Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 24 Oreos
• 16 Oreos, chopped into small pieces, almost bits or pebble size
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large egg whites
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 12 Oreos, chopped into halves, for garnish, optional
• 1 recipe Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows
• 10 Tbsp butter, firm but not cold
• 10 oz. cream cheese, cold
• 2 1 /2 Tbsp sour cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 5 cups powdered sugar

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Add 24 paper muffin cups to 2 muffin tins. Use a sharp knife to separate 24 Oreos into halves, keeping the cream attached to 1 side; save the sides without filling for crushing and sprinkling over the frosted cupcakes. Set 1 Oreo half in the bottom of each paper cup with the cream facing up, and set the pans aside.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl, then set it aside. In a separate large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric hand mixer set to medium speed until the mixture looks lighter and fluffy, about 3 – 4 minutes. Beat in the egg whites 1 at a time, blending well after each addition. In a liquid measuring cup, measure 3/4 cup milk, then whisk in the sour cream and vanilla.
3. In 2 separate batches, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture first, followed by the milk mixture, stopping as soon as each addition is incorporated. Fold in 16 chopped Oreos. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, spooning it over the Oreo halves and filling each cup about 2/3 full. Bake for about 23 – 26 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let the cupcakes sit in the pans for 5 minutes, then move them onto a wire rack until completely cool.
4. When the cupcakes are fully cool, frost them with Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting. Finely crush about 1/2 of the cookie sides that have no filling and sprinkle them over the cupcakes, then garnish with the optional cookie halves; the remaining 12 cookie halves can be used for this. Store the cupcakes in an airtight container.