I can’t resist.  I bought 10 boxes.  Yes.  You read that correctly.  10 boxes.

2 to eat (with in the first 24  hours).

8 to bake with.

Yeah… you read that correctly.  8 boxes to bake with.

Last year I made Samoa Cupcakes and Tagalong Brownies.  This year… I started with Thin Mint Cupcakes.  These cupcakes are a super decadent chocolate cake filled with a whipped chocolate ganache topped with a mint buttercream.  Serious amounts of NOM NOM NOM.

PS…. This is my new favorite chocolate cake recipe.  I know it’s got beer in it… but I’m totally using it for every chocolate cake I make from now on!!

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes
Makes 24 cupcakes

1 bottle of Guinness Stout Beer
1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp espresso powder
1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt

2 eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.  Line cupcake pans with liners.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.
3. In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter on medium-high heat.  Add the vanilla beer, whisk together and heat until it just begins to simmer.  Whisk in the cocoa powder and espresso powder and heat until it just begins to bubble up.  DO NOT BOIL.  Remove from heat and whisk until smooth.   Cool slightly.
4. In the meantime, in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sour cream.  Slowly pour in the slightly cooled chocolate mixture. NOTE:  DO THIS SLOW! You don’t want to cook the eggs, so start pouring a very small amount of the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture… DO NOT DUMP IT IN ALL AT ONCE.
5. In three parts, add the flour mixture to the chocolate/egg mixture.  Whisk until smooth.  Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, making sure everything is incorporated.
6. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full with batter.
7. Bake 18-20 minutes, rotating pan after 12 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Cool in pan for 3-4 minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool completely before filling and frosting.

Whipped Chocolate Ganache

4 oz dark chocolate, chopped

1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp corn syrup

1 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Place the chopped chocolate in a medium glass bowl.
2. In a small sauce pan, heat the heavy cream and corn syrup just until it bubbles.
3. Pour heavy cream over chocolate and stir until smooth.  If the chocolate doesn’t melt all the way, place the bowl over a double boiler and continue to stir until smooth.
4. Mix in the butter and extract.
5. Allow ganache to cool to room temperature.
6. Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk the cooled ganache until fluffy.  Don’t over mix or it will get grainy.

Vanilla Bean Peppermint Buttercream

12 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
4 tbsp cream cheese, room temperature
2 lbs powdered sugar
1/2 cup Madagascar Vanilla Bean Cream
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
pinch of salt
Wilton Green Food Gel

1.  Cream together the butter and cream cheese.
2. Add half the powdered sugar and mix on high until incorporated and smooth.
3. Beat in half the vanilla bean cream until smooth.  Scrape the sides of the bowl, making sure all the sugar is combined.
4. Add the remaining sugar and the peppermint extract.
5. Mix in the food gel until it’s the color you desire.
6. Add remaining vanilla bean cream until you get the consistency you want.  Mix on high 3-4 minutes until smooth and fluffy.

To Assemble Cupcakes:

Thin Mint Cookies
Peppermint Buttercream
Chocolate Shavings
Piping bag & large round tip
Apple corer

1. Core each cupcake using the apple corer.
2. Fill each cupcake with whipped ganache.  (I filled a disposable piping bag, cut off the top and filled each one with that.)
3. Using a large round tip and a piping  bag, pipe a round swirl of buttercream on to each cupcake.
4. Top with a Thin Mint cookie and chocolate shavings.
5. EAT! ENJOY!

And this is what you do when you have left over peppermint buttercream.  NOM NOM NOM

I was paired up with two other fabulous military wives and bloggers here in Europe to send a dozen of my homemade cookies to!

Carrie Fields of Fields of Cake and Other Good Stuff

Jessica Sutherland of Jessica Lynn Writes

These fabulous ladies received one of my most favorite recipes for holiday cookies, but with a twist!  I took my tried and true recipe for sugar cookies and added a little mint, dark chocolate chips, and green food coloring turning them into “Grinch Cookies”!  Green and black mint chocolate chip cookies!  Seriously so YUM!

(Sorry, the only picture I snapped before I packaged them up was this pic with my camera phone!)

Grinch (aka Mint Chocolate Chip) Cookies
Makes 3 dozen cookies

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp peppermint or mint extract
4-5 drops green food coloring
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp milk
1 cup dark chocolate chips (I used Nestle brand)

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together.
2. Add the eggs and beat on high for 2 minutes or until smooth and fluffy.
3. Add the peppermint extract and food coloring and mix until all the color has been combined.  Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure all the color is incorporated.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
5. In three parts, add the flour.  Between each addition add a tablespoon of milk.  Mix flour only until combined.
6. Fold in the dark chocolate chips.
7. Cover dough and place in freezer for 20-30 minutes or chill in refrigerator for at least an hour.
8. While the dough is chilling, preheat your oven to 400 F degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
9. After the dough has chilled, scoop 1-1 1/2 inch balls onto the cookie sheet 2in apart.  Press each ball gently until flat (unless you want little round ball cookies, then leave them round).  The rounder the edges of your cookies, the rounder they will bake.  If you like imperfection like I do… just leave them with jagged, rough edges.  I pressed a couple extra dark chocolate chips into the top of a few of the cookies, just cause it’s pretty!
10. Bake 7-8 minutes.  Do not over bake!  You want the bottoms to just begin to get golden, brown but not dark!
11. Leave cookies on pan for 30 seconds before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Peanut butter blossom cookies are traditionally made with a peanut butter cookie and a Hershey Kiss… but I thought, what about a white chocolate cookie and a Candy Cane Kiss?  PERFECT!

Now, I know that white chocolate liqueur might not be easy to find… so you could make these with vanilla extract and some milk instead of the liqueur.  But, if you can find the white chocolate… use it.  It’s subtle but SO YUMMO.

White Chocolate Candy Cane Blossoms
Makes 2 dozen (and a few extra) cookies

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg
3 tbsp white chocolate liqueur
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Green and red sugar crystals
1 bag of Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.  Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda.
3. Cream together, with an electric mixer, the butter and sugar.
4. Add the egg and beat on high for 2 minutes or until smooth and fluffy.  Scrape the sides and beat again for 1 minute.
5. Mix in the white chocolate liqueur.
6. Add the flour and mix on medium speed just until combined.  Scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure all the flour is incorporated.  Do not over mix.
7. Roll 12 1-inch balls of dough in the red sugar crystals and place on cookie sheet.
8. Roll 12 1-inch balls of dough in the green sugar crystals and place a cookie sheet.
9. Bake one cookie sheet at a time for 8-10 minutes.
10. Cool on pan for 1 minute then place an unwrapped Candy Cane Kiss in the center of each cookie.
11. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

I made these as mini and regular cupcakes… I preferred the mini cupcakes just because I’m not a huuuuuge mint/chocolate chip fan… I know, I know… it’s craziness!  BUT, everyone seemed to love them and I heard that they had a great mint/chocolate ratio.  Mission accomplished!

The actual chocolate cake doesn’t include any mint flavor, so to punch up the flavor a bit, I melted a few Andes mints in the microwave and then dipped each cupcake in the glaze.  It smelled amazing and made them look extra pretty.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes (Recipe Source: Bakers Royale)

• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups flour
• ½ cup Dutch process  cocoa powder
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, plus 2 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and line 2 muffins pans with cupcake liners.
2.  In a bowl mix sour cream and baking soda together; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, sift flour and cocoa powder together and set aside.
4. In a standing bowl mixer cream butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add in salt and beat until combined.
5. Add eggs one at a time and beat until combined. Add in egg yolks and vanilla and beat until combined.
6. Turn off the mixer and use a sturdy spatula or wooden spoon and alternate adding sour cream mixture and flour mixture, beginning with the sour cream and ending with the flour mixture.  Mix just until combined.
7. Fold in mini chocolate chips.  Do not overmix.
8. Fill each liner with a full ice cream scoop of batter.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Remove from oven and set on a cooling rack.  Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Mint Chocolate Buttercream

• 1 cup of crushed Andes (melted in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds)
• 1 cup butter
• 4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 tablespoons whipping cream
• 1/3  cup of crushed Andes
• 3-4 drops of green food coloring (to get a pretty mint color)

1. Dip each cupcake in the melted Andes glaze.  Allow chocolate to set on each cupcake before frosting.
2. Cream butter and sugar in a standing bowl mixer on medium for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
3. Add powered sugar to the mixer on low and mix until combined.
4. Add vanilla and whipping cream and mix for 2-3 minutes.
5. Mix in crushed Andes with a rubber spatula.  Add 3-4 drops of food coloring and mix until combined.
6. Garnish with Andes mints.

Personally, I loved the way this cupcake turned out with the crushed Andes in the buttercream, but if you want a smooth buttercream substitute the crushed Andes for 1 1/2 teaspoons of crème de menthe.  Also, this chocolate cake has sort of become my go-to recipe for chocolate cupcakes.  It’s rich but still light and fluffy.

Happy baking!

xo-Jenn

My original idea was to make my signature Super Moist Chocolate Cupcakes, but when I started to make them I realized I didn’t have an cocoa powder left.  Bummer.  So I improvised and used the chocolate I had left in my kitchen.  Which, to be honest, are a much better cupcake!  I used a dark chocolate baking square and a bar of intense mint dark chocolate.  The mint bar added a subtlety which paired nicely with the peppermint buttercream I used to top the cupcakes! And so… these cupcakes were born!

(Thanks to Kellie Sutton of Sutton Gourmet Paper for these amazing liners! They hold their color beautifully, even with a chocolate cupcake!)

JavaCupcake’s Candy Cane Cupcakes
A dark chocolate mint cupcake topped with peppermint buttercream & candy canes
Makes approx 2 1/2-3 dozen cupcakes

Cupcakes
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar (not packed)
½ cup canola oil
2 eggs, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla
6 oz baking chocolate 100% cacao
3.5 oz bar of Lindt Intense Mint Dark chocolate bar
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
½ cup boiling water

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line pan cupcake liners.
2. With an electric mixer and a paddle attachment, mix together the sugars, oil, and vanilla.
3. Add eggs one at a time, mixing between each egg.  Beat until smooth.
4. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler.  Add the melted chocolate in a slow stream to the egg/sugar mixture.  Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix until well incorporated.
5. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda & powder and the salt.
6. On low speed, add the flour mixture to the wet mixture in thirds.  Between each addition, add ½ cup of milk. MIX ONLY UNTIL INCORPORATED. Scrape the sides of the bowl
7. Add the boiling water and fold together by hand.
8. Fill cupcake lines ½ full.
9. Bake at 375 degrees for 9 minutes.  Rotate pan 180 degrees, lower temperature of oven to 325 degrees and bake an additional 4-6 minutes.
10. Cupcakes will be done with a toothpick comes out clean.
11. Cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

Frosting
1 2lb bag powdered (confectioners) sugar, sifted
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
1/4 cup – 1/2 cup milk or whipping cream

1. In an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth and well blended.
2. With the mixer on low speed, add the sugar about 1 cup at a time.  Mix until well incorporated.
3. Between each addition of sugar, add milk until you get your desired consistency.
4. Add the peppermint extract, scrape the sides and beat for 4-5 minutes or until light and fluffy.

Garnish
1 box candy canes
Star tip & piping bag full of frosting

1. Unwrap the candy canes and set aside half.
2. Break half of the candy canes into ¾-1 inch pieces
3. Put the second half into a zip loc bag.  Place on a flat, hard surface and pound with the flat side of a large wooden spoon until there are no more big chunks left.  You should have a fine powder with a few small pieces left for dusting the tops of your cupcake.
4. Pipe frosting onto cupcake.
5. To garnish, sprinkle candy cane dusting onto piped frosting.  Place a candy cane piece on top.

The cupcakes are a moist chocolate cupcake topped with a perfectly smooth mint buttercream all topped with green sugar crystals.  A perfect combination of chocolate and mint.  Yummm-o!

Here’s the recipe, click on the image to make it bigger!  The cupcake is my basic chocolate recipe and  the frosting a very easy to make mint buttercream.  I also recorded a video tutorial while I made the mint buttercream, it’s a bit wobbly, but it shows you how to make the perfect minty goodness!

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