Cupcakes A to Z: Bailey's Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Yep - another boozy cupcake.

You'd think I'd have given up after my little revelation (and it took me a while to figure it out - I'm a little slow on the uptake sometimes) that booze can't be tasted in cupcakes.  At least to me.  Maybe there's something wrong with my tastebuds....  Probably they need to see a doctor.

And here I am, hoping this one will be different.

Okay - sorry about the pictures, or lack thereof.  You know all my excuses, but perhaps my New Year's resolution should be to remember to take pictures for the blog.

Except I'm the worst at resolutions.  My resolve tends to fizzle out.  It's a lot of work to keep a fire under your own butt and follow through on your resolutions!

The recipe calls for mint Bailey's, except I didn't have any and luckily Nicole over at Baking Bites suggests just using the original stuff with a little mint extract.

I was really excited to see how they'd come out because the Bailey's is thick and creamy and is pretty much substituted for milk in the recipe.  I think.  I have no idea.

The cupcakes smelled heavenly while they were baking.

As I "patiently" waited for the cupcakes to cool, I went ahead and made the frosting.  Nicole says that it's potent stuff and that's absolutely true!  Whew!  But the unsweetened chocolate topping should cut down the sweetness and the strength of the mint flavour.

The recipe for the frosting doesn't make a lot, but you probably don't need a lot.  And it's supposed to split between 16 cupcakes, but I only got 12 - so I ended up having a little extra on each cupcake.

I also found it hard to spread in a pretty way - but I just made it work.

Then came the chocolate glaze.  I was melting it in the microwave and almost accidentally burned it because I was getting impatient.

A special note from me to you.  Don't - I repeat - DON'T taste it!  It's terrible.  Terrrrrible.  Blech.

I put it in a ziploc bag and clipped a corner.

And proceeded to - I don't know what it would be called - "pool" the chocolate on the top of the frosted cupcakes. 

Except I wasn't really prepared for how FAST it would come out of the bag!  And how it would go everywhere!  And all down the SIDES of the cupcakes! 

And I didn't have a plan - always have a PLAN for melted chocolate.  Are you going to drizzle it in lines?  Are you going to do shapes?  Are you going to "pool" it on the top?  (Then you probably need to make a very shallow well in the frosting - which is what I should have done).

So basically I poured the chocolate all over the cupcakes with no regards for looks. 

And I'm kind of embarrassed.

Ugly cupcakes?  Not really the point of this project.

The results?

The frosting and the chocolate glaze together was like a Junior Mint - and I thought it overpowered the flavour of the cupcake.  The cupcake itself was chewy and dense and perfectly cooked.

If I made these again - I would probably leave out the chocolate chips and switch up the frosting...  But then they wouldn't be Bailey's Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes.  They'd be something different.

But that is neither here nor there.

I don't know why I just said that.

This is the Cane Girl - signing off.



Bailey's Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
Cupcake:
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup Chocolate Mint Bailey's Irish Cream (or regular Bailey's + 1/2 tsp peppermint extract)
1/4 cup milk
2/3 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a muffin tin with paper liners.
2. In a bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. In another bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs one at a time.
4. Add the vanilla extract.
5. Mix in hafl of the flour mixture, followed by the irish cream and milk, then mix in the remaining flour mixture.
6. Stir in chocolate chips.
7. Fill each paper liner to about 2/3 full.
8. Bake for 18 - 21 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  The tops should be domed and lightly browned.
9. Cool before frosting.

Mint Icing
4 tbsp butter, softened
2 cups icing sugar
2 tbsp milk or cream
1 tsp peppermint extract

1. Mix all ingredients until smooth.
2. Spread evenly on top of each cooled cupcake.

Bitter Chocolate Glaze
2 oz unsweettened chocolate
2 tbsp butter

1. Melt chocolate and butter together in a small bowl, stirring after each 30 second interval until smooth. 
2. Let cool for a few minutes, then transfer to a small ziploc bag.
3. Snip a small bit from the corner of the bag and drizzle on the top of each frosted cupcake.

Source: Baking Bites