Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes in a rush

Have you ever counted the number of ingredients on the side of a cake mix box? Best not to try. I grew up on box mixes and was using them primarily up until my decision to stick to foods containing just a few ingredients that I can actually pronounce. Box mixes are convenient and reliable, however, so I won’t swear them off – especially in a pinch.

At the end of a busy week before Christmas filled with decorating, shopping, work, and school, I decided to make Christmas cupcakes for some friends. I don’t believe I had ever made “Christmas” cupcakes before, so I wanted to make them seasonal. The answer: peppermint.

It’s this simple:

1. Pick up a box of chocolate cake mix, preferably Devil’s food or dark chocolate

2. Grab a container (or two!) of chocolate icing - go darker here too, not milk chocolate

3. Toss a bottle of peppermint extract in your basket

4. Stop in the seasonal aisle and grab some Peppermint Patties and candy canes

Bake the cake mix according to the directions on the box. Add just a drop or two of peppermint extract to the icing (about ¼ teaspoon). Peppermint extract is strong, much stronger than vanilla extract, and a little goes a long way. It’s best to start with a little, stir, and taste. You can always add more and you won’t mind taste testing as you go. I used about a container and a half of icing to ice 24 cupcakes with the method you see in the photos.

Decorate the cakes with the peppermint candies. I placed a few candy canes under parchment paper and crushed them with a rolling pin to make the peppermint dust, and cut the Peppermint Patties in half to show off their bright white centers.

These cupcakes are delicious. Which leads me to ask, why don’t we see them more? I spent some time searching for chocolate peppermint cakes online and most recipes made a white peppermint frosting. Chocolate and mint is a superb combination and you can bet I’ll be making these again next year – hopefully with a perfected homemade cake and icing.

Apple Butter and Appled Brandy for a Homemade Holiday

As soon as you become a pretty serious vegetable gardener, or spend that extra dollar or two to get the freshest produce at the local farmer’s market (or better yet, to pick your own!), you will realize the benefit of preserving the harvest.

I was intimidated by canning for a while. If you have ever read the introduction to a canning book, you know what I’m talking about. Better not screw up or you’ll give all of your loved-ones botulism, right? Wrong, if you’re smart and don’t break the rules. Start easy with acidic foods like fruit butters, jams, and jellies. It’s the low-acid foods like vegetables that are trickier.

What’s the best fruit to can in the fall? APPLES!

My friend Dawn and I ventured to Solebury Orchards in New Hope, PA for our apple needs this year. We hit the orchards in mid-October when the Stayman Winesaps were perfect for picking and both left with 20 lbs. of apples, cider, and the obligatory cider doughnut.

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

It was easier than I expected to pick a recipe for my first post. My family has been baking chocolate chip cookies since I was too short to see the stovetop. My mom was in charge of the Christmas baking when I was kid, but she always knew to call me when I was allowed to lick the bowl. What a good mother! She also knew to make my sister and I some cookies without any chocolate chips. Have you ever tried it? YUM! Sorry chocolate lovers, but I like to taste the cookie too!

A few years ago, I took over most of the Christmas baking for our family gatherings. In my years as a baker, I’ve learned that you don’t mess with something great. We have been using the recipe on the back of the Nestle semi-sweet chocolate morsel bag, minus the chopped nuts, for years.

It may be our retro oven, my mixer, baking pans, or old habits, but these chocolate chippers always turn out to be flat and chewy. Many bakers may frown on my flat cookies but I promise they are delicious. The flat nature of these cookies also makes them great for ice cream sandwiches.