Happy 100th Anniversary to the Girl Scouts

This week marks the 100 Anniversary of the Girl Scouts!  The first troop consisted of 18 girls with their founder, Juliette Gordon Low, proclaiming, "I've got something for the girls of Savannah, and all of America, and the world, and we're going to start it tonight."

I was a Girl Scout and my girls were Brownies and I can tell you it's a wonderful organization that listens to girls and gives them a sense of self-esteem.  Today's membership is over 3.2 million!

In honor of this all-important anniversary, I have baked my version of a "Thin Mint" Cupcake.  A chocolaty-minty cake with a dark chocolate coating under a minty-green buttercream then topped with a piece of a real Thin Mint.  Today, I picked up several boxes to support one of our local troops, who are also encouraging buyers to buy cookies to support our armed-forces troops.

The enthusiasm is contagious and these brave girls (and their Mom's) are out selling cookies in the rain to put a smile on your face!

Thin Mint Cupcakes
12 T ( 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 vanilla beans, split and scraped (or 1 T vanilla extract)
1 12oz pkg. Dark & Mint Chips, melted and slightly cooled

 2 1/2 cups Queen Guinevere Cake Flour
1/3 cup cocoa (not Dutch-processed)
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. Kosher salt
2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven 350F-degrees.  Line two 12-cup muffin pans with cupcake liners

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar thoroughly.  Scrape the sides of the bowl, as necessary.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the melted mint/chocolate chips and beat to combine.  In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients and whisk together.  Add to the batter, alternatively with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients.

Scoop batter into the liners.  I used oversized liners and was able to get 22 cupcakes; with regular liners, you can easily get 2 dozen.

If you don't fill another pan, add water to the empty openings to ensure proper baking.

Bake the cupcakes 18 to 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 
Glaze:
Melt a 12 oz bag of bittersweet chocolate over a double boiler.  Leave out some of the chips to add to the melted chocolate to "temper" it.  You will get a shinier glaze.
Dip cupcakes tops into the melted chocolate.

While the chocolate sets on the cupcakes, start making the Minty Buttercream.

Minty Buttercream
4 eggs whites (1/2 cup)--I used a product called All Whites so I wouldn't have egg yolks to store
1 cup granulated sugar
pinch of Kosher salt
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the egg whites, sugar and salt.  Place a sauce pan, with about 2 inches of water on the stove and heat on medium.  Place the bowl over the pan and whisk.  Use an instant thermometer to check temperature.  When the mixture reaches 140F-degrees, remove from the pan and place bowl on the mixer. 

Using the whisk attachment, beat the egg white/sugar mixture until stiff peaks, on high speed.  Lower the speed to med/high and start adding the softened butter, about 1 tablespoon at a time until all the butter has been incorporated.  Don't be alarmed if the mixture looks curdled when half the butter has been added; it will come together, promise.

I added a couple of drops of green food coloring and 1/2 tsp. peppermint flavoring.  Fill a piping bag with your favorite tip and top each of the cupcakes with a swirly dollop.  As a garnish, of course, add a quarter of a Thin Mint.

Today, over 200 million boxes of cookies are sold annually in nearly a dozen varieties.  My favorite is still the Thin Mints, although this year, in honor of their anniversary, they introduced a new cookie called Savannah Smiles.

Happy 100th, Girl Scouts!!

Enjoy!