Cookies and Cream Cheese Cupcakes!

When I feel like the world is being too cruel, I drop everything I do, take out my apron and head straight to the kitchen. There are a lot of people who take out a cigarette and puff the frustration away. Some call their friends and beg for a drinking spree. But me, I take out my stand mixer and bake.

Baking really does so many magical things in my universe. It fixes, mends and heals my broken heart (being heart broken does not only imply the romantic kind, one must remember that). It makes my frown turn upside down. There is a great satisfaction, one that cannot be put into words, when my end product makes someone contented and full. Seeing all these process strips me of my confusions, emotional rants in life. :)

My brother financed my baking needs this weekend. I had a Php 1,000.00 (roughly $21.00) budget. I wanted to bake something not too sweet, because my brother is not fond of too sweet desserts. I instantly thought of Martha Stewart when I knew I CANNOT SCREW UP BAKING because it's not my money on the line here. What do we expect from Martha Stewart recipes? Standard greatness. It is like you're a big fool if you mess up the recipe. Imagine this is my first time try the Cookies and Cream Cheese Cupcake recipe and the outcome was divine!!

For the people interested in viewing the recipe and procedure, I got the recipe here.

Strangely enough, American Heritage cream cheese is cheaper than a local brand called Magnolia. Magnolia, for me, is not up to my standard when it comes to baking. I was pleased to find out that American Heritage, although cheaper than Magnolia and Philadelphia Cheese, tastes so good. Good that I tried it together with Philadelphia because they almost taste the same. They also are similar texture wise. People on budget, go for American Heritage. It has my stamp of approval.

A whole Oreo as a bottom crust? Hell yes!

The cupcakes will rise and will fall/deflate once you take them out of the oven. It's normal, don't panic. :)

I cheated :( You are supposed to refrigerate the cupcakes for 4 hours before serving them. I took a little bite because, come on, can you help NOT to take a bite of that luscious cupcake?! You tell me.

After four hours in the fridge, they finally set. The Oreo filling is pink because I used the strawberry flavored Oreos! :) Nice combo for the cheesecake, too!

I hope everyone had a stress-free Monday!

or

I hope everyone will have a stress-free Monday (for those readers continents apart from mine) (*.*,)

P.S. Aside from the pretty cupcakes, here, another pretty dress. The thing with  pretty dresses (like pretty cupcakes) is that it almost feels like a sin to wear them (or eat them, in the case of cupcakes).