Oreo Cupcakes

Ingredients

• Makes 24 cupcakes

Oreo Cupcakes

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 egg whites, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 1/4 cups Oreo crumbs
• *Note you can buy a box of Oreo cookie crumbs
• Or you can make your own, this amount will take about 10 cookies

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

• 1 cup butter, at room temperature
• 3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 Tablespoons milk or heavy cream
• 1/2 cup Oreo cookie crumbs

Garnish

• 24 mini Oreo cookies
• 1/2 cup Oreo crumbs

Garnish

• 24 mini Oreo cookies
• 1/2 cup Oreo crumbs
• (Makes 24 cupcakes)

Directions

Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F.
2. Line two 12-muffin cup tin with paper liners.
3. If you are making the Oreo cookie crumbs, put the enough cookies in a plastic bag, for the cupcakes, frosting and garnish and using a rolling pin, roll over the cookies to crush and make the crumbs. Total needed is 2 1/4 cups of crumbs.
4. Once you have enough crumbs made, set aside.

Cupcakes

1. In a medium size bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
2. In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the sugar and the butter until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla extract.
3. Add egg whites one at a time beating in and making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next.
4. Working in increments, add the flour mixture and the milk into the sugar mixture a little at a time, mixing in to incorporate.
5. Start and end with the flour mixture, keeping the mixer on low speed.
6. Stir in 1 1/4 cups of the crushed Oreo crumbs.
7. Spoon batter evenly into muffin tins, filling each about 2/3 full.
8. Place the muffin tins into the oven using only the center rack and putting the muffin pans side by side so they cook evenly.
9. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. There may be a few cookie crumbs on the toothpick, which is fine and will give you moist cupcakes.
10. Remove from the oven and place the muffin pans onto cooling racks. Once they have cooled for 10 minutes, remove the cupcakes from the tins onto the racks.
11. Cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

1. Place the butter into a mixing bowl and cream the butter for a few minutes using an electric mixer on medium speed.
2. Sift 3 cups confectioners’ sugar and 1/2 cup cocoa into the creamed butter.
3. Mix on low until well incorporated and creamy.
4. Add vanilla extract, salt, and milk or cream and beat for 3 minutes on medium speed. Add the 1/2 cup of oreo cookie crumbs and mix in.
5. Notes: To thicken the consistency, add a little more confectioners’ sugar.
6. To thin the consistency, add additional milk 1 tablespoon at a time.

Assembly

1. Put the frosting into a piping bag and pipe onto the cupcakes.
2. Pat the garnish Oreo crumbs around the outside edges of the frosted cupcakes and put a mini oreo cookie on top of each.
3. Cupcakes can be stored in a airtight container in the refrigerator for several days.