Christmas in a Cup(cake)

PEPPERMINT MOCHA CUPCAKES

CUPCAKES
Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
• 6 eggs, room temp
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 3 cups sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup strong, hot coffee
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
3. Add eggs and beat an additional 2 minutes.
4. Whisk or sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together.
5. Mix buttermilk and vanilla together.
6. Add 1/3 of flour mixture to butter mixture and mix.
7. Beat in buttermilk mixture.
8. Add 1/3 of flour mixture.
9. Add coffee.
10. Beat in remaining flour mixture and mix until combined.
11. Spoon batter into paper-lined cupcake trays, filling halfway.
12. Bake 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
13. Cool for 5 minutes in tin and then remove to baking rack to cool.

FILLING

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, room temp
• 1 1/4 tsp pure peppermint extract
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Beat whipping cream until forms soft peaks.
2. Add cream cheese and peppermint and beat.
3. Add powdered sugar until reaches desired sweetness and beat until smooth.
4. Fit pastry bag with plain tip.
5. Fill pastry bag with filling (will have to do several times).
6. Insert tip into middle of each cupcake and squeeze filling into cupcake.

FROSTING

Ingredients:

• 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate
• 4 sticks butter (1-lb), room temp
• 2 egg yolks, room temp
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp espresso powder
• pure peppermint extract

Directions:

1. Melt chocolate and cool to room temp.
2. Beat butter until light and fluffy, about 3 min.
3. Add egg yolks and vanilla, and beat another 3 min.
4. Gradually add powdered sugar, scraping down sides and beating until smooth and creamy.
5. Add melted chocolate and espresso powder.
6. Add peppermint to taste.

*I piped the frosting in a ring around the outer part of the cupcake, filled the middle of the ring with my left-over filling, and sprinkled crushed candy canes on top.
*Makes 36

...from the lips of a child

Today in Sunday school, we talked about how the wise men worshipped Jesus and ways we can worship Him too.  We discussed how telling others about God is one way we worship Him, so for our craft we made Christmas cards for the kids to give to their friends/neighbors to tell them about Christ.  Most of the children drew Mary, Joseph, and Jesus on their cards, but one little girl did something different.  On the front of her card, Lilly drew a hill with three crosses on it.  I asked her what she had drawn, and she replied, "The cross, because that's why Jesus was born."  She then asked for help to write something on the back..."Jesus came as a baby to die for our sins."  This precious 5-year-old reminded me of the truth that we so often forget - that the birth of Christ is not the end of the story - and for that, I am most thankful.

Peanut Butter Oreo Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 (8oz) package cream cheese
• 1 pint whipping cream
• 2-3 cups peanut butter
• 1 package oreos

Directions:

• Place 24 cupcake liners in muffin tins.
• Open 12 oreos (making 24 cookies), and place 1 cookie in each liner.
• Set 12 more oreos aside and crush the rest.
• Beat whipping cream until forms soft peaks.
• In separate bowl, beat cream cheese and condensed milk.  Add to whipping cream.
• Add peanut butter until you like how it tastes, and stir in the oreos.
• Spoon mixture into cupcake liners.
• Break remaining 12 oreos in half and place one half on the top of each cupcake.
• Freeze overnight.

I made these a few weeks ago to take to a going away party for a friend who just moved to China, but they were eaten before I got to try one.  And you can be praying for my friend...his name is Austin.