Here we are for the second installment of the September Cake of the Month, the Oatmeal-Raisin Cookie Cupcake. This recipe also looked pretty simple to execute, and the only unusual ingredient was oat bran, which I happened to already have in the pantry. The main batter came together nicely, and then the batter is divided to create a second, more chunky version that incoporates coconut and more oats. This second batter is used to top the cupcakes - almost like a crumb topping. I prepared everything according to the recipe, except that I used unsweetened coconut instead of sweetened coconut.
I set out to measure the batter into the muffin liners, and this is where my major complaint comes in. The recipe calls for 2.5 tablespoons of the main batter and 1.5 tablespoons of the coconut batter per cupcake. Unless you're lucky enough to have both a 2.5 and 1.5 tablespoon measuring device, this means a whole lot of scooping and measuring! I set about it in assembly line fashion, measuring first 1.5 tablespoons of the main batter, then another 1 tablespoon of this batter, then 1.5 tablespoons of the topping. It seemed like it took forever, and then I had to do it all over again for the second batch!
The cupcakes went into the oven for 20 minutes, and they came out nice and golden on the top. The flavor and texture of these was excellent, and there was no butter swimming pool waiting to surprise me. They did taste a lot like a "cakey" oatmeal raisin cookie. The coconut in the topping batter had toasted and browned while baking, and this was especially yummy - mmmmm, toasted coconut! All in all, I'd say this is an excellent recipe, although the measuring was definitely a bit more tedious than I would have liked. Also, like yesterday's chocolate chunk cookie cupcakes, I have to say that I would call these "muffins" more than "cupcakes", especially since they don't have any frosting. We took these to Brynne's preschool for their snack today, and I hear they went over very well. Stay tuned tomorrow for the final installment of this baking marathon: Peanut Butter Cookie Cupcakes.
You are the cupcake queen!! I will try one of those recipes once I have shed the pounds I took on holiday... lol!
Posted by: Laurence | September 30, 2006 at 09:20 AM