Cupcasms

For some odd reason, every time Candice and I are in LH#2, we end up having the most interesting discussions. The time I'm thinking of right now includes oocytes and embryology with some inventive vocabulary of our own based upon a story about knitting and yarn-gasms. Yes, I realize it sounds vaguely indecent, but between cupcake and cupgasm, which induces a sense of greater fulfillment and joy upon consumption?

Exactly. So without further ado, I present to you the cupcasm that has been on my mind for days on end.
Oreo Cupcake with Oreo Frosting

2 packages of Oreos (I used regular Oreos)

*the cake batter I used made an amazingly light cake but because of that the batter was too thin to keep the Oreo from floating to the top of the cupcake. If you want the sandwich cookie on the bottom of the cupcake liner, choose a denser cake batter.

Hershey's Chocolate Cake
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup boiling water

Oreo Cream Cheese Frosting
1 - 8-oz package cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar, plus extra if needed
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Quick Fix Frosting
1 can of prepared vanilla frosting

Preparation of Cake
Combine sugar, cocoa, both leavening agents (baking soda/powder), salt and flour in a large bowl. Mix to incorporate all the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine oil, eggs, milk and vanilla. Stir to beat up the eggs and mix everything together. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until mostly combined. Pour in a cup of boiling water and stir quickly to incorporate. The batter will look very thin but the hot water begins the action of cooking some of the gluten and helps to produce a light soft cake.

Assembly
Line two muffin pans with cupcake liners and place an oreo in the bottom of each liner. You'll need about 30 oreos. If you don't have extra muffin pans, just line and fill as you go. Pour the batter over the oreos, filling the cupcake liner 1/2 to 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until done. This particular cake batter is a little thin so the oreo will rise to the top of the cupcake as it bakes so if you want the sandwich cookie to remain as the base of the cupcake, use a thicker batter to hold the cookie down.Frosting Preparation
Beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add 1 cup of powdered sugar and milk, beating until well incorporated and no lumps remain. Add the second cup of powdered sugar and vanillia, mixing well again. If the consistency is too thin, add more powdered sugar. If too thick, add a little more milk.
Fill a ziploc bag with oreos, starting with half a package. Using a rolling pin or a mallet, crush the cookies into small pieces. Add into the cream cheese frosting and stir together. Frost the cupcakes with about 2 tbs of frosting.Frosting Cheat
So this is not the first time I have ever used prepared, canned frosting and neither will it be the last. And I am not ashamed to admit that I have a soft spot in my heart for overly sweet vanilla flavored concoctions. As with above, crush some oreos and add them into the frosting. If you like, add a little extra something (whiskey perhaps?) to keep the frosting from getting too hard. ;)

*Here's the cupcake cut in half...
Oreo... cake... frosting... it doesn't get any better...

O is for Oreo, and my Open mouth

It was a rainy Emancipation Day on the island. It was meant to be... stir-fried noodles, chocolate dipped everything, cream cheese and nachos in an amazing townhouse.

Have I set the scene yet? ^_^

Good. Now imagine... in a fit of controlled crushing, we turned a package of regular Oreos into fine pieces of chocolate crumbles. But it's not the end. The pièce de résistance was the addition of a block of softened cream cheese to tie the entire recipe together. It was no surprise that the first batch of Oreo truffles disappeared in the span of a day (maybe two...) and prompted the purchase of another bag.Why, you ask? Because they're good. Is there any other reason for buying chocolate cookies sandwiching sweet cream in between them?

So, a few days later, in another neurotic compulsion to do something with my hands, I filled a gallon sized ziploc with a 16 oz package of Oreos, half a dozen Ferrero Rocher chocolates and half a dozen Ferrero Rondnoir and proceeded to smash them into bits. I must say, it was quite a satisfying procedure. ^_^ But for those who require a bit more instruction, here's the recipe.

Oreo Truffles
1 - 16.6 oz package of Oreos (regular, mint, fudgies, chocolate, whichever you like)
1 - 8 oz block of cream cheese
a dash of vanilla, mint, almond extract - whatever flavor you like
(If you were feeling a little overwhelmed with the amount of chocolate you have stashed away, like yours truly, a handful of Ferrero Rochers crush up wonderfully)
1 - 12 oz bag of chocolate chips (milk, semi-sweet, dark, white, or any combination)

So taking the entire bag of Oreos, empty the cookies into a gallon sized Ziploc bag and close it. This is your opportunity to work out a bit of that stress you feel. If you're adding in chocolate candies, this is the time to add them in (the hazelnuts in the centers crush up just as easily). If you have more technology at your fingertips, feel free to pulse them into oblivion using your handy-dandy food processor.

Transfer the cookie crumbles into a large bowl and add the block of softened cream cheese. Now taking a fork, your bare hands, (a potato masher works amazingly!) combine everything together. Don't forget to sneak a taste. ^_^ When everything is incorporated, add the extract of your choice if you have it on hand and mix.To form the truffles, take a small ice cream scoop or a tablespoon measure and make a mounding ball, dropping the finished truffle onto a parchment or foil lined sheet pan. Repeat until all of the mixture is used up. Place in the fridge to cool and harden while you melt the chocolate in the microwave or double boiler. The freezer is a quickie way to get the truffles cool and hard enough to dip without falling apart into the melted chocolate. Granted, it just means more for the baker. ;)

Taking the truffles, dip them one by one into the chocolate, coating them completely before returning them to the sheet pan. When all of them have been coated, return to the fridge or freezer until the chocolate has set up again. Then... munch!The hard chocolate coating compliments the soft, melt in your mouth texture of the truffle. Now, I'm a purist and have made chocolate truffles from scratch but there's a time and place for everything and these Oreo truffles balls are perfect for rainy days, mocha colored puppies and good times with friends on a tropical island.