Double Chocolate Mint Cupcakes Food

MINT CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick liners. Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Heat the milk in a small saucepan until hot but not boiling; pour over the cocoa powder in a large bowl and whisk until smooth. Let cool slightly. Whisk in the granulated sugar, vegetable oil, egg, vanilla, flour mixture and mint chocolates.
• Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds of the way. Bake until the tops spring back when lightly pressed, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the frosting: Beat the melted butter and cocoa powder in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until well combined, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low; add the confectioners' sugar, marshmallow cream and milk and beat until combined. Increase the speed to high and beat until fluffy, about 4 more minutes. Set aside at room temperature until thickened, about 1 hour.
• Transfer the frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip; pipe onto the cupcakes. Top with nonpareils and/or coarse sugar.

MINT CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a muffin tin with greased liners.
• Combine boiling water and cocoa powder in a small bowl; whisk until smooth. Allow to cool, about 10 minutes.
• Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.
• Combine 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons white sugar in a large bowl; beat together with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Beat in eggs one at a time until smooth. Mix in vanilla extract. Mix in the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the cocoa mixture. Fold peppermint candies into the batter.
• Scoop batter into the muffin tin.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cupcakes are firm to the touch or a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove cupcakes from the pan and set on a rack to cool, about 30 minutes.
• Combine shortening and 1/2 cup butter in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add peppermint extract. Add confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Beat in milk, a tablespoon at a time, until buttercream is desired consistency. Fold in food coloring a little at a time to reach desired shade of green.
• Transfer buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a round or star tip. Frost each cupcake with buttercream.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until crumbly, about 2 minutes. Add egg, then egg white, beating well after each addition. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the buttermilk, water, vinegar and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; beat into batter just until moistened. Stir in chocolate chips., Fill muffin cups coated with cooking spray three-fourths full. Bake at 375° for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the muffin comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE MINI CUPCAKES

Steps:

• This recipe makes about 50 to 60 miniature cupcakes.
• Line miniature muffin tins with liners (I purchase the mini liners at a craft store that carries cake supplies).
• Preheat oven to 350. Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt into a bowl and blend.
• Cream butter thoroughly, until very soft. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat for a minute or two. Beat in coffee mixture and vanilla.
• Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition.
• At low speed, add dry ingredients in three equal additions and milk in two equal additions. In other words, add one third of the dry mixture, then half of the milk, then another one third of the dry ingredients, followed by the rest of the milk, and then the last of the dry ingredients. Scrape down the bowl as needed. The mixture is about the consistency of a thick pudding.
• Stir in the miniature chocolate chips. Pour batter into cups. I fill them pretty close to the top; when they bake, they come over and make a mushroom shape, which is how I like them. If you prefer smaller, then fill accordingly. I have found that using a cookie scoop (looks like a small ice cream scoop, it's for cookie dough) works well to fill the muffin cups without too much mess.
• Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes from the pan and let cool completely.
• For glaze, put chocolate, butter and cream in top of a double boiler (I just use two pots). Use low heat and stir until mixture is smooth. The glaze doesn't look very chocolate-like until right at the end. Stir completely to make as smooth as possible. Remove from heat and let the glaze cool for five minutes. Spoon glaze on each cupcake and swirl. A miniature rubber spatula works well. The glaze is very shiny, but becomes more fudge-like as it cools.
• Each time I make this recipe, I have glaze left over; you probably could cut it by one fourth, but I've never wanted to take a chance on not having enough. Anyway, as far as I'm concerned, the glaze left in the pan is the cook's reward -- have a couple spoonsfuls when you're done!

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE-IRISH CREAM CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 12-cup muffin tins or line cups with paper liners.
• Stir flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Cream butter and sugar together in a separate bowl using an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract. Pour in flour mixture and blend well. Beat in milk, Irish cream liqueur, and coffee until evenly blended. Fold in chocolate chips.
• Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full.
• Bake in the preheated oven until tops spring back when lightly pressed, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool in the tins for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Combine dry ingredients. Make a well in the middle.
• In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients, including the 1/3 cup water.
• Put wet mixture in the well of dry ingredients. Stir just until moistened.
• Fold in chips. Use a light hand; a heavy hand leads to heavy cupcakes.
• Use cupcake liners for muffin pans. Fill about 2/3 full with batter. Any empty muffin holders should be filled half full with water. Do not just put under the sink to do this. Put water in a something with a lip, like a liquid measuring cup, and use that. (Yes, I learned this the hard way.).
• Bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes. Leaving on the liners, remove from pans immediately. Cool on racks.
• Number of muffins really depends on how full you fill your tins.
• Sprinkle tops with confection's sugar, if desired.