St. Pat’s Chocolate Mint Chip Cupcakes

Deep, rich chocolate cake and creamy (green) mint butter cream frosting topped with Belgium chocolate shavings.

1 cup GF flour blend
½ cup unsweetened baking cocoa
¾ t. baking soda
¼ t. baking powder
Pinch of salt
½ cup butter, room temperature
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
½ cup buttermilk
½ t. GF vanilla

Cream Cheese Frosting

2 cups GF powdered sugar

8 ounce package cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup (one half of a stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 t. GF peppermint extract

2 drops of green food coloring

Garnish: chocolate shavings

Preheat over to 350˚F. Line muffin pan with paper liners.

Thoroughly combine dry ingredients for cupcakes. In a larger bowl, cream butter and sugar, then beat in eggs, buttermilk and vanilla, using an electric mixer. Add dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix until well combined. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full and bake 15- 20 minutes until test toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Blend together frosting ingredients. Allow to chill to firm up. Pour into a pastry piping tool with star tip. Frost as shown in photo and sprinkle with chocolate shavings.

Makes: Twelve cupcakes.

For more recipes, check out my cookbook: "Delicious! The Very Best of Gluten Free and Wheat Free Cooking. It is available at:   

http://www.celiacdiseaseinfo.org

http://www.amazon.com/Delicious-Cooking-Collection-Celiacs-Sensitive/dp/0615305709/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1282852260&sr=1-