Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

These are cupcakes I made a looooong time ago and never got a chance to put up on my blog. From what I remember, they turned out pretty good. You can usually never go wrong with cookies and cream! The frosting and cupcakes are made with bits of Oreo Cookies...the best cookies ever invented in my opinion. Eat these with a nice, big glass of milk and enjoy =)

***UPDATE*** I made these cupcakes again recently and tried to make them a bit differently! (Not to mention after all this time, I've learned a lot more from my previous experiences!) Instead of cookies and cream frosting, I decided to make a vanilla buttercream frosting and I used mini Oreos as decoration. Using my big new star tip really helped me create a clean and professional looking swirl with the frosting. Check out the pictures below...

These are the ones I made the first time around...kind of ashamed of the way they look, but the point of my blog is to document my learning...so here it is:

(Please excuse the lack of effort in my decorating the cupcakes and the horrible quality of the picture - I made these cupcakes for some of my little cousins that day and they couldn't wait to eat them.

The recipe is from 125 Best Cupcake Recipes by Julie Hasson













*Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
*Line a muffin pan with paper liners

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 10 chocolate sandwich cookies, smashed into small bits

Cookies and Cream Frosting -

•  1 1/3 cups confectioner's (icing) sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• pinch of salt
• 1/3 cup whipping cream 
• 1/2 vanilla
• 4 chocolate sandwich cookies, broken into pieces

1. In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and salt.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, butter, and eggs until smooth.

3. Alternately whisk in flour mixture and milk, making three additions of flour mixture and two of milk, beating until smooth.

4. Add cookies, beating just until they're dispersed throughout batter. Do not overbeat.

5. Scoop batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 or until golden brown and tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched. Let cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on rack. Top cooled cupcakes with frosting.

6. For the frosting, in a small bowl, using a mixer on low speed, beat together the sugar, butter, and salt until well combined. Increase speed to high, beating until light and fluffy. Add cream and vanilla, beating until frosting is smooth. Add broken cookies beating until mixed. Spread frosting on cooled cupcakes with a knife if desired.