Snowflakes & Snowmen Recap

Winter 2011

Is that it? Really Winter 2011? Technically Winter didn't even start until December 21st and is still going on...but I am just not feeling it. Watch old man winter come late and hang around until June! Today, a jacket isn't even needed! When it was raining a couple days ago and around 60 and sunny yesterday I almost complained, and then I thought, "Hey this really isn't bad for January, this is good weather!" So while adorable little snowmen are still appearing in blogland, mine are here to say good-bye, my mind is springing forward!

Oldest to Newest....Newest to Oldest

Where should I begin?

Newest.

Snowflake Cookies

These were my crown jewel of the season, my absolute favorite!

Snowman Gingerbread Cookies

These were just a fun and yummy cookie with the snowman candies that my daughter loved so much!

Dude, Where's My Snowman? Cupcakes

This is what happens when I am having a rough day...I find laughter in making snowmen pee!

I am not really a snowman bully...he just had too much eggnog!

Snowman Oreo Pops

Once again, the favorite snowman candies on a favorite quick and easy treat!

Snowman Oreo Pops

This is the traditional Snowman Pop I found popping up on the internet possibly originating from The Farm Girl Recipes, that was as far back as I could find it!

Dipped Christmas & Winter Oreos

It doesn't get any easier than this and I just thought they were so pretty...and yummy! I really don't like just eating Oreos plain, but dipped, now that is another story. There is a red and green Christmas Tree version of these also on the original post.

Mini Snowman Cupcakes

This was the first time I used the mini snowman candies. My youngest daughter picked out the snowflake mini cupcake liners and the candies for these cupcakes!

Snowman Family & Snowflake Cookies

My first cookies of the season!

Snowman Family & Snowflake Cookies

Just the snowflakes from the collection. These were my first snowflakes, they were my favorite until I made the last snowflake cookies of the season (listed first on this page)!

 

Mint & Dark Chocolate Snowflake Candy

Some may call this "bark", I just call it "candy", since it was made in a mold. It is another super easy and pretty sweet treat and they were the first snowflakes of the season!

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I link up at these fun parties! 

Peppermint Oreo Bark

I really "get" why so many people are making "bark" this time of year!

After making Snowmen Oreo Pops, I had some left over Vanilla Candiquik with some Oreo crumbs in it, so it couldn't be reused. I decided to try making some candy bark and spread it out on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet. My 3 year old spread out a layer of broken up Oreos on top of the first layer of candy. I followed that up with a layer of Wilton Candy Cane Colorburst melts that I had also added additional peppermint candy flavoring to. This is a perfect way to use up some of that leftover candy coating and something easy that younger kids can help to make!

The results were delicious and I now get why so many people are making it!

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I link up at these fun parties!

 

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Peppermint Cake Pops

Have I told you before that even when things don't turn out perfect, they still taste great?

I made these by sheer accident!

It has been quite awhile since I have done a cake pop tutorial and I have changed my methods a little, so here is a fresh one!

First you need a cake. This is a 6 inch cake, I used the rest of the batter for cupcakes. You can also make a box cake mix in an 8x11 pan and cut it into 4 pieces, freezing 3 of the pieces for future cake pops. Each quarter of the cake will make between 6 and 12 cake pops depending on the size, I usually like making my cake pops pretty large! Once the darker part of the cake is cut off, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of icing, any icing will do! Using a spoon or spatula, break up the cake while incorporating the icing. I like to make a test ball to see how well it sticks together. If you use too much icing it will fall of the stick, too little and it won't stay together. More can always be added, but once it is in, you can't take it out!

Once your cake balls are made, chill them for about a half hour, you can reshape them easier when cold to get a rounder shape. Melt up 1 cup of candy melts or candy bark for your 6 to 12 cake pops. When I am just making a small amount of cake pops up to about 15, I find it easier to use a microwavable glass bowl, when making more, I use my Wilton Chocolate Pro that you see in my old Basic Cake Pop tutorial. The Wilton Chocolate Pro will keep the candy at the proper temperature when needed for longer times. Dip the lollipop stick into the melted candy about 1/2 inch and then stick about halfway into the cake ball. Refrigerate again for about 10 minutes. Working one at a time, leaving the rest refrigerated, dip into your candy melts shaking off the excess. This method works quite well most of the time.

Well, today was a different story! This was my first time trying to use the Wilton Candy Melts- Candy Cane Colorburst, for cake pops. I loved it in the Mint & Dark Chocolate Snowflake Candy! It has a great flavor, I even added additional Peppermint Flavoring made especially for candy, you can't just use any flavoring or the candy will seize up! However, today for some reason or another this candy was a little to thick to dip, even after adding a little shortening to thin. A waste? Nope. I just didn't dip them! I think they look pretty decent without dipping. You heard me right, the cake pops were not dipped, the candy wasn't spooned on and shaken off either. Using the back of a small spoon, I frosted the cake pop with the candy, leaving nothing to shake off, giving it a more rustic look!

They may not be perfectly smooth, but they taste just like even better than any other cake pop, because they have additional peppermint flavoring! I even dipped some into crushed peppermint candies as shown in the top photograph. So, for those of you that don't like to dip cake pops, these can be made with no dipping!

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I link up at these fun parties!

 

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Mint & White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Today I am baking up cut-out cookies and going to decorate the with royal icing, the whole 9 yards. Okay so mine aren't going to be as fancy as the cookie people out there, but I am giving it a shot! Around here we call cut-out cookies with royal icing, "2-day cookies" since they pretty much take 2 days with the baking, icing making, icing have to dry in between colors, and then taking about another 8 hours to dry. I couldn't stand looking at my kids faces as they look at the cookies that they won't be able today and had to make something up for today. After a look in the cabinet to see what I could whip up quickly, I decide to make these Mint & White Chocolate Chip Cookies! The recipe is adapted from the recipe on the Andes Creme de Menthe Baking Chips bag, I just switched out dark brown sugar for light and added the white chips too!

    

Mint & White Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 stick of margarine, softened (1/2 cup)

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

1- 10 ounce bag of Andes Creme de Menthe Baking Chips

1 cup of Nestle White Chocolate Chip Cookies

2-3/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour

  

 In stand mixer with paddle attachment mix together margarine, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, and vanilla. Mix in 2 eggs. Switch to dough hook attachment, add in all of the chips and flour half at a time and mix. After all is combined, refrigerate for 1 hour. Roll into balls and slightly flatten. Bake in preheated 350 oven for about 8-10 minutes, depending on the size of the cookie. Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes before removing to wire rack to finish cooling.

Most of the cookies I made were pretty large, measuring at about 4 inches! The last batch I made a little smaller. I do have to say these were some super yummy cookies! The white chips really added to the flavors and made the cookies better than ever! They have to be some of my favorite "normal" cookies, normal meaning not cut-out cookies. They are also one of my favorite sweets that I have made with the Andes Creme de Menthe baking chips so far. You can view my Andes collection of sweets at this link. So, while you are working hard on those cut-out cookies, whip up a batch of these irresistible cookies!

 

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I link up at these fun parties!

 



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Mint & Dark Chocolate Snowflake Candy

This candy is a tasty treat and is quick and easy to throw together for a last minute gift or party!

Here is all that you need:

1 package each Wilton  Dark Cocoa Mint Candy Melts

1 package Wilton Candy Cane Colorburst Candy Melts

Snowflake Mold by Martha Stewart Crafts

Shopping the Michael's Thanksgiving Sale, this all cost me only $4.20 and will make about 24 large pieces of candy! (Not including candy dish that was hiding in the attic!) Best of all, this takes only about a half hour to make, making 8 pieces at a time. If you need to make tons of these, you will probably want more than one snowflake mold!

Here is how you make them:

(Making 8 at a time)

1. Melt about 1 cup of Wilton Candy Cane Colorburst Candy Melts in the microwave for about 1 minute in microwave safe bowl.

2. Spoon about a tablespoon into the mold filling cavity about 1/3 full, tapping down after filling ever 2 or 3 cavities.

3. After all cavities in the mold have the first layer of candy place in the refrigerator for 2 or 3 minutes.

4. Repeat with Dark Cocoa Mint Candy Melts.

5. Let molded candy set up in the refrigerator an additional 5 minutes or until easily unmolds. If they dont pop right out, they aren't quite ready.

These candies could be wrapped individually with a pretty bow for a class party or stocking stuffer.

 Placed on a nice candy tray and wrapped in cellophane and a bow, this would make a cute gift for a teacher, a hostess gift, or a last minute item to bring to a last minute Christmas party!

 

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These Snowflakes are Shared at:

The Southern Institute: Creative Me Monday, Home Savvy A to Z: Savvy Homemade Monday,  Chef In Training: Tuesday Talent Show, Sweetology: Tea Party Tuesday, Crumbs and Chaos: Crazy Sweet Tuesday, The Kurtz Corner: Tuesday Tutorials, Rook No. 17: A Little Birdie Told Me, Sew Stylish Boutique: Crafty Lassy Tuesday, Sew Rugged at Bear Rabbit Bear: Things I've Done Thursday, Mom's Crazy Cooking: Twelve Days of Christmas Goodies

These Snowflakes are Featured at:
Rook No. 17: A Little Birdie Told Me


Pink Princess #25- Cool Peppermint Cupcakes

Cool Peppermint

Only 3 more designs to go of the 28 designs from the Pink Princess Cupcake Book by Barbara Beery! This one is super easy, pretty straight forward. I did try something new with this one though...a little over a week ago I was making red velvets, for the Twilight Breaking Dawn Cupcakes, and I was using a box mix and didn't want to make 24 cupcakes and I knew that I would be making these cupcakes soon. I have frozen unfrosted baked cupcakes before, but after thawing the liners were falling off as I tried to decorate. It just so happened when I was making the Twilight Cupcakes, that Hoosier Homemade posted about freezing cupcake batter, so that is what I did!

I didn't have any small freezer bags, so I divided the rest of the batter, which should be enough for about 12 cupcakes, into 2 zipper sandwich bags. (I put the bags into a coffee cup to make it easier to pour the batter into) Once the bags were filled, I squeezed out as much air as I could without getting the batter on the zipper part. I then put them side by side flat on a cookie sheet and put them in the freezer for a few hours until frozen. Since I wasn't using freezer bags, after the batter in the sandwich bags were frozen, I stacked them, wrapped in foil and then put them together in a larger freezer bag. The day before I was ready to bake, I put the cupcake batter into the refrigerator to thaw. When I was ready to bake, I just snipped off the corner and filled my cupcake liners straight from the sandwich bags. It was very easy to fill the liners this way too! I baked the cold batter as I usually would if I had just made it. The cupcakes rose, and turned out perfect, if not better than the first batch from this batter! For more information and ways to freeze cupcakes visit Hoosier Homemade or The Kitchn.

The cupcakes are topped with red sugar, crushed peppermint candies, a whole peppermint candy, and a red mini M&M glued on with a dab of icing!

The Next Pink Princess Cupcake I will be making:

Be Mine Cupcakes

(Yes, a very early Valentine design...only 3 to go!)

 

Be sure to check out the other 24 Pink Princess Cupcakes that I have made!

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These Cupcakes are Shared at:

Talking Dollars and Cents: Muffin (and Cupcakes) Monday, Home Savvy A to Z: Savvy Homemade Monday, Hoosier Homemade: Cupcake Tuesday, Chef In Training: Tuesday Talent Show, Sweetology: Tea Party Tuesday, Crumbs and Chaos: Crazy Sweet Tuesday

Holiday Peppermint Patties

Feel the coolness?! Mmm... mmm... good!

Apparently, it doesn't take chocolate to make a peppermint patty, a peppermint patty! At first bite, something so familiar, it will remind you of something from the candy aisle! Sure they could be made with chocolate, but a brown Christmas tree...I think not! Trust me, you won't miss the chocolate...and I love chocolate!

I haven't made peppermint patties in about 15 years, that was right before my cake disaster that scared me out of the kitchen! I am amazed I could even find my old recipe, it was packed away in a box in the attic, handwritten by a friend on an old recipe card, before the days of internet recipe storage! Of course that recipe used chocolate candy coating, I am using vanilla!

 

Here is what you will need:

Homemade Peppermint Patties

(Makes about 48 1-inch shaped peppermint patties)

1 pound of powdered sugar (about 3-3/4 cups)

4 ounces of cream cheese

Peppermint oil or flavoring (I used Wilton Candy Flavoring)

1 package Vanilla Candiquik (1 pound package)

Green Candy Coloring (I used Wilton Candy Coloring)

Optional: small cookie cutters and sprinkles

 1. In a medium size bowl, either by hand or in a mixer, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, and peppermint oil. The amount of oil or flavoring you use will depend on the type you have. For these peppermint patties, I used the Wilton Candy Flavoring Peppermint oil, that takes about 30 drops using a small dropper. If you don't have a small dropper, that is about 1/8 teaspoon, use more or less depending on your preference. I started by mixing with a spatula and then went right in with my hands adding the powdered sugar about 1/3 of a bag at a time. To start, it doesn't seem like it will come together, but with the warmth of your hands it will work into a ball in no time. Just enjoy the wonderful peppermint aroma!

2. In between 2 sheets of waxed paper, roll out your peppermint dough working with about 1/3 of the ball at a time to about 1/2 inch thick. I do this simple because I hate cleaning up and the dough won't stick to the waxed paper.

3. Using small cookie cutter, cut out your shapes and place them on waxed paper and then into the refrigerator to chill. I used the Wilton Holiday Mini Metal Cookie Cutter Set.

I found it easier to put about half of the peppermints into the freezer and just take a few out at a time to dip.

1. Melt your Candiquik. Just pop it into the microwave for one minute. I melted 4 blocks in a 2 cup Pyrex bowl. The Candiquik can also be heated in the tray that it comes in, following the package directions. I like using this bowl for 2 reasons. First, it keeps it's heat longer than the tray and second, it has a lid and that makes it very easy to store the leftovers for future use! After the Candiquik is heated, it will come out looking just like that first picture and will need stirred.

2. Color the Candiquik. I started with just a toothpick of coloring, which was far from enough, it took quite a bit more to achieve the green that I wanted.

3. Take your peppermint and insert a toothpick about halfway into it for dipping. This is where I found it works best if the peppermint is partially frozen. If they are only refrigerated, the want to fall off the toothpick. Tap off the excess Candiquik and lay the candy coated peppermint patty onto waxed paper to dry. Sprinkle immediately while candy coating is still wet, if desired. I found it easier to remove the toothpick after the candy coating had set and just cover the hole from the toothpick with candy afterwards. The toothpick with twist right out, if you try and pull it straight out, it will crack.

I used some leftover chocolate to cover the gingerbread men peppermint patties.

I tried a couple different types of sprinkles for the trees.

I made holly leaves too.

48 peppermint patties go pretty fast...from "taste testing" too many, to dropping some off with my daughter for her friends at gymnastics, who all loved them by the way! We probably shouldn't let the coach in on that!

Here is the inside...YUM!

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Sharing the Pepperminty Coolness at:

Something Swanky: Sweet Treats Thursday, Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday, Around My Family Table: Turning the Table Thursday, The Artsy Girl Connection: Pin'Ispirational Thursday, Bacon Time: Ongoing Winter Joy Linky, Happy Hour Projects: Freestyle Friday, Bacon Time: Anything Goes Linky, Alli-N-Son: Sweet Tooth Friday, Blissful and Domestic: Let's Party, Sweet As Sugar Cookies: Sweets for a Saturday, Tidy Mom: I'm Lovin' It, Tatertots & Jello: Weekend Wrap up, Crumbs and Chaos: Seasonal Inspiration, One Artsy Mama: Shine On Fridays, Mom's Crazy Cooking: This Week's Cravings (Christmas Baking), Mom's Crazy Cooking: 12 Days of Christmas Goodies (Candy)

  

These Peppermints are Featured at- Miss Candiquik!

and Something Swanky: Sweet Treats Thursday

Crumbs and Chaos: Seasonal Inspiration

Blissful & Domestic: Pinning it Wednesday

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Turtle Chocolate Mint Chip Cupcake

In preparation for Hurricane Irene, what Hurricane preparedness kit would be complete without cupcakes? Please excuse the rush...there's a hurricane a comin'!

 Cupcake Ingredients

1 cup sugar

1 stick of margarine

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1-1/2 cup AP flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup Hershey's baking cocoa

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup buttermilk (or 1/2 cup milk + 1 tsp white vinegar and let sit for 5 minutes)

1/2 cup strong brewed coffee

1 cup Andes Creme de Menthe Baking Chips

In mixer combine sugar and margarine and beat on medium for 3 to 4 minutes. Add in egg and vanilla and beat until mixed.

In medium bowl mix together flour, baking soda, cocoa, and sea salt. Slowly add 1/3 of this flour mixture to the mixer combining with other ingredients on low speed, scraping as needed. With mixer still on low speed, add buttermilk. Add 1/3 more of the flour mixture, followed by the coffee. Add the rest of flour mixture just until mixed, not over mixing. Add 1 cup mint chips and stir in. 

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake in preheated 350 oven for 18-20 minutes.

Makes 20 Cupcakes

Cool completely on rack. I know they aren't beautiful, but they taste fabulous!

 

Mint Buttercream Icing

1 stick margarine

1/2 cup shortening

3 cups confectioners sugar

1 tsp peppermint extract

Beat together in mixer, margarine, shortening, and peppermint. Add confectioners sugar 1 cup at a time until mixed. Color mint green. (I know it isn't showing up in the picture well but it is mint green colored!)

To decorate you will need: York Peppermint Patties, Gummy Sour Poppers (they already have a happy face on them to trace!), the Runts (just the green ones, feel free to eat the rest), these were all Dollar Tree finds. You will also need a piping bag fitted with a size 3 tip. You can use a zipper bag with just a tiny corner cut off, but I don't like this method, since the bag can burst and it is harder to control.

First frost your cooled cupcakes with the mint icing using a spatula. Add more green to the remainder of the mint green icing until you reach a bright green color and fill your piping bag with the bright green icing. Then assemble your turtles on top of the cupcake.

Place down a York Peppermint Patty. Attach the green Runts for the feet with a dab of your bright green buttercream. Add the Gummi Sour Popper face and trace the happy face on it. If you can't find these candies you could use a similar candy or even M&M's and a Food Writer Pen. Don't forget to pipe a tail on! Decorate the turtle shell however you wish.

Aren't these little guys cute?!

You can't really see the mint chips, but they are in there and this cupcake is minty deliciousness!

If you are on the East Coast it is time to hunker down and prepare for Hurricane Irene. Stay safe! Hope you all have plenty of cupcakes ready for the storm! If you are out of harms way, I have Pink Princess #13 scheduled to post tomorrow morning!

  

UPDATE 8/30/2011-

Thank you all for your kind words and thoughts. We now have electricity again! I can't tell you how happy I was to wake up at 3:30am to the light. We were lucky to not have much damage and just a big mess to clean up in our yard. Our neighbor even had a tree through there house. I hope everyone else that was in the path of Irene is safe and well!

  

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These Cupcakes are shared at:
A Well-Seasoned Life: Sweet Indulgences Sunday
Bizzy Bakes: Bake with Bizzy

Bacon Time: Party Mindie Style
Talking Dollars and Cents: Muffin (and Cupcake) Monday
Jam Hands: Recipe Sharing Monday
Home Savvy: Savvy HomeMade Monday
The Kurtz Corner: Tuesday Tutorials
Hoosier Homemade: Cupcake Tuesdays
Sweetology: Tea Party Tuesday
Rook No.17: A Little Birdie Told Me
Lady Behind the Curtain: Cast Party Wednesday
This Chick Cooks: These Chicks Cooked
Daily Organized Chaos: Foodie Wednesday
Pinch of This, That, and the Other: Whisking Wednesdays
Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday
Around my Family Table: Turning the Table Thursday
Something Swanky: Sweet Treats Thursday
Kissed by a Frog: Frog Blog Love Linky
Alli-N-Son: Sweet Tooth Friday
Mangoes and Chutney: Fat Camp Friday
Tidy Mom: I'm Lovin' It
Sweet as Sugar Cookies: Sweets for a Saturday
Happy Hour Projects: Freestyle Friday
KB & Whitesnakes Home: Simply Delish
  
These Cupcakes are featured at:
Bizzy Bakes: Bake with Bizzy
Show Your Cake
Bacon Time: Fantastic Features
Rook No.17: A Little Birdie Told Me (Sea Creature Cakes)
Cupcakes Take the Cake

Chocolate Mint Chocolate Cookies

The craving- Chocolate.

The solution- Whatever I could put together from the cabinet.

I have been eyeing the "Hershey's Doubly Chocolate Chip Cookies" recently featured at Art+Food+Life and the Hershey's Website, but, I was missing a few of the ingredients and didn't have enough of other ingredients needed to make them. I had to improvise, so my cookies won't be "Hershey's Doubly Chocolate Chip Cookies", they will be "Chocolate Mint Chocolate Cookies!"

Here is how I made them:

Ingredients

2 cups AP flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened ( I used 1 stick of margarine and 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce)

2 eggs

2/3 cups Hershey's Cocoa

1 cup sugar

1- 10oz. bag Andes Creme de Menthe Baking Chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients in mixer with dough hook or by hand if you are feeling adventurous. I like to let the mixer do all the work. I started with the dry ingredients and then added the softened margarine, applesauce, and eggs. Once everything is combined add the bag of Andes Mint Chips and turn the mixer with dough hook on low for about a minute to combine. The dough was a little sticky, so I sprayed my hands with baking spray before rolling the balls, a heaping tablespoon at a time, and place on parchment lined baking sheet, 8 cookies to a sheet. Flatten the cookie balls slightly with a sprayed fork. Bake about 12 minutes and let cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet before removing to finish cooling on cooling rack. This recipe makes about 28 large, fat cookies.

I wasn't planning on blogging about these cookies, but they just tasted so good that I had to share!

Mint Chocolate Cookies

I have a few extra bags of Andes Creme de Menthe Baking Chips...now what to do with them?

 Mint Cookies Anyone?

Recipe adapted from Andes Creme de Menthe

(The original recipe is also on the bag)

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup light brown sugar*

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract*

1 tsp mint extract*

2 eggs

1 package Andes Creme de Menthe Baking Chips

2-2/3 cup All Purpose Flour

(*these are my changes from the original recipe)

Preheat oven to 350. Mix together first 8 ingredients, slowing adding flour to mixer. Stir in mint baking chips by hand.  Roll into tablespoon size balls and flatten slightly. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool for 2 minutes before removing from pan.

Okay so they aren't that pretty...but they tasted good!

Also check out Mint Dark Chocolate Cupcakes made with Andes Creme de Menthe Baking Chips!

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