Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes
YIELD: 24 cupcakes
PREP TIME: 90 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.
