HOSTESS CUPCAKE COOKIES

Hostess Cupcake Cookies are a fun twist on the classic chocolate cupcakes with cream filling and chocolate ganache. These cookies have all the flavors of the iconic snack cake, but in cookie form!

HOSTESS CUPCAKE COOKIES

You know those delicious chocolate snack cakes filled with rich frosting and topped with a white squiggle? These cookies taste just like them and they look similar too! The chocolate cookies are soft and chewy. A fluffy, marshmallow buttercream frosting is made to spread on top of the cookies and the next layer is a delightful chocolate ganache. Melt some white chocolate so that you can pipe the white squiggle on top!

MY FAVORITE COOKIE MAKING TIPS:

• Three kitchen items make these cookies come together really fast. I actually use these items in nearly every cookie recipe I make, so they’re quite versatile. First, I line my cookie sheets with a piece of parchment paper. They’re sold in sizes that fit a 12×16 cookie sheet perfectly and enable to cookies to bake well without sticking- and no mess from spraying oil on the cookie sheets!
• The second item is a KitchenAid mixer. I love mine! I have a Bosch as well but I find I use my KitchenAid for cookies. There is a cookie paddle that comes with every mixer that you attach to the top of the mixer. They’re easy to use and help you mix the ingredients uniformly. I also use the metal whisk attachment in this recipe to make the frosting. It whips it up super fast! Add this to your wish list because it’s one of my all-time used small appliances ever!
• The third item is a cookie scoop! Years and years ago I used to use 2 spoons to measure and scrape cookie dough onto the pans. It wasn’t a perfect process and I often ended up with oblong cookies in various sizes. A friend of mine brought cookies to a party and I noticed each and every one of her cookies looked PERFECT. Her secret? A cookie scoop! They come in three sizes- 1/2 tablespoon, 1.5 tablespoon and 3 tablespoon scoops. I used the middle size- 1.5 tablespoon for these cookies. (Although when I’m serving a large crowd, I use the small cookie scoop. People love having a smaller cookie, especially at an event with several other desserts.)

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST COOKIES

• Make sure that the butter is softened to room temperature, not melted.
• Spend a little extra time when you mix the butter and sugars. Creaming them together for 2-3 minutes will improve the consistency of your cookies.
• Preheat the oven. This will help your cookies turn out right every time!
• Use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Doing this will make it really easy to remove the cookies from your cookie sheet so that you don’t have to scrape them off the pan – they will just slide right off in perfect shape!
• Don’t over bake the cookies – when I take mine out of the oven, they still look slightly under baked but they will continue to bake on the cookie sheet for a couple more minutes so that’s ok!

Hostess Cupcake Cookie Ingredients

Cookie Ingredients

• 1 cup of butter, softened
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 2 ⅔ cups flour
• ½ cup baking cocoa 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon water

Buttercream Frosting

• ¾ cup butter, softened
• 7 ounce jar marshmallow fluff
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups powdered sugar

Chocolate Ganache

• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 tablespoon corn syrup 

White Chocolate Drizzle

• 1 cup white melting chocolate

How to make Hostess Cupcake Cookies

Make the cookies

Preheat your oven to 350°.

In a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer combine the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).

Add the vanilla extract and eggs and mix for another 2-3 minutes.

Add the flour, cocoa, baking soda and water. Mix until just combined.

Scoop out 18 balls of the cookie dough, placing them 2 inches apart on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet.

Bake for 12-15 minutes until the cookies are just cooked through.  

Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the buttercream frosting

In a medium bowl using an electric mixer combine the softened butter with the marshmallow cream until combined.

Mix in the vanilla extract and the the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing until completely smooth.

Fill a piping bag or ziploc bag with the tip cut off. Pipe the marshmallow buttercream onto the center of the completely cooled cookies. 

Place the cookies in the fridge while you prepare the ganache.

Make the ganache

In a microwave safe bowl combine the chocolate chips, butter, milk and corn syrup. Heat in 30 second intervals, stirring between each interval until the ganache is completely melted and smooth.  

Spoon the ganache over the marshmallow buttercream. 

White chocolate drizzle

In a small microwave safe bowl, melt the white chocolate in 30 second intervals, stirring between each interval until completely smooth. Be careful not to heat any more than necessary or the chocolate will seize.

Place the melted white chocolate into a small piping bag or ziploc bag with the tip cut off.

Pipe the classic squiggle on the top of the cookies.

HOW DO YOU SOFTEN BUTTER?

I like to soften butter by using the defrost function on my microwave. If you need the full 1/2 cup cube of butter, you can leave it in the paper wrapper, otherwise, place the amount of butter you need in a glass or porcelain bowl. I use the lowest defrost setting on my microwave and just let it run for 20 seconds. Check the butter and see how soft it is by pressing it with a rubber scraper. If it is still not soft to the touch, meaning it doesn’t indent when you press into it, let it warm for another 5-10 seconds. Watch it closely! Butter softens very quickly.

Variations

There are many ways to customize Hostess Cupcake Cookies to suit your taste preferences or dietary restrictions. Here are a few ideas:

Gluten-Free Version

For a gluten-free version of Hostess Cupcake Cookies, substitute the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend. Make sure to check that all other ingredients are also gluten-free.

Mint Chocolate Version

For a mint chocolate version of Hostess Cupcake Cookies, add 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract to the cookie dough. For the buttercream frosting, add a few drops of green food coloring and 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract. Use dark chocolate chips for the ganache, and skip the white chocolate drizzle.

Peanut Butter Version

For a peanut butter version of Hostess Cupcake Cookies, add 1/2 cup of creamy peanut butter to the cookie dough. For the buttercream frosting, add 1/2 cup of creamy peanut butter and a pinch of salt. Use milk chocolate chips for the ganache, and skip the white chocolate drizzle.

Raspberry Version

For a raspberry version of Hostess Cupcake Cookies, add 1/2 cup of raspberry jam to the cookie dough. For the buttercream frosting, add 1/2 cup of raspberry jam and a few drops of pink food coloring. Use white chocolate chips for the ganache, and skip the white chocolate drizzle.

MORE CHOCOLATE COOKIE RECIPES TO TRY:

• Cake Mix Rolo Cookies
• Mint Chocolate Brownie Cookies
• Oreo Stuffed Brownie Cookies
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies
• Bakery Style Almond Joy Cookies
• Chocolate Junior Mint Cookies
• Chocolate Oatmeal Cream Pies
• Cosmic Brownie Cookies
• Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies
• Rocky Road Cookies
• Double Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
• Double Chocolate Cherry Cookies

Hostess Cupcake Cookies are a fun twist on the classic chocolate cupcakes with cream filling and chocolate ganache. These cookies have all the flavors of the iconic snack cake, but in cookie form!