Chocolate Mint Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp peppermint
• 1 tsp peppermint extract
• ½ cup butter
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• 15 chocolate cream after-dinner mints, chopped
• 2 cups flour
• ⅔ cup butter, softened
• 3 eggs
• ¾ cup milk
• 6 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped

Directions

Cake: Preheat the over to 350 F. Line 18 muffin pan cups. Mix the flour cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until just blended after each addition. With mixer at low speed, beat in the mixed dry ingredients, alternating with the milk and peppermint extract. Stir in the chopped chocolate mints. Spoon the batter into the prepared cups, filling each one ⅔ full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Cool the cupcakes on wire racks.Glaze: Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler over barely simmering water. Stir in the peppermint extract. Drizzle over the cupcakes.