PEPPERMINT MOCHA CUPCAKES!

  

   This wonderful recipe comes from www.bakersroyale.com.  These would make a great item on your Christmas party table! 

Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes

Make your Starbucks Peppermint Mocha richer, better and in a cupcake form. Yes, I went there and I’m betting you will too. It’s hard to beat a moist chocolate espresso cupcake with chopped bits of Andes Peppermint bits throughout for a bite of coffee and peppermint in one. To top it all is a soft mousse-like Swiss meringue buttercream infused with some peppermint. Then of course I went my usual cupcake carving way and finished it loudly with some chocolate drizzle and more chopped Andes and a peppermint candy on top.

Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes

Call me crazy, but I absolutely love and aniticipate the annual return of Starbuck’s Peppermint Mocha with the same fervor of a McRib fanboy. The annual re-introduction of them triggers all things holiday in me – you know all the jolly things that makes your belly jiggle from over indulgence and your face smile with delight.

So when I saw Andes Peppermint Patties in Target the other day, I knew exactly what I was making with them first. Behold a decadent cupcake stacked high and wide with lots of goodness.

Think of it as a way to condition your stomach for the holiday food fest to come. That’s what we did.

A few notes:

• I used Alice Medrich’s chocolate cupcake recipe for the base then added espresso and peppermint extract to create a peppermint mocha profile.
• Feel free to switch out the Swiss meringue buttercream frosting to a more traditional one that does not require the cooking of egg whites. I, however, prefer SMB for its light mousse like texture.
• If you aren’t able to find peppermint Andes, use regular candy cane and crush it to a fine grind with either a rolling pin or a meat pounder.

Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes

Makes 12 cupcakes | Preparation: Heat oven to 350 degrees F and line  wells of cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

Chocolate cupcake recipe adapted from Alice Medrich for Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

• 1 cup (4.5 ounces) all purpose flour
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (7.3 ounces) sugar
• 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1.5 ounces) SCHARFFEN BERGER Unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and warm
• 2 large eggs
• ½  teaspoon  peppermint extract
• 1 tablespoon  instant coffee (recommended: Starbucks Via)
• 1/2 cup hot coffee
• 3/4 cup chopped peppermint Andes

Peppermint Swiss Meringue Buttercream:

• 5 large egg whites
• 11/2 cup sugar
• 4 sticks unsalted butter, diced and softened
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract

Chocolate Pouring Sauce:

• 2/3 cups dark chocolate
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 4 tablespoons powdered sugar, sifted
• 4-5 tablespoons water, warm

Instructions:

Cupcakes:

1. Add flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and mix thoroughly to combine. Add in the butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat on medium speed for one minute. Add half of the  coffee into the mixture and beat for 20 seconds. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add remaining coffee. Beat for 20-30 seconds until the batter is smooth. Fold in chopped Andes. The batter will be thin enough to pour. Divide it evenly among the lined cups. Bake 18-22 minutes just until a toothpick inserted into a few of the cupcakes comes out clean. Set the pan on a rack to cool. Frost the cupcakes when they are completely cool.

TIP: For light tender cupcakes, spoon flour and cocoa lightly into measuring cups (instead of dipping the cups into the flour or cocoa) and then sweep the measures level without tapping or shaking them.

Peppermint Swiss Meringue Buttercream:

1. Combine egg whites and sugar in a bowl placed over simmering water. Bring mixture to 160 degrees F while whisking constantly.
2. Transfer mixture to stand mixer bowl, fitted with a whisk attachment and beat on medium  high speed (speed 8 on a KitchenAid stand mixer) until mixture cools and doubles in volume and forms stiff peaks; about 10-12 minutes).
3. Add butter in one piece at a time, mixing to incorporate after each addition. The mixture may appear clumpy and almost curdled looking at first-this is normal. Keep mixing and it will become even and smooth again.
4. Add salt and peppermint extract and mix to combine.

Chocolate Pouring Sauce:

1. Place chocolate and heavy cream in a bowl over simmering water. Let chocolate and cream sit for 2-3 minutes to melt without stirring. Then slowly stir mixture to combine.
2. Add powdered sugar and mix to combine.
3. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing after each addition until pouring consistency is reached.
4. Set aside and let sauce cool to warm.

To Assemble Cupcake:

1. Frost cooled cupcakes with buttercream frosting. Freeze frosted cupcakes for ten minutes.  Drizzle chocolate pouring sauce over frosting (reheat chocolate pour in microwave as needed to keep pouring consistency).  Sprinkle chopped peppermint Andes on chocolate sauce. Finish with a peppermint candy on top.