Seasonal Flavor: Peppermint Patty Cupcake

Tuesday, November 02, 2010
On November first (if I can wait that long), my Christmas music goes on, and it stays on until my therapist (who has yet to be selected) makes me turn it off around April 14th-ish.  I know, there's, like, another holiday in there before Christmas.  In FACT, Thanksgiving is one of my very favorite holidays.  It's the doorway to Christmas, after all.  Oh, and I heart turkey comas, my grandmother's dressing recipe, and the Macy's parade...and that whole 'get together with family and be thankful thingie.'  If I have to pick a seasonal holiday flavor though, I have got to go with peppermint.  I like the way it smells, I like the way it taste, and I appreciate a little candy that comes packaged up in cellophane.  I dig cellophane outfits on a candy, it just seems sanitary.  Last year I made peppermint sugar cookies I wrapped up just like this, and I decided at that time, I'd be making a cupcake this year.  I later saw an idea in Wilton where they attached little chocolate 'wrappers,' but I decided I wanted the 'real deal.'  I also decided I'd try this out in December, but then I saw there was another cupcake round up at Hoosier Homemade, and despite the fact that there is a workforce coming to rip out my sink, counters, and 1/4 of the floors in my house this week, I decided to bake some cupcakes anyway.  I don't know when they will finish up their work, and I can put Humpty Dumpty back together again, but I sure hope it's in time for next week's round up, or I need to locate my Easy Bake oven, and I don't have one. I'm sure my Mom sold it in a garage sale 25 or so years ago.  I don't think she'll want to go with me down that Memory Lane trip, so here's hoping I have an oven back up and running by next week when it's time for round two. 
In the meantime, here's my peppermint cupcake. 
Step One:  Whip up your favorite chocolate recipe.  Fill a liner about halfway full, add a peppermint patty, then cover that with more batter. 
Step Two:  Bake as directed. 
I didn't know how these would do having a peppermint patty that, I'm guessing, melted in the heating, and thus didn't require as much space, but only one caved in a little after it escaped from the oven. 
...and that's what icing is for, right?  Speaking of icing. 
Step Three:  Make some buttercream, but add a t. or 2 of peppermint flavor (depending on your love level for peppermint, you could even skip the flavor if you just want a hint via the cupcake). 
I covered the entire cupcake in white icing, then snipped the edge off a ziplock and piped on the red.  I don't expect Amazing Wedding Cakes to call just yet when they see this icing job, but I'm OK with that, did I mention I'm starting major kitchen remodeling tomorrow?  And when I say 'major'...I only mean new counters and a new backsplash, but I also believe in dramatizing any situation when the mood arises.  The mood has arisen. 
Step Four:  OK, and if you never listen to me ever again, you'll truly be in my circle of friends because I suspect they never listen to me ever....the end.  BUT, if you never listen to me ever again, and want to listen to me one time, if you want to slip a cupcake, or a cookie into cellophane, but not let the icing get all squishy 'n stuff, add some light karo syrup-about 1 T. per 3 c. or so.  Ice, and then let it sit out for a few hours, and it'll harden enough to hold it's shape, assuming you don't live in the dessert, or Amazon rain forest. 
Step Five:  Get a cellophane bag, and snip off the closed end.  Get the strings of your choice (this could have been super cute, but I was being dramatic and didn't take the time, and let's say less is more, and not less is lazy, OK?). 
I slipped the cupcake inside, tied the edges, took a bow, solved the crisis in the middle east, voted for governor, and came up with a cure for dust bunnies, and then ta da...a peppermint patty cupcake.

I sliced one uniced cupcake in half so you can see the inside,and so I could eat one.  Magically, the patty hardened back up, and it's delish if I do say so myself, and since myself is the only person blogging on this blog, myself is the only opinion that ever gets stated in living color. 
Now, I need to go make some friends for Peppermint Patty.
Linking To: 

8 comments

Elaine said...

oH, Christy, I've got to make these sometime this season! My husband and I have been working on a project out of town for the past 2 months which requires us to be in San Diego for at least 2 weeks out of the month. The project is nearing completion and needless to say I am so anxcious to get to stay home for awhile! There's so many things I want to get done....and these just went on my list! So cute, love mint, and I love the cellophane bag idea. :)

Lori said...

I have a Christmas Charm bracelet that I start wearing on October 1st. I'm with you on not too early for Christmas. Love the 24 hour Christmas station on the radio.

KM Studios said...

now that is super cute!!!

Unknown said...

Lovely cupcakes

HoosierHomemade said...

Oh yum! I haven't made cupcakes with peppermint patty's, these look great! What a fun way to wrap them up too!
Thanks so much for joining the Cupcake Challenge!
~Liz

Lori said...

Christy, you are probably ok with your picture upload. Somehow I got attached to Picasa and can't find any other way to load my pictures.

Abby said...

I love love peppermint and chocolate together and can't wait to try these cupcakes! The icing job makes them look super cute too :)

Creative Cupcake Recipes said...

I love chocolate and mint.The way your wrapped it like a peppermint candy is a cute idea.