Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

For those of you that read my post on Friday, the good news is I am not allergic to Pomegranate! But that leaves the true explanation behind the rash = semi-bad news. I have Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Yep, I was bit by a tick a few weeks ago and didn’t think anything of it other than “GROSS!”. My legs are covered in an icky (not itchy) rash but it has stopped spreading. Hopefully the medication starts to kick in to calm it down and cure me. In the meantime, I have to avoid dairy for two hours before and after the two pills a day I take. Can I just tell you how hard it is for a dairy-lover like me to schedule when I can and cannot eat it? Pain pain pain. I think I crave cheese now more than ever!

Speaking of dairy, yesterday was National chocolate chip day! I spent pretty much the entire day in the kitchen making these cupcakes, and Maggie came over to enjoy the adventure as well. I couldn’t think of any other item with chocolate chips that were worthy of such a holiday. Too bad I wasn’t able to drink glasses of milk most of the time while making these to go along with every amazing component. When the final product was complete, our eyes rolled into the back of our heads in pure joy. The cupcakes were still a little warm in the middle, leaving the cookie dough slightly gooey. Paired with the fluffy cupcake outside and the sweet creamy frosting, this is THE ultimate cupcake. And if that’s not enough there’s a mini cookie on top! Making sure you get your daily dose of chocolate chips (and 9-1/2 sticks of butter)!

In the directions it says to freeze the cookie dough filling overnight, but I just made mine in the morning, and froze them for about 6 hours until I baked the cupcakes.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH CUPCAKES

COOKIE DOUGH STUFFING

Ingredients:

2 sticks softened, unsalted butter

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

4 Tbsp milk

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

2-1/2 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Combine the butter and sugars in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 mins.
2. Beat in milk and vanilla until incorporated and smooth.
3. Beat in the flour and salt until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
4. Using a cookie scoop, shape the dough into balls (golf ball sized). Freeze on a parchment lined baking sheet overnight.

MINI CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Ingredients:

2 cups plus 2 Tbsp flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

12 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm

1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar (I used dark)

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk

2 tsp vanilla extract

1-1/2 cups mini semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Adjust the oven racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or spray them with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.
3. Either by hand or with an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in the chips.
4. Roll a teaspoon of the dough into a ball. Hold the dough ball with the fingertips of both hands and pull into 2 equal halves. Rotate the halves 90 degrees and place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, jagged surface up, spacing them 1 inch apart.
5. Bake until the cookies are light golden grown and the outer edges start to harden yet the centers are still soft and puffy, 6-8 minutes, rotating the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time. Cool the cookies on the sheets. Remove the cooled cookies from the baking sheets with a side metal spatula.

FROSTING

Ingredients:

3 sticks softened, unsalted butter

3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed (I used dark)

3-1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1/2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Combine the butter and brown sugar in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in the powdered sugar until smooth.
3. Beat in the salt, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and combined.

CUPCAKES

Ingredients:

3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

1-1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed (I used dark)

4 large eggs

2-2/3 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

1 batch egg-less chocolate chip cookie dough, rolled and frozen

1 batch brown sugar frosting

Mini chocolate chip cookies, for garnish

Mini semisweet chocolate chips, for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.  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.
2. 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.
3. Scoop into cupcake papers about half to three-quarters full. Drop one frozen scoop of cookie dough into each cupcake. Do not press the dough down at all. Bake for 20-22 minutes until edges start to turn golden. Allow to cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. Frost cooled cupcakes with brown sugar frosting, and top with a cookie and mini chocolate chips.

Source: Egg-less cookie dough from Picky Palate.  Mini chocolate chip cookies adapted from Brown Eyed Baker. Frosting from Beantown Baker. Cupcakes from Everyday Annie.