! I admire you for only buying two boxes. I bought 15, but in my defense, I wanted to get my daughter to 100 sold. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hahaha! I want to buy more but sadly can't find any Girl Scouts around! People tell me they are everywhere still, but they are never at the places I go! Major sadness! :(

      Delete
  2. I really could dive headfirst into that yummy green frosting!!! Mint and chocolate is a dream come true combo! Thank you for sharing on Trick or Treat Tuesday!!!

    ReplyDelete