You know what I find really interesting? Watching Mom braid her hair. It sounds a little weird I know, but…

Something about watching her braid her hair calms me down.

At night, I just sit and watch as she stands in the mirror, parts her hair, and starts moving her hands back and forth to make those braids. There’s a calming, magic, rhythm in every twist of her hand. So as she braids, I’m so fascinated that I just sit and stare. I only move when she’s completely done.

There’s just so much beauty in the process.

Because it keeps us focused. If we learn to enjoy the process, it also helps us calm down, relax in the moment and just chill. Watching Mom braid her hair helps me live in the moment and chill. Maybe it’s the silence of the house, maybe it’s the motion of her hands, or maybe it just reminds me of all those great belly rubs. Whatever the reason, it works.

These Thin Mint Pupcakes, inspired by the ever-so-popular Girl Scout cookie of course, are a perfect pupcake for those times you want to chill.

Try one when you’re watching your human braid her hair or just any other time you want to chill. Let us know what you think.

Also, we believe that every pupcake has a story.   So, we’d love to hear your pupcake story…

What do you do to keep calm and chill out?

Please share your pupcake story in the box below.

Ingredients

Carob Pupcakes

• ½ Cup Brown Rice Flour
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 2 Tablespoons Carob Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Pure Peppermint Leaves
• ¼ Cup Olive Oil
• ⅓ Cup Plain Yogurt
• 1 Egg

Carob Ganache

• ¼ Carob Chips
• 3 Tablespoons Plain Yogurt

Thin Mint Mint Frosting

• ⅓ Cup Plain Yogurt
• ½ Cup Brown Rice Flour
• Sprinkle of Green Food Coloring (Optional)

Instructions

Yields: 12 – 14 Mini Pupcakes

For Carob Pupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350° Line 12 – 14 1.75” inch mini-muffin pan with paper bake cups and set aside.
2. In small bowl mix together flour, baking powder, and carob powder. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl add olive oil, yogurt, and egg. Beat on medium speed about 2 minutes or until combined.
4. Add dry ingredients into the mixture and blend for approximately 2 minutes until well mixed.
5. Fill each cupcake liner with 1 tablespoon of pupcake mix and bake for 12 minutes. Pupcakes are done when you can stick a toothpick into the cake and it comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.
6. Dipped cooled pupcake into ganache and turn right side up. Let set.
7. Spread or pipe mint frosting onto the pupcakes.

 For Carob Ganache

1. In a small bowl, heat carob chips and yogurt in microwave in 30-second increments for 1 to 3 minutes until melted.
2. Dipped cooled pupcake into ganache and turn right side up. Let set.

For Thin Mint Frosting

1. In large mixing bowl beat yogurt, flour, and food coloring (optional) together on medium speed. Mix until creamy. Frosting should have the consistency of whipped cream.
2. Spread or pipe mint frosting over ganache onto the pupcakes.

Notes

• For green food coloring, I used Powder Food Color Assortment from K9 Cakery Baking Mixes & Supplies.
• This recipe is for a fun treat ONLY. It should not replace your dog’s regular meals. Please consult with your vet on the best plan for your dog’s diet.