Chocolate-Mint Mickey Cupcakes

Sorry this blog post has taken so long to get together, but it's been a busy few weeks!  I'm still on the hunt for a job, but I've kept busy with friends, family, and wedding photos!

So, on July 23rd a couple of old Disney CM's from Epcot decided to get back together for a Disney Games Night!  Due to the special occaision, I knew I had to make something delicious!  I'd read a recipe for Fudge Brownie Cupcakes with White Chocolate Frosting on Confessions of a Cookbook Queen, and so I decided to modify it to make Chocolate-Mint Mickey Cupcakes!

See, the cupcake is a Hidden Mickey!

The Ingredients

Yep, baking in Mickey PJs! 

• Box of brownie mix, plus ingredients to make them according to the box
• One extra egg
• 1 bag of Wiltons Mint Chocolate Melts
• 1 stick salted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• Candy Sticks
• 20-30 Chocolate Timbits (donut holes)

The Instructions

The Brownie Cupcakes
1. Preheat oven to 350 and line muffin cups with cupcake liners.
2. Make brownie mix according to the box and add an extra egg.
3. Fill prepared muffin cups 1/3 full. You should get about 15-18 brownies.
4. Push one mint chocolate melt into each cupcake until it is level with the batter.
5. Bake 20 minutes or so, until brownies bounce back when lightly touched.
6. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack. While cooling, prepare the ears and frosting.

The Frosting
1. In a microwave safe bowl microwave pour in some of the Wilton melts and microwave according to the directions on the package.  Don't worry if you add too many, you'll use them for the ears.
2. Let the chocolate cool.
3. Add the butter and cream  to a bowl and beat on medium low speed with an electric mixer until smooth.
4. Add powdered sugar and beat on medium until smooth.
5. Add "some" melts and beat on medium-high until light and fluffy.  Use your judgement to determine the amount.  You can start with a little and add more until you like the flavour and consistency.  I ended up adding extra icing sugar as well.

The Ears
1. Cut enough candy sticks in half so that you have 2 per cupcake.
2. Add more Wilton melts to the bowl and microwave according to the directions on the package.
3. Dip one end of the candy stick into the Wilton melts, and insert it in a Timbit (see picture).
4. Let all of the Timbits cool.
5. If you'd like you can then dip the Timbits in the melts, which is more work but will give a more consistent look.  I was too lazy.

The Review

First, the picture:

These cupcakes were delicious!  The mint icing worked really well, and the Wilton melts added some strength to the icing so that it didn't melt in the heat (like a traditional buttercream).  If I wasn't in a rush and lazy, I definitely would have dipped the Timbits.  I think that would have looked better.

The only problem with the cupcakes was that the "ears" were heavy and would fall down after awhile.  You might not want to add them until they are ready to be served.

Hope you like them, I'm in a cupcake baking phase so there's probably going to be a couple of versions of Mickey cupcakes!