Week 6b: Cookie dough cupcakes

There's a great family-owned bakery a block away from our office - Bennison's Bakery.  We regularly get treats from them for the office.  The thing I like purchasing more than anything else is their frowny face cookies.  They have a way of making everyone smile & laugh, no matter how rough the day is going.

I thought I'd give a go at recreating the frowny facy cookies in cupcake form.  And I also thought it'd be a good opportunity to try out a recipe for Cookie dough cupcakes.

These couldn't be easier to make - cake mix base, store-bought cookie dough...ta-da!

And with a little help from yellow food coloring and some melted chocolate bark in a squeeze bottle...

Lessons learned and recipe thoughts:

1. I got more comments about this recipe than just about anything else I've made.  My fave: "These are effing unbelievable!"

2. If you serve these to someone who is not familiar with the frowny face cookies that inspired them...expect confusion.  One co-worker came into my office & said, "your cupcakes are so angry today."

3. Super-simple recipe that makes me want to try variations (e.g. chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter cookie dough).

From Cupcakes from the Cake Mix Doctor

Makes 22 to 24 cupcakes (2 1/2 inches each)
Preparation time: 15 Minutes
Baking time: 23 to 27 Minutes
Assembly time: 10 Minutes

24 paper liners for cupcake pans (2 1/2-inch size)

1 package (18.25 ounces) plain yellow cake mix
1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix
1 cup whole milk
1 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 package (1 pound) frozen cookie dough (see "the Cupcake Doctor says" below)

Chocolate Buttercream (see below)

 
1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners. Set the pans aside.
 
2. Place the cake mix, pudding mix, milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. The batter should look well blended. Spoon or scoop a heaping 1/4 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it two thirds of the way full. (You will get between 22 and 24 cupcakes; remove the empty liners, if any.) Cut the frozen dough pieces in half to make 24 pieces. Place a frozen cookie dough piece on top of each cupcake. Place the pans in the oven.

3. Bake the cupcakes until they are golden and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 23 to 27 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cupcake liners, lift the cupcakes up from the bottoms of the cups using the end of the knife, and pick them out of the cups carefully with your fingertips. Place them on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes before frosting. They may sink a bit in the center.

4. Meanwhile, prepare the Chocolate Buttercream.

5. Place a heaping tablespoon of frosting on each cupcake and swirl to spread it out with a short metal spatula or a spoon, taking care to cover the tops completely. The cupcakes are ready to serve.

Store these cupcakes, in a cake saver or under a glass dome, at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Or freeze them, wrapped in aluminum foil or in a cake saver, for up to 6 months. Thaw the cupcakes overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

The Cupcake Doctor says...

If you use the 18-ounce logs of refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough (instead of the 1-pound packages of frozen dough), cut them into 24 equal pieces and freeze them before using them in this recipe. It's important to use frozen dough, because you don't want it to bake completely and become a cookie. You want the center to be gooey when you bite into it.

Chocolate Buttercream

Makes 3 cups, enough to frost 24 cupcakes (2 1/2-inch size) generously

Preparation time: 10 minutes

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
3 to 5 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Place the butter and cocoa powder in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until the mixture is soft and well combined, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and add the confectioners' sugar, 3 tablespoons of the milk, and the vanilla. Blend with the mixer on low speed until the sugar is incorporated, 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 1 minute more. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons more milk if the frosting is too stiff.

5 Tips for Making Buttercream Frosting

1. About 3 cups of confectioners' sugar produces the right amount of buttercream frosting for a batch of 24 cupcakes.
2. Use 1 tablespoon liquid to 1 cup sugar to 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons butter.
3. Sift the confectioners' sugar to prevent lumps in the frosting.
4. Begin with soft butter. If needed, soften the butter in the microwave.
5. For a white buttercream frosting, begin with unsalted butter. Beat it on medium-high with an electric mixer to lighten the color. Use milk as the liquid.