The Hungry Apple

Holiday cooking and baking is in full swing at our house!

Lucky for me I don’t have much of a sweet tooth so neighborhood treats, cookie swaps and office baked goods being constantly passed around aren’t a problem for me and my self control.

If they were passing out appetizers or cheese then this would be a different story.

That’s not to say I don’t like helping other people satisfy their sweet tooth.

When you bite into these babies you’ll find a surprise of cream cheese and chocolate chips waiting for you! The best kind of surprise, don’t you think?

(Warning: don’t be discouraged by the volume of ingredients-i tripled the recipe for mass distribution 🙂 )

You start out by beating cream cheese with a hand mixer

Add eggs and sugar.

Then you fold in chocolate chips. Good so far!

By using a box of cake mix and following their directions you create the keeper of the surprise filling.

I chose gold cupcake liners.

Fill up the liners 2/3 full.  And top with a heaping tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture.

Let cool.

Since these cupcakes don’t have icing they are perfect for individual wrapping.

What is your favorite holiday sweet?

Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Filling

makes 24

Ingredients:

1 box of devils food cake mix

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 cup water

4 eggs (3 for cake and 1 for filling)

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup sugar

1-8 ounce bar of cream cheese, room temperature

Instructions and directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium sized bowl beat room temp cream cheese on medium until smooth. Add one egg and 1/4 cup sugar. Mix with beaters until well combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Set aside.

Wash beaters!

In a large bowl add the cake mix, 3 eggs, oil and water. Beat with hand mixer for two minutes. (A kitchen aid can be used for this step)

Line two 12 cup muffin tins with 24 cupcake liners. Fill liners 2/3 full with cake mix.

Top each with a heaping tablespoon of cream cheese mixture.

Bake for 16-18 minutes. Let cool.