Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

I got this idea from a few different blogs & also, allrecipes.com. It's quite simply a cupcake that has a chunk of chocolate chip cookie dough in the cake. The cookie dough is not cooked all the way so it's kind of doughy still, but not too soft. When the cupcakes are totally cool, the dough becomes firm and fudgy but not cookie like. It's a very versatile and easy recipe. My version used a cake mix. I used a white cake mix and also a chocolate fudge cake mix. I only have photos of the chocolate cupcakes though. I already had frozen chocolate chip cookie dough in the freezer and from all of the different blogs that I read, it's important that the cookie dough is frozen when you place it in the muffin tin along with the cake batter. I was worried about putting too much dough into each cupcake but now I can see that the cupcakes could have benefited from a bit more cookie dough. I made these for my oldest son's birthday party in school. All the kids raved about them and I must admit, they were really really delicious. I used a simple vanilla butter cream to top them.

If you are interested in trying this concoction here are simple instructions:
* make cake mix according to box instructions
* have frozen chocolate chip cookie dough made into tablespoon sized balls (make into balls before freezing). Just use any chocolate chip cookie recipe - leave out eggs if you are uncomfortable with the partially baked cookie dough
* Line muffin tins with paper liners
* Fill muffin tins 2/3 full with cake batter
* Drop a frozen cookie dough ball on top
* Bake until top of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched (toothpick testing does not work because of gooey cookie dough)

When I made the white cupcakes, the contrast between the white cake and the darker cookie dough was really striking and much more noticeable than they chocolate. But both flavors were delicious!