Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

When 3 Girls Cupcakes announced that they were going to have a party to celebrate 1 year of business they asked for their biggest fans to bring some cupcakes of their own to honor 3GC.  I didn't have a great cupcake recipe, or a cupcake recipe at all.  My cupcake baking skills were limited to box mixes and various attempts at frosting.  So I started researching recipes, which got me no where but frustrated.  I didn't have the time or money to try several recipes until I found one that was amazingly delicious and easy.  I was not interested in making cupcakes with something crazy like bacon, or even flaming strawberries, although they may look amazing.  Then I came across chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes and my eyes lit up.  Cupcakes and cookies all in one - Score!  I read a lot of recipes and took the best parts of each one to create my own version.

These cupcakes have a chunk of cookie dough baked into the middle of the cupcake.  I made my cookie dough from scratch using this recipe; however you can also use that refrigerated dough that you just break apart and bake.  I used that on my first batch and it worked great, but I wanted it be a little more homemade for the 3GC birthday party, so homemade dough it was for me! 



Roll the dough into balls.  It's much easier if you dip your hands in flour every once in a while.  I made my balls around 1" wide (maybe a little bigger).  Of course if you decide to go with the refrigerated break apart cookie dough you will be able to skip this step.  Freeze the dough balls overnight.  It is very important that they be frozen.  If they are not frozen the dough will bake into the cupcake and you will have a cookie inside a cake, which is not bad, but not what we are going for here.  Bake mini (tiny) cookies with the remaining dough.  These will be used to top the cupcakes after they are frosted. 

For the actual cake I just used a devil food cake mix.  I attempted to make cupcakes from scratch, but they didn't turn out so well.  Nothing wrong with a boxed cake mix since I am not a professional baker :)



Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 of the way full.  You can put a little less batter in them than normal since you are going to add dough to them as well.  Set a frozen cookie dough ball on each cup of batter, it will sink as it bakes.  Bake for 16-18 minutes at 350.  The larger your cookie dough balls are the longer it will need to bake.  The cupcakes will still be a little doughy at the top center and that is ok.  The cookie in the middle causes that little spot on top to not want to cook all the way.  I just scoop it out and fill it with frosting after they cool.  The cake will dry out and the cookie will overbake if you leave them in the oven until the top center is done. 

See how they still look a little "soft" on top? 

Cookie Dough Buttercream Frosting

2 sticks softened butter

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 2/3 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp milk

1 tsp dream whip

mini chocolate chips

I get the butter out of the fridge,  put it in a bowl, and set it on top of the warm stove while I bake the cupcakes so it will get soft.  Put the butter into the mixer and beat it on high speed for several minutes.  I turn it on and go do something else for about 3-5 minutes.  The butter should look and feel silky.

Add the vanilla, salt, and dream whip; beat some more.  Add the brown sugar first, a little at a time making sure it gets mixed in really well before adding more.  Add the milk.  Follow with the powdered sugar, adding a little bit at a time and working up to a high speed again.  If it is too sweet you may need to add a pinch more salt to balance it out. Stir in the chocolate chips.  I use about 1/3 of a bag. 

Make sure the cupcakes are cooled before frosting.  Scoop out the uncooked portion of the cake if necessary and fill it with frosting.  Top with a mini chocolate chip cookie.