Mint Oreo Cupcakes

My first baking experience, that I can remember, was during my freshman year in high school. In my history class the teacher separated the class into 9 different groups and assigned each group a country. The project was to teach the rest of the class about your assigned country and then serve food from that region. Very, very cool. Our country was France and I offered to make the dessert. I didn’t know a thing about cooking and I thought it would be fun to make a dessert. I told my parents what the assignment was and they asked what I was going to make… um, I don’t know. I had no clue. My Dad suggested Petit Fours. What are those? I had no idea and when he told me they were little cakes I was floored. How had I never heard of these mini cakes before? So, my Dad and I made them together – they were the cutest, sweetest little cakes I had ever tasted! The best part was that even with making more than enough for the class, they were all gone. It was the first time I had felt the satisfaction of others liking what I had cooked/baked! I don’t have a picture of them, but these are kinda what I remember them looking like:

My next baking endeavor was 3 years later; a Checkerboard Cake. I saw the Wilton Checkerboard Cake set at the hardware store I worked at, it was love at first sight. I HAD to have it. I was skeptical that I could make something so awesome on my own, but it worked. I know there is a picture out there somewhere of me and my Checkerboard Cake, but it is not in my possession. :( However, I must share with you what a Checkerboard Cake looks like…

And then after that I just have a few vague memories of making 13x9 cakes with box mix and using a tub of store brought frosting. Nothing exciting, I promise you. Then I met my husband and everything changed. He loved sweets and came from a family full of women who loved to bake. I am talking award winning bakers here, so he was used to the good stuff. I tried making him homemade brownies, but they ended up flat and crispy, yikes. Then upside-down pineapple cake, it tasted great but looked like crap. I sighed, gave up. Entenmann’s loved me, my oven did not.

Fast forward to the present, I am on a baking craze. A cupcake-aholic if you will.

These were created using my hubby’s favorite cookie, the Oreo. His favorite is the regular Oreo, but we decided to live a little and use the mint flavored ones instead. ;)

My favorite quote of his while the cupcakes were baking, “I hope these turn out the way you planned they would.”

You and me both buddy, you and me both.

They did. :)

And they have a little surprise inside!

Mint Oreo Cupcakes
Ingredients
1 box devil’s food cake mix
*All ingredients required to make cake in box
24 mint oreos

Directions
1. Heat oven to 350. Place cupcake liners in muffin pan
2. Split oreos in half. Crush the oreos halves that do not have the mint frosting on them. Place the oreo halves that have mint frosting on them in bottom of cupcake liners – frosting side up
3. Make cake mix according to box, adding crushed oreos to batter
4. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full with batter, bake for 10-12 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean
5. Let cool

Mint Oreo Frosting
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3-4 cups powdered sugar
4-6 tablespoons heavy cream
6 mint oreos, crushed
¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
Green & blue food dye to create mint green

Directions
1. Cream the butter
2. Add 3.5 cups powdered sugar, combine well. I used a food processor with the dough blade attachment, mixing for a few minutes and stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of container.
3. Mix in crushed mint oreos, peppermint extract and food dye. Combine well.