Mint Chocolate cupcakes - Amy Clark

These are like those chocolate-covered mint patties that the kids love so much. You absolutely can't eat mint icing on its own, it needs the chocolate ganache to bring it all together. But once it is brough, it is heavenly.

Ingredients:
1 cup Soy Milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract, chocolate extract, or more vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder, Dutch-processed or regular
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pan with paper or foil liners
2. Whisk together the soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl, and set aside for a few minutes to curdle. Add the sugar, oil, and vanilla extract, and other extract, if using, to the soy milk mixture and beat till foamy. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add in two batches to wet ingredients andbeat till no large lumps remain (a few tiny lumps are okay).
3. Pour into liners, filling three-quarters of the way. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to cooling rack and let cool completely.

Icing:
1/4 cup nonhydrogenated shortening
3 cups confectioner's sugar (sifted if clumpy)
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbs soy creamer or soy milk
1 1/2 tsp mint extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Small drop green food coloring liquid or paste

Directions:
1. Cream the shortening for a few seconds to soften it. We found that it's easier to do this with a fork than with a handheld mixer.
2. Add 1 cup powdered sugar and a splash (Tbl or so) of soy creamer and mix to incorporate. Alternately add sugar and creamer, mixing after each addition, until all the ingredients are used and the icing is smooth and creamy. Add the mint and vanilla extracts and coloring; mix to incorporate.

Quick Melty Ganache:
3 Tbls soy creamer or soy milk
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Heat soy creamer in a small saucepan over medium heat till just about to simmer. Remove from heat; add chocolate chips and stir till chocolate is completely melted and creamer is incorporated. Set aside and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

To Assemble:
1. After frosting the cooled cupcakes, drizzle the cooled ganache mixture on top of the green mint icing.