Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

Could there be a better combination for a winter treat than hot chocolate and cupcakes?? How about putting the two together and making a hot chocolate cupcake?

Now that's what I'm talking about, right?

I found the recipe in a recent issue of Family Circle Magazine and Kenzie decided that she wanted to make them for her class holiday party, so of course we did!

I think they came out super cute looking like little cups of hot cocoa.

Here's the recipe featured in the December issue of Family Circle Magazine-

Cupcakes

1 cup of flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

6 Tbsps. unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup milk

Topping

2 cups confectioners sugar

1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening

2 Tbsps. plus 2 tsp. milk or water

1 1/4 cups mini marshmallows

3 candy canes

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Fill 1 cupcake tin with cupcake liners.

In a medium sized bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, with mixer on medium high, beat butter and sugar until smooth and creamy, aobut 2 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla until fluffy. Beat in flour mixture alternately with

milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Fill each cupcake liner 2/3 full.

Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes our clean. Remove cupcakes

from pan to wire rack and let cool.

Topping

In a medium size bowl with mixer on low speed, beat confectioners sugar, shortening and milk or water until smooth. Spread over cupcakes then top each with 7 or 8 mini-marshmallows. With a serrated knife, cut wrapped candy canes into 2 inch pieces. Unwrap and place one in each cupcake.

Now this recipe only makes 12 cupcakes and I needed 17 for Kenzie's class. So I acually cheated and just used a boxed chocolate cake mix. I could have tried doubling the recipe but sometimes with baking that doesn't always work.(at least in my experience) So rather than take a chance I cheated. They were still yummy and a big hit with the kids. I have tried the recipe and it is good!