1 stick butter
⅓ cup cocoa
1 cup water
½ cup vegetable oil
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup buttermilk
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups crushed peppermint candy
FROSTING:
1 stick butter
⅓ cup cocoa
⅓ cup buttermilk
1 box confectioners’ sugar, plus more if needed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
½ cup chopped peppermint candy
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners and spray with vegetable oil. For cupcakes, in a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa, water, and veg-etable oil. Bring to a low boil. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, mix flour and sugar. Pour hot butter mixture over flour and sugar, mix well. Add salt, buttermilk, baking soda, vanilla, and eggs. Mix well. Fill each cupcake indention ½ full. Sprinkle with chopped peppermint. Bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into center. Place cupcakes on a rack. For frosting, melt butter over low heat, stir in cocoa, buttermilk, and confectioners’ sugar and mix well. Remove from heat, and add vanilla and salt. Mix well until icing is very smooth. Spoon a dollop of icing over each cupcake while it is still warm. Add ¼ cup more of confectioners’ sugar to remaining icing. Spoon another dollop of icing over cooled cupcakes, or fill a pastry bag with a star tip and pipe icing on top if desired.
Yield: 2 dozen cupcakes