Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough - Topped Cupcakes

Unfortunately, I cannot take credit for this awesome invention. It was forwarded to me by a friend a while back. I haven't made them recently, so I have no pictures to share, but they're pretty easy to imagine. Just picture a regular cupcake topped with cookie dough (also known as heaven). I'm going to include the "original" recipe here, but I also have a cookie dough recipe that does not require any eggs... so for those people concerned about eating raw eggs, see the recipe at the bottom of the post.

(Makes ~6 cupcakes)

Vanilla Cupcakes:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, soften
1 large egg
3/4 cup all purpose flour
~1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup milk
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat together the butter, sugar, and vanilla. Add egg and beat until blended and creamy. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in separate bowl. Gradually add mixtures together, alternately adding milk. Divide equally in 6 cupcake liners in muffin tray. Bake 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool completely.

Cookie Dough Topping (original):

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/4 packed brown sugar

1 tbls. sugar

1/3 beaten egg

1/4 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup chocolate chips

pinch of salt

Beat together butter, sugars, vanilla, and egg until creamy. Add flour and salt; once fully blended, add chocolate chips. Cover and chill 15 minutes. Divide and press flat, then add to cooled cupcakes.

Cookie Dough Topping (sans egg):

(Recipe from "Baking Up Cookies & Love," part of the "Christmas at Home with Mary & Martha" series)

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon water

1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Cream butter and brown sugar. Stir in remaining ingredients; mix well by hand. Press flat, refrigerate until firm.

*Please note: this recipe will yield 40 bite-size balls, so you will have tons left over after making the cupcakes! The good news is that it's created to be eaten raw, so after making enough flattened toppings for your cupcakes, roll the rest into bite-size balls, freeze until firm (about 30 minutes). These stay frozen well, but be sure to take them about about 5 minutes before serving so they can thaw. Just a word of caution: do not throw all the new balls into a ziploc bag, as this will cause them all to mush together. Freeze them separately initially, either on a cookie sheet or even in ice cube trays. Once frozen, they will be able to be put together without too much 'mushing'.

Enjoy!