Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Stuffed Cupcakes

Okay, okay, this doesn't exactly thrust me to the summit of the healthful eating mountain, but I nearly fell off the treadmill when I read this. Yes, I read a cupcake recipe at the gym...and I, eh hem, don't feel too badly about it. Since we're not a huge dessert family to begin with, I'm going to claim the rule of moderation. When you see something like this, you have to at least try it, right?

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Stuffed Cupcakes

They've replaced wedding cakes and some bakeries exclusively sell them -- cupcakes are not just a childhood classic anymore. But, for dessert connoisseurs who may think cupcakes are just buttercream and sprinkles, we've got the recipe for you. We've searched high and low and have come up with this 'grown up' version -- so stop what you are doing and make these!

Ingredients:

• 3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 1½ cups light brown sugar, packed

• 4 large eggs

• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp. baking powder

• 1 tsp. baking soda

• ¼ tsp. salt

• 1 cup milk

• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

• 1 cup chocolate chips

• Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and brown sugar. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

• Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir together to blend. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl on low speed, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Blend in the vanilla. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula and mix by hand.

• Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the filling:

• 4 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 6 tbsp. light brown sugar, packed

• 1 cup plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour

• 7 oz. sweetened condensed milk

• ½ tsp. vanilla extract

• ¼ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

•To make the cookie dough filling, combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the flour, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla until incorporated and smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips.

• To fill the cupcakes, cut a cone-shaped portion out of the center of each cupcake. Fill each hole with a chunk of the chilled cookie dough mixture. You can be generous with the cookie dough mixture.

For the frosting:

• 3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

• ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed

• 3½ cups confectioners’ sugar

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• ¾ tsp. salt

• 3 tbsp. milk

• 2½ tsp. vanilla extract

• To make the frosting, beat together the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until creamy. Mix in the confectioners sugar until smooth. Beat in the flour and salt. Mix in the milk and vanilla extract until smooth and well blended.

• Frost the filled cupcakes as desired, sprinkling with mini chocolate chips and topping with mini chocolate chip cookies for decoration.

For decoration:

• Tiny chocolate chip cookies

• Mini chocolate chips

Kris Schoels is the author of Young Married Chic -- a blog devoted to baking, fashion, home decor and travel.

I wish I knew then....

I've said before, my second daughter is a "spirited child". Actually, they all are, but second is the most text book version. For a complete picture of what a spirited child is, read "Raising Your Spirited Child: A Guide for Parents Whose Child is More Intense, Sensitive, Perceptive, Persistent, Energetic" by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka

With spirited children, every day is a challenge, but some phases tend to be a bit harder. We're going through some of that now.

As I was sitting here reflecting, praying and refining my game plan, I had to chuckle to myself at my very first memory of her.....

I was in labor and awake for approximately 48 hours before she blessed the world with her presence. Let me be clear. NO sleep and in pain for TWO whole days. To say I was tired would be the understatement of the century.

I'm not really the type to send my fresh, newborn baby to the nursery by choice, but in this case, if I didn't get a solid couple of hours of sleep I was afraid of what might happen. So, after welcoming her into the world and feeding her, I asked the nurses to take her to the nursery and promptly passed out.

A couple of hours later, a nurse came into my room and woke me from the deepest sleep known to man and said "Mom, she's not having it. She's been screaming since she got to the nursery and there's nothing we can do to console her. She wants to be with you." Let me tell you, this is NOT what I wanted to hear from my coma-like state. She then re-swaddled my newborn and laid her in bed next to me. She instantly snuggled into me and fell asleep like she didn't have a care in the world. The two of us slept there together like rocks for the next five hours when we woke up famished.

What I didn't realize at the time and have grown to know about her, is that this was her personality in all it's glory from day one. She let us know who she was from her first breath.

She's a girl who wants it her way or no way at all. She's a girl who will make loud demands and argue with anyone who stands in her way. If she sets her mind to it, she can move mountains. She has strong opinions and is tough, is persistent and relentless - all qualities present in the most wonderful adults I know.

But most importantly, she's a girl who with just a little bit of love, attention and affection, can be the most endearing, sweet and heart-melting human being I've ever known.