A yummy holiday cupcake.

I thought it might be fun to stray off topic a bit so I could share a cupcake recipe. I'm more than a little cupcake-obsessed and often wish the craze would have occurred sooner so I could have had a cute little cupcake tree at my wedding!

Anyhow, we go nuts for Trader Joe's Candy Cane Joe Joe's each holiday season. I thought it might be possible to incorporate them into a cupcake crust of some sort this year, but wasn't sure how to achieve it. After snooping around online a bit, I found The Bumbling Baker and her post on Oreo cupcakes. This provided the perfect starting point for me (even though mine didn't come out as plump and lovely as hers!). The results were divine. Here is how I put mine together:

Step 1:
Remove the top from 24 Candy Cane Joe Joe's. Place half with filling in the bottom of your cupcake liner or pan. Set tops aside.

Step 2:
Using your favorite recipe for a moist (and preferably rich) chocolate cake, blend batter and pour over the cookies. Bake and let cool on a wire rack.

Step 3:
Make a peppermint cream cheese frosting. Ice cupcakes once they have cooled. I chose a recipe (as follows) from the book Cupcakes Galore.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon milk
pinch of salt
a few drops of mint extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

To make:
In a large bowl, blend cream cheese, milk, salt and mint extract. Beat well. Gradually blend in powdered sugar until smooth and creamy.

Step 4:
If desired, top with a peppermint candy. Enjoy!