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CHOC-CHIP & CORSICAN MINT CUPCAKE RECIPE
(Instructions on how to make choc-chip cupcakes with a Corsican mint icing)
These cakes are really nice and so yummm; Using one of my favorite setups a 150 cake recipe as well as the icing being rather unique and unlike any other mint you’ve tasted. When you bite into one your left unsure your mind spinning left trying to place your finger upon which variety.
DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHIP CUPCAKES
INGREDIENTS
(makes 18 cupcakes or 12 muffins)
150g Unsalted butter
150g Caster sugar
150g Self raising flour
150g Chocolate chips
30g Cocoa powder
3 Large eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
1 tbsp. Boiling water
UTENSILS
HOW TO MAKE
(Preheat oven to 180oc (350oF) Gas Mark 4)
1. Put the butter and sugar together in a bowl – mix with a hand-held electric whisk before mixing in self-raising flour, cocoa powder and eggs.
2. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract as well as 1 tbsp of boiling water.
3. Next pour in 150g of chocolate chips of your preferred type. These cupcakes are made with an 50% split – 75g of milk chocolate chips and 75g of dark chocolate chips – for taste and texture. You could also add white chocolate if wanted.
My chocolate chips are purchased from B & M: “Silver spoon” milk chocolate chips and “Silver Spoon” dark chocolate chips. They’re so good that it’s hard not to just sit and eat them straight out the packet. They’re real quality ones not the cheap chocolate chips you’d necessarily get out of a sprinkle tub. They come in a 100g packets which is a standard amount for one batch of cupcakes and can be melted down to create chocolate, or simply used throw-out the cake mixture or even as toppings. You’ll need two packets for this recipe but they’re great value for money, so, don’t worry. I would definitely recommend this brand for use in any baking due to their superb standard but especially in any of my cakes or muffin recipes.
4. Spoon the mixture into 18 cupcake cases around halfway full for cup cakes; 12 case filled 2/3 of the way for muffins.
Place them in the preheated oven to cook for 15-20 mins – 180oC (350oF) Gas Mark 4 – bearing in mind that they contain chocolate so when you poke them with a fork to see if it comes out clean, it may come out covered in chocolate if it goes through a chocolate chip. So be cautious not to over cook them like I did in the first batch because of this.
– Pfff, I forgot about the chocolate chips and thought they were under cooked so put in for longer BUT turned out it was just a melted chocolate chip so as a result ended up over cooking them. My bad….
ONCE BAKED
Leave to cool before icing.
If like me you slightly over cook your cakes, cut the tops of and place the cakes under a tea towel while they’re still warm, so that they soften with the steam. You should probably do this anyway regardless.
If intended as muffins leave plain without icing. These are no ready to serve, warm or cooled.
If preferred as cupcakes; ice with a fresh Corsican mint icing, butter cream or peppermint icing; Of course more chocolates good too; However for this recipe I highly commend using an fresh Corsican mint icing as shown below:
FRESH CORSICAN MINT ICING
(made with real mint leaves)
INGREDIANTS
150g Unsalted butter
250g Icing sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
1 tsp. Peppermint extract
2 + tsp. Boiling water
homemade mint puree (or two tsp. Peppermint extract)
HOW TO MAKE
1. Put the butter, icing sugar, vanilla extract, mint flavouring* and 2 tsp hot water together in a large plastic bowl.
* The instructions on how to make an Corsican mint puree is available at the end.*
*Peppermint extract is available amongst the many food colourings, in the baking aisle at any supermarket or you can simply make your own peppermint extract from scratch (for adult use only) *
2. Pour the fresh mint puree into the bowl of ingredients as well as 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract to enhance the Corsican*
3. Add green food colouring if desired to give them the associated minty green color. The icing will have little flakes of mint leaves through it as well which many people like.
4. Whip everything together with a hand held electric whisk, before lathering it on the cakes, with simply a knife or using a piping bag for perfection.
To finish off, add whatever toppings make your heart sing; even if it’s just more cake crumbs and a little gold glitter. No matter what you do Corsican mint really is the icing on the cake.
*Corsican mint is said not to be that dissimilar to peppermint so the two work well together. However Corsican mint icing has its it own taste – see post: Corsican mint uses/properties – which makes them great to surprise your friends with and is sure to leave them guessing for weeks what particular ingredients you used – unless you tell them of course.
These are real grate to bring to bake sales, as you can expose the public to more exotic flavours than what there necessary comfort zone is. And if your not bold enough to try this freak icing then just leave it out. Fill up your cupcakes cases further with the choc chip cupcake mix – two thirds of the way – and make a batch of 12 muffins instead. Either way this recipe goes down a treat….(no pun intended)
With that said, these are on the single lonely teen side and not necessarily the healthy eating popular power horse. So basically if your on a diet these cakes probably have more sugar and carb counts than necessary. Soooo… maybe don’t eat 6 in one go. Not that I can either being type 1 diabetic; but hey they’re very addictive and stimulate the dreaded chocolate cravings…
Which I’m certain all teenagers only know to well. The never-ending war to give in and consume the smooth, chocolaty, dreamy incarnation only to subject your perfect skin care; or to stick with your figure and your moisturiser, and with a few silent grunts return the chocolate to the fridge.
Believe me, I know its hard, I go through this all to often but today I offer up my skin and will embrace the consequences and indulge in this chocolaty Corsican minty death off me. And suggest you do to, for fear of missing out. You won’t find this recipe anywhere else, So , make it today and leave a comment below; or better still subscribe.
FRESH CORSICAN MINT PUREE RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
8-10 garden mint leaves
2 handfuls of Corsican Mint
HOW TO MAKE
1. Harvest the mint from your garden or pop down to your local garden center and purchase a Corsican mint plant, plant it and wait for it to spread.
You can either grow your own garden mint or purchase it dry pack from supermarkets such as “LIDLs.” (which are great selling dry and sometimes fresh herbs!!)
2. Once left to grow and abundant enough take two fistfuls of Corsican mint leaving behind the roots.
3. place these two handfuls of leaves in a sieve with 10 garden mint leaves. Run them under cool water to clean the leaves then under boiling water to remove any dirt
then place in a jug with three tbsp. of boiling water the push against the leaves with the back of a fork to help realise and produce the flavour. Don’t train away any excess liquid or leaves.
4. Instead take the whole jug and blend everything inside it with a handheld stick blender – It’s kind of difficult with this little mint but jest keep scooping the leaves of the blender and placing them back in the jug until the mint comes out relatively smooth and runny like a puree.
You can know add the puree back in with the rest of the ingredients in the bowl – as seen previously.
So, with that there you have it, enjoy devouring these little delights.
Crafted with love – Catsith Craftsxx
Corsican Mint
June 17th
CORSICAN MINT
Mentha requienii also known as Corsican mint or trailing/creeping mint is a petite ground spreading herb. With tiny oval-heart shaped leaves no bigger than 7mm and a gorgeous summer mauve bloom Corsican mint is a treasured and admired audition to any herbalists garden indoors and out.
These tiny plants can grow in pretty much any type of soil and are known for being quite aggressive and will quickly dominate any open space you place them in provided they have sunlight and moister; weather its’ a flowerbed or a galvanised bucket. So personally I would recommend planting in tubs or large troughs to contain them and to help protect anymore delicate species of plant there runners might strangle out. they tend to grow no taller than around 10cm and can be found growing around and through larger flowers if spread is not closely monitored and restricted.
Because of this they are often purchased an ornamental form of vegetation and are popularly used around stepping stones as ground coverage. Although they are hardy care should be taken not to be repeatedly trod on as this could damage or even kill the plant. So along the edge of a path or in the cracks of a pavement is better than a mint walkway itself; even though it is possible given the right conditions.
However mine is purchased solely for the use of cooking and herbalism; as its distinctive minty aroma – released by enzymes when the leaves become broken or bruised – is perfect for making soaps and shampoos as well as herbal remedies – with a smell said not to be that unlike off pennyroyal; meaning I keep it amongst my many mint plants separated into metal buckets for easy use.
PROPERTIES IN HERBILISM/CULLINARY
HERBILISM
Corsican mint much poses the same properties as many other mint varieties and in traditional medicine beliefs and old wives tales can be used to: help relieve build up of gases in the dietary system, to relieve fevers, and of course as an antiseptic with its antibacterial properties hence why we use mint in toothpaste.
CULLINARY
Like most mints it can be used in culinary with this particular one being best suited to drinks e.g. (hot chocolate, mint tea & beverages ) as well as being brilliant in baking cakes and making deserts such as Ice cream. Yummmmmm!
Who doesn’t love a good choc-chip or just mint ice cream? Or even a chocolate & mint cupcake?
(so with that in mind I came up with this new recipe to try out for chocolate chip cupcakes and a real mint icing ( using trailing mint.)
So, with that there you have it, tell me if you like it in the comments below.
Till then keep on crafting and keep up the good vibes its nearly summer after all !!!
Woo who! Yeah! xx