Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Cookies and Cream Filled Cupcakes

A couple of weeks ago, that mischief-inciting Yank, aka Ruthy, introduced us to a wonderful little gadget called the cupcake corer (you can see that post here). Since I love cupcakes, I immediately had to have one. And, once it arrived, my youngest son immediately wanted to make cupcakes. Lucky for me, school work kept him busy for the week, but by the weekend, all bets were off.

It took me a while to get across to him that you just don't make cupcakes and then decide to fill them. If we're going to do this, we at least need to have a plan. I knew the cupcakes would be chocolate, but it became his mission to decide what we were going to fill them with. And when the dust cleared, he'd come up with something I think you're going to love.

Cookies and Cream Filled Cupcakes

I started with my favorite chocolate cupcake recipe. You can find that recipe here. Then we took turns playing with the cupcake corer, giving all the cupcakes big belly buttons. You can see our fun little tool hiding there in the back.



For the filling, you will need:
  • 8 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
  • 4 oz. butter, salted or unsalted (I only had unsalted, so that's what we went with)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
  • 12 Double Stuff Oreos, pulverized








First, to take care of those Oreos. And no, that does not mean eating them. The recipe only calls for 12, so there are plenty left in the package for eating. Preferably with a nice cold glass of milk. :)
 
I put the 12 in my food processor and pulsed them until they were where I wanted them. Nice and crumbly, but not powdered. If you don't have a food processor, a zip-top plastic bag and a rolling pin can achieve the same results. Not to mention remove any pent up frustrations you might have.

 
Next, cream the butter and cream cheese. Add the vanilla. Then the powdered sugar and beat until smooth.
 
Fold in the crushed cookies.
 
Sample the fruits of your labor.
 
Mmmmm....
 
Now the recipe says to use the filling immediately or refrigerate until ready to use. Of course, if you do this, it will thicken. Since our cupcakes were waiting to have their tummies filled, I spooned the filling to a disposable decorator bag with the tip cut off to give me an opening that was just the right size for the holes I was filling. This didn't take long and got the job done with no mess at all.
 
However, once they were filled, I had to figure out what to frost them with. I mean what kind of frosting goes well with cookies and cream filling. My son suggested cookies and cream frosting, but I asserted my veto power. Instead, I opted for the chocolate frosting Ruthy touted in her post. (recipe here)
 
 
Yet for as wonderful as the frosting was, it was a little overpowering for the filling. Next time, I think I will just dip the tops in a simple layer of ganache. Because, after all, the filling really is the star of the show.
 
I'm curious, how many of us were lured by Ruthy's post and bought a cupcake corer? If so, have you played with it yet? Or are you still mulling over the endless possibilities? I'd love to hear what combinations you've come up with.
 
 
 
 
 
 

26 comments:

  1. OH. MY. GOSH!!!

    I am just absolutely drooling. What did you use to make the frosting look so pretty. A device normal peeps can use perchance???

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    1. What Ruthy said about the big star tip. Easy peasy. Yet it looks impressive. You can do it.

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    2. I never knew that. I always tried to use the narrow tip. Star, huh? *jots down notes*

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  2. MINDY!!!! I'm so glad you got one, isn't it so fun????? Tina, all you need is a plastic frosting/pastry bag and a big star tip to do what Mindy did with the frosting.... You cut the tip of the bag, slide the tip into the bag so it pops out the end, fill the bag about half-way or so with frosting and squeeze out a swirl like you do with whipped cream...

    Mmmm... whipped cream. :) Sorry! Off-track!!!!

    Mindy, I'm all over that cookies and cream cheese frosting recipe! I've never thought of that, but oy, how wondrous! And you know, I bet the chocolate frosting would work with a white cupcake and the filling, but that frosting (as good as it is, thank you HERSHEYS!!!!!) is a show-stealer.

    But the ganache wouldn't give me enough frosting be happy. Maybe ganache then a piped swirl of the cream cheese on the top? A small, decorative one???

    Oh, this is so much fun!!!! Yay, TEX!!!!!

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    1. Hmm...whipped cream might be a good topping for these. Something that won't over power the filling. When you say a swirl of cream cheese on the top, you mean cream cheese frosting, right? I do love cream cheese frosting. I wonder how that would work?

      And you're right, this was a fun little gadget to use. I practically had to wrestle it away from my son.

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    2. Nope, I mean a little star swirl of your cream-cheese cookie filling. How perfect would that be? Oh my stars, I can taste it now!!!!

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  3. YUM! They're beautiful!

    I haven't got my corer yet. It's sitting in my shopping cart waiting for when I order some other items. :)

    I made my daughter a chocolate cake with cookies and cream filling for her b-day a couple of years ago. (there's a post on it somewhere) That recipe called for melted chocolate on top, just a thin coating. Or maybe you could use a light whipped cream type vanilla frosting.

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    1. Yes, that's exactly what the ganache would be. A thin layer of melted chocolate. So I am on to something. :) I'll have to go back and look for that post.

      Missy, I had something else I had to order, so I was fortunate. I love Amazon. I do a lot of my shopping there, especially during the holidays.

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    2. I REMEMBER THAT CAKE! It was so beautiful and looked delicious!

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  4. I'm like Missy - my cupcake corer is waiting in my Amazon shopping cart. But now that we have two examples of what can be done with them, I think I'm going to have to go ahead and order it!

    I love the idea of the cookies and cream filling, and I think the ganache sounds like it would be just right.

    As we each get our cupcake corer, we'll have to do our own versions and post them here at the cafe!

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    1. I love that idea, Jan! We can all share in the wealth. We'll have so many ideas. Ooo, maybe sometime next year we'll have to have a cupcake week. Makes my stomach growl just thinking about it. :D

      How are you feeling today?

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    2. Better. I'm going to take a nap this afternoon, though, just to keep feeling better :)

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  5. Thud!!!! I slipped in a puddle of my own drool. This is blog is turning seriously dangerous for people who live alone. I'm thinking this would be quite festive with some Christmassy sprinkles on top so that's what I'll make for a Christmas potluck....Have to get a corer first though. I'm not much of a shopper these days so I haven't been out and about.

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    1. Okay, Kav...from now on you need to have a napkin handy when you drop by the YB. Hold it on your chin to catch any drool. We don't want to be held liable for anyone getting hurt.

      I think red and green, or snowflake, sprinkles would be the perfect topping for these at a festive occasion. I mean let's face it, is there ever a wrong time for cupcakes/chocolate/Oreos? You'll be the hit of the party.

      Ruthy shared the amazon link for the corer in her post, but you can also use an apple corer or a plain old knife. Heck, just shove your thumb in the middle. ;) Desperate times call for desperate measures.

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    2. LOL, Kav! Puddle of drool? That's disgusting! hahhahaha!

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  6. sigh..no way I can have cream cheese (or Oreos) at room temp! I'm about to have to make my 3rd candy run for packing my Operation Christmas child shoeboxes - I keep eating it! so embarrassing (and glad I've only been buying for 2-4 boxes....) so far the 18 Razzmatazz candy canes from Family Dollar have been my favorite - box of blueberry - blue raspberry - raspberry...delish and super sweet...
    Susanna

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    1. All righty, Susanna, there has to be a way to save the cream cheese and Oreos from your wrath. Like, try setting them out before you go to work. Then duct tape your mouth right before you come home. :)

      Seriously, eating the starving kids Christmas candy? For shame. You could at least have the decency to buy candy that's not so tempting. Or, again, I revert to the duct tape. Think of their sad faces as you eat their candy. That's what I do. ;) Guilt is always a good motivator.

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    2. hey I'm gonna buy MORE candy for the boxes - only so much you can cram into a shoebox you know! I'm thinking of it as making sure I'm sending only the best - I have to taste and make sure I'm not sending icky candy (which some was...) my dog would eat the cream cheese and oreos if I set them out...
      Susanna

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  7. Replies
    1. Virginia, just think of the fun your kids would have coming up with fillings ideas. This would make a great class project. Oh, and fillings wouldn't be too hard for Edna. She'd have all kinds of wonderful vintage ideas. No telling what we'd learn.

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  8. Virginia, is the chili recipe from May the one in your new book? the one the hero practically inhaled - I need some hero attracting chili esp since the guys at work won't let me borrow their Harleys to park in my garage with the door open...meanies!

    Mindy tell that south Dakotan here that stuff IS still blooming in Texas! my allergies are going nuts :-( something HAS to be in the air

    Susanna

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    1. Jan, Susanna says stuff is still blooming in Texas And her allergies ate going nuts. :(

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    2. I told her already but she didn't believe me! says it's too cold for stuff to be blooming :-( you're in Texas - isn't your stuff still blooming?! maybe I'm imagining it..maybe I'm suddenly allergic to my dog (and she DOES steal from anything she can reach - she got a pork loin out of my crockpot and ate the whole thing - luckily didn't knock the crockpot off!
      Susanna

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    3. Most of our stuff is dying out, however I did notice that my neighbor's tulips are coming up. The poor bulbs get so confused down here.

      Your dog sounds as adventurous as one my husband used to have. She stole chicken from a boiling pot on the BACK of the stove. Guess that's determination for you. Crazy mutts. :)

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