Saturday, April 11, 2015

chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes


I don't typically like eating cupcakes, but even I have to admit that these cupcakes were really, really good!



The cake part is a brown sugar flavored cake with some chocolate chips added to the batter. The frosting is also flavored with brown sugar and has flour and salt in it for that cookie dough texture and taste. We were big fans of this frosting.

I ran out of counter space and clean dishes to make the chocolate chip cookies from scratch, so I used half of a store bought cookies to top the cupcakes. A sprinkling of mini chocolate chips, and these turned into an impressive looking treat, that's really quite easy to make!


Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
Recipe slightly adapted from: Annie's Eats
Yield: 24 cupcakes

3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups light brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips (semisweet or bittersweet)

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

Preheat the oven to 350° F. 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.

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 18-20 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 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.


Saturday, April 4, 2015

intense flourless chocolate cookies

I made crack pie for Easter dinner dessert and found myself with an insane amount of egg whites left over. Instagrammers suggested meringues or angel food cake, but I wasn't feeling it. These cookies did jump up at me after a quick web search.


A simple one bowl and whisk cookie. Powdered sugar, cocoa powder and salt get combined in a bowl, then egg whites and vanilla get added in. Finally, chocolate chips add another punch of chocolate.

Intense Fourless Chocolate Cookies
recipe via I heart eating

3 c. powdered sugar
3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. salt
4 large egg whites
1 T. pure vanilla extract
1/2 c. semisweet mini chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar with cocoa powder and salt. Whisk in the vanilla and egg whites just until the batter is moistened. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Scoop the batter by the tablespoonful onto the baking sheets. Leave enough space between each cookie for them to spread (about 2 ½ ” of space between each cookie).

Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the tops are glossy and lightly cracked.

Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet, and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.



Comments on the blog post I found the recipe on were mixed. The recipe didn't turn out for some people. They were saying the batter was really thin and the cookies spread out all over the baking sheet. Figuring I would have to play with the measurements to get the batter right I was not very precise with my measuring of dry ingredients but I used precisely 120 g of egg whites, which should be the equivalent of 4 large egg whites. My batter was quite stiff and kept its shape when I scooped out tablespoon-sized mounds on my baking sheet.

My cookies baked in 10 minutes and kinda stuck to the parchement paper but I used a thin spatula to transfer them to a cooling rack. I got 24 cookies out of this recipe.

I personally loved these: they are intensely sweet and chocolaty, with a thin crisp shell, kinda like the top of a brownie, with a chewy/gooey center. My husband wasn't a big fan, had a few bites while the cookies were still warm and threw the rest of his cookie out.

I will make these again and play with flavoring. Mint extract would be awesome, so would espresso powder. I also want to try sprinkling crystallized ginger on top. I think it would cut the chocolate a bit and then, maybe, you'd get to eat more than one!