Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

• FOR CUPCAKE BATTER
• 2 cups White Sugar
• 1-3/4 cup All-purpose Flour
• 3/4 cups Unsweetend Cocoa Powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 2 whole Eggs
• 1 cup Milk
• 1/2 cups Vegetable Oil
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 3/4 cups Boiling Water
• FOR GANACHE:
• 1/4 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
• 4 ounces, weight Good Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
• FOR FROSTING:
• 1/2 cups Shortening
• 1/2 cups Unsalted Butter
• 3-3/4 cups Confectioners Sugar
• 1/4 teaspoons Salt
• 1 teaspoon Clear Imitation Vanilla Extract
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Mint Extract
• 3 ounces, fluid Heavy Whipping Cream

1. Directions-
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. FOR THE BATTER
4. In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, mix for 2 min. Stir in the boiling water. Batter will be thin. Pour into cupcake liners (about 3/4 full) . Bake 12-16 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.
5. FOR GANACHE
6. Put chocolate chips and cream in a double boiler, heat until melted over medium heat, stir frequently. Dip the top of the cupcakes in the ganache. Cool.
7. If you don't have a double boiler like me, you can put a heat proof bowl atop a pan filled with water.
8. I have to admit these cupcakes were great this way alone, but became amazing with the mint buttercream frosting.
9. FOR THE FROSTING
10. To make the frosting, mix together the shortening, and butter, until smooth. Add powder sugar, mix well. Add salt, vanilla, mint extract, and whipping cream blend on low speed until moistened. You can add more powder sugar for a firmer frosting. Beat at high speed until frosting is fluffy.
11. Using a pastry bag, pipe the frosting on top of the ganache (if you don't have a pastry bag, fill a Ziploc and cut a tip.) Yields about 26 cupcakes.

white sugar, allpurpose, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, eggs, milk, vegetable oil, vanilla, boiling water, ganache, ubc, sweet chocolate chips, shortening, butter, confectioners sugar, ubc, clear, fluid heavy whipping cream

Taken from tastykitchen.com/recipes/desserts/mint-chocolate-cupcakes/ (may not work)