Candy Cane Kisses Cupcakes

I apologize for the lack of new posts! I have had a sinus infection for months. I finally went to an ENT and will be having sinus surgery on Wednesday. Long story-I've dealt with allergy and sinus problems my whole life and this will be my second surgery. Okay, for comic relief I'll tell part of the story. I had sinus/deviated septum surgery about 5 years ago, and soon after, my husband's weird sleep habits led to another deviation in my septum! Early one morning I was coming back from the bathroom, and as I was getting into bed, my husband woke up in a startle, and threw his head up-right into my septum. An ENT pushed it back into place (it was awful!), but it was still deviated. Then soon after THAT, my husband was having a dream that Carrot top was attacking him and he punched me in his sleep. Yep, right on my nose.

So, now that my husband is dying of embarrassment, on to the cupcake recipe!! I had to get at least one Christmas post in before my surgery.

Last year my friend/neighbor Shellbi brought Christmas cookies over-chocolate cookies with Candy Cane Kisses in them! I was in heaven. I made some of my own, and was going to make them again this year. However, as you well know by now, I can't make anything if it isn't in a cupcake tin, so I made Candy Cane Kisses Cupcakes!

Cupcakes-makes 24

Betty Crocker Super Moist Triple Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix (don't add ingredients on box)
4 large eggs
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup buttermilk (or 4 T Saco Buttermilk Blend and 1 cup water)
35 chopped Candy Cane Kisses



Add all ingredients except kisses to a large bowl. Blend for two minutes. Stir in candy cane kisses pieces. Add baking cups to cupcake pan and fill 2/3 full with batter. Bake on 350 for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few tiny crumbs attached.




Candy Cane Vanilla Buttercream Frosting- adapted from a recipe from mom, www.potsandpins.com

2 cups butter, softened (do not substitute)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

powdered sugar (approximately 4 to 6 cups)

1 package Peppermint Candy Cane cocoa mix (I bought it at Wal-Mart)

Beat butter until fluffy. Add other ingredients except the cocoa mix and 4 cups powdered sugar. Add more powdered sugar to desired thickness. Stir in candy cane cocoa mix.

Top the cupcake with frosting and a kiss!


Note to readers: You may think I'm a fraud always using a cake mix, but who ever said I was a baker? I want to make the recipes as easy as possible, and really, during the holidays, who has time to bake from scratch? Okay, so a lot of people do, but I'm not one of them! hehe.