Dark Chocolate Mint Truffle Mini Bundts #BundtBakers

Homemade dark chocolate mint truffles make these darling little Bundts special. Start at least one day ahead to make sure the truffles have time to set and freeze before baking your little cakes. 

Technically this is not part of the official Christmas Week posts but, seriously, what is more Christmassy than mint? I'm thinking candy canes, After Eights, York Peppermint Patties and all manner of candy bark with crushed mints. I submit to you, nothing is! That is why I was delighted when this month’s Bundt Baker host, Laura from The Spiced Life chose mint as our theme. And since my younger daughter is now home for the holidays, I went with one of her favorites, mint and chocolate. From the time she was tiny, her favorite candy has been those York peppermint patties. It’s a classic combination.

Make sure you scroll on down to the bottom of my recipe to see the mint delights that all the other Bundt Bakers have created for you today.

Ingredients
For the truffles:
1/3 cup + 5 teaspoons or 100ml whipping cream
7 oz or 200g dark chocolate, broken into pieces (I used one bar of plain dark and one bar of dark with mint to add more minty goodness.)
1 1/2 teaspoons mint extract
Cocoa and/or powdered sugar, for rolling

For the cake:
1 1/2 cups or 190g plain flour
1 cup or 200g sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup or 27g best-quality cocoa powder
3/4 cup or 170g unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup or 150ml sour cream

For the mint glaze:
1 cup or 125g confectioner’s or icing sugar
1/2 teaspoon mint extract
1-2 tablespoons milk

Method
First we need to make the truffles. They are super easy but the chocolate/cream mixture needs time to set before rolling into balls. And then you want to freeze them before adding them to the batter to bake. So, as mentioned in the headnote, start a day early.

The Truffles
Bring the cream just to the boil in a pan or in a microwaveable bowl in the microwave oven. Remove from the stove or microwave and stir in the mint extract and chocolate.

You could eat this with a spoon. Try not to. 

Stir until melted. Cool, then chill in the refrigerator until the mixture is solid, about 2-3 hrs.

Scoop out teaspoons of the mixture and roll into tiny balls with your hands, then roll the balls in cocoa or powdered sugar.

You want at least 24 balls (two per mini Bundt) but will probably get many more since they have to be small to fit in and on the little Bundts. Not to worry. They are delicious and any extras will get eaten. Freeze the truffles till you are ready to bake.

I did half cocoa and half powdered sugar. And yes, there are three big ones. I got tired of rolling when I had enough little ones. 

Okay, so it’s the next day now, right? And your tiny truffles are frozen. On to the cake!

This recipe is from Nigella’s Feast and could not be easier. She chucks everything straight in the food processor but I like to sift my dry ingredients (except the sugar) since sometimes they have lumps. Feel free to follow her method. Original recipe can be found online here.

The Cake Batter
Preheat oven to 350°F or 180°C. Grease and flour your mini Bundt pan or use that baking spray that has flour in it.

Measure your flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl and mix well.

Put the rest of the cake ingredients - sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla and sour cream - into a food processor. Sift the dry ingredients into the processor.

Process until you have a smooth, thick batter.

You could also eat this with a spoon. Try not to.

Put one scoop of batter into each cup. Press one mint truffle into the batter then top with the remaining batter. I put the powdered sugar ones in the cakes and saved the cocoa ones for on top.

Bake in your preheated oven for about 18-20 minutes or until the tops are springy to the touch. Clearly the toothpick-in-the-middle test won’t work here.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes then turn the Bundts out to cool on a wire rack. I trimmed the overhanging edges off of my mini Bundts to neaten them up but you can leave yours on if you want.

While the Bundts cool, mix up your glaze.

The Glaze
Put the powdered sugar into a small mixing bowl with the mint extract and one tablespoon of milk. Stir well.

Keep adding milk a 1/2 teaspoon at a time until you get the pouring consistency you desire. I like a thick glaze but some people prefer thinner so you have to be the judge.

When the little Bundts are cooled completely, pour or drizzle on the glaze. I like to use a piping bag because it’s less messy than actual drizzling and I have more control.

Top each mini Bundt with a little chocolate mint truffle.

Enjoy!

The truffle inside makes a nice minty,chocolate rich bite near the top of the mini Bundt.

Your Bundts with mint! We've got 'em!

• Bundt Cake with Chocolate Glaze and Mint Frosting from La cocina de Aisha
• Candy Cane Bundt Cake from Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Candy Cane Bundt Cake with Chocolate Ganache Drizzle from The Freshman Cook
• Candy Cane Chocolate Bundt Cake from Cassie's Kitchen
• Candy Cane Cup Bundt Cake from From Gate to Plate
• Candy Cane Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake from Patty's Cake
• Chocolate Bundt Cake with Peppermint Dark Chocolate Ganache from Brooklyn Homemaker
• Chocolate Peppermint Bundt Cake from Making Miracles
• Creme de Menthe Bundt Cake from Jane's Adventures in Dinner
• Dark Chocolate Mint Truffle Mini Bundts from Food Lust People Love
• Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bundt Cake from Adventures In All Things Food
• Double Chocolate and Mint Cheesecake Bundt Cake from Un Mordisco Un Pecado
• Double Mint Mountain Bundt Cake from Baking in Pyjamas
• Fudgy Peppermint Bundt from A Day in the LIfe on the Farm
• Gluten Free Chocolate Mint Bundt Cake from Box of Stolen Socks
• Mini Minty Bundt Cakes from Brunch with Joy
• Mint Tea Mini Bundts from Passion Kneaded
• Orange and Mint Bundt Bread from A Kingdom For a Cake
• Peppermint Candy Bundt from Tea and Scones
• Peppermint Candy Cane Bundt Cake from I love Bundt Cakes
• Peppermint Cappuccino Cake from Magnolia Days
• Peppermint Mocha Pound Cake Bundt from DessertStalking Blog
• Peppermint Patty Bundt Cake from Eat, Drink, and Be Mighty
• Peppermint Whipped Cream Pound Cake with Shaved Mint Chocolate from The Spiced Life

What is Bundt Bakers? It's a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Bundt Bakers Pinterest board for incredible Bundt cake recipes and inspiration.  You can find information and links to the recipes for each month in our  #BundtBakers page.

How is the monthly theme determined? We take turns hosting each month and the host gets to choose the theme/ingredient.

Would you like to join in the fun? If you are a food blogger, send an email with your blog name and url to foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com.

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Almond Joy Cupcakes #CupcakeDay

All the joy of coconut and almonds, baked into a dark chocolate cupcake, made easy to assemble by using the muffin method: one bowl of wet ingredients poured into one bowl of dry ingredients. What could be more festive or easier?

Every week on this blog, I celebrate Muffin Monday with a new muffin for you, sometimes sweet and sometimes savory. Muffin Monday is a made up holiday but that doesn’t make it less festive or important because if you can start your week out with something tasty from the oven, it’s going to be a better week automatically, than if you didn’t. This week, I am joining a lovely group of bloggers for another made up holiday: Cupcake Day. After all, what is a cupcake but just a dressed up muffin? That really is the dividing line for me. Muffins can be glazed but never frosted. A big pile of icing is reserved for cupcakes. For my Almond Joy Cupcakes today, I took the middle ground and topped the muffins with one toasted almond, as they do in Almond Joy candy bars, and poured a lovely heaping helping of semi-sweet chocolate ganache over the top, after stuffing the batter and the center with sweetened coconut flakes.

Many thanks to Coleen from The Redhead Baker who spearheaded this fun celebration and handled all the hosting responsibilities!

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups or 190g flour
1/2 cup or 50g ground almonds
3/4 cup or 150g white sugar
1/3 cup or just over 27g unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup + 1 1/2 tablespoons or 200ml coconut milk
1/2 cup or 120ml canola or other light oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 oz or 100g semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 3/4 oz or 135g sweetened coconut flakes - divided

For the topping:
1 cup or 240ml whipping cream
8 1/2 oz or 240g semi-sweet chocolate chips
Pinch salt
12 toasted almonds

Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C and prepare your 12-cup muffin tin by spraying with non-stick spray or lining it with paper cups.

Combine your flour, ground almonds, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl.

In another smaller bowl, whisk together your eggs, coconut milk, oil and vanilla extract.

Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ones and stop when it’s still quite dry looking.

Add the chocolate chips for the batter and about half of the coconut. No need to measure, just eyeball. Stir until just mixed.

Spoon half your batter into the 12 cups.

Use your fingers to make balls out of the remaining coconut.

Tuck one in the batter of each cup.

Top the coconut balls with the remaining chocolate batter.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Meanwhile you can be making the ganache. Put the cream in a little pot or a microwaveable bowl and heat till just before boiling. Remove from the stove or microwave and pour in the chocolate chips and the pinch of salt and stir until the chocolate is completely melted.

Set aside to cool. It should thicken as it cools but should still stay a pouring consistency. If it thickens too much, rewarm it gently.

When the cupcakes are done, remove them from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes in the pan and then remove to continue cooling on a wire rack.

When they are completely cooled, dab on a bit of the chocolate ganache and stick one toasted almond on top of each.

Allow to set a little then spoon on more ganache to cover the almond and the cupcake.

Enjoy!

Looking for ways to make this week even better? How about baking one - or many -  of these 26 wonderful cupcakes?

• Almond Joy Cupcakes by Our Eating Habits
• Almond Joy Cupcakes by Food Lust People Love
• Buttered Rum Cupcakes by Adventures in All Things Food
• Candied Buddha's Hand-Eggnog Cupcakes by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Cupcakes with Candied Butter Pecan Frosting by From Gate to Plate
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes by The Cooking Actress
• Chocolate Cupcakes with Nutella Frosting for 2 by Kate's Recipe Box
• Chocolate Cupcakes with Red Velvet Frosting by {i love} my disorganized life
• Cone Head Cupcakes with Ice Cream Frosting by The Spiffy Cookie
• Cranberry Apple Cupcakes by The Pajama Chef
• Cranberry Cupcakes with White Chocolate Buttercream by Cheese Curd In Paradise
• Cupcake Christmas Wreath by Lick the Spoon
• Dark Chocolate Rum Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Buttercream by Lemony Thyme
• Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Gingerbread cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting by Eva Bakes
• Hot Cocoa Cupcakes by The Redhead Baker
• Lemon Cupcakes by Miss Information
• Maple Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Mint Chocolate Cupcakes by Basic N Delicious
• Nerds Cupcakes by Amy's Confectionery Adventures
• Peppermint Cream Cookie Cupcakes by Take a Bite out of Boca
• Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cupcakes by Kosher Kitchen
• Peppermint Patty Cupcakes by Comfortably Domestic
• Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Biscoff Marshmallow Buttercream by Making Miracles
• Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting by Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Vanilla Candy Cane Cupcakes by Noshing With The Nolands
• Vegan Midori Melon Cupcakes by NinjaBaker

Chocolate Orange Muffins #MuffinMonday

Bitter orange marmalade, cocoa and semi-sweet chocolate chips make a great muffin that will remind the fans of chocolate oranges of their favorite stocking stuffers. 

As we head into December and Christmas draws nearer, my muffin thoughts turn to flavors that are popular at this time of year. Chocolate oranges are a standard seasonal candy in the UK and they are also stocked regularly in Dubai this month. Is orange flavored chocolate popular wherever you live?

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups or 220g flour
1/3 cup or 70g sugar
1/4 cup or 20g dark cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup or 120ml milk
1/3 cup or 80ml canola or other light oil
1/3 cup or 105g orange marmalade
1 egg
1/2 cup or 95g semi chocolate chips

Optional glaze: several teaspoons marmalade

Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C.  Prepare your muffin pan by buttering it liberally or lining it with paper muffin cups.

Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder salt and in a large mixing bowl.

In another smaller bowl, whisk together the milk, canola, orange marmalade and egg.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and stir until just mixed through. Some flour should still be showing.

Fold in the chocolate chips.

Divide the mixture between the muffin cups.

Bake in your preheated oven for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Allow the muffins to cool for a few minutes then remove them to a wire rack. Spoon a little marmalade on top while they are still slightly warm, if desired.

Enjoy!

Brandy Truffles

Deep, dark and chocolatey, these easy-to-make truffles are spiked with heady brandy and rolled in cocoa. The addition of digestive biscuit crumbs makes them less sticky so they are easier to roll. 

This week my Sunday Supper group is bringing you some great gifts from the kitchen and nothing says Have the Merriest of Christmases like a gift of chocolate and booze! These pretty little truffles have both in spades. Make sure to scroll down to the bottom of my recipe to see all the other great gifts from the kitchen. Many thanks to my friend, Renee from Magnolia Days for hosting this special event.

Ingredients
7oz or 200g semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup or 175ml whipping cream
5 tablespoons brandy
1 1/4 cups or 100g cocoa powder
 8 3/4 oz or 250g digestive biscuits (Graham crackers can be substituted but since they are drier, you might not need as many.)

To serve or gift: small paper muffin cups

Method
Tip the chocolate chips into a heatproof bowl.  Heat the cream in the microwave or in a pot on the stove until it is just about to boil.

Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir until all the chips are melted.

Add in the brandy and stir well.

Pop the mixture in the refrigerator to cool. Set a timer for 20 minutes and stir the mixture when it goes off and put the bowl back in the refrigerator. Keep doing this until the mixture is completely cool.

Meanwhile, put your digestive biscuits in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush them to a fine powder.

When the chocolate/cream mixture is cool, stir in the digestive biscuits a few spoonfuls at a time, until you reach a consistency firm enough to roll into balls and hold their shape. I used all the biscuit crumbs in mine.

Put your cocoa in a bowl and use a teaspoon to scoop out some of the truffle mixture. Roll it between your palms to create a smooth ball and set it in the cocoa. Shake the bowl gently to move the truffle around so it gets coated with the cocoa.

Remove the cocoa-coated truffle from the bowl and place in a small paper muffin cup. Continue rolling and coating until all the truffles are made.

A friend was helping me so she insisted on using gloves.

These are a great gift to take along for a holiday party, especially if arranged on a pretty Christmas plate.

Enjoy!

Do you need inspiration for more gifts from the kitchen? We’ve got you covered!

Beverages

• Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate by Supper for a Steal
• Cranberry Infused Vodka by The Redhead Baker
• Cranberry Pomegrante Vodka by Recipes, Food and Cooking
• Creamy Coconut Liqueur by Manu's Menu
• German Egg Liqueur (Eierlikör) by Magnolia Days
• Holiday Sangria Surprise by Momma's Meals
• Homemade Kahlua by Country Girl in the Village
• Homemade Organic Lavender Honey by An Appealing Plan

Bread

• Homemade Pumpernickel Bread by The Foodie Army Wife
• Pumpkin Beer Bread Gift Basket by The Girl in The Little Red Kitchen

Appetizers and Snacks

• Boozy Olives by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Cookie Butter Puppy Chow by Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
• Reindeer Snack Mix by MealDiva

Condiments and Sauces

• Butterscotch Sauce {Low Carb} by Nosh My Way
• Cranberry Hatch Chile Salsa by The Texan New Yorker
• Ginger Jam by What Smells So Good?
• Lemon Ginger Marmalade by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Microwave Caramel Sauce by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Slow Cooker Apple Butter by Shockingly Delicious
• Sweet-Hot Red Pepper Jam by Delaware Girl Eats

Savory and Sweet Mixes

• Creole Jambalaya Mix by Nik Snacks
• Gingerbread Hot Chocolate Mix by Feed Me, Seymour
• Homemade Brownie Mix in a Jar by The Perfect Brownie
• Homemade Sazon Seasoning by The Little Ferraro Kitchen
• Skinny Mocha Latte Mix by Cindy's Recipes and Writings

Desserts and Sweets

• Assorted Macaroons by Take A Bite Out of Boca
• Bacon & Mixed Nuts Caramel Corn by Brunch with Joy
• Brandy Truffles by Food Lust People Love
• Carob Peanut Butter Cups by Pies and Plots
• Chocolate Cranberry Nut Candy by Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Cinnamon Candied Pecans by Noshing With The Nolands
• Coconut Oil White Chocolate + Chocolate Chip Cookies by Wallflour Girl
• Ho Ho Oreo Bark by Seduction in the Kitchen
• Homemade Marshmallows by Curious Cuisiniere
• Maple Chocolates by Jane's Adventures in Dinner
• Matcha Green Tea Holiday Wreath Cookies by NinjaBaker
• White Chocolate Lollipops by The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch
• White Christmas Fudge by Rhubarb and Honey

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Chocolate Hazelnut Muffins #MuffinMonday

Ground hazelnuts add richness to these chocolate muffins and perfectly complement the surprise Ferrero Rocher hazelnut candy baked in the center of each.

Sometimes when I am at the grocery store, I browse the candy/sweetie aisle for muffin inspiration. There are such a lot of great combinations of flavors on every shelf, some classic like chocolate-covered cherries, others a little more “out there” like chocolate and lime or chili peppers. At first I was just planning to bake chocolate hazelnut muffins and then I thought to myself, “I wonder what would happen if I stuffed an entire Ferrero Rocher chocolate-covered hazelnut candy in the batter” and then I had to try it.

There was always the possibility that the chocolate surrounding the hazelnut would get molten and cause 12 mini explosions in the oven, sending muffin batter everywhere. Some part of me was hoping for that result, but the better part of me was counting on the candy staying intact and creating a lovely surprise at the center of each muffin. I’m pleased to tell you that, as you can see from the photos, my better part won! The other part was just slightly disappointed but these great muffins are sweet consolation. Clearly I need to get out more.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups or 190g flour (or an equivalent amount Dove Farm’s gluten-free flour mix)
1 cup or 110g coarse hazelnut meal or ground hazelnuts (I did mine in the food processor.)
3/4 cup or 170g golden caster sugar (Normal white sugar can be substituted.)
1/4 cup or 20g extra dark cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s Special Dark.)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup or 120ml milk
1/2 cup or 125g sour cream
1/2 cup or 115g unsalted butter, melted then cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
12 Ferrero Rocher chocolate-covered hazelnut candies

Method
Preheat oven to 350°F or 180°C.   Put liners in muffin cups or grease well with butter or non-stick spray.

Whisk together your flour, ground hazelnuts, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.

Whisk together milk, butter, sour cream, eggs and vanilla in another bowl until combined well.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and, if using normal flour, fold until just combined. If you are using the gluten-free mix, stir well until no flour is showing.

Divide the batter among muffin cups. Decorate each with a Ferrero Rocher chocolate and push it down gently into the batter.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the muffin alongside the chocolate candy center comes out clean.

Allow to cool for a few minutes in the pan and then remove the muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!