Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

These minty little treats are one of my own creations - made from combining and tweaking different recipes. I was having trouble finding a straight-forward mint chocolate cupcake so I decided making my own was the best solution. These fresh-tasting treats started as a creation I made for work - as we used to use my cupcakes for marketing purposes. That's when I really started to get creative with them. To this day, these are still some of my favorites.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes:

Ingredients -

1 1/2 c. flour
4 tbsp. cocoa powder (Dutch Process/NOT unsweetened)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. softened butter or margarine (I use margarine)
4 eggs
1 tsp. mint extract
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions - 

Don't forget to preheat your oven to 350!

I start these cupcakes the same way I start most of my cupcakes. Start off by mixing the sugar and butter/margarine together until smooth. Then, mix the powdered ingredients together (flour, cocoa powder and baking powder) and then slowly sift them into the batter while mixing at a medium speed (I use a KitchenAid stand mixer so sifting and mixing at the same time isn't hard. If you have a hand mixer and need both hands or are mixing by hand mix in a little bit of the powdered ingredients at a time while taking a break to stir in between.) Next, beat the eggs separately and then add them to the batter as well. Add the mint extract and chocolate chips directly into the batter.

Fill cupcake papers 2/3 of the way full and bake cupcakes at 350 for 18-20 minutes. Let cool before frosting.

Frosting/Decorating - 

For the frosting once again you can use store bought or home made but use a white frosting so you can color it. (If you go with store bought I suggest a creamy frosting over a whipped frosting). Add 3-4 drops of green food coloring into the frosting and mix throughly until the color is even. Garnish with mint leaves and chocolate chips as shown below.

Tip: If you like your cupcakes extra minty then add another 3/4 tsp. of mint extract to your frosting.