Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

These cupcakes are pretty awesome along with pretty much everything else I make. The cupcakes have bits of oreos in them and so does the icing. I swear this icing tastes exactly like the inside of an oreo! These cupcakes are actually not that hard to make either but they taste like they are. I was able to make about 22 cupcakes but I did put a little too much batter in some of the cupcake tins. I also ran out of cupcake liners in the middle of making them so I lined the pan with a HEAVY coat of butter, either way they tasted pretty much the same and the cupcakes with liners are obviously easier to transport and are better for events but you really have the option to do it either way. So here it goes, Cookies and Cream cupcakes:

CUPCAKES:

Ingredients:

-1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

-1/2 cup cocoa powder

-1 1/4 cup sugar

-3/4 tsp. baking soda

-1/2 tsp. baking powder

-1/2 tsp salt

-2 eggs

-1/2 cup vegetable oil

-1 tsp. vanilla extract

-3/4 cup milk

-3/4 cup hot water

-one package of double stuffed oreos

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Line cupcake tray with baking cups (or an excessive amount of butter if that's what you prefer). Set aside 6 oreos for crushing for the icing later, and break the remaining oreos into smaller pieces and place evenly throughout the cups. 

     Mix the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl using a whisk. Then add the eggs, oil, vanilla, milk, and mix well until thoroughly incorporated. The batter should look like normal batter about the color of hot chocolate. 

     Then add the hot water and mix until combined. Now the mixture should be a much thinner liquid. Transfer the batter into a large measuring cup and fill each cupcake up until its about 3/4 full (when you add the batter you will see bubbles and the oreos will float to the top, the bubbles go away). Bake for 16-18 minutes. Repeat the baking process for any excess batter.

FROSTING:

Ingredients:

-1 cup butter (2sticks) softened, at room temperature

-1 Lb powdered sugar

-1 tsp. vanilla extract

-3-6 Tbsp. milk

-4 Tbsp. oreo cookie crumbs (from cupcake recipe) 

Directions:

Put the 6 extra oreos (from the cupcake recipe) into a large zip lock bag. Using a rolling pin, crush the oreos until extremely fine and crumbled (if they are too big they won't go through the piping tip). 

     Beat the butter with a whisk (or electric mixer) until it is creamed. Add the vanilla. Then add the powdered sugar in increments, scraping down the sides of the bowl each time. Add 1 Tbsp. of milk at a time until you get the desired consistency. Add the 4 Tbsp. of oreo crumbs and mix until fully incorporated.

     Place the frosting in a piping bag fitted with a star tip and swirl the frosting on each individual cupcake. Lastly, sprinkle the extra oreo crumbs over the cupcakes and enjoy!!

finished product = awesome