Chocolate Mint Cupcakes With Frosting

Step 1: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Step 2: Butter 2 (12 cup) mini cupcake pans or use paper liners (I buy the tiny paper lines for the mini cupcake pans)

Step 3: In a food processor blend first 4 ingredients (pecans - mint) until pecans (you can also use walnuts) are finely chopped.

Step 4: In a small bowl sift together the flour and baking powder.

Step 5: In a saucepan over low heat combine the chocolate and butter, stirring until melted.Let cool.

Step 6: In a large bowl of an electric mixer beat the sugar with the eggs and vanilla until thick (under 5 minutes). Beat in the cooled chocolate mixture and then stir in the nut mixture.

Step 7: Spoon 1 1/2 tablespoons of batter into each muffin cup.

Step 8: Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean - 15 minutes. Cool in pan on rack and then turn cupcakes out onto a rack. ***These can be made one day ahead, covered and stored at room temperature.

Step 9: To make the frosting: in a saucepan over medium heat bring the cream and butter to a simmer, stirring until butter melts. Remove from heat. Stir in white chocolate; stir until the chocolate melts. Stir in the mix extract and I added enough green food coloring to get a pretty green color. Transfer frosting to a bowl and let cool at room temperature until firm enough to pipe, stirring occasionally -- this will take a few hours -- or instead when frosting cools you can just frost the cupcakes with the frosting.

Step 10: Spoon frosting into a pastry bag fitted with a medium star tip and pipe frosting decoratively on the cupcakes.