Bailey's Mint Chocolate Chip Cuppy Cakes

Nothing quite welcomes a person to town like desserts and drinks, right?  So, why not combine both (and like it hasn't been done in every other one of my cuppy cakes..)?  Imagine end of winter when the cold still has you in its grips, and you fight it off with a delicious cup of hot cocoa with Bailey's.  Num :)

Bailey's Mint Chocolate Chip Cuppy Cakes
Cuppy Cake Ingredients:
1 1/3 C flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 C butter, softened (Crisco)
1 C sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 C Bailey's with 1/2 tsp Peppermint Schnapps
1/4 C milk
2/3 C mini chocolate chips

How To:
1. Preheat oven to 350.  Line muffin tin with liners or grease it up.
2. In small bowl, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. 
3. Beat in eggs one at a time.
4. Add vanilla, then Bailey's and Schnapps.
5. Mix in the flour.
6. Don't forget to add those chocolate chips!
7. Fill muffin tins about 2/3 ful and bake 18 min or until toothpick comes out clean.
8. Cool before frosting.

Frosting Ingredients:
4 Tbsp butter, softened
2 C powdered sugar
2 Tbsp milk or cream
1 tsp Peppermint Schnapps

How To:
1. Mix all together until smooth.
2. Spread a layer on top of each cooled cupcake.

Bitter Chocolate Glaze Ingredients:
2oz unsweetened chocolate
2 Tbsp butter

How To:
1. Melt together chocolate and butter in a microwave safe bowl in the, who-da-thunk-it, microwave.  Stir every 30 seconds until smooth.
2.  Let cool a few minutes, then transfer to ziplock baggie.
3.  Cut a hole in the corner of the baggie and drizzle over cuppy cakes.

Blue Moon Cuppy Cakes

Forwarning: I am the only one to have tried these cuppy cakes, even though they were made for a fellow grad student's birthday.  No, sad to say I did not devour them all.. I caught the flu and food was not allowed to leave my apartment..  So I sent him a picture!  It's the thought that counts, right?

Blue Moon happens to be one of our groups favorite beers, so hell, why not make a cup cake with it?!  Here goes, and please, if anybody makes this, let others know they are delicious!

Blue Moon Cuppy Cakes
Cuppy Cake Ingredients:
3/4 C unsalted butter, softened (Crisco)
1 3/4 C sugar
2 1/2 C flour
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs, room temp (quickly brought to this temp by walking around with them in my sweatshirt pouch!)
1tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp orange zest
1 C Blue Moon beer
1/4 C milk

How To:
1. Preheat oven to 375.  Prep muffin tins with grease or liners.
2. In large bowl, beat the butter until a bit fluffy.  Add the sugar a bit at a time, beating until all is incorporated. Then beat a few minutes longer!
3. Add eggs.  Beat.
4. Add vanilla and orange zest and keep on mixing!
5. Add milk.
6. Add beer.
7. Add flour!
8. Fill cupcake tins 2/3 full.  Bake 18 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Frothy White Frosting Ingredients:
2 egg whites, room temp
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp orange juice
1 C sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/3 C water

How To:
1. In saucepan, mix sugar, water, and cream of tartar.  Cook on medium heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture is bubbly.
2. In large bowl, beat egg whites, vanilla, and OJ until soft peaks form.  Slowly add hot sugar mixture while beating continuously.  Beat until stiff peaks form (5-10 minutes).
3. Frost the cooled cupcakes.  To be honest, when I did this, I could not get the frosting to spread!  So, I just dipped my cupcakes upside down into the frosting and they came out with cute little hats!

*If this recipe sounds like it's not your thing, you can try a cream cheese frosting like I will next time!