“Nothing Gold Can Stay” Vanilla Cookies & Cream Cupcake

“Nothing Gold Can Stay” 

Vanilla Cookies & Cream Cupcake

Vanilla Cupcake (Makes about 15 cupcakes)


1/2 and 3/8* cups cake flour, not self-rising


1/2 and 1/8 cups unbleached all-purpose flour


1 cups sugar


1/2 tablespoon baking powder


1/4 and 1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes


2 large eggs


1/2 cup whole milk


1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


21 golden cream-filled sandwich cookies (15 twisted in half and 6 coarsely chopped without cream)

*if you don't have a 1/8 measuring cup, you can use ¼ cup and 2 tablespoons of cake flour.

I decided to make some with the cookie
in the bottom and some without.

1.  Preheat oven to 325°. Line cupcake pans with paper liners and put half of a golden cream-filled sandwich cookie in the bottom of each liner; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt; mix on low speed until combined. Add butter, mixing until just coated with flour.
 


2.  In a bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla. With mixer on medium speed, add wet ingredients in 3 parts, scraping down sides of bowl before each addition; beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat.


I didn't take the cream out of mine.
It made quite the mess inside the bag.

3.  Put 6 cookies without their cream in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin.  

4.  Fold in the chopped cookies by hand with a spatula.

The cupcakes without the cookie puffed up!

5.  Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about two-thirds full. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 17 to 20 minutes.
 It may take a little longer than normal if you are using a light colored pan.

6. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
(Makes enough for 15 cupcakes)



1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature


3 to 4 cups confectioners' sugar


1/4 cup milk


1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract



15 golden cream-filled sandwich cookies halves

1.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. With mixer on low speed, add 3 cups sugar, milk, and vanilla; mix on medium speed until light and fluffy. If necessary, gradually add remaining 1 cup sugar to reach desired consistency.

2.  Put frosting in a pastry bag and frost the top of the cupcake.

I love how the "W" upside down is a heart.

3.  Place one of the left over halves of the golden cream-filled sandwich on top of each cupcake.

Thoughts on...

“Nothing Gold Can Stay” Vanilla Cookies and Cream Cupcakes:

Cupcake - The best vanilla cupcake I've ever had!

Frosting - The frosting turned out too confectioners sugar tasting so I added 1 ½ tablespoon of butter. When I make this over the weekend I am going to add more butter and use less sugar, gradually adding it last to the mixture until it reaches the desired flavor.

Another idea I have is instead of adding crumbs to the batter you could make a layered cupcake with the cookies. Put one half of a cookie on the bottom of the liner, put some batter on top of that, add another half of a cookie and then some more batter. Then on top you could add sprinkles to the frosting instead of another cookie. I think I will try this over the weekend as well.

The vanilla cupcake without the cookie crumbs would taste amazing as the cupcake batter used in the “Cheers” Boston Cream Pie cupcake.

Overall Rating (1 – 10, 1 being “blech” and 10 being “YUUMMMMM!!!!”)

“Nothing Gold Can Stay” Vanilla Cookies and Cream Cupcake: 7

I gave it a 7 because I wasn't crazy about the frosting at first, but it definitely tastes better the day after. Perhaps when I make these cupcakes again this weekend and tweak the frosting recipe a bit it will taste as good the first day it's made.

Next Cupcakes: August 27 - 29, 2010

“Smooth Criminal” Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Cupcakes

“Summer Skin” Strawberry Shortcake Cupcake

“Nothing Gold Can Stay” Vanilla Cookies and Cream Cupcake