>---> Chocolate-Mashed Potato Cupcakes By Bunni <---<

Yield: About 15 cupcakes 

Cupcake INGREDIENTS:
 
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup cold, leftover mashed potatoes *see notes
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup whole milk
2 eggs
 
Cupcake DIRECIONS:

Preheat oven to 350. Line cupcake tins with papers 
and set aside.

Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. 
Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together, then add 
mashed potatoes. Whip until fluffy.

In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together. Add the 
flour and egg/milk mixture to the batter alternately,
beginning and ending with flour. Mixture will be thick.

Fill muffin tins 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 15-20 minutes, 
or until the cake springs back when pressed in the middle.

Let cupcakes cool completely before icing them.


Chocolate Frosting INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup butter softened
2 2/3 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted


Chocolate Frosting DIRECIONS:

Cream the butter in a medium bowl. Add the cocoa, 
confectioners sugar and vanilla alternately with 
the half-and-half.

Whip until light and fluffy. Transfer to a piping bag 
fitted with a large open star tip.

Frost cupcakes.

Chocolate-Covered Potato Chips INGREDIENTS:

Note: this part of the recipe can be made ahead for 
convenience.

30 Small potato chips with ridges (hand-select from bag)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Nonpareils

Chocolate-Covered Potato Chips DIRECIONS:

Pour 3/4 cup of the semisweet chocolate chips in a small 
microwaveable bowl. Heat at 30 second intervals until 
half of chocolate is melted and bowl is warm. (I only 
had to heat for 30 seconds, with no additional intervals 
needed). Stir very well after each heating.

Add remaining 1/4 cup of chips. Adjust microwave to 50% 
and heat at 10 second intervals until fully melted. Stir
between each interval.

Dip potato chips in chocolate and place them on a piece of 
parchment or wax paper. Sprinkle with nonpareils. Let set 
until completely hardened.

Top frosted cupcakes with one or two 
chocolate-sprinkle-covered potato chips.

NOTES: A few (obvious?) notes about the mashed potatoes:
 Avoid using mashed potatoes with skins, chives, sharp cheeses, 
garlic or any other inclusions that would ruin the texture and 
flavor of the cupcake. If you make runny mashed potatoes, then 
you may need to add up to 1/8 cup of all purpose flour to the 
batter. Use mashed potatoes with any combination of these 
ingredients: salt, butter, margarine, sour cream, milk, heavy 
cream, half and half, evaporated milk. A little pepper is okay 
too, just as long as it's not super-duper peppery.
 
*~* Special THANKS To Our Friend Bunni for this. *~*