I am a big procrastinator. I will do literally anything to avoid doing household chores such as putting the clean laundry away, sorting out the kids’ toys or hoovering. This is how I came to create this recipe.
While ignoring the aforementioned chores on Saturday morning I discovered it was National Tea Day. I am not overly fond of tea, my morning’s are fuelled by coffee and the caffeine it provides me. That said, I do love a soothing peppermint tea to prevent me from jittering in a caffeine-induced trance at the school gate and speaking so quickly that no one is able to decipher what I am trying to say.
When I was thinking of tea related recipes my brain automatically started thinking what kind of tea would go best with chocolate? I am a self-confessed chocaholic so this is no surprise. That is when I remembered how much I enjoyed the Mint Choc Chip ice cream I had over Christmas. It is not my usual ice cream flavour because as a child the vibrant mint-green colour that some ice creams in this flavour are made me hesitant to eat it. The ice cream I had over Christmas had the wonderfully refreshing combination without the green colour. This led me to believe I could reproduce the flavour in my muffins by using peppermint tea and thus avoiding the green colour.
These cupcakes are beautifully moist. If you want them to have more of a peppermint 
flavour you only need to put more tea bags in the boiling water. We left them un-iced, but with some chocolate drizzled on top of them. This was partially because it was easier and quicker, but secondly my children sometimes ignore the cake underneath when presented with a beautifully iced treat. I find this especially frustrating when they have really engaged with the process of making the cake and then decide to forget its existence.
This recipe will make either 12 large muffins or 24 mini ones or even 6 large muffins and 12 mini ones like we made. I should say, we did have to double this recipe so that both the boys could crack an egg as I really wasn’t in the mood for the argument over who would be allowed to crack the egg! I was distributing them to neighbours on Saturday afternoon – I believe I am starting to become quite popular despite the noise my children make!
Ingredients
- 200g self raising flour
- 115g caster sugar
- 65ml milk
- 50ml crème fraiche (we used half fat)
- 1 egg
- 60g vegetable oil
- 120ml boiling water containing 2 peppermint teabags (we used Teapigs)
- 100g chocolate chips (we used milk)
- Melted chocolate to drizzle on the top (we used 50g dark chocolate)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°c fan and line the muffin tins (we use silicone cupcake cases).
- Measure out 120ml of boiling water and put the two teabags in it. If you want a stronger peppermint taste, you can add more teabags. The two give the muffins a delicate peppermint flavour. Put to one side to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl mix together the self raising flour, sugar together.
Crack in the eggs and mix thoroughly. Add the milk, crème fraiche and the oil and mix it all until it is fully combined. - Hopefully the teabags will have cooled a little bit by this time and if they are cool enough let the children
squeeze them to get the excess liquid off them and let out the peppermint flavour. If they are still a bit warm leave them a little bit longer before squeezing them. - Pour the tea into the muffin mixture and gently stir until it is combined. The mixture will be thin and runny, but this isn’t a problem.
Add the chocolate chips and divide the mixture evenly between all of the cupcake cases (just under 2/3s full). - Place in the over and cook for 15-18 minutes until golden and springy to the touch. A skewer will come out clean when inserted (unless you manage to hit a chocolate chip!) The smaller muffins will take less time around 12-14 minutes.
- Allow the muffins to cool and then drizzle with the melted chocolate.
The kids and I enjoyed these as an afternoon snack. Simon, who isn’t a huge fan of peppermint, liked them as the peppermint wasn’t too overpowering.
Right now I really should get back to putting the clean laundry away as much to my dismay it will not magically happen. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the recipe.
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