mini chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes

Do you ever get envy?  Food envy?  Envy when you are at a restaurant that after you read and reread the menu you end up ordering something that does not look nearly as good as the meal sitting across the table?  Not only does it not look as good it does not taste as good.  You sit there and eat your blah looking meal while your friends raves about her dish.  Not even sharing a bite and now you are wasting calories on this crappy meal. 

When you read food blogs you start to notice a breakout dessert.  Everyone is baking it, raving about it and claiming it is mind blowing.  The pictures of said break out treat are gorgeous and literally make you want to lick your monitor.  These chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes made the rounds months ago.  While everyone was making these I was making other cupcakes but, they never looked as good as these.  I was envious of those cupcakes but, I never had the time to make all of the components.  I had some naked cookie dough truffles in the freezer so, I knew with one piece made I could finally make these.  The image that has danced in my head for months would finally come to fruition.  I made these as mini cupcakes which I think worked as they are over the top sweet.  The cookie dough is a nice little surprise when you bite in but, I honestly liked the unstuffed cupcakes better.  See look at me making it easier for you to make a version of these.  Don't have envy just go make these ... today.

  

mini chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes

adapted: annie eats

cupcakes (24 mini or 12 large): 

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4  cups light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips 

filling:

naked cookie dough truffle

frosting:
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
1 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tbsp. milk
1 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

decoration:
mini chocolate chip cookies
mini chocolate chips

 
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line mini muffin pan 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 16-18 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 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.

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.