Saturday, June 19, 2010

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

For Memorial Day my family had a BBQ. I wanted to bring desserts (obviously) and decided quickly on 2 that I had been dying to make. First was these Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes and the other was a Chocolate Cobbler, which I will post about soon.

When I first saw these cupcakes on Annie's Eats I knew I would be making them soon. They turned out absolutely delicious and I even had a few people tell me they were their new favorite!


Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes from Annie's Eats

Yield:24 cupcakes


Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:

3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups light brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips (semisweet or bittersweet)


For the filling:

4 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 tbsp. light brown sugar, packed
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
7 oz. sweetened condensed milk
½ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips


For the frosting:

3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
3½ cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ tsp. salt
3 tbsp. milk
2½ tsp. vanilla extract


For decoration:
Tiny chocolate chip cookies
Mini chocolate chips


Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners (24 total). In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and brown sugar. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir together to blend. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl on low speed, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing each addition just until incorporated. Blend in the vanilla. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the cookie dough filling, combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the flour, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla until incorporated and smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the mixture has firmed up a bit, about an hour. You can put in the freezer for about 15 minutes instead, if you are pressed for time.


To fill the cupcakes, cut a cone-shaped portion out of the center of each cupcake. Fill each hole with a chunk of the chilled cookie dough mixture. ( I will say after eating these I wished I had put a larger piece of dough into the centers. So don't be scarce with the cookie dough load it in!)


To make the frosting, beat together the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until creamy. Mix in the confectioners' sugar until smooth. Beat in the flour and salt. Mix in the milk and vanilla extract until smooth and well blended.
Frost the filled cupcakes as desired, sprinkling with mini chocolate chips and topping with mini chocolate chip cookies for decoration. ( You can make your favorite chocolate chip cookies to top these cupcakes....or you could cheat like me and buy the mini chips ahoy cookies.)

For a printable version of the recipe go here. Now, go run to your kitchen and make these...they are delicious and too cute too pass up!
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Friday, June 18, 2010

Shenandoah Valley Blueberry Cake


Cake Slice Bakers chose the Shenandoah Valley Blueberry Cake for June cake selection. My boyfriend and I were so excited cause we love anything with blueberries in it and this cake sounded light and delicious. It was very simple to throw together and tasted amazing. However, I would say its probably more like a blueberry muffin than a cake. Whatever you want to call it...it was delicious.

Its great with breakfast served warm or just at room temperature for a snack. The batter was a little thick but don't worry, it bakes up very nicely. I used frozen blueberries in mine and just dusted them with a little flour so they didn't sink to the bottom.

Shenandoah Valley Blueberry Cake

(Recipe from Southern Cakes by Nancie McDermott)

Ingredients


1 2/3 cups all purpose flour

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

1/3 cup butter, softened

¾ cup plus 2 tbsp sugar

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (do not thaw)

Method

Heat the oven to 375F and generously grease a 9 inch square or round pan.

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and stir with a fork to mix well.

In a medium bowl, combine the butter and sugar and beat with a mixer at high speed until well combined.

Add the egg and beat well for 1 to 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the bowl until the mixture is smooth and light.

Stir in half the flour mixture then half the milk, mixing just enough to keep the batter fairly smooth and well combined. Add the remaining flour, then the rest of the milk, mixing gently. Stir in the blueberries.


Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 375F for 30 minutes or until the cake is golden, springs back when touched gently in the centre and is pulling away from the sides of the pan.

Serve a square of cake right from the pan, warm or at room temperature. If its round, let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack or folded kitchen towel for 10 minutes and then turn it out to cool, top side up.




For a printable recipe go here.

This cake was buttery and moist and really let the blueberry flavor shine through. Now excuse me while I go eat another slice.
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