Friday, October 28, 2011

Give Me A Treat!

Ahh it is once again acceptable to eat a ton of chocolate and blame the holiday! :-)

So if you are in a chocolate-y mood like I am, this can be a very easy & yummy treat for you, adapted from a fellow blogger Bakerella (my comments are in blue)
  
Cookie & Cream Cupcakes

Cupcakes:
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup natural unsweetened cocoa
  • 1 ¼ cup sugar
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2/4 cup milk
  • 2/4 cup hot water
  • 24 Oreos, plus more for crumbs
Frosting:
  • 1 cup shortening (that’s about 3 Tablespoons)
  • 1 lb. powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3-6 Tablespoons milk
  • 2 or more teaspoons Oreo cookie crumbs
For the cupcakes:
I tried both broken pieces and whole cookies,
but I find broken pieces work best.

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Line tray with baking cups. Yields approx. 30 cupcakes.
  • Place one whole cookie in each cup or break apart at least one cookie, and place the broken pieces 1 into each cup.
  • Mix the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl, using a wire whisk.
  • Add the eggs, oil, vanilla and milk, and mix well until thoroughly combined. Add the hot water and mix until combined.
  • Transfer the batter (it will be very liquid) to a large measuring cup and then pour batter into each baking cup so it’s about ¾ full.
  • Bake for 16-18 minutes.
For the frosting:
  • Beat the shortening in a mixer until smooth.
  • Add vanilla and mix until combined.
  • Add the powdered sugar in three additions, scraping down the sides after each addition.
  • Add a Tablespoon of milk at a time and mix together until you achieve the consistency you like.
  • Add the cookie crumbs and mix until completely combine.
  • Place frosting in a decorator bag with a 1M tip and swirl on top of each cupcake; insert a cookie on top of each cupcake. (I went another way here and just used a butter knife to frost each one, like a cake; without adding the extra cookie on top.) 
  • You can also apply frosting on each cupcake in a mounded shape. Turn upside down and roll the top around in a small bowl of cookie crumbs to coat.
Tips: In my experience, powdered sugar frosting is too sugary if eaten right away, but isn’t quite as sugary the next day. I’ve tried this with refrigeration & room temperature.

When I did it there was plenty of frosting left over, so I made a regular chocolate cake mix too, and used the frosting on that, so not to waste it.
 
If you need these to be spooky, you can try some of Bakerella's decorating suggestions.
I think she's so clever! :-)

Enjoy!
And as always, Stay tuned ;-) for more

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