This is kind of funny.

In unaccented English I am here to tell you that these cupcakes are kind of good, especially if you like chocolate chips. I thought the dough inside would be thicker, so if I made them again I might double the cookie dough quantity. Still looked cute and tasted great with hardly any effort.

Chocolate Chip Lover’s Cupcakes

Ingredients for cupcakes:

1 package (18-1/4 ounces) white cake mix
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Ingredients for buttercream icing:

Note: I doubled the quantities because I like to pipe the icing high

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
4-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
4 tablespoons milk, divided
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup baking cocoa
18 miniature chocolate chip cookies

Directions:

1. Prepare cake batter according to package directions; set aside.

2. For filling, in a small bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in flour and confectioners’ sugar until blended. Fold in chocolate chips.

3. Fill 18 paper-lined muffin cups half full with cake batter. Drop filling by tablespoonfuls into the center of each; cover with remaining batter.

4. Bake at 350°F for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

5. For icing, in a large bowl, cream the butter, shortening and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Beat in 3 tablespoons milk and vanilla until creamy. Set aside 1 cup icing; frost cupcakes with remaining icing.

6. Stir baking cocoa and remaining milk into reserved frosting (I didn’t mix them completely so that I would have a bit of white in the chocolate just because I liked the way it looks).

7. Cut a small hole in a corner of a plastic bag or use a pastry bag; insert star tip. Fill bag with chocolate frosting. Pipe a rosette on top of each cupcake; garnish with a cookie.

Yield: 1-1/2 dozen

Recipe from Taste Of Home Magazine

Open Swimmer are a new Glasgow band that describes their musical genre as ‘Sneaky’. They cite as band interests ‘laughing and crying’.

I knew I was going to like these guys and gal.

I first heard Open Swimmer on a Glasgow PodcART Podcast. Instantly caught my attention. Make sure to listen to the song Sugar Bowl at the Soundcloud link below.

I love this video. I love the stripped down feel of the song, Ben TD’s smooth voice, the drum rhythm and those catchy back up vocals.

Check out Open Swimmer on their Website, Soundcloud and Facebook. The band’s EP will be available on iTunes and Bandcamp on January 23rd.

If you are lucky enough to live in Glasgow, Open Swimmer will be playing at King Tut’s on January 17th. They’ll be giving away free copies of the EP.

Cheers!