CHOCOLATE FUDGE MINT CUPCAKES

Chocolate Fudge Mint Cupcakes image

This recipe is so fun and versatile! It's my most requested by teenagers and young adults. I hope your creative minds go to work with it...I'll give you some examples at the end.

Provided by Wendy Rusch

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

1 pillsbury brownie mixes (family size 9x13)
1/2 c vegtable oil
1/4 c water
3 large eggs
frosting:
1 stick butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp peppermint extract, optional
3-5 drops of green food coloring, optional
3 c powdered sugar
1/4 c milk or cream
hot fudge sauce or ganache, optional
andes mint candy for garnish, optional

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line cupcake pan with 12 liners.
2. Mix according to directions on the box.
3. Fill liners 3/4 full and bake 20-25 minutes. They may not look done, if they are firm to the touch and spring back when touched they are done, they will not pass the toothpick test. The centers are fudgey.
4. Remove from oven, cool in pan 5 minutes, then remove from pan onto wire racks to cool completely.
5. In a bowl mix butter, vanilla, peppermint, food coloring, powdered sugar and milk until smooth and of nice spreading consistency. May add more powdered sugar or drops of milk to achieve the desired consistency.
6. Frost cooled cupcakes...drizzle with fudge sauce or ganache if desired. And top with a andes mint candy for garnish. Recipe to follow on site for fudge sauce.
7. After frosting your cupcakes, store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for at least 2 hrs. This makes the cupcake even more moist and delicious!!!
8. Different options: Using peanut butter frosting instead of mint. then a mini reeses peanut butter cup for garnish. Vanilla or cream cheese frosting, top with a strawberry or raspberry, then drizzle with chocolate...pretty! Put chocolate chips in the batter and top with chocolate frosting for chocolate lovers! Put nearly anything in the batter...caramel filled hersey kisses tucked into each cupcake before baking is fun! Fill cupcakes with cherry pie filling after they cool and top with whipped cream, or vanilla icing and a hersey cherry kiss. OR put a teaspoon of cherry pie filling into each cupcake before baking... Just let your imagination run wild!!! Seriously, whats the worse that could happen??? You'd have a fudgey mess on your hands, so you might have to eat your cupcakes with a spoon and ice cream, that would be a tragedy! lol lol
9. I almost forgot! One of the favorite things kids and teens alike love that I do...I make a tower out of the cupcakes after I've frosted them, THEN drizzle with chocolate ganache or fudge sauce over the tower...I'll see if I can find a photo! :)