Brownie Cupcakes with Cookie Dough Frosting

Cookbook in the house!!!  (or I should say BABIES in the house!!!)

We made up two desserts tonight at cookbook!  Ordered up some Jimmy Johns so we could bake the desserts while we ate, and watched the little ones "play" with one another!

These cupcakes were really good; but uber rich chocolate!  I'm not a fan of chocolate, but I did LOVE the cookie dough frosting (and I didn't feel guilty eating it because there wasn't raw eggs in it!)

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

3/4 cup butter, melted

2 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons milk

Cookie Dough Frosting

10 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon molasses

2-3 tablespoons cream or half and half

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt, set aside. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, light-brown sugar and cocoa powder. Pour in melted butter and use a wood spoon to stir until combine. Mix in eggs and vanilla extract. Stir in milk. Add dry ingredients and mix just until combine (batter will be thick).

Divide batter among 12 paper lined muffin cups filling each about 2/3 full (about 1/4 cup batter in each). Bake in preheated oven 16 - 20 minutes (lesser for gooier brownies). Allow to cool in muffin tin several minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Cool completely then frost with Cookie Dough Frosting. Store in an airtight container.

Cookie Dough Frosting

In a mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer, whip together butter and light-brown sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 - 4 minutes. Mix in flour then add powdered sugar, vanilla, molasses and 2 Tbsp cream and blend together until smooth adding an additional 1 Tbsp of cream to thin if desired. Fold in chocolate chips.

Note that if you want a pipe-able frosting you will have to leave the chocolate chips out then simply add some of them to the top for garnish, otherwise they'll just get clogged in the piping tips.