Chocolate Cupcakes with Peppermint Frosting

 You can find a printer friendly version of this recipe here. 

Now, I know Christmas is over, but I promised I would share this recipe and it does solve the problem of what to do with all of those leftover candy canes!

I made these delightful little things for my Girls' Annual Christmas Party earlier this month. Keith and I each sneaked one before the party and they were delicious!

INGREDIENTS

CUPCAKES:
1  cup  packed brown sugar
6  tablespoons  butter, softened
2  large eggs
1 1/4  cups  all-purpose flour (about 5 1/2 ounces)
1/2  cup  unsweetened cocoa
1  teaspoon  baking powder
1/2  teaspoon  baking soda
1/2  teaspoon  salt
1/2  cup  low-fat buttermilk
1  teaspoon  vanilla extract

PEPPERMINT FROSTING:
2  cups  powdered sugar
1/2  cup  (4 ounces) tub-style light cream cheese
1/8  teaspoon  peppermint extract
16  hard peppermint candies, finely crushed (about 1/3 cup)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare cupcakes, place brown sugar and butter in a large bowl; I like to use my KitchenAid mixer for something like this.

 

beat with a mixer at medium speed 2 minutes or until well blended. 

Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk.

Measure the buttermilk. 

Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Stir in vanilla extract.

Doesn't that just look like heaven??

Spoon batter into 18 muffin cups lined with paper liners. 

Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until cupcakes spring back when touched lightly in the center. 

 Mine cracked a little :( But that's nothing frosting can't fix!

Now,  on to the frosting! 4oz cream cheese,

2 cups powdered sugar, 

1/8 a teaspoon peppermint extract (and no more! it is strong stuff!)and now whip it up! 

Now you can unwrap all of those peppermints! This took a few minutes, so it might be something you'll want to do while the cupcakes bake OR something your husband / wife/ significant other / child / helper can do while you are busy cooking!

Now put them in  zip lock bag and place the bag in you cutting board and whack those candies with your meat mallet (or heavy pot or rolling pin). 

I spooned the frosting into a piping bag and after my cupcakes cooled I  iced them in a swirl pattern.

 

Then sprinkle with crushed peppermints! 

Don't they look purty?! They taste great too :)

Enjoy!