1.5 cups vanilla sugar (I make my own which allows for large quantity use:)
3 large eggs
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ tablespoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cups half and half
1 tablespoons pure vanilla extract (preferably homemade, see link)
1 vanilla bean, scraped
FOR THE OREO BUTTERCREAM
1 pound room temperature butter
8 cups powdered sugar
1 pint heavy cream (so you know it’s good ;b)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
15 crushed Oreo cookies (I used a food processor to get nice fine crumbs)
Preparation Instructions
FOR THE CUPCAKES
Preheat your oven to 375˚. Place muffin liners in the cups of a muffin tray and stick an Oreo in each cup, set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5 to 6 minutes.
Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until creamy, occasionally scraping down sides of the bowl using a spatula.
In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a small bowl, mix together cream and vanilla and vanilla seeds.
With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture, alternating with cream mixture, beginning and ending with flour; beat until just combined.
Divide batter into the muffin cups so that each cup is about ¾ of the way full.
Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes and then remove from the pan and cool the rest of the way on a wire rack.
FOR THE OREO BUTTERCREAM
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the soft butter for 7 minutes on high. Time it. This is what gives it that ice cream flavor so don’t cut it short.
Once the butter is all creamy and beaten slow the mixer down to low and add in the powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and creamy again.
Add the cream gradually, a couple tablespoons at a time while keeping the mixer on low. Keep adding until the frosting is a pipe-able consistency. Then add the vanilla.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and add the crushed cookies, fold in with a spatula just until combined (if you mix to much you frosting will turn black! So be careful)
TO ASSEMBLE
Pipe frosting onto each cupcake and serve!
Recipe by Foods of Our Lives at https://www.foodsofourlives.com/2013/02/cookies-and-cream-cupcakes/