After Eight Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

Who doesn't like mint and chocolate? This recipe tries to copy the 'after eight' mint, with the dark chocolate cake, and the secret mint fondant filling inside. Not really sure what to say about quantity though, for me it made 24 mini muffins and 4 regular ones. 

Ingredients

For the Sponge

50g Dark Cooking Chocolate

123g Butter

113g Sugar

2 Eggs, Beaten

50g Self-Raising Flour

1.5 tbsp Cocoa Powder

Pinch of Salt

Mint Filling

100g Icing Sugar

3/4tsp Peppermint Extract

Some Water

Mint Buttercream

60g Butter, Soft

250g Icing Sugar

1/2tsp Peppermint Extract

1/2tsp Vanilla Extract

Some Milk

Green Food Colouring

A few thin mint chocolate crisps

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C/fan 160C/Gas 4. Line/Grease a mini muffin or regular muffin tin. Put the chocolate and butter into a bain-marie and melt, stirring throughout. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar. Pour into a mixing bowl and leave to cool for 10 minutes. 

2. Beat the mix with a handheld or freestanding mixer for about 3 minutes, or until much lighter in colour, and gradually add the beaten eggs, beating well inbetween each addition for about 10 seconds. Sift in the dry ingredients and fold in until well incorporated. 

3. Fill the holes of the tins 3/4 of the way with mix, and place in the oven for about 25 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. They should have a brownie-like texture. In the oven they will rise, and then fall, so don't be alarmed if they do so. Place on a wire rack to cool. 

4. Whilst they are cooling, make the fondant filling. Mix the icing sugar, 1tbsp water and peppermint extract with a whisk until blended, then add about 1/2 tbsp more water and whisk until well incorporated. You are looking for a thick liquid texture. 

5. Once the cakes are fully cooled, using a knife, and not cutting too deep, cut a cylinder out of the top of a cupcake, and fill with fondant filling. Place the cylinder back in to the cupcake and set aside. Do the same for all.

6. For the icing, mix the sugar and soft butter together, then add the flavourings. Add 1 tbsp milk, and use a handheld whisk to bring it all together. Add another as much milk as necessary to form a quite thick icing, mixing inbetween additions, and add food colouring slowly to reach your desired colour. Pipe onto the cupcakes with a star nozzle. 

7. Cut the chocolate crisps into shards or rectangles, and stick on the top of the cake. 

Enjoy :)

Chocolate Milk Cupcakes

Exam season is over! Time for summer holidays! A recipe trying to imitate the refreshing cold chocolate drink, it's originally from the 'Lola's Cupcakes' recipe book, but with a few alterations. I decided to experiment with the decoration, instead of the chocolate sprinkles suggested by the recipe, I decided to do a range of toppings; cake crumbs, chocolate shards and chocolate leaves. It's up to you which one you choose, but each method is in the instructions. Makes 12 Muffins or 24 Mini Muffins.

 Ingredients

For the Cake

2 Eggs, Beaten

50g Dark Cooking Chocolate, Chopped

87g Butter

112g Caster Sugar

50g Self-Raising Flour

                      1 1/4 tbsp Cocoa Powder

A Pinch of Salt 

For the Vanilla Buttercream

60g Butter, Softened

250g Icing Sugar

1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

2 tbsp Milk

For the Chocolate Leaves/Shards

50g Dark Cooking Chocolate 

Small, edible, non-toxic leaves with deep veins, such as bay leaves, mint leaves or rose leaves - Thoroughly Washed and Dried 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas mark 4, and grease a 12 hole muffin tin, or a 24 hole mini muffin tin.

2. Melt the chocolate and the butter together in a bain-marie, remove from heat, and stir in the sugar. Let the mixture cool for about 10 minutes, and transfer into a mixing bowl.

3. Beat with an electric hand mixer for about 3 minutes, then gradually pour in the beaten eggs, mixing well between each addition. Sieve in the flour, cocoa and salt, and fold in with a metal spoon until incorporated. 

4. Pour the mixture into the tin, filling the holes up around just over 3/4 of the way, and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until well risen, and if a skewer is placed inside, it comes out clean. Leave for 10 minutes to cool, then with a small palette knife, gently ease the cupcakes out by going around the edges of the holes, and leave to cool on a wire rack. If you want to decorate your cakes with crumbs, scrape the residue left on the tin, and reserve for later.

5. While they're cooling, for the chocolate leaves, melt the chocolate in a bain-marie. With a pastry brush, or a small palette knife paint the underside of the leaves, and gently place on a sheet of greaseproof paper on a baking tray. Place in the fridge to set. Once completely set (around 20 minutes), gently peel the leaves away, and place the chocolate back onto the greaseproof paper, and chill until use.

6. Alternatively, for the chocolate shards, melt the chocolate in a bain-marie, and using a palette knife, quickly spread the chocolate onto a sheet of greaseproof paper into a layer around 2mm thick, and roll the sheet into a cylinder. Place the cylinder in the fridge until the chocolate is completely set (around 20 minutes), and remove from the fridge. Unroll the cylinder, and the chocolate should break into shards. Make them smaller if needed by breaking the pieces apart with your hands. Chill until use.

7. For the Buttercream, beat the butter in a mixing bowl until very smooth and creamy, and then sieve in half of the icing sugar. Using a spoon first, slowly mix the butter and sugar together, and then once most is incorporated, use a hand whisk. Repeat for the rest of the icing sugar, and then add the milk and vanilla extract. 

8. Once the cupcakes are completely cool, using either a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle, or a palette knife, apply the icing to the cupcake. Add your desired decoration - be very gentle with the leaves as they are extremely delicate. 

Enjoy :)

Simple Artisan Macaroons

Since it's Passover, I decided to include a flourless recipe for my blog. I am no expert in macaroons, but these turned out pretty good, and are really much easier than they seem. Try to use aged egg whites, you can fill them with whatever you want, but I have included a recipe for buttercream. Makes about 15.




























                       Ingredients

For the Macaroons

230g Icing Sugar

60g Caster Sugar

4 Large Egg Whites

120g Ground Almonds

Pinch Of Salt

                 Food Colouring (Optional)

               For the Buttercream Filling

                    150g Icing Sugar

              50g Butter/Margarine, Softened

                      Milk or Water

                 1/2tsp Vanilla Extract

Method

1. Pass the ground almonds, icing sugar and salt through a sieve twice, and throw away any bits or lumps that don't pass easily. Preheat the oven to 150C/Fan 130C, and line two baking trays with non stick paper. 

2. Whisk the egg whites and caster sugar to form stiff peaks, and then add your desired food colouring. Be quite liberal with it, as the colour fades while baking. Whisk for about 1 minute. 

3. Fold the almond and sugar mix in with a spatula, but be careful not to overmix; it should be quite thick yet smooth, and shouldn't easily run off the spatula if held above the bowl. 

4. Fill a piping bag with the mix, and pipe small circles onto the trays, letting the little end flick go over the circle. Once finished, rap the trays against the worktop a few times to prevent cracking. Leave to rest for 30 minutes.

5. Place in the oven for around 22 mintues, or until they come off the tray cleanly, and leave to cool.

6. Beat the butter in a mixer until creamy, then sieve in the icing sugar and pour in 2tsp water/milk and vanilla. Let it mix for around 5 minutes until completely smooth and pale in colour. You want a fairly thick paste consistency, so add more icing sugar/liquid if needed. 

7. Pair the macaroons with ones that fit together well, and spread a large dollop of buttercream on one half with a palette knife, leaving a bit of room by the edge. Place the other half on top, pressing down gently while moving it in a circle to spread the buttercream around to the edges.

Enjoy :)