Cookie Dough...Not Just for Cookies Anymore!

I know what you're thinking...cookie dough and ice cream, right? Yes, it's true that cookie dough and ice cream are fantastic, but that's not what I'm talking about...this time, at least.

My youngest sister adores certain treats, so I keep an eye open for fun recipes for her. She's probably so sick of creme brulee and eggnog recipes from me. But another one of her favorites is cookie dough. So I make sure to pass on any fun recipes that incorporate cookie dough.

A few years ago, I found a recipe which incorporated cookie dough into cupcakes. It was a huge hit and it quickly became one of my sister's personal favorites. Not only that, but it has also become one of my sister's signature treats to bring to potluck-style get-togethers. She's always very popular when she brings these cupcakes!

More recently, I discovered a recipe that combined cookie dough and brownies. The great thing about this recipe is that it isn't super involved because it calls for refrigerated/or packaged cookie dough and a brownie mix. I'm actually including two recipes for cookie dough brownies because they are both found on the Betty Crocker website and they are almost identical...but slightly different. I'm sharing both recipes because it provides hints as to what kinds of alterations you can make on your own. You can switch up the type of brownie mix you use...or you can even change the type of cookie dough you use. It's up to you! Be creative and have fun with it. The same holds true for the cookie dough cupcakes. You could use different kinds of cake mixes--or your favorite cupcake mix recipe.

We enjoyed these two treats for dessert on Super Bowl Sunday last week. It was the perfect casual dessert for the event. They are fun, whimsical, and above all very tasty.



Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough + Cupcake = The BEST Cupcake. Ever.
Ingredients:

Cookie Dough:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/ teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Cupcakes:

1 (18.25 ounce) box yellow cake mix
1 1/3 cups water
1/3 cup canola oil
3 eggs

Frosting:

Use your favorite frosting (we always use a buttercream frosting...the recipe is below)

Directions:

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and sea salt; set aside. Beat the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Add 1 egg and the vanilla extract and beat until smooth. Mix in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips; mixing just enough to evenly combine. Form the dough into tablespoon-sized balls; place onto a baking sheet, and freeze until solid, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 muffin cups with paper/foil liners.

Beat 3 eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer to break up. Add the cake mix, water, and canola oil; continue beating for 2 minutes on medium speed. Spoon into the prepared cupcake liners, filling each 2/3 full. Place a frozen cookie dough ball on the top center of each cupcake.

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the cake portion of the cupcake (not the cookie dough ball) comes clean, about 20 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing them to cool completely on a wire rack.

Frost with your favorite frosting.

Nutrition information: 24 servings. 221 calories, 10.4 g fat, 46 mg cholesterol, 214 mg sodium, 29.5 g carbs, 0.4 g fiber, 2.8 g protein.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by lovestohost.

Notes: It is very important to freeze the cookie dough...otherwise, it cooks up into a cookie underneath the cupcakes! Freezing allows the cookie dough to remain, well, cookie dough in the final product!

Buttercream Frosting

Note: This recipe makes 2 1/2 cups frosting. It is enough for a good dollop of frosting on each cupcake. However, if you want to blanket the cupcake with frosting, prepare 1 1/2-2 recipes.

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
3-4 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until fluffy, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and add the confectioners' sugar, 3 tablespoons of the milk, and the vanilla. Blend with the mixer on low speed until the sugar is incorporated, 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 1 minute more. Add up to 1 tablespoon more milk if the frosting seems too stiff.

Use this frosting to frost the cupcakes of your choice.

For different flavors of buttercream...

Add 1 teaspoon pure almond extract instead of the vanilla, or...
1-2 teaspoons coconut flavoring instead of vanilla.

For lower fat, use 4 tablespoons butter and increase the milk by 1-2 tablespoons.

Source: Cupcake Doctor cookbook.



Cookie Dough Brownies

Ingredients:

1 box (1 lb. 4.75 oz) Betty Crocker Supreme turtle brownie mix
2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury refrigerated chocolate chip cookies
1 container (1 lb) Betty Crocker Rich & Creamy chocolate frosting

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom and sides of 13x9 inch pan with shortening or cooking spray. Set caramel pouch from brownie mix aside. In large bowl, stir brownie mix, water, oil, and eggs with spoon until well blended. Spread half of batter in pan.

Break cookie dough into small pieces. Sprinkle pieces evenly over brownie batter in pan; lightly press into batter. Open pouch of caramel from brownie mix; squeeze caramel between pieces of cookie dough, using entire pouch. Spoon remaining brownie batter over caramel and cookie dough.

Bake 28-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

Frost with chocolate frosting. For brownies, cut into 8 rows by 6 rows.

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft); increase water to 1/3 cup; decrease oil to 1/4 cup. Bake 35-42 minutes.

Hint: Brownies can be frozen up to 6 months. Just wrap them tightly and label.

Nutrition information: 1 brownie is 150 calories; 7 g fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 100 mg sodium, 0 g fiber, 1 g protein.

Source: Betty Crocker website (if you didn't already guess from all of the Betty Crocker products used in the recipe!)



Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies

Ingredients:

1 box Betty Crocker Original Supreme brownie mix (with chocolate syrup pouch)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
2 eggs
1 pouch (1 lb. 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
1 container Betty Crocker Rich & Creamy chocolate frosting

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray bottom only of 13x9 inch pan with cooking spray, or grease with shortening. Make brownie mix as directed on box, using oil, water, and 2 eggs. Spread in pan.

Make cookie mix as directed on pouch, using butter and 1 egg. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls evenly onto brownie batter; press down lightly.

bake 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out almost clean. Cool on cooling rack 30 minutes. Frost with frosting. For brownies, cut into 8 rows by 6 rows.

Nutrition information: 1 brownie is 170 calories, 8 g fat, 20 mg cholesterol, 24 g carbohydrate, 0 g fiber, 1 g protein.

Source: Betty Crocker website.