Mint Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

Today is Father's Day and I have been thinking for sometime on what cupcake to make.
This is what I came up with!

Ingredients for cake

1 box Dark Chocolate Cake Mix

(eggs, oil, and water according to package directions- I always replace the oil with applesauce)

1 cup Andes Creme de Menthe Baking Chips

Ingredients for icing

 3 cups powdered sugar

1 stick butter or margarine

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

2 tablespoons milk

1 tsp mint extract

green food dye

2-3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (optional, for thickening icing without adding extra sweetness)

1/2 cup Andes Creme de Menthe Baking Chips (to sprinkle on top)

Fresh Chocolate Mint Leaves (for top of cupcake)

Andes Simple Chocolaty-Mint Sauce (for drizzle)
(recipe adapted from Andes)
1/2 cup Andes Creme de Menthe Baking Chips
1 tablespoons milk

The liners are from the Paula Deen line sold at Michaels.

Directions
For cupcake- Prepare cake as directed on box and add in mint chips. Fill cupcake liner in pan 2/3 full. This recipe made 24. Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes. Cool completely. 

For icing- Cream butter, shortening, mint extract in mixer. Slowly add in powdered sugar. Add 2 tablespoons of milk. Add green food dye by toothpick until desired color is achieved. Add 2-3 tablespoons all-purpose flour for thickening (optional, you could also use powdered sugar if needed)Pipe icing onto cupcake (I used 1M tip).

For Mint Sauce- Place chips and milk into microwave-safe glass bowl. Microwave on 50% power for 25 seconds. Stir. Microwave an additional 15-20 seconds at 50% power. When sauce is ready, drizzle with spoon over iced cupcakes. I used the drizzle on half and left the other half with no drizzle, but there is enough drizzle to use on all 24.

Final Step- Sprinkle cupcakes with leftover mint chips and top with a chocolate mint leaf.

Interesting info: Chocolate Mint does not contain chocolate but takes the name "chocolate mint" because of it's resemblance to Andes Mint Chocolates.

Happy Father's Day!

There are so many great ideas for Father's Day out there, barbecue grills, lawn mowers, golf, sports, and ties to name a few and I do want to make a couple of those designs this summer, just not today. You can view all the ideas I listed and more at Hoosier Homemade Cupcake Tuesdays! That is first blog I began following and truly one of my favorite blogs!

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These cupcakes are linked to:
A Well-Seasoned Life: Sweet Indulgences Sunday
Sweetology: Tea Party Tuesday
Cupcake Tuesday
This Chick Cooks: These Chicks Cooked
Alli N Son: Sweet Tooth Friday
Sweet as Sugar Cookies: Sweets for Saturday
Bacon Time: Party Mindie Style