Chocolate Mint Cupcakes

Chocolate and mint is a classic combination and always popular in cake form.  It's also a delicious combination in a creamy dessert pot.  I was sent some of these After Eight dessert pots to review, little pots with a layer of chocolate mousse and a layer of creamy mint fondant and they taste just like your favourite After Eight, after dinner mints. 


The pots are not too big and not too sweet either, in fact they are only125 calories per 70g pot. The After Eight Dessert Pots are available from Asda, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Morrisons for RRP £1.19 for two pack and RRP £1.98 for a four pack.


I also received a tub of Food Thoughts Cocoa.  Food Thoughts Cocoa has a lovely rich, smooth taste and is perfect for baking.

Chocolate Mint (After Eight) Cupcakes
Makes 12 cakes

For the cakes

25g cocoa powder
2tbsp hot water100g soft margarine
100g caster sugar
75g self-raising flour
2 eggs
1 level tsp baking powder
1 pot After Eight Dessert

For the filling
1/2 pot After Eight Dessert

For the butter cream
40g soft butter
3 tbsp cocoa powder, sieved
3 tbsp hot water
225g icing sugar
1/2 pot  After Eight Dessert


To make the cakes
1. Heat the oven to 350F, 180C, Gas 4.  Place your cupcake cases in a muffin tin.
2. Mix the cocoa powder with the hot water to form a paste. Set aside to cool.
3. Once cool add all the other cake ingredients except the After Eight Dessert to the bowl and mix with an electric mixer or a wooden spoon until combined.
4. Fold in the pot of After Eight Dessert.
5. Fill the muffin cases 2/3 full and bake for about 15 minutes until risen and will spring back when gently pressed with your finger.
6.  Leave to cool on a rack.

To fill
1. When the cakes are cold, cut a small plug out of the centre of each bun, don't go right to the bottom of the cake or the filling will run through.  Place the plugs to one side.
2. Fill the holes in the cakes with a teaspoon of After Eight Dessert leaving about 1cm from the top of the cake
3. Cut your 'plugs' of cake into 1cm sections and place on top of the dessert.

For the icing
1. Place the cocoa in a bowl with the hot water, as before, and make a paste, leave to cool.
2. Beat together the butter and the cocoa powder paste.
3. Sieve in the icing sugar and the remaining After Eight Dessert.
4. Fill the icing into a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle and pipe from the outside to the inside to create a soft swirl.

Chill in the fridge and serve cold for an extra icy mint flavour.

Labels: After Eight Mints, chocolate, Chocolate Mint Cupcakes, cocoa powder, cupcake, dessert, Food Thoughts Cocoa

posted by Janice @ 19:26 9 Comments

Chocolate Souffle for Classic French

Apologies for the slightly dodgy photos, I'm just squeezing this post in for the 'Classic French' challenge at Blue Kitchen Bakes which closes tomorrow.


The theme for January is 'souffle'.   I've been meaning to get my souffle baked since early in January but somehow it just didn't happen.  I also had a tub of Food Thoughts Cocoa sent to me for review so I thought I'd try it out with a Chocolate Souffle.


"Food Thoughts Cocoa is a luxurious baking and drinking cocoa, made with the finest cocoa beans.  It is rich and smooth in texture and has a deep rounded flavour preferred by bakers for it's high cocoa fat content.  Food Thoughts Cocoa is 100% Fairtrade Organic Cocoa is produced in the Dominican Republic by an accredited Faritrade consortium."

Food Thoughts Fairtrade Organic Cocoa is available in Sainsbury's retailing at £2.20

Chocolate Souffle (2 servings) 
I increased the quantities to make three

Butter or cooking spray to grease the ramekins
4 1/2 tbsp caster sugar, divided
1 tablespoon plain flour
1 1/2 tbsp Food Thoughts Cocoa
2 tbsp semi-skimmed milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg, separated
1 tsp icing sugar

Pre heat oven to 180C

Butter or coat the ramekins, sprinkle with 3/4 tsp caster sugar.
Combine 2 tbsp caster sugar, flour, cocoa and milk in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Cook 2 minutes, stirring until smooth.  Spoon chocolate mixture into a medium bowl; cool 4 minutes, stir in vanilla and the egg yolk.

Place egg white in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until soft peaks form.  Add remaining 2 tbsp caster sugar, 1 tsp at a time, beating until stiff peaks form (do not overbeat).
Gently stir 1/4 of egg white mixture into chocolate mixture; gently fold in remaining egg white mixture.  Spoon into prepared dishes. Sharply tap dishes 2 or 3 times to level. Place dishes on baking sheet; bake at 180C for 15 minutes or until puffy and set.  Sprinkle each souffle with 1/2 tsp icing sugar. Serve immediately.

The eagle-eyed amongst you will see that I didn't sprinkle mine with icing sugar.  I simply didn't have time and didn't want the souffles to fall before they arrived at the table. 

The verdict
We really enjoyed the souffle, it tasted as if it had been made with chocolate rather than cocoa, there was no bitterness that you get with some cocoa powders.  The souffle wasn't difficult to make and turned out very well.

I was supplied with one tub of Food Thoughts Cocoa and was not paid to write a positive review, all opinions are my own.

Labels: Blue Kitchen Bakes, Fairtrade, Food Thoughts Cocoa, French Classic, Organic

posted by Janice @ 19:05 6 Comments