Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Peppermint cupcakes

• 2 cups of drinking cream with 10-12% fat content
• 2 large sprigs of fresh mint
• 1.5 cups premium flour
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 0.5 cups of sugar
• 2 eggs
• 100 g dark chocolate with mint

Peppermint Buttercream

• 450 g unsalted butter
• 4 tbsp mint cream (see preparation below)
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 12 fresh mint leaves for garnish
• Additionally: pastry bag with a simple round tip

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Line a standard cupcake or muffin tin with 12 paper cupcake liners.
2. Peppermint cream:
   
   Pour the cream into a small saucepan and add the mint sprigs. Heat over low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Sift the flour, salt, and baking powder into a small bowl and set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until smooth, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the eggs, mixing on medium speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again and turn the mixer to low speed. Alternately add the flour mixture and the mint cream, beginning and ending with the flour. Set aside 4 tablespoons for the mint cream. Finely chop the chocolate and fold it into the batter with a spatula.
4. Cupcakes:
   
   Fill the cupcake liners two-thirds full with batter and bake until light golden brown, about 26 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Butter cream:
   
   In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of mint cream and continue beating. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the powdered sugar. Beat until creamy.
6. Using a piping bag fitted with a simple round tip, pipe buttercream onto the cooled mint cupcakes. Garnish with a fresh mint leaf, if desired.