you will need: (to make 12 cupcakes)
12 cupcake cases and a cupcake tray (obviously)
150g caster sugar
60g unsalted butter (room temp)
1 egg
150g plain flour
120ml buttermilk (I NEVER buy buttermilk I simply add a dash of lemon juice to regular milk and wait 5mins for it to curdle slightly...it's exactly the same so don't waste your money)
A large glug of vanilla extract
15-25g of cocoa powder (depending on how big your glug of vanilla extract is)
A large squirt of red food colouring
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
Dash of white wine vinegar (yes...really!)
For the frosting & decoration:
300g sifted icing sugar
50g unsalted butter (still at room temp)
125-200g cream cheese (Depending on how creamy you like the frosting...I usually just whack a 200g tub full in..also I use Philadelphia but I'm presuming any cream cheese will do)
Squirt of blue food colouring
2 packets white chocolate buttons (1 would probably be enough but of course you end up eating afew as the obligotory 'cooks treat!')
12 oreo cookies
chocolate chips or chocolate icing in tube
OK, First things first set your oven to 200 and whilst its heating up whisk together the sugar and the butter, then add the egg and whisk until everything is all mixed in nicely, next pour in abit of the buttermilk and whisk, then abit of the flour and whisk (keep doing this until everything has been added) now in a seperate bowl mix the cocoa powder, vanilla extract and red food colouring together until its a paste like consistency...if its too dry add more of the wet stuff...if too wet...add more cocoa powder...simples! Once it's a paste add it to the other bowl of mixed ingredients and whisk until you get a smooth dark red cupcake mix, Now throw in the salt, then Bicarb of soda and finally add the vinegar and watch it fizzle, Whisk the last 3 ingredients into the mix until well blended (no-one wants a completely salty cupcake-urgh)
Now spoon the mixture into the cases and pop into the oven for about 20-25mins, I never time it properly...just keep checking them, If you think they might be done poke a (clean) knife or a skewer if you have any into a cupcake and if it comes out clean then they're ready, if it has mixture on it then they need a little longer...
Once done, take out of the oven and cool,
Whilst cooling mix/whisk together the icing sugar, butter and cream cheese until a smooth utterly delicious frosting (I know 'frosting' is a very American word but it really deserves a more extravagant name than boring 'icing') Finally add the blue food colouring and whisk, adding more food colouring if you wish until you have your desired Sesame street 'cookie monster' shade of blue,
Now using a sharp knife cut a small slit in the cooled cupcakes about a third of the way up and shove a cookie in there so half of it is still visable, now 'frost' your cupcake....you can use a piping bag with attachment if you wish..OR...like me, spoon the mixture into a sealable plastic sandwich bag and cut a small corner off, seal, then squeeze the frosting out...this saves on washing up (as when your done you just throw the sandwich bag away) and is also cheaper than buying the proper icing bags..nifty hey?!
Finally, your cookie monster needs eyes, for each cupcake stick 2 white chocolate buttons in the rough eye position and either stick the chocolate chips on with abit of jam/honey/any sticky food based products you may have or if, like me , you prefer the easier option..just squirt abit of the already made chocolate icing on as eyeballs....
....ET VOILA!!!!!! your very own red velvet cookie monster! NOM NOM NOM!
note: if you just want a regular (but still fricking delicious red velvet) cupcake forget the blue food colouring, cookies and white chocolate buttons part of this recipe
Px
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