Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Kiddo's birthday was last week, and he LOOOOOOOOOOVES cookie dough.
So does his mother...it's hereditary.

I knew exactly what to make him for his birthday cake - cookie dough cupcakes inspired by Tidymom's recipe.

We've loved these cupcakes for years, but I recently made a few changes to the recipe to make them even more delicious! 

I made these recently for For Goodness Cakes. A volunteer organization that matches bakers with foster children to make cakes and cupcakes for birthdays and graduations. 

These were going to a group birthday party. 

Let me break these bad boys down for you....

First, there is a chocolate chip cookie cupcake. Then they are filled with chocolate chip cookie dough filling.  And finally, they are topped with a brown sugar cookie dough frosting.

Would it be too much to serve these with Cookie Dough Ice Cream? Hmmm. These are the tough questions. 

Let's Make Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

We'll start by making the cupcakes. Made with brown sugar, salted butter, vanilla bean paste, and mini chocolate chips, these cupcakes have the flavor of chocolate chip cookies in cupcake form.

While they are cooling, you'll make the filling. The first step in the filling is toasting the flour. No E. coli and Salmonella here, folks. Even if you aren't worried for yourself, please take this step if making for kids or someone with a compromised immune system. (Womp, womp. Sorry to be Debbie Downer.)

Toasting flour is easy. Spread it out on a baking sheet. Bake it. Give it a toss. Bake a few minutes longer. Boom, toasted. Let cool before proceeding with the recipe. 

Here's another use for toasted flour: Cookie Dough-Filled Chocolate-Dipped Pretzels! 

When the cupcakes are cooled and the filling is chilled, fill the cupcakes. Here's a bonus for the baker...you'll cut out a little cone from each cupcake. Those are yours for eating. No one has to know.

Next up the the brown sugar frosting. A WORD OF WARNING. This makes *just enough* to frost 24 cupcakes. Don't go crazy "testing" the frosting. (You will be tempted.)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

YIELD: 24 cupcakes

PREP TIME: 90 minutes

BAKE TIME: 18 minutes

for the cupcakes:

2 2/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 cups salted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

4 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup whole milk, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

1 cup mini chocolate chips 

for the cookie dough filling:

1 cup + 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons salted butter, room temperature

6 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

5 ounces sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste 

1/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

for the brown sugar cookie dough frosting:

1 1/2 cups salted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar, 

1 pound powdered sugar

3 tablespoons whole milk

2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

mini chocolate chips

mini chocolate chip cookies, optional

Make the cupcakes. Preheat oven to 350. Line 24 muffin tin cups with paper liners. 

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Set aside. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar together until fluffy and no chunks of butter remain. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides and bottom of bowl as needed. 

Stir together milk and vanilla bean paste. Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the vanilla bean milk. Scrape sides as needed. Fold in mini chocolate chips.

Divide batter evenly into prepared cups. Bake for 18-22 minutes, until the tops spring back when lightly pressed or a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with loose crumbs. Let cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Make the filling. Spread flour into a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and toss the flour. Bake 2 minutes more. Let cool. 

Cream butter and brown sugar together until fluffy and no lumps of butter remain. Mix in cooled flour, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla bean paste until combined. Mix in chocolate chips on low speed until distributed. Cool in refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut cone shapes from the centers of the cooled cupcakes, careful not to cut to the bottom. Spoon in the cookie dough filling.

Make the frosting. Cream the butter and brown sugar with the paddle attachment until fluffy.  Add in the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, and vanilla bean paste. Beat on low until incorporated, then increase the speed and beat until smooth and combined. Add additonal tablespoon milk if needed for consistency. Blend until smooth.

Frost the cupcakes. (I used a Bakery Crafts 9CS tip. With this tip, the frosting covers exactly 24 cupcakes.) Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips. Place one mini cookie on each cupcake, if desired. Chill to set. Take out of refrigerator at least 15 minutes before serving. 

Now, it's time for the candles.

And I have NO IDEA how this happened, but the reflection of the flames made ♥'s in the picture.  Is that cool, or what?!?!?

Here's what 12 looks like around here.....sweaty hair, flared nostrils, fruit punch mustache, and all. ♥