Mint Chocolate, YUM!

The icing wasn't quite so lime green looking in real life.

Mint Chocolate is one of my favorite flavor combinations! York Peppermint Pattie, Thin Mints, Andes Mints, Grasshopper Pie and Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream could all be listed as some of my favorite things. Since these are some of my favs, I definitely had to make a cupcake with those flavors, right?! I decided to do two different variations of a mint chocolate cupcake.

I started with my chocolate cupcake recipe (follow the link to one my of previous blogs detailing the cupcake recipe). You can also start with your favorite chocolate cake mix--a dark chocolate or a devil's food would be tasty! Since I was doing this two different ways, and I can get about 24 cupcakes out of my recipe, I thought, how perfect. I can do a dozen one way and switch it up for the other dozen.

I put a scoop full of batter in each cupcake liner. For one dozen, I just put them in the oven. For the other dozen, after filling them I place a miniature York Peppermint Pattie and then made sure it was covered with batter. I baked them both for about 20-25 minutes.

For my plain chocolate cupcakes--I used two different designs on my cupcake liners, that is how I could tell them apart--I used a trick I have used on brownies before. Andes mints has a baking chip. I think it is seasonal and I can't always find them. Since I couldn't find them, I bought some actual Andes mints and chopped them up. As soon as you pull the cupcakes out of the oven, sprinkle the chopped mints on top of those warm brownies. Let it melt a little, then spread with a knife. It turns into a lovely little topping that will harden slightly and be oh-so-minty good!

Chopping Andes Mints

Sprinkling the yumminess on top of the WARM cupcakes.

Spreading the goodness around

For my other dozen, I had to let cool. While they were cooling I made a Mint Buttercream frosting. I used my usual recipe with a slight adjustment. I replaced the vanilla with a pure peppermint extract. 1 stick of butter, 1/2 cup Butter Flavored Crisco, about 4 cups of powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon mint extract, and 2 Tablespoons of milk and blend well. I also tinted it green with a little "leaf green" gel coloring. I piped that yummy icing onto my cooled cupcake and then topped it with another York Peppermint Pattie.

The inside with the York Peppermint Pattie

I honestly don't know which one I liked more. I thought they were both a tasty option. The quicker one was the one using the Andes mints as a topping. The prettier one was using the buttercream frosting. I guess you will have to make both and you decide.

Yummy!!!!