Day 60 (5.5.12): Chocolate PB Cookie-Center Cupcakes with Sweet Peanut Butter Frosting

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie-Center Cupcakes with Sweet Peanut Butter Frosting

Status: Homemade

Satisfaction: 10! Or at least I hope so.

These cupcakes were the products of combined stress/anxiety over real-life problems which translated into a total baking overdrive (c'est la vie of a graduate student, no?) and a friend's birthday that just passed. So I combined, created, amalgamated a handful of recipes, and this is what happened! The Giant Tower of Babylon. Or more like the Leaning Tower of Delicious. (Seriously, guys--could you resist even looking at it?)

This is essentially what happens what cocoa meet Reese's lovers and they have awesome little PB chocolate babies. Well, really big babies. Huge babies, actually. And prego babies, since they're filled with gooey peanut butter cookie centers. God, I love my life.

And yes, I'm aware that the slightly perverse will think of these little babies as a tower of poop-like proportions. Well, boo you because you didn't get any anyway.

If you liked the photos and/or recipes, feel free to leave a comment! I'd love to hear what you think. (Recipes below the cut.)

Oh, and shout out to Cailey, Kim, Rebecca, and Vanessa--for being honorary-in-the-presence-of-these-cupcakes Scrumdiddlyumptious perusers. Hi five!

Associated with: Cupcake Wars

Hm. I wonder why.

I've included the base recipes below. To assemble these cupcakes with a peanut-butter filling, simply fill each cupcake liner about 1/3 of the way, then add a rolled ball of peanut butter filling. Cover filling with another 1/3-liner of cupcake batter, and you're good to go! Yields about 12 cupcakes.

Chocolate Cupcakes

This is a great base recipe for all of your chocolate cupcake needs. Don't overfill, or your cupcake may overflow!

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup all-purpose four
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons butter, softened
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with paper or foil liners. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk; beat well. Fill the muffin cups 3/4 full.
3. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Frost with your favorite frosting when cool.

Peanut Butter Cookie

This is a pb cookie recipe that I literally just keep memorized (it's not hard!) and can whip up whenever I'm called upon. Rave reviews and melt-in-your-mouth amazing!

Ingredients

•       1 cup sugar (1/2 brown, 1/2 white)
•       1 cup peanut butter
•       1 egg

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all ingredients. Form rounded 1-inch balls of dough and place on lightly greased cookie sheet.

      2.  With a fork, lightly press down on cookies to create cross-hatch pattern. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown.

Peanut Butter Frosting 

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons milk, or as needed
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar

           Directions
1. Place the butter and peanut butter into a medium bowl, and beat with an electric mixer. Gradually mix in the sugar, and when it starts to get thick, incorporate milk one tablespoon at a time until all of the sugar is mixed in and the frosting is thick and spreadable. Beat for at least 3 minutes for it to get good and fluffy.