Chocolate Covered Pretzel Cupcakes

This recipe is a mash-up of a few different recipes...Cupcake Project for the pretzel crust, Hershey's for the cupcake, Martha Stewart for the icing and Cupcake Friday Project for the assembly and chocolate covered pretzel topping.

Pretzel Crust:

3/8 cup butter, room temperature

1-1/2 tbsp brown sugar

1-1/4 cup crushed pretzels

Preheat oven to 350 F.  In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients.  *I used a pastry knife to get the pretzels, butter and brown sugar mixed well.*  Line cupcake tins with paper liners. Press a tablespoon of the mixture into the liners.  Bake for 10 minutes.

Cupcakes:

1 cup sugar

7/8 cup all-purpose flour

3/8 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa

3/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup boiling water

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of electric mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

1-3/8 cup confectioners’ sugar

3/4 cup cocoa powder

Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and cocoa powder, and beat for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Chocolate Pretzel:

2 oz semisweet chocolate

1/2 tsp shortening

mini pretzels

Melt the semi-sweet chocolate in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl covered with parchment paper. Dip pretzels in one by one with a fork, submerging into the chocolate. Shake off the excess chocolate and place on wax paper. Refrigerate for 10-20 minutes.

To assemble, pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes, then either roll or pat the bottom edges of the frosting with pretzels bits. Top with a chocolate-covered pretzel and enjoy!

Makes 15-16 cupcakes.