Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes. Divine. Simply divine.

I love the steely concentration Sweetnicks readers have.  Homemade fruit roll-ups?  Nah.  Let’s hear about the cupcakes.  My kind of peeps!

One of our neighbors had a birthday last week and, although I didn’t get my act together to make the cupcakes actually ON her birthday, I did make them this weekend.  Only a few days later.  I’ve got to think that a little chocolatey goodness makes tardiness seem as unimportant as Kate Gosselin’s standing on Dancing with the Stars.

I found the cupcake recipe on a non-food blog that is on my Regular Reading List.  As soon as the first few people tried the cupcake this weekend, it quickly registered on the OMG scale.  But I’ve got to say … it is as complicated as a boxed cake mix and break-and-bake cookies.  I always feel a little sheepish when someone loves a baked good and asks for the recipe, only to have to fess up that it’s a MacGyver’d recipe from a box or two.  But I shouldn’t really.   No need.

When I make cupcakes, the kids go through phases.  Most of the time, they’re good with just one or two and then want nothing to do with them.  Occasionally, they go through them a bit faster.  This batch?  The latter.  I’ve caught Madeline more than once this weekend dragging a chair over to the counter in an attempt to pilfer her own cupcake when I’ve said no.  Little weasel.  Nick has figured out that sometimes if I say no to a cupcake, I’ll say yes to half a cupcake.  I’m flexible that way.  After the fruit and greens have been eaten off their dinner plate.

For the frosting, I went with Barefoot Contessa’s chocolate frosting recipe (below). I don’t know what I missed or did wrong, but when the recipe was done, there was no way it resembled the right consistency for frosting. Since I had already invested the time and ingredients to it, I didn’t want to trash it, so went about saving it. I added confectioner’s sugar until it was finally the right consistency. Um, to the tune of some 3 cups or so. I didn’t measure, but it was a lot. The good news? I managed to salvage the frosting and some even thought it was better than my famous buttercream frosting. Of course, I have a ton leftover, but that can be easily rectified by baking another batch of cupcakes.  And methinks this recipe will be making another appearance in our kitchen soon.

Project 365
Photo #79, April 19, 2010

My mom discovered this fun whisk recently in an issue of Ty Pennington’s magazine. It’s made by Wilton, and the center spiral is supposed to make whisking more efficient, and allow for more air to get into the mixture.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes
Recipe courtesy of The Larson Lingo

You need a box of chocolate cake mix & mix according to the directions on the box. You need a package of pre-made chocolate chip cookie dough. Fill 24 cupcake liners about half full with batter & use 1 cookie dough chunk per cupcake (I used a half cookie dough chunk in each cupcake). Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. When the cupcakes are baking, make your frosting.

Chocolate Frosting
Recipe courtesy of Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients
24 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

Directions
For the frosting, place the chocolate chips and heavy cream in a bowl set over a pot of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chips are completely melted. Off the heat, add the corn syrup and vanilla and allow the chocolate mixture to cool to room temperature. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the chocolate mixture and softened butter on medium speed for a few minutes, until it’s thickened.