Mint Hot Chocolate Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow Frosting

Happy 2012!  Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season with family, friends, fun and lots of good food! I did! I know the holidays are over (because there's already Valentine's Day stuff out at Target) BUT technically, hot chocolate isn't out of season in Minnesota until like March. Plus, chocolate, coffee and mint are always in season in my book... which is why I am allowing myself to post two chocolate, mint and coffee dessert recipes back-to-back. I couldn't hold onto this one until next winter so I might as well get it out of my system now.

Let's chat about that cupcake situation you are seeing below. They are fudgy. Extremely fudgy. They have Dark Mint Chocolate Ganache filling. They are topped with Toasted Marshmallow Frosting that gives you all the excuses you need to use a kitchen torch (or just your broiler if you don't have one). They are sprinkled with crushed up candy canes. They are delicious. And they are super easy to make. I think Jesus would be totally jazzed to have these for his birthday cake. Make a batch now (before hot chocolate is out of season), then make them for Christmas in July, and then make them for His birthday this year and repeat.

Mint Hot Chocolate Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow Frosting

Adapted from A Cozy Kitchen

Makes 24 Cupcakes

Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 c. strong-brewed, hot coffee
• 2 c. sugar
• 1 3/4 c. flour
• 1 c. unsweetened cocoa
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 c. vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 c. buttermilk, well-shaken

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Combine chocolate chips & hot coffee in bowl, allowing chocolate to melt & stirring until smooth. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, soda, baking powder & salt. In another large bowl, beat eggs until slightly thickened and slowly add buttermilk, oil, vanilla & chocolate/coffee mixture, beating until combined well. Add dry ingredients and mix just until combined well. Fill lined cupcake tins 1/2 full with batter. Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from cupcake tin and cool completely.

Mint Chocolate Ganache (WAY easier than it sounds)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. heavy cream
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 3/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 tsp. mint extract

Directions:

In microwave safe bowl, heat heavy cream & butter for 20-30 seconds, until boiling. Pour in chocolate chips and let stand 5 minutes before stirring. The wait time is the trick to ganache. Add mint extract and stir until smooth. Create a small, shallow hole in the center of each cooled cupcake and spoon ganache into it. 

Toasted  Marshmallow Frosting

Ingredients:

• 8 large egg whites
• 2 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. cream of tartar
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• crushed candy canes or mints for garnish

Directions:

Place egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar & vanilla in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer. Set over saucepan of simmering water and whisk constantly until egg whites are warm to the touch and sugar is dissolved (3-4 min). (The best way to do this is to just pinch a little bit of the mixture between two fingers and run them together. If you can't feel any sugar granules, you're good to go.) Transfer bowl to electric mixer with whisk attachment and beat, gradually increasing speed to high, until stiff peaks form (5-7) minutes. (Your whisking time after transferring to the mixer will vary but you'll know your frosting is ready when you can create a "peak" by lifting a small amount up from the rest of the mixture and it doesn't just flop over.) Immediately transfer to piping bag and use to top cupcakes. Sprinkle frosted cupcakes with crushed candy canes and use a kitchen torch (or your broiler) to "toast" your frosting. Enjoy!

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