Vegan Mint Chocolate Cookie Cupcakes aka The Naughty Girl Scout

          In case you were wondering, there are three things in the world I cannot stop eating if put in front of me: bread and really good olive oil, ruffle potato chips and French onion dip, and Girl Scout Cookies, specifically Thin Mints, even more so if they’ve been in the freezer for a little while. Seriously. Stop my heart. I love Thin Mints.

            An example of how much sway a Girl Scout cookies holds over my heart is this: When my ex boyfriend and I lived together, he came home all excited with a plethora of Girl Scout cookie boxes while I, ever on some stupid diet, went crazy, because I knew these little packages of awesome would be my demise.

            I made him put the boxes in the closet next to the bathroom because, you know, what is less appetizing than food near the bathroom? But, that did not stop me. I ended up sitting, cross-legged, at the bathroom door, in front of the closet, eating straight from the box while he wasn’t at home. So much for whatever diet I was on.

            Anyway, as I was planning out what to make for my next baking endeavor, I was inspired by my love of all things mint-chocolate while eating some mint chocolate cookie ice cream straight from a carton made for a family of at least four. “What if,” I thought, “what if, I could put my love of Thin Mints, mint chocolate cookie ice cream, and unbearably sweet liqueurs all together into one, fantastic dessert?” And that is how this little, sassy, heartbreaker of a cupcake was born!

            With a shock of pastel-green frosting, and dotted with chocolate chunks of cookie, this cupcake calls to mind all the awesomeness of an ice cream cake, and my favorite cookie on the planet. And best of all? It’s VEGAN!

            So, make these cupcakes! But try not to eat them outside your bathroom amidst the towels, toilet paper, and your own feelings of shame and despair. Life is too short to not enjoy dessert.

Naughty Girl Scouts

 Ingredients:

Chocolate Cookie Cupcakes:

1 cup soy milk

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

¼ cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup canola (or vegetable) oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp crème de menthe

1 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

¼ tsp baking soda

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

1 heaping cup of chocolate sandwich cookies, all chopped up

Mint Chocolate Cookie Frosting:

½ cup non-hydrogenated shortening

½ cup vegan butter

3-4 cups confectioners sugar

1 tsp crème de menthe

½ tsp vanilla extract

¼ cup soy milk

1 heaping cup of chocolate sandwich cookies, all chopped up

Green food coloring

Directions:

To make the cupcakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
2. Line a cupcake tin with 12 liners
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the soy milk and apple cider vinegar. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes to curdle (gross word, I know, but you are essentially creating vegan buttermilk)
4. In a medium sized bowl, gently whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
5. Add the sugar, oil, mint extract, and vanilla extract to the large bowl with the milk and vinegar, and use a hand mixer on medium to beat the ingredients together for about 3 minutes, until the color is light and the liquid is all bubbly and foamy.
6. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat on medium until all the ingredients are incorporated, and there are no large lumps floating around in your batter.
7. Fill each cupcake liner about 2/3 of the way full with batter.
8. Bake the cupcakes for 20-22 minutes, or until the surface of the cupcake springs back when you tap it gently.
9. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let cool for 5-7 minutes in the cupcake tin, before transferring the cupcakes to a rack to cool completely.

While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting:

1. In a large bowl, beat the shortening and margarine with a hand mixer on medium, until all fluffy and combined.
2. Add the confectioners sugar, mint, and vanilla extract, and continue to beat for several minutes until all the ingredients are evenly incorporated.
3. Add in the soy milk a little at a time, beating between each addition, until the frosting reaches a spreadable consistency.
4. Add in food coloring and beat until the frosting has your desired tint.
5. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the cookie pieces.
6. Frost each cupcake with a dome of frosting, almost to make it look like a scoop of ice cream. I used a soup spoon to give it a rounded look.

cupcake in the sunlight

an incredible shot of these cuties, taken in impeccable lighting, by my friend Farrell

Til next time,

D