'My Baby's Gonna Make A Mint' Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

He did it! He passed his final exam! For the past three years, the G has spent all manner of spare time studying for his accountancy exams. CIMA to be exact, which is international management accounting which is different, er... somehow. I'm no expert, but my baby's got letters after his name now! Woo Hoo!

To celebrate, what else but cupcakes!

'My Baby's Gonna Make A Mint' Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

for the cupcakes
2 cups / 225 g cake/self-raising flour
4 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups / 225 g sugar
1 cup / 225 g butter
4 eggs
3 1/2 oz (100g) chocolate chips

for the icing
1/2 cup / 115 g butter
2 cups/ 225 g confectioners/icing sugar
1/2 tsp peppermint essence
green food coloring
3 1/2 oz chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 F/ 160 C. Place paper baking cases in muffin tins. In a medium bowl sieve the flour, cocoa, and baking powder. Set aside. Beat the sugar and butter together in a large bowl until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until the mixture light and glossy. Add the flour mixture gradually, stirring until well combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Spoon the mixture into the cases and fill about 3/4 of the way. Bake for 20 minutes or until a poker comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the tin for about 5 minutes before removing to a rack.

Meanwhile, get started on the icing. Mmmm, icing. Beat the butter and icing sugar in a small bowl until smooth and the sugar is no longer lumpy. Stir in the peppermint and just enough food coloring to turn the icing a mint green. Decorate with chocolate chips or other implements of chocolate destruction.

Store without icing in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months!

For variations try these....

For Superbad Super Minty cupcakes, try using crumbled chocolate mints in the cake batter, like After Eights or Andes, those hotel pillow mints.

For something really crazy, how about chocolate orange minty cupcakes? Break a chocolate orange and crumble it into the cake batter or on top of the icing.

Did you notice our new kitchen fish? Introducing Moby Snoop Fish!! He's got his mind on his money and his money on his mind.

Sorry he's so blurry, but he's really fast. Really.