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For the cupcakes:
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1. Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large mixing bowl, combine Greek yogurt, sugars and the egg. Beat until combined (you can use your stand mixer for this, although whisking it by hand works just as well).
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2. Add salt, flour and cocoa to the batter mixture and mix well.
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3. Stir apple cider vinegar and milk together in a measuring glass to make your own quick buttermilk. Add the baking soda to this mixture and stir until it begins to foam.
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4. Add buttermilk mixture a bit at a time into the cake mixture, mixing as you go to incorporate all of the liquid.
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5. Whisk in vanilla and mint extracts.
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6. Whisk in boiling water a little bit at a time so you don't splash/burn yourself.
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7. Fill two 12-count (recipe makes about 20) standard sized cupcake tins with paper liners and then fill the liners 2/3 of the way full with batter. Bake at 350 F for 15-19 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Remove pan from the oven and move cupcakes to a wire rack and let them cool.
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For the ganache:
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1. Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking occasionally so it doesn't burn, until it comes to a simmer.
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2. Place chocolate chips in a large, heat-resistant bowl (glass or ceramic are good choices). Remove milk from heat and pour it over chocolate, then stir gently until chocolate has melted and you've formed a smooth ganache.
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3. Stir in the mint extract and set ganache aside. Let this cool while you make the frosting.
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For the frosting:
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1. In a medium bowl, melt the butter. I use the microwave-it's just easier. Just heat it for 30 seconds at a time and stop once melted.
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2. Stir cocoa and powdered sugar into melted butter.
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3. Stir boiling water into frosting a few tablespoons at a time, mixing well in between each addition. Continue until frosting has reached a thick, buttercream-like consistency. The frosting will set and harden very quickly, so be prepared to frost the cupcakes as soon as it's ready! You don't need sky-high frosting on each cupcake. It's super rich so use it in moderation!
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To assemble the cupcakes:
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1. Pipe frosting onto cupcakes (I use a Wilton #1M or a ziploc bag with a corner cut off). You could also spread the frosting on the cupcakes with a knife.
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2. Give the ganache a stir, then drizzle a spoonful of it over each cupcake once they're frosted. If you're feeling ambitious, you could also dig a little hole in each cupcake before you frost them and pour some ganache into the center, then frost and decorate normally. Me, I'm too lazy to do that 90% of the time. But it does taste good!
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3. Top the cupcakes with a thin mint cookie and some chocolate shavings or eat them as is!
