Despite winter’s impressive efforts to stay in the game this year, the vernal equinox is almost upon us marking the first official day of spring. I thought this would be a good week to look back on our Westlander Winter of Fun (WWF) and share a briefing of our winter adventures with you – especially since we didn’t really start this blog until half-way through winter.
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I clearly wrote that first bit a few days ago. Now that we’re a few days after the official start of spring and facing a high of 42F topping yesterday’s high of 37F, we’re not really feeling that great spring spirit we were feeling just a few hopeful nights ago. Yes, it will get warmer, and we will dance in the sunshine in shorts and flip flops soon… just not quite soon enough.
So I’m skipping the winter wrap-up until winter really does wrap itself up. For now, enjoy this bit of warm, comforting, amazingness.
Oreo-Peanut-Butter-Chocolate-Chip-Cookie-Cupcakes
Recipe adapted from Tasted.
9-12 Double Stuffed Oreos
~ 2 Tbsp your favorite peanut butter (We used JIF natural creamy.)
1/2 batch chocolate chip cookie dough, prepared (We made a 1/2 recipe from the back of a bag of Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, substituting browned butter for butter.)
Preheat oven to 375F. Prepare a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
Grab out an Oreo and spread a dollop of peanut butter on top of it. Place it, peanut butter side up, in the cupcake tin and top with another Oreo. Quickly realize you will never fit cookie dough on top of two double stuffed Oreos. Remove Oreo peanut butter sandwich and eat it.
Grab out another Oreo. Twist it open gently. Spread a dollop of peanut butter on the inside. Gently sandwich back together and place in the cupcake tin. Do this with the first 6 Oreos.
Now take a good spoonful/handful of your cookie dough and mold it a bit into a slightly flattened ball. If you’re like me, you probably grabbed too little dough, thinking of cookies, and not of filling the spaces in the cupcake tin cup. Grab some more. You’ll really need a fistful of dough. Honestly, you should be a bit appalled at how much dough you use in each cup. That’s better. Place that on top of the Oreo in the cupcake tin. Repeat for the next 5. Assess how much cookie dough you have left, and prepare 3-6 more Oreos accordingly. Top with the remaining cookie dough.
Bake at 375F for 15-20 min. Cookie tops should be mostly golden when done. Cool in the pan for 5-10 min and then remove and place on a rack to cool.
We especially enjoy these warm with a tall glass of milk.
But a word to the wise – remember that fistful of cookie dough you used in each one?… that left you a bit appalled? These are delicious but large! Pace yourself.