X is for Xiaodianxin (or Cookie Dough Cupcakes!)

Choc chip cupcake topped with brown sugar Swiss meringue butter cream and a cookie dough truffle

So cookies won the poll last week. Personally I was going for banana because I wanted to make some yummy banana split sundae themed cupcakes - but hey whatever you guys want, I'll make it. Since I already made Oreo cupcakes as part of the A... B... Cupcake project I didn't want to make another cookies and cream themed cupcake - so what to make? In steps one of my favourite food blogs - Culinary Concoctions by Peabody - if you like baking and you like blogging then you must visit this wonderful blog. I remembered a post a while ago about Cookie Dough truffles and thought that would be the perfect theme for my cupcakes this week.

Everyone likes sneaking a bite of the cookie dough before you bake the cookies. It is like an unwritten law in baking. These cookie dough truffles just take it to the next level - the dough is made for eating, NOT baking! They are egg free for all of those who are scared of eating raw egg - so there is no need to be afraid.

So before we start on the cupcakes, make up these yummy cookie dough truffles first....


Cookie Dough Truffles (from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp salt (I left out the salt - bring on the sugar rush!)
2 cups plain flour
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
½ cup chocolate chips (I upped this to 1 cup - mmm chocolate)

1. Using a stand mixer (or a bowl and beaters), cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
2. Beat in the vanilla.
3. With speed on low, slowly add flour, alternating with condensed milk, beating well after each addition.
4. Fold in the chocolate chips.
5. Shape into 1-inch balls and place into an air tight container. Store in freezer for at least 3 hours (I stored mine overnight).

Next we need to make the cupcakes...

Choc Chip Cupcakes (from Cupcake Heaven by Susannah Blake)
Makes 12

115g unsalted butter, softened
115g caster sugar
2 eggs
115g self-raising flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line a 12-hole muffin tray with cupcake cases.
2. Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
4. Sift in the flour and fold in, then stir in the vanilla extract (I added the vanilla extract in with the eggs).
5. Sprinkle over the chocolate chips and fold in.
6. Spoon mixture into cupcake cases and bake for 17 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
   

Now I wasn't able to preheat my oven because little miss Z was running (okay crawling) around in the kitchen and I didn't want her to burn herself. So my cupcakes were in the oven for longer and I had to open the door a few times to check if they were ready, this resulted in sunken cupcakes....


But we all know that such mishaps can be covered easily with a good dollop of frosting. So now that the cupcakes are cooling it is time to make a batch of Brown Sugar Swiss Meringue Butter Cream.

Now frost those babies...


Next I got a bit tricky with my cookie dough truffles and I coated them in milk chocolate (drool) - to do this I simply nuked 395g of milk chocolate in the microwave, dipped each truffle in the chocolate, then placed them on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Then pop those babies into the fridge until set. Yum!

Once they are set top each of the cupcakes with a cookie dough truffle...


Except this truffle - it was special you see, it had a little 'M' on it. I was going to give it to Mat but then I ate it. You know, to make sure it wasn't poisonous.


Now enjoy your cupcake in 3 simple steps...

1. Pick off the truffle and lick the frosting off of the bottom of it...


2. Eat said truffle...


3. Enjoy the choc chip goodness..


The Ratings?

Me - 8/10, love the SMBC, the truffles were yummy - I just wished the cupcakes didn't sink.
Mat - 4/10, he didn't like the cookie dough truffle and the cake was too sweet - hard to please!

Oh and don't forget to enter the Sprout Head giveaway!

Baking Mondays - C is for Caramel?

Okay so I was very excited about having caramel as the flavour for this week and I was tossing up between baking caramel spice cupcakes and caramel mud cupcakes. My ever so lovely husband decided that the caramel spice cupcakes sounded nice so I set out on my baking mission. Once they were all baked I sampled one of the cupcakes to make sure they were worthy of frosting (something I do with every batch) - and guess what? They don't taste like caramel at all! In fact I would say they taste more like gingerbread. So while that was a bit disappointing - I must say for a spice/gingerbread cupcake these were darn tasty! So I present to you Spice Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Swiss Meringue Buttercream.

Spice Cupcakes
(Caramel cake from The Australian Women's Weekly - More Cakes and Slices)
Makes 16

185g butter
150g brown sugar
80ml golden syrup
2 eggs
40g almond meal
125ml milk
300g self raising flour, sifted
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius and line 2 12 hole muffin trays with cupcake liners.
2. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and beat well with an electric mixer on low speed until combined.
3. Bake for 15 minutes (again remember my oven is silly - so this time may vary for you).

Brown Sugar Swiss Meringue Buttercream

4 egg whites
1 cup brown sugar
250g unsalted butter
1 tbsp vanilla extract

1. Combine the egg whites and sugar into a heatproof bowl and whisk over a saucepan of simmering water until sugar is dissolved and the mixture is as hot as you can get it without the egg whites cooking.
2. With the whisk attachment on your mixer whisk the egg white and sugar mixture on high speed until a stiff meringue is formed and the mix has cooled down to room temperature.
3. Now put the paddle attachment on your mixer and with the mixer on a low speed add a tablespoon or two of butter at a time. Once all the butter is incorporated turn the mixer up to medium speed and mix until the mixture is light and fluffy again.
4. Add vanilla extract and mix on medium speed until you get a good piping texture.

The ratings?

Me - 8/10 - very light, spongy, moist and tasty!! The cake is great and the buttercream is very subtle. My only complaint was that it didn't taste like caramel at all.

Mat - 10/10 - unexpected flavour - but they were sensational (and Mat doesn't even like gingerbread)!

Mat's work friends - 12/10 :o)