Cookies ‘n cream cuppies

Note to self: go buy another Wilton cupcake pan. That other one sucks and totally ruined 9 potentially perfect cuppies.

I’m learning that I need to trust my instincts more often. I thought it was extremely odd that the recipe asked me to cream the butter with milk. Creaming, by general definition, is beating together butter (or shortening) with sugar until it’s light and fluffy. Now, I’ve never gone to pastry school or anything, but it struck me as very odd that I would be asked to cream butter with milk, and then, several steps later, STIR in the sugar. But the recipe said to…so I tried…and then got irritated, threw out the lumpy butter/milk mixture and started over. I creamed the butter and sugar together, added the vanilla and then decided whoever wrote this recipe was on crack.

Flour is the protein of a recipe, and if you overbeat the protein, your end product will be dense and disappointing. I have learned, from the one baking class I took, that you should always add your flour last and only mix until fully integrated. So why on earth did the recipe ask me to add the flour, beat for 2 minutes, then add egg whites (which you usually beat separately and then fold in) and beat for two more minutes????

I said screw it. I added the whites next, beat them with the sugar and butter for two minutes, and then added my flour mixture. Since this is the first time I’ve ever make cookies ‘n cream cupcakes, I don’t have anything to compare the end result to, but I’d say my way came out pretty tasty. I wasn’t a huge fan of the icing recipe I used, but all in all, I’m satisfied with the result. Oh, and another note to self: next time you pipe the icing on the cuppies, double the icing recipe. I only got to ice three cuppies my way before having to just slather a little on the top to get them all iced with what I had.

Here’s the end result:

Oreos + cupcake + icing = happy birthday!

I hope the birthday girl enjoys her treat! Isn’t that cupcake box adorable? I just love it - I hope she loves it, too. Happy Birthday, Amanda!

Oh, and I know my photography skills suck. Leave me alone. It’s hard enough learning to ignore recipes!

SassyCakes, out!