Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Yesterday was my dad's 65th birthday.

{Happy Birthday Daddy!!!}

Since we live two hours away from my parents, we can't always get together on our actual birthdays. This last week before school starts is kicking my bottom (does this happen to anyone else? Slow slow slow days and then BAM! School!), so my parents came to us on Tuesday for my dads' birthday visit.

What would a birthday be without cupcakes?

Um, not a birthday I want to celebrate, thankyouverymuch.

Enter these Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie Dough Cupcakes.

I've talked about how my dad isn't supposed to have sugar and how excited I was to find Pillsbury's sugar-free cake mixes and frostings.  Last time I used the yellow cake mix and chocolate frosting. This time I used the devil's food and vanilla frosting.

Yes, these cupcakes are from a box and a can. BUT they are delicious. You can, of course, use your favorite mix or recipe. (The cookies and cookie dough add another amount of time to the preparation of this cupcake, so I say take your shortcuts where you can find them.)

Let's talk about cookies, shall we?

Because I knew I was going to share these cupcakes and not everyone needs a sugar-free option, I made the same recipe with sugar and with Splenda. This recipe for oatmeal cookies is one I found in a magazine last year  and it calls for Splenda. I wanted to make sure they were okay with sugar. And they were. They tasted awesome.

The Splenda cookies are smaller (I think because Splenda doesn't react with butter like sugar does. The ones made with sugar spread quite a bit.) These oatmeal cookies were very good. They are different from the usual ones I make because they end up crunchy. You'll notice there is coconut in them - but you don't taste it. It just adds texture.

I filled the cupcakes with cookie dough. Could it get any better? I love the fact that you can substitute milk for egg in dough and then eat it without worry. (This could create a real problem for me!) To fill your cupcakes, just cut out a piece of the center and scoop a little cookie dough in.

I added cinnamon to the frosting to give it that oatmeal cookie-like flavor. It added a great flavor to the cupcake. I also discovered my daughter likes cinnamon frosting. A lot.

These cupcakes are dangerous. Because they are from a box, they are light and fluffy and go down easy. Which makes it easy to eat more than one in a sitting. (Not that I'd know or anything.)

I think cookie dough is my new favorite thing. Oh, and oatmeal cookies. These cookies would be great crunched up over ice cream. (Again, not that I'd know or anything.)

Oh, and you know what else is great about birthdays? Gifts. If you're in need of one, don't forget I'm giving one away! The giveaway ends tonight (Friday, August 12th). Be sure to click on over and enter!

Happy Birthday to my wonderful dad. I love you!

(There is a print link embedded at the bottom of this post. Please visit the post to print.)

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie Dough Cupcakes
Ingredients:

24 baked and cooled chocolate cupcakes (from your favorite recipe or a box mix)*

For the Oatmeal Cookie Dough:

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

½ cup sugar*

½ cup flour

½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup old-fashioned oats

1 tablespoon milk (more if needed)

For the Frosting:

2 cans vanilla frosting (or your favorite recipe)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

For the Oatmeal Cookie Toppers:

1 cup old-fashioned oats

¾ cup flour

½ cup shredded natural unsweetened coconut**

¾ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened

¾ cup sugar*

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

*For a sugar-free cupcake, use Pillsbury sugar-free devils food cake mix and substitute all sugar with Splenda (NOT Splenda for baking , which has sugar).

**I found my natural unsweetened coconut in the bulk bin section of Winco. They also have it at Whole Foods. Check the bulk bins in the natural food section of your grocery store. You can substitute more oatmeal if you cannot find the coconut. Or, use sweetened coconut, but cut down on the amount of sugar.

Directions:

For the Cookie Dough:

1.       Mix together oats, flour, and pumpkin pie spice in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.

2.       Cream sugar and butter.  Mix in dry ingredients and add vanilla and 1 tablespoon milk and stir to combine. If needed, add 1 teaspoon more milk until the mixture comes together.

3.       Cut out a small section in the center of each cooled cupcake. Fill with about 1-2 teaspoons of cookie dough. Press into the hole. (You will probably have leftover cookie dough. Go ahead and eat it –it’s egg free! Or mix it in ice cream.)

For the frosting:

Empty the two containers of frosting into a large bowl. Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon and stir. (This can be done with a hand mixer.) Frost cupcakes that have been filled with cookie dough. I like using a #12 tip.

For the Oatmeal Cookie toppers:

1.       Preheat oven to 350°. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2.       Combine oats, flour, coconut, pumpkin pie spice, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Set aside.

3.       Cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. Stir in oat mixture.

4.       Drop equal sized portions onto prepared cookie sheets. Cookies will spread and you don’t want them too big – they need to fit on the cupcake. I used my 1” cookie dough scoop.

5.       Bake 13-15 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking.  Cool completely and place one cookie on each cupcake.

Yield: 30 cookies, 24 cupcakes

Source: Cookie recipe from Family Circle Magazine May 2010

This recipe will be linked with:

Thursday: Sweet Treats Thursday (Something Swanky), Chic-and-Crafty (Frugal Girls). Friday: Sweet Tooth Friday (Alli-n-son). Saturday: Sweets for a Saturday (Sweet as Sugar Cookies). Sunday: A Well-Seasoned Life, Sharing Sunday (Everyday Sisters) Monday: Joy of Desserts, Mingle Monday (Add a Pinch), Muffin Monday (Talking Dollars and Cents)