Cookie Dough Cupcakes

I came across the original recipe, Chocolate Cupcakes With Peanut Butter Cookie Dough "Frosting" on Pinterest, from Gimme Some Oven. I LOVED the creamy, cookie dough frosting, but I didn't really enjoy the flavor of the cake part of the cupcake. So, I decided to use my own favorite Chocolate Bundt Cake recipe for the cupcakes.




There are a number of ways to top the cupcakes, depending on your preference: You could do a "messy" swirl, like I did, or you might want to top them with a "scoop" of cookie dough, or you could even frost them more smoothly, like a typical frosting. Be creative & have fun! Just remember - if you can't help frequent "sampling" of the yummy, egg-free cookie dough, you just might have to make another batch for your frosting (not that I would know anything about that!).

Cupcakes

1 box Devil's Food cake mix (I prefer Duncan Hines)
1  pkg Instant chocolate pudding (abt. 3.9 oz)
8 oz Sour cream
1/2 C Vegetable oil
1/2 C Water
4  Eggs
3/4 C Semi-sweet chocolate chips (mini-size works great!)

Preheat oven to 350 F. degrees. Place 24 cupcake liners into muffin/cupcake pans. Mix cake ingredients together with an electric mixer and pour into liners. Bake in 350 F. oven for 15-20 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

Cookie Dough Frosting

12 TB Butter, softened
1/2 C Creamy peanut butter
1 C Brown sugar, packed
1/2 C Granulated sugar
1/2 C Milk
1 tsp Vanilla
2-1/2 C Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1 C Mini semisweet chocolate chips

Use an electric mixer to beat butter and sugars together until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in peanut butter, vanilla and milk. Stir in flour and salt. Mix on low speed (or by hand) until incorporated. Add extra milk to thin, if needed. Stir in chocolate chips. Use to top the cooled cupcakes.

Wedding Sugar Cookies

I decided to bake about 200 of my favorite sugar cookies for my daughter's wedding reception. I had plenty of time, so I baked them in double batches and froze them until the big day. The only thing I had to do the week of the wedding, was to coat them all quickly with a little glaze and a candy decoration. (Note: I should have taken a picture when they were fresh, because the glaze looked much better. These have been frozen post-wedding, and the glaze doesn't fare well in the freezer.)

Best Ever Sugar Cookies

Yield: 20 cookies

1 C Butter, softened
2/3 C Sugar
1 Egg
1/2 tsp Vanilla
1/2 tsp Almond extract
2-1/2 C Flour

Frosting/Glaze:
3/4 C Powdered sugar
1 TB Milk
1/4 tsp Almond extract

Cream softened butter and sugar together. Add egg and extract. Mix thoroughly. Gently mix in flour until all is combined. Chill dough overnight (or at least 2 hours) in refrigerator. Roll dough on floured surface, 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes and place on baking sheet. Bake in 350 F. degree oven for 10-12 minutes.  These freeze well for storage, before glazing.

Glaze: Combine ingredients and spread thinly on cookies. Allow to dry completely before stacking. This may take several hours.

My SIL made them for a youth activity!