Cookie Dough Cupcakes

The overcast day today put me in a baking mood. These cupcakes turned out GREAT. (I just taste-tested one a few minutes ago.) The picture on the recipe showed a chocolate cake mix, but the actual recipe called for yellow. I've been on a chocolate kick lately (brownies, double chocolate oatmeal cookies . . .mmm), so I decided give my family a break from the usual.
Store bought cookie dough would work great, too. I ended up with four extra cookie dough balls. I am sure David will find a use for those. He LOVES cookie dough.
Give yourself a little time to make these. The cookie dough balls need about 2 hours to freeze.

Cookie Dough Cupcakes

(Cookie Dough)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Beat the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Add 1 egg and the vanilla extract and beat until smooth. Mix in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips; mixing just enough to evenly combine. Form the dough into tablespoon-sized balls; place onto a baking sheet, and freeze until solid, about 2 hours.

(Cake)
1 (18.25 ounce) box yellow cake mix
1 1/3 cups water
1/3 cup canola oil
3 eggs

Preheat an oven to 350. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
Beat 3 eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Add the cake mix, water, and canola oil; continue beating for 2 minutes on medium speed. Spoon into the prepared cupcake liners, filling each 2/3 full. Place a frozen cookie dough ball on the top center of each cupcake.
Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the cake portion of the cupcake (not the cookie dough ball) comes clean, about 20 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.