More Adventures in Baking and Potted Tomato Plants...

I recently hosted book club at my house.  So instead of doing what I normally do, which is buy baked goods at Sam's Club, I decided to save some money and make a dessert myself.  Someone for a bridal shower gift gave me a book called, "500 Cupcakes:  The Only Cupcake Compendium You'll Ever Need."  This person obviously didn't know me at all.  I HATE BAKING!  And this most recent baking adventure didn't do much to change my mind on the topic.  Nevertheless, here are the ingredients, instructions and a photo of the finished product.  It actually turned out well and was a delicious little treat. :)

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

Ingredients:
For Cupcakes
1 cup (2 sticks) sweet butter, softened
1 cup superfine sugar
2 cups self-rising flour
1 tsp. baking powder
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
10 crushed cream-filled chocolate cookies

For Frosting
3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 cup (2 sticks) sweet butter, softened
Pinch of salt
10 chopped cream-filled chocolate cookies

Baking Instructions
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C).  Place 18 foil or paper baking cups in muffin pans
- Combine all the cupcake ingredients, except the cookies, in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and pale (about 2-3 minutes)
-Stir in the cookies
- Spoon the batter into the cups.  Bake for 20 minutes.
-Remove pans from oven and cool for 5 minutes
- Remove the cupcakes and cool on a wire rack
-To make the frosting, beat the confectioners' sugar, butter and salt using a mixer
- Spread frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and sprinkle the chopped cookies on top

The cupcakes can be stored unfrosted in airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.  Makes 1 1/2 dozen

A photo of the finished product. 

In other news:

We had a mini winter here in the middle of September and we had to cover our outside garden with tarps and blankets to save the growing vegetables.  We brought our potted tomato plants inside and they became very spoiled.  More about our adventures in gardening will be in my next post, but for now I leave you with photos of our potted tomato plants hanging out inside during our mini winter.  

Our potted tomato plants hanging out in the corner of our dining room

Our potted tomato plants hanging out in front of one of the windows in our dining room

You can see three small tomatoes growing on our potted tomato plants. :)