Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

  Yes, I just love cupcakes...and when I saw these I knew that I had to make them! They were so cute! =)  I needed a snack to take to an apple butter boiling at my parents on Saturday and thought these would be perfect. I had to make a quick trip to the store that morning to get candy canes and then I got busy baking.

Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

yield: 12 cupcakes

 1 cup flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

6 tbsp butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup milk

Beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until smooth & creamy. Add eggs and vanilla beating until fluffy. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Mix in on low speed alternately with the milk; beginning and ending with the flour. Fill paper lined tins and bake @ 350* for 25 minutes. Cool on wire racks.
Topping:
2 cups 10x sugar
1/4 cup shortening
2 tbsp+2 tsp milk 
1 1/4 cup mini marshmallows
3 peppermint candy canes*
Beat sugar, shortening and milk until smooth. Spread on the cupcakes. Top with 8-9 marshmallows. With a serrated knife cut the unwrapped candy canes into 2" pieces. Unwrap and tuck a piece into each cupcake.

* I couldn't find regular size  candy canes so I just used mini ones. I cut off the curved part and crushed it up and sprinkled it over the icing before topping with the marshmallows. Gave them a bit of a mint flavor that was quite yummy =)

**I also made a recipe and a half because I wanted some to take to our church fellowship meal on Sunday. Hence the more that 12 cupcakes that you can see...

 

 ........................................................................................
I delight greatly in the Lord;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For He has clothed me with garments
of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe 
of righteousness....
~ Isaiah 61:10a


Much love =)
♥ Sheila