Hot cocoa cupcakes

I volunteered to bring cupcakes or cookies to the church Christmas party so I started thinking about good holiday flavors...hot cocoa is my favorite thing when it is cold outside and of course you have to have marshmallows...and candy canes! What is a more holiday flavor than candy canes?!  I also have a lot of dark hot cocoa packets that I want to use up because I don't drink the sugary kind anymore so I looked for a recipe that actually uses hot cocoa packets...can you believe I actually found one? I was in slight shock but thankful someone else did the work so I didn't have to! Well, to tell the truth the recipe I found was actually for muffins, but a muffin is really just a cupcake minus the frosting so I wasn't worried. I added cream cheese to my marshmallow frosting because that I what I had on hand and I think it made it so much better than plain marshmallow frosting!

My co-workers were my guinea pigs and they loved them but I didn't actually go to the party so I have no idea how they were received by the church members. Hopefully they didn't disappoint!

Hot Cocoa Cupcake w/ Marshmallow Frosting

• Cupcake:

• 3/4 cup dark hot cocoa mix

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup almond flour

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 eggs

• 3/4 cup milk

• 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

• 
  

• In a large bowl, combine hot cocoa mix, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

• In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, milk, butter, and vanilla. 

• Fold egg mixture into flour mixture just until mixed. 

• Stir chocolate chips into batter and pour into cupcake liners.

• Bake at 375 degrees F for 18 to 20 minutes.

Marshmallow Frosting:

2 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
7oz marshmallow fluff
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
Beat cream cheese and butter.
Add Marshmallow, vanilla and salt.
once well combined slowly add powdered sugar until desired consistency.
Add crushed candy cane on top for a festive twist.

Based on: https://www.mrfood.com/Bread/Hot-Chocolate-Muffins