Daily Cupcake Recipe

Recipe for Saturday, May 7th, 2011:
Dark Chocolate Mint Mini Cupcakes with White Chocolate Mint Frosting

Recipe via Bon Appetit

Prep time: unknown
Bake time: 15 minutes

Serves: 24

Ingredients [Dark Chocolate Mint Cupcakes]:

• 2 cups walnuts, toasted, cooled
• 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 6 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Ingredients [White Chocolate Mint Frosting]:

• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 8 ounces high quality white chocolate, chopped
• 1 tbsp green crème de menthe

(A conversion table can be found here.)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter two 12-cup mini muffin pans.

Using on/off turns, blend first 4 ingredients in processor until walnuts are finely chopped. Whisk flour and baking powder in small bowl. Stir chocolate and butter in heavy small saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Cool slightly.

Using electric mixer, beat sugar, eggs, and vanilla in large bowl until very thick, about 4 minutes. Gradually beat in cooled chocolate mixture. Stir in walnut mixture. Stir in flour mixture.

Spoon 1 1/2 tbsp batter into each prepared muffin cup. Bake cupcakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Cool in pan on rack. Cut around cupcakes to loosen; turn out on work surface.

Make frosting: Bring cream and butter to simmer in heavy small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until butter melts. Remove from heat. Add white chocolate; stir until melted. Mix in crème de menthe. Transfer frosting to bowl; let frosting cool at room temperature until firm enough to pipe, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours.

Spoon frosting into pastry bag fitted with medium star tip. Pipe frosting decoratively atop cupcakes.