Ingredients:
- Chocolate Cookies
- 1/2 cup (110g) unsalted butter, room temp
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup (50g) dark cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 – 1 3/4 cups (190g – 220g) all-purpose flour
- Brownie Cupcakes
- 1/2 cup (110g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup (65g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (20g) dark cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Chocolate Buttercream
- 1 cup (220g) unsalted butter, room temp
- 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup (50g) dark cocoa powder
- 3–4 tbsp milk
- Decoration
- 2 Cups powdered sugar
- 1 Cup Milk
- Gold and White Pearl Sprinkles
Preparation:
Time: 1 hour and 20 mins
Yield: 12 cupcakes
Make the Chocolate Cookies Cupcake Toppers
- Cream together the butter, sugar, and salt using a hand or stand mixer with the paddle attachment. The mix in the egg.
- Once smooth, add in the cocoa powder and 1 1/2 cups of flour. Mix until it forms a dough that’s moldable but not sticky, and it will look like the dough is too dry and won’t come together but just keep mixing until all the flour is absorbed. Take a chunk and press it between your fingers. If it holds together and doesn’t stick, it’s ready. If it’s still too wet, add in another 1/4 cup of flour.
- Lay out a sheet of plastic wrap and add the dough to the center. Press it into a disk about 1 inch thick and wrap it up tightly. Chill for about 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface to roughly 1/8 of an inch thick. Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, stamp out the cookies and lay them on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You should get about 18 cookies. Chill the cookies in the refrigerator while you make the cupcake batter.
Make the Brownie Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350F and coat a cupcake tin with nonstick spray. Then cut tiny strips of parchment paper and press them into each cup in a crisscross formation. This will prevent the brownies from sticking and make it much easier to release them from the pan later on.
- In a large heat-safe bowl, combine the chocolate and butter. Heat in the microwave in 30-second intervals until smooth and melted (it shouldn’t take more than 60 seconds total).
- Allow the mixture to cool as you whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl off to the side.
- Returning to the butter and chocolate, whisk in the sugar, vanilla, and eggs one at a time. Once smooth, fold in the dry ingredients using a rubber spatula. Don’t overmix.
- Scoop the batter into the cupcake tin, filling each about half full (using up all the batter).
- Take the cookies out of the fridge and bake both the cupcakes and cookies at the same time (if your oven isn’t large enough, you can bake the two separately starting with the cupcakes). The cupcakes will bake for 20-25 minutes, and the cookies for about 15 minutes. So pull the cookies, then continue to bake the cupcakes.
- The cookies should be dull on the surface and the cupcakes will be puffed in the center. Allow the two to cool completely before assembling.
