Cookies & Cream Cupcakes

So part of my Year of the Cupcake resolution is to make lots of cupcake recipes and to share them with the 10 readers I'm sure we'll have eventually. This past weekend, I tried this recipe because TaraH hearts Oreos. It has crushed oreos in the batter and a white-chocolate cream cheese frosting. They are as good as they sound. Just a word of warning - the batter is very very delicious but eating too much of it, not the best idea. That being said, once you start, so very hard to stop.

COOKIES N CREAM CUPCAKES

makes about 18-20 cupcakes

1 and 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup half-and-half or light cream

1 cup coarsely crushed oreos

White-Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

6 oz good quality whit chocolate broken into pieces

3/4 cup cream cheese, softened, cut into pieces

Mini oreos or crushed oreos for decoration

1. Preheat oven to 350'
2. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt together and set aside
3. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and half-and-half or cream and beat until batter is smooth. Fold in crushed cookies.
4. Spoon batter into cupcake papers, filling about 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a tester inserted into center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool.
5. To make the frosting - in a microwave or a double boiler, melt white chocolate until smooth and creamy, just a few minutes. It should be just warm to the touch.
6. Beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add melted chocolate and beat again until smooth. Frost right away before it hardens. Press in crushed cookies or mini oreos.
7. EAT AND ENJOY!!!