Chocolate & mint mini cupcakes!

I have a love hate relationship with the
herbs I grow on my kitchen windowsill
and in my garden. I love them and they
hate me as I continuously kill them off one by one. The only one with a bit of staying power is the humble unassuming mint plant. He doesn't judge when I forget to water him or pull off his brown leaves so I thought I would reward him by allowing him decorate these delicious little cupcakes. I am generous like that, it's one of my few faults. ;-)

To make 24 mini cupcakes & 6 regular sized ones you will need;

120g butter, softened
120g caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
90g self raising flour
30g cocoa powder
1tbsp milk
1tsp peppermint essence

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees & line your cupcake tins with cases.

Cream the butter & sugar together.

Add in half the beaten eggs, combine.

Add in a tablespoon of sieved flour.

Stir in remaining eggs.

Add the rest of the flour and the cocoa powder, lightly stir.

Add the milk & peppermint essence and give a final stir.

Spoon equal amounts into each case.

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

To decorate;

150g icing sugar
50g cocoa powder
100g softened butter
1tsp peppermint essence

Mix all ingredients together to make a stiff icing.

Spoon into an icing bag fitted with a Wilton 1M icing nozzle.

Pipe a little star of icing on top of each bun.

Decorate with a few dark chocolate sprinkles & a leaf of garden mint. (Optional)