Almond Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 Betty Crocker™ SuperMoist™ yellow or butter recipe yellow cake mix (and ingredients package calls for)
• 2 cups raw almonds
• 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla paste or extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
• 4 tablespoons milk
• 1 container Betty Crocker™ Rich & Creamy chocolate frosting
• 1/4 package of Pillsbury™ refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough (optional)

Instructions

1 _ Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Make and bake cupcakes according to package directions. Let cool.

2 _ While cupcakes are baking, toast almonds in a skillet for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool.

3 _ Place almonds in a heavy-duty food processor and puree scraping the bowl often. Add milk and oil to help keep things moving. Process until almonds start to form a paste.

4 _ Add brown sugar, salt, vanilla, and almond extract.

5 _ Process until smooth. Add more sugar or milk if necessary. Let cool slightly if warm then stir in mini chocolate chips.


6 _ Chill in refrigerator for 20-30 minutes or until firm.

7 _ Once cupcakes are cool, cut a cylinder shape out of each cupcake and stuff with 1-2 Tablespoons of almond butter. Frost with chocolate frosting. I like to put the frosting in a plastic storage bag and snip off a nickel sized hole in one of the corners to pipe the frosting on in a cone shape.

8 _ Garnish with mini chocolate chips and mini chocolate chip cookies (See tip below).