Cookie Bottomed Cupcakes

These look like normal cupcakes prior to their frosting, don't they?

Here's the thing: this is a food blog. So, I'm sure you're aware of this and that since you're reading, you probably like food. And cooking it. Or maybe just making other people cook it for you. Whatever works, I'm not here to judge. If you follow me on twitter, or have seen previous posts, you probably know that I could just about swear by the blog How Sweet It Is. Seriously, I think I'm addicted. If you don't follow her, you really should.

I'll admit I generally stick to her baked goods, just because I tend to cook with things that don't so much require a recipe, or things I can just make up as I go along based slightly off a recipe because it's just easier. (Though she recently posted a recipe for some roasted potatoes I am going to have to do. Soon.) Let me tell you: her baked goods recipes...OUT OF THIS WORLD. Combinations you might not think of, but that may or may not blow your mind. This one is definitely a keeper.

May I present to you: Cookie Bottomed Cupcakes.

Meaning, cupcakes with a slightly gooey cookie baby inside. The best of like, every world. You can find Jessica's original post on them HERE, but I'll post how I made them, using her cookie recipe and a boxed cake mix (a little easier when you're working with multiple batters).

I also am just giving you the recipe for the "double batch of cookies" as she suggested, because it is the perfect amount to make about 24 cupcakes (you'll have a lot of cake batter) and then some extra cookies to use as toppers. You can always half it if you're wanting to make less cupcakes, or not do the toppers. Using half the recipe should make 12 cupcakes and a few cookies to cut up and throw on top.

Cookies:

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cup brown sugar, loosely packed

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cup chocolate chips

"Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt together and set aside in a bowl.

Beat butter and sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer until it’s light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Add in dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Line a muffin tin with liners and give each a quick spritz of non-stick spray. Using a spoon also sprayed with non-stick spray, press about 1 1/2 tablespoons of cookie dough into the bottom of each liner." (I did this on some, and for others just dropped the same amount of cookie dough in but left it in a ball... this makes more of a "center" than a bottom, but both are delicious!)

Cake:

1 Box of Cake Mix (I used a yellow, butter recipe)

Anything the box mix calls for

Make mix as directed on box. To save the extra dishes, I just made sure the second bowl used in the cookie batter was big enough and then used that for the cake batter once it was empty.

Use an ice cream or cookie dough scoop to drop the batter on top of the cookie. It might be a little bit more full than when you would normally make cupcakes (slightly over a third). If you are doing the "ball of cookie dough", just make sure the cake batter has blanketed the dough. You will probably have extra batter left over even after doing 24 cupcakes, so you can either make plain cupcakes, throw the batter away, or do whatever else you please with it.




Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 to 18 minutes. They should be just starting to turn golden brown on top when they're ready. For the extra cookies, these can be baked at the same temperature for approximately 8+ minutes... just drop them in balls approximately the size of what you put in the bottom of the cupcake tins and keep an eye on them after 8 minutes.


Wait until cupcakes are cooled and then frost with frosting of your choice. I just used a cream cheese frosting. One store bought container should contain just enough to do a decent sized covering on 24 cupcakes. I then cut up some of the spare cookies into sixths and stuck a little piece on top of each one. Voila!

ENJOY!

But be careful if you make the full batch, make sure you have plenty of friends or family to pass the extras along too... they are too tempting to have too many just sitting around in your line of sight. ;-)

In other news, I'm about to move to my dad's apartment in Chicago to work on the job search in the Corporate Event Planning field. This basically means that aside from job searching, I'll be living right by a Whole Foods and having plenty of time to experiment and document recipes. I'm hoping things around here pick up a little as a result. Hope to see you back again soon!