Chocolate chip cookie cupcakes

These are two-in-one delicious, with a rich chocolate cupcake stuffed with cookie dough and topped with indulgent buttercream – and with a cookie on top!

Credit: Mary Makes It Easy

• makes

  12

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  40 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

These use store-bought cookie dough to make these spectacular bakes a little quicker. 

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• ¾ cup (98 g) flour
• ½ cup (60 g) cocoa powder
• ¾ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• ¾ cup (150 g) sugar
• ⅓ cup (80 ml) canola oil
• 1 egg
• ½ cup (125 ml) buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ cup (60 ml) hot black coffee
• 1 roll store bought cookie dough (about 500-600g), divided

Buttercream

• ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 ½-4 cups (455-520 g) icing sugar
• 3 tsp (15 ml) molasses
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1½-3 tbsp (30 to 60 ml) cream
• ¼ cup (43 g) mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cooling time: at least 30 minutes.

Instructions

1. Heat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine.
3. In a separate bowl, beat together the sugar, oil and egg until well combined. Stir in the buttermilk and vanilla. Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir just to combine. Whisk in the coffee.
4. Divide the cookie dough in half. Set one half aside and divide the other half into twelve equal portions. Roll into balls and place one into each well of the muffin tin. Divide over the cupcake batter and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes to a cooling rack and set aside to cool completely.
5. Meanwhile, divide the remaining cookie dough into 24 equal portions, roll into balls and bake cookies according to the package directions on your prepared baking sheet. Cool completely. (Half of these small cookies are for decorating – the rest are extras; see Note.)
6. For the buttercream, beat the butter until smooth. Beat in the icing sugar ½ cup at a time, scraping the bowl down frequently, and add the molasses, salt and vanilla. Beat in enough cream to reach a smooth, spreadable or pipeable consistency.
7. Decorate the cupcakes with the buttercream and garnish with mini chocolate chips and a freshly baked cookie.

Note

• This recipe leaves you with 12 tiny leftover cookies for snacking!

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

These use store-bought cookie dough to make these spectacular bakes a little quicker.