Who can resist peppermint?

This time of year, there is a lot of baking that goes on in my house.  I have been working on my holiday baking and sending snacks to school and to work with Ben.  I like to make cupcakes because they are easy to transport and I can make a lot at one time.  These peppermint cupcakes just scream Christmas.  They're so good that it's really hard to eat just one.  I doubled this recipe so I ended up with 48 cupcakes instead of 24.

I adapted this recipe from a Williams Sonoma recipe.
Peppermint Crunch Cupcakes
2 cups flour                   
1 Tablespoon baking powder           
½ teaspoon salt              
¾ cup butter                  
2 teaspoons vanilla              
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 ½ cups sugar
1 cup milk
5 egg whites


Peppermint Whipped Cream Frosting
2 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 drop of peppermint extract





 Beat egg whites until stiff.

 

Combine dry ingredients.









Beat butter 2 minutes.  
Add sugar gradually.


























Beat in extracts.

Add 1/3 of flour, ½ of milk and repeat.


























Fold egg whites into batter.













Fold in peppermint crunch.

Pour into prepared pans.  Bake 30 minutes at 350. 

I frosted the cupcake with peppermint whipped cream. To make the cream, whip the ingredients until stiff peaks form.  I piped the frosting onto the cupcakes using a pastry bag and then I decorated them two different ways. 

I sprinkled some with crushed peppermint,

and others I topped with a piece of homemade peppermint bark.

These cupcakes were delicious.  I like anything with mint really but these were especially good.  The fluffy whipped cream frosting is the perfect compliment to the minty cakes.  You need to give these a try.

Bon Appetit!