Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

So many cupcake recipes to try, so little time to do that AND blog about it (while doing all the other 1500 things I have to do on any given day)!!  A couple of weeks ago I fiddled around with a recipe for chocolate cupcakes with creme filling and dark chocolate buttercream frosting.  The cake and the filling I have down, but am still trying to come up with the perfect frosting to top it all off.  As soon as I achieve that goal I will post all about it for you guys!

I did, however, stumble across a FANTASTIC recipe for chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes that I made last week.  People, these cupcakes are GOOD.  And not just "yeah, those are pretty good" good.  They are "OMG!  Those cupcakes are amazing!" good.  Really.

I have to admit, I was skeptical.  Do they really taste like cookie dough?  Does one really WANT a cupcake that tastes like cookie dough?  The answer to both of those questions is...OH , YES.  I didn't really know how I felt about a chunk of cookie dough filling in the middle of my cupcake, or how I felt about brown sugar and flour in the frosting.  But I am here to tell you that it works.  All of it.  And, if you are a fan at all of chocolate chip cookie dough, I'm begging you to make these cupcakes.  You will be sooo glad.  And you will thank me.  And possibly name a child after me.  :)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes 
(Source: Annie's Eats)

What you need:
For the cupcakes:
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

For the filling:
4 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 tbsp light brown sugar, packed
1 cup plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
7 fluid oz (almost one whole 14oz can) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

For the frosting:
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
3 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
3-5 tbsp milk
2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

What to do:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line cupcake tins with paper liners.  In the the bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar.  Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk together.  Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl on low speed, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.  Mix each addition until just incorporated.  Mix in the vanilla.  Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula.

Using a large scoop (about 3 tbsp), fill the paper liners.  Bake for about 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the pans for about 10 minutes and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

For the cookie dough filling, combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Beat in the flour, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla until smooth.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Cover and refrigerate until the mixture has firmed up, about an hour.

To fill the cupcakes, use the end of a large pastry tip to cut out a cavity in the middle of the cupcake.  Fill each cavity with a chunck of the cookie dough filling.

For 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 confectioner's sugar until smooth.  Beat in the flour and salt.  Beat in the milk and vanilla extract until smooth and well blended ( I beat it for quite a while because I was concerned about the brown sugar making it grainy).

Fill a large pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip (I used the Wilton 1M) and pipe the frosting onto the cakes.  Sprinkle the tops with some extra mini chips, if you would like.  I thought it made them look very cute.  :)

I think the only thing I would do different next time is use heavy whipping cream in the frosting in place of milk.  Oh, and more frosting for Erin and Olivia.  :)