Mint Meltaway

(This week’s recipe came from “Cupcakes!” by Elinor Klivans.)

Lucky Week Thirteen brought another cupcake – the Mint Meltaway. This cupcake started with a sour cream chocolate cupcake, the same that were used in the Chocolate Covered Hi-Hats from a couple of weeks back:

After the cupcakes were baked and while they were cooling, I mixed up the mint chocolate filling that would go in the cupcakes. This was made up of heavy cream and butter that was heated over the stove. Once the butter melted, semi-sweet chocolate chips, peppermint extract and vanilla extract were added. This was refrigerated until it thickened up and reached a spreadable consistency. I refrigerated mine a little too long. It was tearing up the cupcakes, so I ended up heating it back up a little over a pot of boiling water until it thinned out a little bit:

At the same time, I made a double batch of chocolate glaze. This was made up of heavy cream, butter and light corn syrup heated over the stove. Once the butter melted, semi-sweet chocolate chips and vanilla extract were added, and the mixture was refrigerated until it thickened up.

Once the cupcakes were cooled, the papers were pulled off and the cupcakes were turned upside down. I used a paring knife to cut the cupcakes in half horizontally:

I then spread about a tablespoon of the filling on the bottom (former top) of the cupcake:

The cupcakes then received an initial ‘crumb coat’ of the chocolate glaze:

The crumb coat was allowed to firm up for 15 minutes, and then the second coat of chocolate glaze was applied. This was quite possibly the messiest thing I’ve ever made. I had to wash my hands after every cupcake because I was covered in chocolate. I finally figured out it was easier to suspend the cupcake over the bowl of chocolate glaze with my spatula, and use my offset spatula to cover the cupcake:

I packed the cupcakes up in my carrier on some wax paper and popped them into the fridge to firm up completely:

Rob and I devoured a few of them this evening during “Lost”. These are definitely a plate-and-fork kind of cupcake. Even with hours of chilling in the fridge, the fudge glaze is still a little sticky:

I should have just used the glaze I used for the Hi-Hats. That glaze firmed up like the chocolate dip they use at Dairy Queen.

Next week I’m breaking my rules a little and making something that I’ve previously made. We’re doing another cupcake decorating event at my work and I’m going to be making vanilla and chocolate cupcakes from “More from Magnolia”. I know I’ve made the vanilla cupcakes before, but I’m not sure if I’ve ever made the chocolate. So maybe I’m only half breaking my rules.