Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Peppermint Chocolate Cupcakes #Recipe and #Book giveaway from @DarylWoodGerber

Welcome to Mystery Lovers Kitchen's Christmas Week...a week filled with recipes for the holidays and good cheer!


I love this week. We all come up with some of the most fun meal and dessert items. I've made many of the recipes shared by my blogmates.

By the way, do you know there will be at least 7 books out by all of us between December and March? Actually, it might be 8…or 9...hmmm.

Krista, Cleo, and Victoria (MaryJane) all just had a release in December. Krista hit the New York Times paperback with her Murder, She Barked. Congrats, Krista!!!

Sheila, Lucy, Peg/Meg, Avery/Daryl will have books out in February and March. We're hoping we can have some of that magic rub off on us.

No matter what, we all need our sugar and/or chocolate to keep us going!


By the way, I'm having a giveaway today, so remember to read to the end. :)

When it comes to Christmas, I like getting the kids involved. How else can you build memories? 



It's important to me that kids like to cook. It helps them with chemistry (measuring); math (learning those fractions); and art (they have to make masterpieces with the sprinkles). They learn what flavors they like. They learn how lo-o-o-ong it takes to cook something and, thus, appreciate you more when you do slave over a hot stove. 

Sometimes we put on Christmas music and sing. Most importantly, we laugh. 

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT-FILLLED CUPCAKES

Ingredients:

1 pkg. chocolate cake mix (regular or gluten-free)
1 pkg. chocolate instant pudding
4 eggs
¾ cup safflower oil
¾ cup milk

1 teaspoon peppermint oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Dump all the ingredients into a bowl. Mix. How easy is that?!! 

Pour into cupcake holders, about 2/3 full. Do not overfill or the batter will rise out the top. Cook  12-15 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. The top should spring back if pressed lightly with your finger.

Cool 10 minutes.

To fill with icing:

Cut out the center top of a cupcake. Fill a pastry tube (or you can make your own by using a large baggie and cutting a small tip at the end) with the icing. Squeeze about a tablespoon of icing into the hole. Put the top of the cupcake back on.






Frost as you normally would. Sprinkle with peppermint or colored sugar.

Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes.

Peppermint icing

Ingredients:

(Frosts 2 dozen cupcakes)

1/2 cup butter (8 tablespoons)
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon peppermint oil

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients until creamy using a mixer, whipping on high.




I made mini-cupcakes, as well, but I didn't put frosting in the middle. Perfect size for little mouths! I'm sure you could.

To print this recipe, you can get them from my website (click the pictures):














Giveaway:

What's your favorite holiday food??

For one commenter today, I'm giving away a stocking stuffer book!  Your choice of one of the first four Cheese Shop Mysteries or the first in a Cookbook Nook Mystery. 

For one other commenter, I have a special sneak preview Advanced Reader Copy of Inherit the Word, the second in the Cookbook Nook mystery series.

REMEMBER TO LEAVE YOUR EMAIL IN YOUR POST SO I CAN CONTACT YOU!!

Merry, Merry!


******************


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TWO NEW BOOKS COMING IN EARLY 2014!!

Days of Wine and Roquefort Feb 2014, preorder here
Inherit the Word March 2014, preorder here

If you haven't done so, sign up for the mailing list 
so you can learn about upcoming events, releases, and contests! 


















43 comments:

  1. Such a great recipe and blog post; and what cuties I the kitchen. Love the photos. It would be so special to win books written by you Daryl/Avery as I have loved the ones that I read and would be thrilled to have more in the series. Thank you for the recipe which would make a nice addition to any Christmas or other holiday celebration. Thank you and Happy Holidays.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I would love to have your new book as I have read all your others. I love Mystery Kitchens. It is one of the first things I do each morning.

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    Replies
    1. Sue, nice to know you check in each morning. We love readers/cooks like you!

      Daryl / Avery

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  3. Cute pictures. I bet your little guy had a great time with his job of breaking up the candy mints!!!! I have three boys (all grown men, now); but busting up the candy would have been their favorite part of the recipe. Can't wait for your new books to come out, I have enjoyed them all. Oh.....my favorite holiday food is Norwegian Christmas Bread that mom makes every year.

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    Replies
    1. Hi, Sharon, he did, indeed, love the pounding. But then, so did I! What does that say about me? :)

      Daryl / Avery

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  4. They look so pretty Daryl--and perfectly kid-friendly! Great start to Christmas goodie week! xo

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  5. Nice looking cupcakes. My favorite Christmas food is peppermint bark since this is the only time of year I eat it.

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    Replies
    1. Sandy, if I recall, Cleo shared a peppermint bark recipe last year. I'm going to have to go find that. I'm salivating.

      Daryl / Avery

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  6. Love your kitchen elf!
    libbydodd@comcast.net

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  7. Beautiful Christmas cupcakes, Daryl/Avery, and what a handsome helper! I agree on playing Christmas music as you bake. I've got a stack of CDs, and it's a pleasure to listen to the old faves--Johnny Mathis, Bing, even Elvis and his blue Christmas. Have a Merry and blessed one and a very happy New Year!

    ~ Cleo

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Cleo. I've got all the old faces, too, and some new ones. Broadway shows did Christmas songs last year, and then Glee recorded an album. It's fun switching all the music up.

      Daryl / Avery

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  8. Yum! Chocolate and peppermint, what's not to love?

    Your kid cooking pics remind me of my youngest daughter, helping her dad make Sunday morning pancakes. At age four, she was made to halve and double fractions! She turned out to be pretty good at math, largely because of my husband's clueless parenting. LOL

    I'm not a fan of candy canes, except as decorations, but I save them to make peppermint ice cream in the summer. It's so refreshing then! But those cupcakes are making me rethink that strategy.

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    Replies
    1. I like peppermint ice cream, too, and that's why I went this direction. I also love peppermint chocolate ice cream. :)

      Daryl / Avery

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    2. My email, by the way, is kmaslowski at fuse dot net

      Thanks!!

      Delete
  9. I should never look here so early in the morning. Now I am hungry and not for healthy food. I want cupcakes. Those look so good. I like to make persimmon cookies myself.

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  10. Oh yummm. Is peppermint oil the same as peppermint extract? Could you substitute-and would it be equal? Do you use essential oils?

    My favorite holiday food is one my mom makes for ALL holidays-leek dip. Oh yummm, I can't wait til next week to have some. My favorite Christmas food would be a toss up-real ribbon candy, the traditional filet mignon with horseradish gravy (our now traditional Christmas dinner-though we use medallions instead of the large cut-in case weather knocks out our plans-these are easier to save) any and all kinds of Christmas cookies...

    cozyupwithkathy @ gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks to Google, I can answer this question. No, peppermint oil is not the same. Oil is thicker (and stronger) and works better with sugary things for consistency. However, I used peppermint extract. In the Google explanation, it said to add more extract to get the flavor up. I happened to use extract and only 1 teaspoon. So there. PS I found that peppermint oil can be found in Michael's (probably in their candy-making section).

      Daryl / Avery

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    2. Thank you. I know I had a recipe I wanted to try that called for cinnamon oil, but I couldn't find it at the grocery store-just the extracts. Actually I just got some essential oils...one of which is peppermint!

      Delete
  11. My favorite holiday food is tamales. Favorite desserts, peanut butter fudge. The cupcakes look delicious. I start my baking tomorrow.

    ReplyDelete
  12. My favorite holiday food - after cookies! - is fruitcake. My grandmother made the best ever and used to send me my own on my birthday.
    kpbarnett1941[at]aol.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fruitcake. I remember my grandmother making that, too. Did yours have nuts? She kept those out. I'm now allergic. :)
      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
  13. We are going to busy readers the next few months. congrats to all the authors on their new releases. The cupcakes look yummy.
    sandydunc66@yahoo.com

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    Replies
    1. Yes, you readers should be busy! Get ready, go! Flashlights anyone?

      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
  14. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  15. I love Eggnog and Russian Spice Tea. I only get it during the holidays. We tried to make our own eggnog this year. Umm that did not turn out so well LOL! Mardox@consolidated.net

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    Replies
    1. I love eggnog. I used to make it all the time, but then I started to worry about raw eggs. But I'm sure the brandy kills all that, right?

      Daryl / Avery

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    2. The eggs are pasterized in egg nogg for that reason. :)

      Delete
  16. My goodness but these are adorable. Who could possibly resist them? Love your sous chef. He looks quite comfortable in the kitchen. These are perfect for any holiday party!

    ~Krista

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Krista. These really were fun to make and so delish! The bigs ones, scrumptious. The little ones, delightful morsels.

      Daryl / Avery

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  17. Those are gorgeous cupcakes, and look yummy. I'd love to win the new book, as I've read all 4 cheese shop and the first cookbook nook book. I loved all of them.

    kaye.killgore@comcast.net

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    Replies
    1. Kaye, thanks for chiming in. You've read them all? You're my hero! :) Do you post reviews?? :)

      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
  18. My favorite holiday food is a peppermint ice cream hot fudge sundae. I don't eat much ice cream the rest of the year, so when Christmas time comes around I really look forward to it. I think that putting your cupcake under my ice cream sundae would be even better. I don't think there is such a thing as too much peppermint!

    18LMMS@gmail.com

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  19. I love that you involve your son in cooking, that is wonderful (and quite true about making children appreciate the effort that goes into making all of those tasty meals)! I like eggnog at this time of year. Happy Holidays to all of you.

    elewkf1 at yahoo dot com

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    Replies
    1. As I said before, love eggnog. There's just something so yummy about it.

      Daryl / Avery

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  20. My favorite holiday food is buckeye candies. As a kid, my mom showed my brother, sister and I how to make buckeyes. It is a family tradition, that we have been making for years. sweetcandi32010@yahoo.com

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    Replies
    1. Buckeye candies. I've never heard of them. Fill me in. :)

      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
  21. chocolate chip cookies

    bn100candg at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete