St. Patrick's Day Cupcakes

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• 1 cup pecans or 1 cup walnuts
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken in pieces
• 3/4 cup butter or 3/4 cup margarine, cut into pieces
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 8 ounces chocolate
• 1/2 teaspoon mint extract
• 1 -3 drop green food coloring (depending on how green you want your frosting)

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 325°f.
• 2 spray 24-cup mini muffin tin with cooking spray or grease pan.
• 3 using a food processor, process first four ingredients (pecans- honey) using on/off turns until pecans are finely chopped.
• 4 sift flour and baking powder together in separate bowl; set aside.
• 5 in a microwave safe bowl melt chocolate and butter in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. let cool.
• 6 in a large bowl, beat sugar, eggs and vanilla together for four minutes or until thick.
• 7 beat in chocolate and flour.
• 8 stir in ricotta cheese mixture.
• 9 spoon into muffin tins.
• 10 bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick tests clean.
• 11 let cool while making frosting.
• 12 to make frosting: in a small saucepan over medium heat, heat cream and butter, until butter melts.
• 13 remove from heat.
• 14 add chocolate, stirring until melted.
• 15 add mint extract and food coloring.
• 16 let cool and whip until thick enough to spread on cupcakes.