When it's cold outside, make it hot and spicy in the kitchen!

Snow!

I just love it! It's a good thing since we got two and a half feet of it this weekend and are expecting a little more this week. I think this is just the way winter should be! If it's going to be cold the ground should be covered with the powdery white stuff! I just love it!It doesn't need to fall everyday but a good coating not just a dusting but a thick frosting like coating that's enough to last. Beautiful!! And what goes with snow but hot chocolate!

So I used this snowed in weekend to finally try out my recipe for Mexican Hot Cocoa Cupcakes with Marshmallow Filling and Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting!

Mexican Hot Cocoa Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
• 1 cup boiling water
• Marshmallow cream

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 standard cupcake pans with liners, or coat with non-stick cooking spray. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, stir together the sugar, eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, until blended.

2. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper and gradually add to the sugar mixture, until the mixture begins to come together.

3. Very slowly, add the boiling water, and blend until the mixture is smooth.

4. Ladle or scoop the batter into the cupcake tins, filling ¾ full. Bake the cupcakes for 15 to 18 minutes until a skewer inserted into the center of each one comes out clean.

5. Cool the cupcakes in their pans on wire racks until cooled.

6. Cut cone shape holes in the centers of the tops of each cupcake, save them to replace the tops before frosting.

7. Fill in each hole with marshmallow cream.

8. Replace the tops.

(Do-Ahead: At this point the cupcakes can be kept covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or frozen for 6 weeks. Defrost and ice with the cinnamon butter cream frosting.)

Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

Makes enough to frost two 9-inch layers or 24 cupcakes

You Will Need

• 4 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons milk
• Mini Marshmallows and Red Hot Candies for deco

What to Do

In the bowl of an electric mixer, stir the sugar, to aerate it. Add the butter, vanilla, cinnamon and 1 tablespoon milk, and beat on high speed until the frosting is spreading consistency. If the frosting is stiff, add a few more drops of milk, beating after each addition. Frost the cooled cupcakes and garnish with the marshmallows and the red hots.