Cupcakes & Cookies

We had a baptismal celebration for my daughter this past weekend and instead of a cake, I wanted to make cupcakes. I also made some homemade chocolate chip/m&m cookies for our guests to take home. Those package boxes are actually Martha Stewart brand. The boxes came with a Cakey Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. It came in a set of 6 boxes, wax paper and labels. It costs about $13 each. I bought 2, but I used my 50% off coupons so I had a really good deal at Michaels. 

Ingredients

Makes about 3 dozen
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (about 12 ounces) semisweet and/or milk chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter with both sugars; beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low; add the salt, vanilla, and eggs. Beat until well mixed, about 1 minute. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
   
2. Drop heaping tablespoon-size balls of dough about 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
   
3. Bake until cookies are golden around the edges and set in the center, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool on baking sheet 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.
   **I used 1 cup of mini chocolate morsels and 1 cup of mini M&M's because I had them onhand I wanted to use them.
   

Cookie dough.

Ready for the oven.


In the pretty boxes.

Homemade with love=)

Now time for the cupcakes!

For the cupcakes I just used the Duncan Hines Devils Foodcake mix because I like the way it tastes and its really moist. I got the ganache frosting recipe from FoodNetwork. Its basically just 

8 oz semi sweet chocolate

3/4 cup of hot heavy cream

Cut up your chocolate so its easier and faster to melt. Put it inside a heatproof bowl. Cook heavy cream until it comes up to a small boil. When thats done, pour the hot milk into the chocolate and stir. Do not add lots of air when your mixing the ganache. When its well combined, let it sit and thicken a little bit. I'd say about 1/2 an hour. Coat your cupcakes by dipping the tops and set it down for a minute or 2 before adding your decorations. 

I used pink m&m's which I got from Target. They normally don't have pink colored m&m's in the regular bag, but it's Breast Cancer Awareness Month and they had it on special. I used ready made white cookie icing that came from a squeeze tube. I'm sure I got it at Michaels.