epicureantease

Somebody stop me! No really, STOP ME!! Stop my brain from over-thinking and stop this overwhelming desire to bake! I’d even settle for  a scale back.  Baking off  homemade goodies every other week, opposed to EVERY week would be a good start!  I’m sure some of my friends are tired of sampling the variety of cupcakes coming from my kitchen as of late.  I’ve been trying to spread the wealth so no one person or family gets tired of my cupcakes! 😉

I could really care less about cookies. Maybe I’ve been spoiled. Growing up, our cookie jar was more often than not filled with fresh homemade cookies. Like most things in life, we always want more of what we don’t have and less of what we do, therefore being cookies were available 98% of the time, I don’t have much desire for them. Puff pastry, well that’s a whole other story! 😉 Oddly enough, though I’ll pass on the cookies, I’m an absolute sucker for the cookie dough! I absolutely adore sugar cookie dough with chocolate chip coming in close behind. Mmmmm. Cookie dough!!!

While standing in line at the grocery store, reading the headlines on all the entertainment and trash magazines, my eyes caught a little “Goose Berry Patch” Cupcakes cookbook! Of course I had to pick it up and thumb thru it while I waited in line.  As I flipped thru the pages I ran across, “Cookie Dough Cupcakes”. Could this be!?  I had never heard of such a thing!  And why am I finding this so shocking?? I’ve made Slutty Brownies! The only real difference between those and these cupcakes is brownie mix vs. cake mix.  Needless to say, it was only a matter of minutes before this little treasure was added to my cart filled with things NOT on my list! And only a matter of ONE day before I had all the ingredients to make… Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes! 😉

I share with you two recipes. The first recipe is the one straight out of the Goose Berry Patch Cupcakes cookbook. The second is how I prepared these little cookie dough delights! Of course there is a third way, using cupcake batter and cookie dough prepared from scratch! Being I haven’t mastered a good, moist cake from scratch just yet, I rely on the trusty box mix. 😉

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes
(Courtesy ~ Goose Berry Patch Cupcakes Cookbook)

1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup milk
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
16 1/2 oz tube refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
16 oz container Chocolate Frosting
Optional: 12 chocolate chip cookies, halved

Combine cake mix, milk, eggs, butter and vanilla in a large bowl; beat for 2 minutes. Fill paper-lined muffin cups 1/3 full. Roll tablespoonfuls of cookie dough into 24 balls; place one ball into center of batter in each muffin cup.  Top with remaining batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans; let cool. Spread chocolate frosting on cooled cupcakes. Garnish with cookie halves, if desired.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes
(Allison’s Version)

1 box yellow cake mix (+ingredients called for on back of box)
1 package Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bar
Hershey’s Chocolate Frosting (see below for recipe)
12 chocolate chip cookies, halved (I used Mother’s brand)

Prepare cake mix per box instructions.  Fill paper-lined muffin cups 1/3 full. Drop one square of cookie dough into center of batter in each muffin cup.  Top with remaining batter. Bake per box instructions, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans; let cool.  Pipe chocolate frosting on cooled cupcakes. Garnish with sprinkles and cookie halves.

Hershey’s Chocolate Frosting
(found on the back of Hershey’s Cocoa :))

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
2/3 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter.  Stir in cocoa.  Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency.   Add small amount additional milk, if needed.  Stir in vanilla.   About 2 cups frosting.  NOTE: I added a little more powdered sugar to obtain a “piping” consistency over a “spreading” consistency.

The interesting thing about these cupcakes is that the cookie dough also takes on a cake-like consistency. It’s kind of weird in a deliciously good way! 🙂

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes. All packaged up and ready to give away!