Peppermint Crisp “Springbokkie” Cupcakes

Recently I’ve been thinking about how I can incorporate classic South African and nostalgic ingredients into easy recipes to put my own twist on them. My first thought was that I needed to do something with Peppermint Crisp chocolate. Every South African knows the classic peppermint crisp tart as it’s a traditional dessert, so why not turn the classic into a cupcake! When I was child, my dad would buy us both a peppermint crisp bar. We’d then bite both of the edges off, and use it as a straw to drink a glass of milk. This made the milk all minty and yummy. I made these cupcakes for my dad’s birthday party yesterday, as I thought it would be a great way to celebrate this memory!

This recipe I created using a basic vanilla cupcake recipe with added peppermint essence / extract, and pieces of crushed peppermint crisp chocolate. If you’re looking for a really fragrant and intense peppermint flavour, the peppermint extract is necessary, however you can omit the extract if you wish. The frosting is a salted caramel frosting, which comes from my granny’s recipe book that has been passed down to me. Once you bite into these cupcakes it’s like an explosion of peppermint crisp tart goodness.

‘Springbokkie’ Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting

(Makes 25 cupcakes)

Ingredients: CUPCAKES

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence (1/2 tsp vanilla extract)
• 1 tsp peppermint essence (1/2 tsp peppermint extract)
• 2 eggs
• 1 3/4 cups cake flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 peppermint crisp chocolate bar, crushed into small pieces

Ingredients: SALTED CARAMEL FROSTING

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 cups icing sugar, sifted
• peppermint crisp chocolate pieces as decoration

Method: CUPCAKES

1. Preheat the oven to 170˚C (338˚F).
2. Line 2 cupcake tins with 24 cupcake wrappers, and set aside.
3. Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, and peppermint essence if using.
4. Add the eggs one at a time to the mixture, beating well after each egg.
5. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt over the wet mixture. Beat briefly to combine. Add the milk and beat until everything is well combined, and the mixture is silky. Stir 3/4 of the crushed peppermint crisp chocolate pieces into the batter.
6. Fill each cupcake holder 1/2 way. Do not overfill as the mixture will rise above the cupcake holder, and may get too crispy.
7. Bake for 12-14 minutes until golden brown, or until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean with no batter on it.
8. Let the cupcakes cool in the tin for 5 minutes. Place cupcakes on a cooling rack, and let completely cool before icing them.

Method: FROSTING

1. Combine the butter and sugar in a saucepan over low heat. Cook and stir until the brown sugar is dissolved.
2. Increase the heat to medium. Do not stir as the sugar may crystallize. Cook for a few minutes until the mixture starts to bubble in the centre, or turns dark brown. Remove from the heat, stir in salt, and let the mixture cool for a bit. Add the milk and stir until well combined.
3. Transfer to a heatproof bowl, and let the caramel come to room temperature. Gradually mix in the sifted icing sugar using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer. Mix until creamy, and thick enough to hold its shape.
4. Place mixture into a piping bag, using any nozzle desired. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes, and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 of the crushed peppermint crisp chocolate on as decoration.

So there you go. My version of the South African favourite. If you really want to be fancy, you could create the classic ‘Springbokkie” shooter, and add a dash of ‘Amarula’ cream liquor to the salted caramel frosting. ‘Amarula’ is a proudly South African cream liquor, but any cream liquor can be used. The opportunities and combinations are endless, and I’m just getting started!

Regards, Courtney xx