Cookies vs. Cupcakes

One day I saw a little boy with an Oreo cookie in one hand and a cupcake in the other -- and a little bit of both smeared all over his face. Oh to be a kid again. But, his messy face gave me an idea. How about Oreo cupcakes? What a novel thought. This is my attempt at such a treat. I tried these with a couple versions of frosting but they just didn't have that "center of an Oreo" kind of flavor. Then I remembered a recipe I had found on Real Mom Kitchen for Sugar Cookie Bars. The frosting she used included shortening, and there's GOT to be shortening in that stuff in between the Oreos. So I tried that frosting. It works perfectly with these. So, thanks to Real Mom Kitchen for the frosting recipe for these cupcakes.

Cookies-N-Cream Cupcakes
3/4 C all-purpose flour
3/4 C cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 C unsalted butter, softened
3/4 C granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 C sour cream
2 Tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
5 Oreo-type cookies, broken up

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter; room temp
1/2 cup shortening
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
4 cups powdered sugar
5 Tbsp milk
Crushed Oreo-type cookies

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin pans with paper or foil liners. In small bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt. In large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Beat in eggs, one at a time. On low speed, alternately beat flour mixture and sour cream into the butter/sugar mixture. Begin and end with the flour. Add the milk and vanilla and incorporate well into batter. Fold in cookie pieces.

Divide batter into cupcake tins, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake for 15 minutes. Cupcakes are done when the tops spring back when lightly pressed. Remove cupcakes to a rack and cool completely.

For frosting: Combine butter and shortening until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla and salt. Add powdered sugar in 1-2 cup increments until combined, then add milk & mix until smooth and spreading consistency.

When cupcakes are cooled, spread the frosting on them and then sprinkle tops with cookie crumbs.

Alright, time to come clean... the kid I mentioned at the beginning of this post? Well, it wasn't really a kid kind of kid. It was my 18-year-old.