cookies and cream mini cupcakes*

Last week I came home from work and decided to look through some food blogs. Before I knew it 2 1/2 hours had passed! Some people seriously amaze me! The things that they can make and create are out of this world. I think I have a food blog obsession. Even after my 2 1/2 hour look see, I would have kept going had it not been my bedtime - which was 9:30. I know, I know, I have become such a grandma. I can't help it. Sleeping is my favorite past time.

Anyway, I made these cupcakes for my little sister's baby shower this last weekend. This isn't the first time I have had them, however. Sarah and Jamie (two of my awesome staff) made them at work awhile back for Norma's (another fabulous staff of mine) baby shower that we threw her. They turned out so great and SO cute! Then, when I discovered mini Oreos I just knew that I would have to make them for Shea's baby shower! I knew they would make a nice compliment to the key lime pie mini cupcakes.

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes
adapted from Annie's Eats

Yield: 24 cupcakes (about 50 if making mini cupcakes)

Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
24 Oreo halves, with cream filling attached
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 2/3 cup sugar
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup milk
20 Oreo cookies, coarsely chopped (I quarter them)

The Best Frosting EVER
from Made Famous By

5 Tablespoons Flour
1 cup Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 cup Butter
1 cup Granulated Sugar (not Powdered Sugar!)
 
For garnish:
Oreo cookie crumbs
24 Oreo cookie halves (mini if you are making mini cupcakes)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line the wells of two cupcake pans with 24 paper liners.  Place an Oreo halve in the bottom of each liner, cream side up.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; stir together with a fork to blend and set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar and beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Blend in the egg whites one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Blend in the vanilla extract.  With the mixer on low speed, beat in half of the dry ingredients just until incorporated.  Add the milk and beat just until combined, then mix in the remaining dry ingredients.  Gently fold in the chopped Oreos with a rubber spatula until evenly incorporated, being careful not to over-mix.

Evenly divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners.  Bake for 18-20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, in a small saucepan, whisk flour into milk and heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens. You want it to be very thick, thicker than cake mix, more like a brownie mix is. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. (If I’m in a hurry, I place the saucepan over ice in the sink for about 10 minutes or so until the mixture cools.) It must be completely cool before you use it in the next step. Stir in vanilla.

While the mixture is cooling, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. You don’t want any sugar graininess left. Then add the completely cooled milk/flour/vanilla mixture and beat the living daylights out of it. If it looks separated, you haven’t beaten it enough! Beat it until it all combines and resembles whipped cream.

Frost the cooled cupcakes as desired.  Sprinkle with Oreo crumbs and garnish with Oreo halves.

Just about cute enough to eat, huh!


-alyssa*