What? Don’t you have left over candy canes from Christmas? I know, I know, it is nearly March and Easter is on our door step but what better time to use up that left over Christmas candy before the onslaught of chocolate!
If you don’t have candy canes laying around your cupboard you could easily use any other hard candy, preferably something minty though.
For these you will need:
1 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
3 tablespoons butter, I use Nuttelex
1/2 cup rice milk
1 no-egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 serving of cream cheese icing
5 candy canes, crushed
In a mixing bowl combine the flour, cocoa powder,
butter,
sugar
and baking powder. Using an electric beater, mix the ingredients until they start to come together.
Slowly add in the milk and no-egg until the mixture is combined.
Stir through the vanilla essence.
Along with the nutmeg and cinnamon.
Divide the mixture between 12 cupcake papers and pop into a pre-heated oven at 160°c for 25-30minutes or until they pass the skewer test.
Once the cupcakes are cooked remove them from the oven to cool on a rack.
Take your cream cheese icing and mix through half of the crushed candy canes. Leave the icing/candy cane mixture to sit on the bench for 10 minutes. This allows the mint flavour from the candy canes to spread through the icing.
Once the cupcakes have cooled completely ice them with the candy cane icing and sprinkle with the remaining crushed candy canes.
Serve with some hot chocolate or a butterscotch schnapps.
Although these are very much a Christmas dessert there is no reason why you can’t indulge all year round. We are all over those New Years’ resolutions right? Right??
