I wonder who decided to combine chocolate and mint, was it the Girl Scouts or did a farmer eating a candy bar trip and fall into a patch of mint? In honor of St. Patrick’s Day and my love for all things chocolate and minty – I made these cupcakes and sent them into school on Friday.
For the cupcakes:
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 – 4.67 ounce package of Andes Creme de Menthe Thins
1. Preheat oven to 350º, line a muffin tin with paper liners.
2. In a small bowl, sift together the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar for three minutes, then add the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and sour cream in batches, mixing on a low speed until well combined.
3. Place a heaping tablespoon of batter in the cupcake liners. Coarsely chop 2 of the Andes mints for each cupcake, and top off with another heaping tablespoon of batter. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, test the cupcakes with a toothpick – it should come out clean.
For the icing:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 3 to 4 tablespoons milk
- green food coloring (optional)
1. In a large bowl, cream the butter until light and fluffy.
2. Mix in the confectioners sugar and extract, the add the milk one tablespoon at a time to achieve desired spreading consistency. Beat in food coloring if using.
Makes 12 cupcakes
