Garden Fresh Icing

"Chocolate mint cupcakes" was the request... so of course, I obliged. A mama never denies her child the desired birthday dessert. Without hesitation, I pulled out a long-ago-filed recipe, torn from a magazine, and saved just for this occasion.

The process was relatively simple, using a base of mint syrup from fresh mint leaves. Of course all claims of all-natural went out the window with the loads of confectioners' sugar required to thicken this syrup into icing (just keep adding until you reach desired consistency). But the sweetness was perfectly balanced when piped onto a not-too-sweet, dark chocolate cupcake (sorry, it's a secret recipe that I'm not at liberty to share).

For the non-mint lovers, a strawberry syrup icing topped cupcakes made with this sinful yellow cake recipe. The pastel cupcakes were a perfect touch for a super-sweet tea party for seven little ladies and one seven-year-old birthday girl. Check back soon for a glimpse at the event!