Mint-Filled Brownie Cupcakes - #1

So, today I made my FIRST cupcake recipe from my new Martha Stewart cupcake cookbook! The Martha Cupcake Project has begun!

She even got christened with a little cooking spray when I sprayed my Kitchen-Aid mixer

to loosen up the whisk which was sticking to the mixer caused by my marshmallow fiasco when I made my s'more cupcakes. I thought TJ had cleaned up the marshmallow mess, but guess not!

But that's neither here nor there... let's get to the brownie cupcakes!

So, followed all her directions to a "T"... well, except the fact that I didn't use semi-sweet

chocolate chips. I have to use milk chocolate, I can't do semi-sweet. Ick.

Filled my cups, smashed in the peppermint patty, covered it back up with

more brownie batter, popped them in the oven. The directions said to bake for

35 minutes at 350 degrees and to start checking at 30 minutes. I even turned

the pan halfway through, just like Martha told me to....who really does that?

Anyways, took them out at 30 minutes and the toothpick came out clean. Uhh ohh.

Now you may be thinking, Oh, yay! They are done! Well, Martha wanted the toothpick

to come out with a few cake crumbs on the toothpick. Oops! But I checked them at

30 minutes... JUST LIKE YOU SAID!

So, they were definitely done. I tried one while it was still warm and it was good.

Just good.

Then after they sat for awhile and cooled off, I could not get the cupcake wrapper off!

It was a struggle!

So... lessons learned:

• Start checking cupcakes at 20 minutes
• Maybe spray the cupcake liners with cooking spray?
• Try them with chocolate frosting on the top!
• Clean off the Kitchen-Aid mixer thoroughly instead of assuming your lovely cupcake tester of a husband will do it for you.

Now... which cupcake shall we try next?!?!?!