Oreo Cookie Cupcakes

I made these for Jillian's birthday, when Cindy came to visit.  Debbie asked me for the recipe, so here it is: Yum- these are normally done with a white frosting, but I made them purple and pink for Jilly's favorite colors.

Cakes:

24 teaspoons Oreo crumbs

¼ cup water

½ cup buttermilk

½ cup oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream

3 eggs

Devil’s Food Cake Mix

Oreo Buttercream:

8 ounces cream cheese

¼ cup butter

Oreo cream from cookies

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 ½- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk

1 cup Oreo crumbs, sifted

Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 24 muffins tins with cupcake liners

2.    Separate about 24 Oreos. Scrape off the cream centers and set aside for later, and put the cookies in the food processor.  Or if you are a poor college student, put them in a plastic bag to crunch by hand.

3.    Sift the crushed Oreos.  You will need 1 cup sifted cookies for the buttercream, so set that aside, and then add the extra sifted cookies to the larger pieces that did not sift. 

4.    Place 1 teaspoon of larger/extra sifted cookie into the bottom of each cupcake liner.

5.    In a large bowl, use a whisk to combine water, buttermilk, oil, sour cream and vanilla extract. 

6.   One at a time, add the eggs.  Be sure to stir well in between each addition, you do not need to beat the eggs though. 

7.    Slowly add Devil’s food cake mix while stirring.

8.   Fill cupcake liners (with the cookie crumbs on the bottom) ¾ full and bake for 13-18 minutes depending on how hot your oven gets.  The tops should spring back when you touch them.

9.   Place into air tight containers as they cool to seal in moisture. 

10. Oreo Buttercream:  For 5 minutes, beat cream cheese, butter and the Oreo cream centers you scraped off from the Oreos. 

11.   Add vanilla, powdered sugar and heavy cream and let beat again.

12.  Stir in Oreo crumbs and pipe onto cooled cupcakes.