Happy St. Patty's Day!

So, here is it, my first post ever! I have been wanting to start a blog for a while, since the first time I came across one a few months ago! I love finding other people's blogs and reading all of their delicious recipes and seeing all of the beautiful and yummy pictures! So, I finally decided to start a blog of my own....I just need to work on the picture taking, they are not the best pictures ever, but, with time I am sure I will get better.

I decided to make something for St. Patricks day and I chose Mint Filled Brownie Cupcakes from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes cookbook that my wonderful Aunt got me for my birthday which was on Monday!

These brownie cupcakes were very yummy, dense, fudgey, chocolatey, and minty and I added Hershey's "perfectly chocolate" chocolate frosting on top which was delicious! Make sure not to overbake these.....I usually like to underbake my brownies a bit because I like them very fudgey!

Mint Filled Brownie Cupcakes from Martha Stewart

-8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used all semi-sweet)

-1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature

-1 cup sugar

-3/4 tespoon salt

-3 large eggs

-1/2 cup all-purpose flour

-1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted

-12 small chocolate peppermint patties, (mini York Peppermint Patties is what I used and I needed 15 because I made 12 mini cupcakes and cut them into quarters)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners. Place chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally just until melted, 4-5 minutes.

2. Remove bowl from heat. Whisk in sugar and salt until mixture is smooth; whisk in eggs to combine. Gently whisk in flour and cocoa just until smooth (don't evermix).

3. Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon of batter into each lined cup. Place 1 peppermint patty on top, gently pressing into batter. Top with 2 tablespoons batter, covering patty completely (I only topped mine with 1 heaping tablespoon of batter and I also made 12 mini brownie cupcakes, and I used a quarter of a mint patty and they all turned out very well!). Bake, rotating tin halfway through, until cake tester inserted halfway in centers (above mint patty) come out with only a few moist crumbs attached, about 35 minutes ( I only baked mine for 25 minutes, since I used less batter and I cooked the mini ones for about 10-12 minutes). Transfer tin to a wire rack and cool completely before removing. Frost with HERSHEY's chocolate frosting and top with green sprinkles if desired.

For the Hershey's Chocolate Frosting:

Makes about 2 cups

-1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine (I used butter)

-2/3 cup HERSHEY's cocoa

-3 cups powdered sugar

-1/3 cup of milk

-1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency.

2. Add small amount of additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla.