Oreo Cheesecake Cupcakes

That's right, I said it...Oreo Cheesecake Cupcakes!!! Holy Yum Batman!

These were fun to make, delicious to smell while they baked, and super fun to deliver. I had stumbled on this idea while searching something entirely different, and they were stuck in my head for days. So I decided to "whip" them up and deliver them to the guys at Jason's work. I am currently known as the "cookie Lady" by his fellow soldiers and am loving it!

I took the idea from Kraft, the cupcake recipe from CB, and put them together to create these:

Cream Cheese Filling

1 8 oz pkg of Cream Cheese

2 tbsp Sugar

1 egg

Mix all three ingredients together until smooth.

Chocolate Cupcake Recipe - I doubled the recipe to make 24 cupcakes, the Kraft recipe recommends using a cake mix, but not if I can help it, so needed a recipe to make 24.

Makes about 12 cupcakes

INGREDIENTS
For chocolate cupcakes

2/3 cup AP flour

2-1/2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup + 3 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces

3/4 cup + 2 tbsp sugar

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS
To make chocolate cupcakes—Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare pan with cupcake liners.
In a bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set over simmering water in a saucepan. Stir frequently until melted, about 5 minutes. Remove bowl from saucepan and let cool to room temperature, about 10-15 minutes.

Stir in the sugar until combined. Add eggs one at a time and beat until combined. Then add vanilla extract. Gradually add flour mixture and fold into chocolate mixture. Try not to overmix.

Fill the cupcake liners about 1/2 way, then scoop in 1 1/2 tsp of cream cheese mixture and a mini oreo cookie, then top with more batter to 2/3 full. Bake for about 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool before frosting.

I made a simple Cream Cheese Frosting to go with these and added crushed Oreo cookies to make it a cookies n' cream frosting. Yum!

Frosting

1 pkg Cream Cheese

1 stick butter (softened)

1 cup crushed Oreos

I didn't measure the Powdered Sugar - keep adding til you hit the consistency you are looking for!

I delivered these delightful treats to the guys at Jason's work....the soldiers were so happy to have an afternoon treat after a long day of cleaning guns and tanks! Man, were they all dirty! I am going to put this in caps, because I don't want you to miss it....best cupcake compliment ever...."THESE ARE BETTER THAN COMING HOME FROM IRAQ!"!!! Awesome, eh?

Oh, and did I mention I got a new cupcake courier...at the advice of CB, I ordered the Cupcake Courier from Target (online only). It holds 36 cupcakes!!! So great, I love it!

More treats to follow and I hope more great compliments and happy soldiers!

Take care,

Love Big, Bake Often

Tania