Hot Cocoa Cupcakes With Peppermint Marshmallow Frosting

Hot Cocoa Cupcakes With Peppermint Marshmallow Frosting

Hot chocolate cupcakes
Betty Crocker Hot Chocolate Cupcake mix
2 eggs
1/4 vegetable Oil
2/3 water

Peppermint Marshmallow Frosting
13oz tub Jet-Puffed marshmallow fluff
1 cup shortening
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
4 tsp. hot water
1/2 tsp. salt
A few drops peppermint candy oil flavoring
red gel coloring
Makes and covered 12 cupcakes.

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the hot chocolate mix, marshmallow bits, oil, water, and eggs.

Step 2: Fill 12 cupcake liners with 3tbsp of batter each.

Step 3: Bake for 16-18 minutes.

Now time to whip up that Twinkie filling ;)

Step 4: While the cupcakes are cooling in a small bowl mix together the salt and hot water until dissolved then let set so it may cool down.

Step 5: Mix together marshmallow fluff, shortening, powdered sugar,  and vanilla. Then you may add in your cooled salt water.

Step 6: Drop in a few small drops of peppermint candy oil flavoring. Be very careful this stuff is strong! I used about 3 very small drops. You’ll have to do a taste test here to get it to however pepperminty to want it. Bummer right? ;)

Now here’s how to get that red swirled look…it’s really much easier then you would think.

Step 7:  This is easiest in clear plastic pipping bags, so you can see the effect. Place a large round pipping tip in your pipping bag then fold it over your hand like your going to fill it. Use a toothpick and “paint” stripes up red inside of the bag. I did about five stripes like so…

Step 8: Now just fill it with your marshmallow icing!

Step 9: It should look kind of like this…squeeze out the first bit in a bowl until the red begins to come out. Then your set to pipe.

I finished my cupcakes with a few small pieces of peppermint sticks, and a few red sprinkles :)

Gosh, don’t these just make you so happy? Fun little cupcakes with a swirl of fluffy icing and a peppermint stick to top it off. So wintery and fun…

           Recipe found at www.makebakecelebrate.com