Cookie Dough Cupcakes

How could these be bad?  I mean, a nice vanilla cupcake filled with a cookie dough ball, then topped with vanilla frosting. Really, what's not to love?

A few notes. 

1) This recipe makes close to 30 cupcakes, so you may want to consider halving (or lower).  If you haven't seen this site, it's great for doing just that.

2) I keep this cookie dough on hand at all times.  It's fantastic.  It is by far my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe.  It's chewy, it's chocolatey, it's perfection.  I make a batch and freeze what I don't use.  Ok, well, what I don't bake or don't eat raw, which typically leaves about 2 cookies worth... Anyway, the recipe makes about 2.5 dozen full size cookies which is WAY more than you need for the cupcake centers, since they're pretty little.  But hey, you can always use the rest to make actual cookies.  

3) There are eggs in the cookie dough.  I assume that they are getting baked a little bit, but not much since they're still pretty doughy once the cupcake is done baking.  If this makes you uncomfortable then 1) you can't be my friend anymore because what kind of person doesn't like raw cookie dough? and 2) you can find your own egg free recipe.  I have no interest in such a cookie dough.  I live on the wild side and salmonella can be damned!

Enjoy!

Cookie dough cupcakes

Cupcake

1 3/4 cup cake flour, not self rising

1 1/4 cup flour

2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, cubed

4 eggs

1 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Cookie dough

2 sticks unsalted butter

2 1/4 cups bread flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 egg yolk

2 tablespoons milk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Frosting

2 sticks butter, soft

1 pound powdered sugar, sifted

2 teaspoons vanilla

pinch of salt

1/4 cup heavy cream

For cookie dough

• Melt butter.  
• Sift together flour, salt, and baking soda.  
• Pour butter and sugars into mixer bowl and beat on medium speed.  Add egg, yolk, milk, and vanilla.  Mix until combined.  Slowly add flour until thoroughly combined.  Stir in chocolate chips. 
• Scoop dough with a small scoop (about an inch in diameter).
• If you're planning on making actual cookies, scoop with a larger scoop and bake at 375 for about 14 minutes.  Cook on sheet for a few minutes.

For cupcakes:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• With electric mixer and paddle, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Add butter, mixing until just coated with flour.
• In a large measuring cup whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla.  With mixer on medium speed add wet ingredients in 3 parts.  Do not overbeat.
• Divide batter among liners, filling about 2/3 full.  Drop a cookie dough ball into the middle.  Don't push it down, just leave it.
• Bake about 17 minutes.

For frosting:

• Cream butter and sugar on low.  Once incorporated add other ingredients and beat for 5 minutes.

I copied the idea from Ice Cream Before Dinner.  I used the same cupcake and icing that she uses.  Cookie dough is Alton Brown's Chewy.