Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

By Vicky Nardone

Today has been a pretty good day!  We started the day by going to the SPCA to look at a beagle terrier mix.  Matt and I had a deal that if I got the new job I applied for that we could get a second dog and I just officially found out that I got the job on Thursday!!!  The dog we went to look at was a one year old female and she was gorgeous!  Light brown and white.  Unfortunately we found out once we got there and went to take her out to play that she had to go to a home that didn't have other dogs because she didn't get along well with other dogs.  It's really too bad because she seemed like the perfect dog too.  So the search continues.  If anyone knows of any female terrier/beagle mixes in the Buffalo area up for adoption that are between one and three years old, let me know.

So after we got home from the SPCA I decided to try making a new cupcake recipe.  I love to bake cupcakes and I had a chat with Matt last week about what kind of cupcakes he'd like me to try making and he said chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes.  His other two requests were that they be bite-sized so he could just pop them in his mouth and that they not have the paper wrappers around them because he didn't want to mess with taking them off.  He's not particular at all right?  I had tons of the mini-cupcake pans that I inherited from my grandma, but the second request that I not user the paper turned out to be a nightmare.  I greased the pans but the cupcakes still stuck to them.  So they came out looking a little messy but I promise you that they taste amazing.  These are my new favorite type of cupcakes and I've seen Matt grabbing a few as he walked by.

There are three parts to this recipe:  The cookie dough filling, the cupcake and the icing.  Below is the recipe for each part.  These proportions made 45 mini cupcakes for me

Cookie dough filling

I got the recipe for this from allrecipes.com. 

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup Flour
• 2 1/2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons White Sugar
• 2 tablespoons Butter
• 1/8 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 2 tablespoons Water

In a medium bowl, mix together the brown sugar, white sugar, and butter until smooth. Stir in vanilla and water. Mix in the flour until well blended. Shape into a loaf or log, and freeze for 1 to 2 hours.

Cupcakes

Ingredients 

• 1 1/4 Cups Flour
• 5/6 Cup Sugar (1/2 + 1/3)
• 1/3 Cup Shortening
• 5/8 Cup milk ( 1/2 + 1/8)
• 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
• 3 egg whites

1.  Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease bottom and sides of cupcake pans or line with paper cups.
2. Either use an electric mixer or stand mixer to beat all ingredients besides the egg whites until mix is smooth.  Add the egg whites and beat again until all ingredients are well mixed.
3. Put the batter in the muffin cups.
4. If you're using mini muffin cups bake between 10 and 15 minutes, otherwise 20 to 25 minutes.  Cupcakes are done when a toothpick comes out cleanly.

 

 

While the cupcakes were still a little warm and in their pans, I used one of the tips from my frosting gun to dig out the middles and then rolled little balls of the cookie dough and stick them in the holes I had just made.

I then took them out of the pan before icing them which as I mentioned turned out to be a challenge.  I think next time I will cook them in the little cups and then peel them off for Matt.

Icing

Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) of butter softened
• One 8 oz package of cream cheese softened
• 1 cup of confectioners sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1. Beat the butter and cream cheese with an electric or standing mixer until smooth - around 3 minutes
2. Add the confectioners sugar and then again beat until smooth.
3. Add the vanilla and keep beating.

 I iced the cupcakes with my frosting gun, but if you don't have one, just use a knife.  Boy are they good!