October is...

...NATIONAL COOKIE MONTH!!

Can you believe it? Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we have national months for just about everything. This one, though, was just too fun to pass up. National Cookie Month? This must be celebrated appropriately (read: with cupcakes.)

Thankfully Chelsea, a dear friend of mine, had just recently sent me a recipe that she thought I might like: Chocolate Chip Cupcakes (originally from Southern Living but posted on Bake or Break's blog.) Naturally, this would be the optimum time to give the recipe a whirl!

I did make a couple changes, though. To begin with, the recipe noted that it made 3 dozen mini cupcakes. Now, I don't have a thing against mini cupcakes but, when it comes to cupcakes that I make, I prefer to make them standard size. Also, it called for pecans on top but alas there were no pecans to be found in the cupboard last night. Smoked almonds, yes, but I felt that perhaps it would lend the wrong flavor notes to the cupcakes. I dunno, what do you think? Haha. So pecans were out. Next time, though, I'll make sure I've stocked up before cracking this recipe out again. In retrospect, I think they would have been wonderful on top.

Now onto the method. First thing's first: please make sure that your Pandora station is tuned to an appropriate station for singing while baking. I personally prefer my oldies station filled with Chuck Berry, The Temptations, and Ritchie Valens. Wooooohoooo!
Once you've made sure the necessary music is playing for some sweet groovin', it's time to make some sweet goodies!!

1. Start by getting the heat crankin' and preheat your oven to 350°F. Get your pan ready with liners and coat them with cooking spray (a minor itsy-bitsy step that I forgot and only realized when I went to peel the little suckers out of their paper shells. Ooops!!)
   
   
2. Next, CREAM 1/2 c. unsalted butter (softened), 1/3 c. granulated sugar, and 1/3 c. brown sugar.
   
   
3. ADD 1/2 t. vanilla extract and 1 large egg; beat until blended.
   
   For some reason, this is my favorite part of making cooki--er, cupcakes. I love the texture of the dough (batter?) right at this point. Favorite favorite favorite.
   
   
4. ADD 1 c. all-purpose flour, 1/2 t. baking soda, and 1/2 t. salt. Mix until just combined.
   
   
5. SPOON about 1 1/2 TABLESPOONS batter into each cup (tablespoons because we're making standard cupcakes here. If you want minis, follow the recipe and spoon out about 1 1/2 teaspoons.)
   
   
6. BAKE for 12 minutes. I followed the original timing of the recipe (though it was for minis) and this is what mine looked like at 10 minutes:
   
   

While they're baking, make the TOPPING:

1. COMBINE 1/2 c. brown sugar, 1 large egg, 1/8 t. salt.
   
   
2. STIR IN 1/2 c. coarsely chopped pecans, 1 c. miniature semisweet chocolate chips, and 1/2 t. vanilla. I used regular chocolate chips here and omitted the pecans (just because I didn't have them, not because I didn't want them!)
   
   
3. SPOON topping mixture over each cupcake after the first baking, and then BAKE for 8-10 more minutes (again, adjust timing as necessary for standards vs. minis).
   
   

I pulled mine out of the oven after 10 minutes of the second baking. I had a hard time gauging doneness and obviously wasn't completely accurate as there was some gooey-ness in the center. However, I am blessed to be surrounded by people who love gooey cookies so really it was no problem whatsoever.

Henceforth, these shall be known as GOOEY Chocolate Chip COOKIE Cupcakes:

Overall I really liked them. They were dense, moist, and really tasted like a cookie in a cup. I definitely would add pecans next time though they hold their own without. Also, I'll spray the liners before putting in the batter to avoid excessive sticking. They definitely hit the cookie spot!