Shamrock Shake Cupcakes

 I was all set up to post about these wonderful Scalloped Potatoes I made a few weekends back but then I found this  recipe on Better Homes and Garden's website and I knew I had to make them.  Immediately.

They are moist, minty and utterly wonderful.  So wonderful that I'm bringing them to work tomorrow, Mr. Schwartz and myself do not need these around to tempt us. I'm sure your friends and family would love to have these be on your St. Patrick's Day celebration menu.

Musical Selection:  If I Ever Leave This World by: Flogging Molly.  We need a little St. Patty's Day tunes to go with the recipe, don't you think?

 Start by combining flour

 Baking powder

 Baking soda

 And salt

 In a mixing bowl.  Give it a good stir and set aside.

 Then work on the wet ingredients.  I didn't have vinegar so I did the traditional, add vinegar to milk to make sour milk thing.  Basically you just add a tablespoon of vinegar to the bottom of a measuring cup...

 And fill the rest of the cup with milk.  Let it set for 5 minutes and you are good to go.

 I didn't have Creme de Menthe either so I used milk

 And mint extract

 With some food coloring.  I ended up adding more food coloring, but, we will get to that.

 Here's that sour milk I was talking about.

 Add it to the green minty milk mixture.

 Next, cream vegetable shortening

 And sugar together until it is "fluffy."  Not sure what I did wrong here but mine was like course, wet sand, not "fluffy."  It turned out to be okay at the end so if you get wet sand instead of fluff, don't worry.

 Add the vanilla.

 And one egg white at a time.  Beat between each addition.

 It will look like this after you add all of the eggs.

 Next, add the minty milk mixture.  I added 1/3 of it...

 Then 1/3 of the dry ingredients and continued this until it was all incorporated.  Mix just until it is together.

 Like this. Not green at all.

 So I added more food coloring.

 Pretty.

 Scoop it into muffin tin cups lined with a cupcake liner.  I use a large cookie scoop to ensure they are all the same…well about the same.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes or so.  Mine ended up taking 18 minutes. Don't over cook.  If you press gently in the middle it should spring back. Then they are done. Your house will smell minty and wonderful.

Baked.  Not perfect but that's why we make frosting.  Well, one of the reasons. 

 Speaking of, here is how to make the frosting.  Start by chopping up some white chocolate or in my case, almond bark.

 Heat up some heavy cream (I really think you could use milk) on the stove until it is almost boiling.  You will see just a few bubbles then take it off the stove.

 Pour it onto the chocolate. I guess this is supposed to melt the chocolate (almond bark).  It didn't for me.  I popped it into the microwave for 10 seconds on high then stirred.  Then back in for 10 seconds and stirred again.  Until it looked like….

 This.  Set it aside and let it cool for 15 minutes.  For real, don't rush this, you don't want melty frosting.

 When it is cooled, add butter to a mixing bowl.

 Whip it up.

 Add the chocolate/cream (or milk) mixture into the butter.

 Until it is fluffy like this.

 Add powdered sugar.

 Then I added some mint extract.

 And stirred it again.

 Frost the cupcakes.  I did a lot of different things with these but ended up using my knife and frosting them anyway.  I'm still new to this baking thing and they were nowhere near perfect.  I reserved 1/3 of the frosting and added green food coloring then piped out little shamrocks and used a few sprinkles.  Here is the end result.

 Sweet but not too sweet, minty and moist.

 I promise these won't last long in your house.

 Happy Super Early St. Patty's Day!


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Shamrock Shake Cupcakes

For the Cupcakes:

4

egg whites

2

cups all-purpose flour

1

teaspoon baking powder

1/2

teaspoon baking soda

1/2

teaspoon salt

1

cup buttermilk or sour milk*

1/4

cup green creme de menthe (or 1/4 cup of milk, 1 teaspoon of mint extract and 20 drops of green food coloring)

1/2

cup shortening

1 3/4

cups sugar

1

teaspoon vanilla

Allow egg whites to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line twenty to twenty-two muffin cups with cupcake liners. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Stir. In a small mixing bowl, combine the buttermilk and the creme de menthe. Set aside.

**Note, if you don't have buttermilk--place 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar in a measuring cup. Add enough milk to make 1 cup total liquid. Stir. Let stand for 5 minutes before using.  Also, if not using creme de menthe, add, 1/4 cup milk, 1 teaspoon mint extract and about 20 drops of green food coloring. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat shortening on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, beating on medium speed until light and fluffy (if it doesn't get "light and fluffy, it's okay). Beat in vanilla. Add egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture and minty milk to shortening mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until mixture is combined.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full. I use a large cookie scoop for this.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool cupcakes in muffin cups on wire racks for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from muffin cups. Cool completely on wire racks.

For the Frosting: 

1

cup butter, softened

6

ounces white baking chocolate with cocoa butter, chopped finely

1/3

cup whipping cream (or milk)

1 1/2 - 2

cups powdered sugar

green food coloring 

Place white baking chocolate in a large mixing bowl; set aside. In a small saucepan heat whipping cream just until simmering. Pour over white baking chocolate stir.  If it does not completely melt, you can put this mixture into the microwave on high for 10 seconds at a time or until the chocolate is melted. Stir until smooth; let stand for 15 minutes. Gradually beat butter into melted white chocolate mixture with an electric mixer on medium to high speed, beating until combined. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until frosting reaches piping or spreading consistency.  If you desire, add green food coloring to the frosting until it reaches your desired shade.   Makes 3-1/2 cups.


Frost cupcakes as you wish! :)  


Recipe very slightly adapted from: here