Chocolate Mint Cupcakes

This is one of my favorite days of the month.  I have book club today and am bringing the dessert.  I played with a chocolate cake mix and Andes’ mints and came up with this dessert.  If you like mint and chocolate you will like these especially when you get to use box mixes and some of the work is done for you.

Chocolate cake mix (plus eggs, oil and water per instructions on the box)

Whipped topping

1 box Vanilla Instant Jello pudding (plush 1/2 the milk the box calls for)

Andes’ mints

2 cap fulls of mint extract
Green food coloring

Follow the cake mix instructions and make chocolate cupcakes.  I added two cap fulls of mint extract to the finished cake mix to make them mint cupcakes.  Taste for mint flavor.  You may wish to add more.

Frosting

Mix one pudding packet with half of the milk called for on the package. Whisk until it begins to thicken. Then fold in one container of thawed whipped topping.  Add green food coloring and mint extract and fold in.  I used several cap fulls of extract.  Keep tasting until you are happy with the mint flavor.  I used about 4 drops of green food coloring to get the light green coloring I wanted.  You may wish to add more.  Fill a baggie with the topping and cut a hole in the corner and pipe onto the top of the cupcakes.

Top with one Andes’ mints.

Variations - You may also cut chocolate covered mint cookies into quarters and garnish the top or an Oreo mint cookie.  You may also drizzle a ganache across the top (50/50 melted chocolate chips and cream).

You can also buy Andes’ pieces now.  You can add them to the cake mix or to the topping and have mint chip cupcakes. 

No matter how you mix them, chocolate and mint are perfect together.  Play with it and come  up with your own chocolate mint cupcake.

I'm also taking these to a Halloween party tonight.  Going to be a great day.  

Hope you have a great day.  Be happy and may God bless you and yours.