Thin Mint Cupcakes

Chocolate and mint are such a great combination. Peppermint patties = awesome. Mint Hot Chocolate = delicious. Thin Mints = wonderful. See, you can't go wrong. And these cupcakes are here to prove it.

Mint Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Mint Buttercream

For the cake:
3/4 cup flour (heaping)
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp mint extract
1 cup boiling hot chocolate (we used mint flavored)

For the frosting:
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter (just softened)
2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tbsp heavy whipping cream (or milk)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp mint extract (add more or less depending on how strong you want the minty flavor)
1 1/2 Tbsp cocoa

4 Thin Mints or Grasshopper Cookies (for crumbling)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tin with paper baking liners. Do not attempt to bake straight in pan, this cake will stick.

Sift together dry ingredients in electric mixer. In separate bowl, combine wet ingredients EXCEPT hot cocoa. Slowly stir wet ingredients into dry until just combined. Add boiling hot cocoa slowly until batter is uniform and very runny. Don't worry, it will bake just fine. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins, filling 3/4 full. Do not overfill, they will make a mess in the oven.

Bake for 35 to 40 min until toothpick inserted comes out dry. Remove from pans and let cool on cooling rack.

For frosting: combine shortening and butter in electric mixer and whip until light and fully. Alternate adding milk and sugar until frosting is fluffy and slightly stiff. Add cocoa, vanilla and mint extract. Mix thoroughly. Spoon into pastry bag and frost cooled cupcakes. Crumble cookies until they are a rough powder and sprinkle on top.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Peppermint Cake Roll

I saw this recipe more than a year ago on Joy the Baker and I have wanted to make it ever since. I finally got around to it this Christmas. The pictures didn't turn out as well as I would like, but the cake itself was delicious. It is light and fluffy but still rich and decadent. A deadly combination.

We had a few mishaps with the cake (no semi sweet chocolate so we combined milk and dark) and an even bigger mishap with the whipped filling (I mistook a bottle of peppermint oil for peppermint extract and the filling tasted like an aromatherapy bath, so we had to start over), but somehow it turned out.

I wouldn't really change anything from Joy's original recipe and she gives great step by step instructions with pictures. But we did add some crushed peppermint to the filling because I am a peppermint lover. Click on the link above for the recipe.

Best Brownies

I know the adjective "best" is a dangerous one. Especially when it comes to food. Because food is such a personal thing and preference has more to do with it than any of the ingredients in a recipe. So let me rename this recipe. Best Combination Fudgy Brownies with Rich Frosting That I Have Made. There, that is a little harder to argue with.

But really. These are some good brownies. And make sure to use the frosting (see revised title). They are so rich, I can't eat more than one. They are made in a saucepan, which is kind of unique. But they are not difficult, so don't get nervous.

I made these to bring to an event. I brought them in the cutest box (a box I saved after getting a package in the mail because I knew this box would be perfect to carry baked goods) and they were a big hit.

For Brownies:

1/2 cup butter

 1 cup white sugar

 2 eggs, beaten in separate bowl

 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

 1/4 teaspoon salt

 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

For Frosting:

½ cup butter

2 Tablespoons cocoa powder

3 Tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups powdered sugar (I think… I just dumped it in from the bag)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8 inch square pan.

In a large saucepan, melt butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar and vanilla. Add a few spoonfuls of the hot butter/sugar mixture to the eggs in a separate bowl, beat. We do this to slowly heat up the eggs. If we add the eggs to the pan right away, we would get scrambled eggs. Once eggs are warmer, slowly beat them into the butter/sugar mixture in the saucepan. Beat in cocoa, flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not overcook.

For Frosting:

 Using a clean saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa and let boil for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and add milk and vanilla. Stir in powdered sugar a cup at a time until you get a smooth mixture. It will not be stiff like a normal frosting, it will look more like hot fudge. Pour over warm brownies. Eat warm if you want a delicious mess, or let it cool for an hour. 

German Chocolate Brownies

I work out so that I can eat more. It is probably counter productive, but it makes me feel better. I am taking a weight lifting class this semester and loving it. If I am sore after class I feel like I have worked hard and deserve a brownie. If I am sore all weekend, well then I deserve brownies all weekend. And if they happen to be rich, coconuty, and wonderfully chocolate brownies, all the better.

These brownies are truly superb. If you are a German chocolate cake fan, you need to give these a try. And if you like brownies and aren't allergic to nuts or coconut, you too should try them out. They do take a little bit of time, but are definitely worth it.

For Brownies:

½ ½	cup semi sweet chocolate chips cup milk chocolate chips
½	cup butter or margarine
1 ¼	cups flour
1	cup sugar
1	teaspoon vanilla
½	teaspoon baking powder
½	teaspoon salt
3	eggs, beaten
1	cup semisweet chocolate chips (6 oz)
½	cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Heat oven to 350°F. In 3-quart saucepan, melt 2 cups chocolate chips and the butter over low heat, stirring constantly; remove from heat. Stir in flour, sugar, vanilla, baking powder, salt and eggs. Spread batter in ungreased 13x9-inch pan.

Bake 27 to 34 minutes or until center is set. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

For Frosting:

1 cup evaporated milk

 1 cup sugar

½ cup butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 egg yolks

Mix the above ingredients and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick then add:

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

2 cup shredded coconut