cookie dough, the beginning.

Hi! Welcome to baking blog.  I would love to consider myself an all around culinary mastermind but I am afraid I cannot claim such a title.  Recently I acquired 3rd degree burns on my hand from trying to cook a steak in a frying pan...hot oil, hot pan, not a pretty picture.  So alas, I will stick to baking.  I have always loved to bake since I was a little girl, however; it has only been recently where I have used baking as an outlet, stress reliever, shoulder to cry on, best friend to celebrate with...just kidding.  I just simply enjoy it.  Hopefully as I move on, I can become better and eventually learn to pipe frosting...baby steps though.

I did have an awesome website that I created through iweb, but alas it is extremely difficult to add comments boxes and all other kinds of widgets that can be on blogs, so I decided to just suck it up and go with the traditional way.  I'll be posting all of my current recipes over the next few dates and of course more to come as I continue bake my way along, but until then...what better way to start off a blog called "cookie dough", than with a chocolate chip cookie dough cupcake?

chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes.

So, my oldest sister just recently found out that she is pregnant.  Being that she LOVES chocolate chip cookies, I decided to whip up something special for her for Easter.  Her exact words in response to them were, and I quote, “And this is why I love you...in that way.”  Granted, they were a little bit of work, but with a little bit of cheating, you can lighten your load a little bit and trust me...they are well worth it.  Enjoy.

 Brown Sugar Cupcakes
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
 1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
   1/2 teaspoon baking powder
    1/2 teaspoon baking soda
      1/8 teaspoon salt
         1/2 cup milk
         1 teaspoon vanilla
       2 TBSP canola oil (I added this to add moisture to the cupcakes)

1. Make or buy chocolate chip cookie dough, roll into 1.5 inch balls, place on cookie sheet and let freeze for at least 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
3. Beat butter on high until soft, about 30 seconds.
4. Add sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
5. Add eggs one at a time, beat for 30 seconds after each.
6. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
7. Measure out milk and vanilla together.
8. Add about a fourth of the flour to the butter/sugar mixture and beat to combine.
9. Add about one third the milk/vanilla mixture and beat until combined.
10. Repeat above, alternating flour and milk and ending with the flour mixture.
11. Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full and drop 1 frozen ball of cookie dough* into each.
12. Bake for 20-22 minutes until golden and the cake springs back when lightly touched (mine took 18 minutes)

*This is where the cheating helps.  I bought Pillsbury Dough Chocolate chip cookie dough.  The kind that are pre-cut into 24 pieces.  Just put them on a cookie sheet and throw them in the freezer.

                            Cookie Dough Frosting
                        1-3/4 cups confectioners sugar
                        1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled
                                    1/8 teaspoon salt
                            1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
                                    1 tablespoon milk
                         Eggless cookie dough (recipe below)

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine 1-1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, unsalted butter, salt, and vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as necessary.
2. Add milk and continue mixing until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, as necessary. With the mixer running, slowly add remaining 1/2 cup confectioners sugar, mix until well combined.
3. At this point you can mix in the eggless cookie dough.

                             Eggless Cookie Dough
                              1/4 cup butter, softened
                     1/4 cup brown sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
                                   2 teaspoons water
                                  1/2 teaspoon vanilla
                                         1/2 cup flour
                                      1/4 teaspoon salt
                         1/3 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

1. Cream the butter and brown sugar in a small bowl. Add water and vanilla and mix well.
2. Add flour and salt and stir to combine. Stir in mini chocolate chips (optional). 
3. Store in refrigerator until ready to use.