Chocolate Cookie Cupcakes with Raspberry Fluff Frosting

 The picture of this cupcake really speaks for itself.  It also says, "Kari can't lay an Oreo straight."  But it's artistic.  And my 4-year-old was helping. 

But LOOK at this!  A chocolate cupcake with a whole Oreo inside?  I am embarrassed I had to see this in a Martha Stewart magazine.  I don't experiment with recipes very often but I should have been able to come up with this one.  Either way, we all have it now, and it is AWESOME (sung in falsetto voice.) 

Kids love it, and they love to help make them.  This is on my birthday party short list.  So fun.

Now shall we talk about the frosting?  Butter, raspberry jam, and marshmallow cream.  So fluffy.  More AWESOMENESS (falsetto again.)  I shared with friends and the reports came back the kids loved the frosting, too.

 

But.  You can do almost any frosting here, you know.  Anything goes with Oreos!  Maybe a cookies & cream frosting?  I made these a second time and experimented with an Irish cream frosting; I loved it.   I didn't write the recipe, but it was roughly - 6 T soft butter, beaten with about 2-3 T Irish cream creamer (the liquid kind, like you pour in coffee or, in my case, warm milk) and about 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, adding more sugar or creamer as need to get the right consistency.  Delicious. 

Chocolate Cookie Cupcakes with Raspberry Fluff Frosting (print recipe)
1 cup (2 sticks) plus 2 T unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
12 cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies
3 T seedless raspberry jam
3 cups marshmallow topping
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Line 12 standard muffin cups with paper liners.  Melt 2 T butter; let cool.  In a large bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Lightly beat egg and egg yolk and add, along with melted butter, buttermilk, vanilla and 1/2 cup hot water; whisk until smooth.  Spoon 1 T batter into each muffin cup and top with a cookie.

 2.  Top each with 1 T batter.  Bake until cupcakes are puffed and set, 15 minutes, rotating pan halfway through.  Let cupcakes cool in pan on a wire rack. 

3.  Meanwhile, in a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat 1 cup butter and raspberry jam on medium-high until smooth.  Add marshmallow topping and confectioners' sugar and beat until fluffy and smooth, 3 minutes.  Transfer mixture to a pastry bag with a 1/4" tip or a quart-size zip-top bag; with scissors, snip a small hole in one corner.  Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes and serve immediately. 

Recipe from Everyday Food