Chocolate Mint Oreo Cupcakes

I was really craving something sweet to eat the other day. So I was kind of perusing Pinterest looking for yummy stuff to eat. I can really get carried away on this site with all the great recipes out there, but today was different.

On this occasion I found a recipe for Chocolate Mint Oreo Cupcakes. The picture had intrigued me so much that I just had to check it out. I ended up at www.thecakeblog.com. I was worried that the recipe might be difficult or may require items that I just don't normally buy, but this was not the case.

Well in order for me to make these cupcakes I need some Mint Oreo cookies and some mint extract.( I also couldn't resist purchasing some cute cupcake papers while I was there). I was headed off to Cub Foods in no time to pick up my few items. So about nine dollars later I was at home whipping up some cupcakes.

Now I did not have enough Oreos to place an Oreo on top of the cupcake after frosting put believe me you won't miss it. And a word to the wise when making the frosting. Make sure you crush the cookies in a food processor before adding them to the frosting. I didn't do this and when I wanted to decorate the cupcakes with a decorating tip and bag I kept getting cookie crumbs stuck in the tip. So because of this I went to plan B and just used a spatula to slather the frosting on top. 

I'm also going to warn you that once you eat one of these cupcakes you will have satisfied your urge for sugar. I think I almost went into a sugar coma after having one. In fact I decided that I just could not keep two dozen cupcakes. I needed to bring them into work and share the wealth.

Well here's the recipe. I hope you enjoy them.

Chocolate Mint Oreo Cupcakes
(makes 24 cupcakes)

For the cake:
1 box Devils Food cake mix
1 small box (3.9 oz) Chocolate Instant pudding
1 Cup vegetable oil
3/4 Cup milk
4 eggs
24 Cool mint Oreos

1. Preheat oven to 35 degrees and line muffin pans with cupcake liners.
2. Place one cool Mint Oreo in the bottom of each cupcake liner.
3. In medium bolw combine cake mix, chocolate pudding, vegetable ooil, milk and eggs.
4. Beat with electric mixer until incorporated and then continue mixing 1-2 minutes.
5. Scoop batter over top of Oreos in cupcake liner.
6. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
7. Let cupcakes cool in pans for 5 minutes, then remove to wire racks to finish cooling.
8. Once cupcakes are completely cool frost with crushed Oreo Mint Frosting.

For the frosting
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup vegetable shortening
6 cups powdered sugar
3 T milk
1 t mint extract
green food coloring
12 cool mint Oreos, crushed

1. In a bowl beat butter and vegetable shortening until creamy.
2. Gradually add in powdered sugar one cup at a time, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.
3. Add milk 1 T at a time as needed until reaching desired sonsistency.
4. Add mint extract and a few drops of green food coloring to tint to desired color.
5. Mix in crushed Oreos. Crush in a food processor.
6. Place icing in piping bag and snip off tip to creat a large hole. Swirl icing on top of cupcakes.
7. Garnish cupcakes with 1 cool Mint Oreo cookie on top if desired.