Peanut Butter Tagalong Cupcakes
These cupcakes will make you swoon! Moist and fluffy vanilla cake with a tagalong baked right in, topped with peanut butter cookie buttercream frosting and dipped in chocolate. You’ll be in Girl Scout cookie heaven!
Hey everybody! How was your Valentine’s Day weekend? I hope it was fun and romantic and full of CHOCOLATE!!!
I feel like it’s been foreverrrrr since we last talked! I haven’t posted since Tuesday. As many of you know, I usually post on Tuesdays and Fridays, and last week I did Monday because I had created those Coconut White Chocolate Panna Cotta with Blood Oranges for that special Dinner for Two event. I wanted to do Friday too, and I had a really fun roundup post half-written, but then I got word that the web-hosting switch I had in the works was happening on Thursday night. So, I had to hold off on putting the finishing touches on the post until the transfer was complete. 🙁
Anyway that’s boring! The only reason I wanted to mention it is because if you left me a comment during those couple of hours where files were getting shuffled around, then your comment might have fallen through the cracks and been missed. So sorry if that happened to you!
Hopefully you’ll forgive me when you see these cupcakes!
Girl Scout Cookie Cupcakes! I wanted to capture the flavors of the Peanut Butter Tagalong, which is a crunchy vanilla shortbread cookie, topped with a puddle of peanut butter and coated in chocolate (I know!). Actually I think they changed the name recently to Peanut Butter Patties, but either way they’re pretty rockin’!
So, it all starts with my favorite vanilla cupcake recipe (so moist! and easy! just one bowl!), but before the batter goes into the papers, you’re going to drop in a Tagalong/Peanut Butter Patty.
Then just bake them up as you normally would, and top them with this dreamy peanut butter Swiss meringue buttercream. (Check out this Swiss meringue buttercream post for TONS more info.) I added chopped Tagalongs/Peanut Butter Patties to the frosting for added crunchy texture and cookie flavor. If you do this too, just know that you will only be able to pipe the frosting with a jumbo round tip. The open star tips are still not open enough to allow the cookie bits to pass through without clogging up.
A dip in melted chocolate gives them such a great Tagalong look and amazing flavor too! These are NOT yo’ momma’s hi-hat cupcakes!
I know I say this a lot, but these cupcakes were truly one of the best things I’ve made in a while. The crunch of the cookie, at the bottom of that moist cake and mixed into that silky, sweet/salty buttercream… oh, it was outrageous! And the dip in melted chocolate just takes them completely over the top. You’ve really gotta try this recipe!!
Special thanks go out to my friend Kellie of The Suburban Soapbox. I didn’t know if it was too late, or where I could find Girl Scout Cookies when this idea creeped into my brain, but she heeded the call and dropped off a couple boxes for me! Thanks girl!
You guys should definitely check out Kellie’s blog if you are looking for some great recipe ideas. Her Easy Lobster Bisque left my jaw on the floor, but she’s got sooo many other delicious ideas too!
Caramel Crunch Banana Oat Muffins / Easy Lobster Bisque / 10-Minute Samoa Cannoli
Follow The Suburban Soapbox:
Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Instagram / Google+
As an amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Peanut Butter Tagalong Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 1 cup (125 g) cake flour
- 1/2 cup (62.5 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter, (1 stick), softened
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup (50 g) Greek yogurt, (sour cream can be substituted)
- 1/4 cup (61 ml) milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 18 Peanut Butter Tagalongs/Patties
For the Frosting
- 3 egg whites
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, (2 sticks), softened slightly but still cool
- 1 cup (258 g) creamy peanut butter
- 6 Peanut Butter Tagalongs/Patties,, chopped finely
- 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) kosher salt
- 6 ounces (170.1 g) milk chocolate,, melted
- 9 Peanut Butter Tagalongs/Patties, cut in half (for garnish)
Instructions
To Make the Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a cupcake pan with papers.
- Place the first 6 (dry) ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and mix on low speed to combine.
- Add the butter, stirring on low speed until the mixture resembles damp sand (about a minute).
- Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl to be sure all of the ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Add the yogurt, milk, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean paste. Stir until fully combined.
- Place a Peanut Butter Tagalong/Patty in each cupcake paper. Fill the papers half full with batter, and bake for 15 minutes, or until a bamboo skewer inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool completely before frosting and dipping in melted chocolate.
To Make the Frosting:
- Place the egg whites and sugar in a mixing bowl, and set over a pot of simmering water.
- Cook, whisking continuously, until the mixture is hot, opaque, and the sugar is completely dissolved (it should not feel gritty between your fingers), about 5 minutes.
- Whip the mixture on high speed, until stiff peaks form and it has completely cooled. (There should be no hint of warmth remaining when you place your hand on the side of the mixing bowl. Place the bowl and whip attachment in the refrigerator for 10-20 minutes, if needed.)
- Add the butter, a tablespoon at a time, whipping well after each addition. (If it begins to look curdled, continue to beat until it comes back together, before adding the remaining butter.)
- Stir in the peanut butter and chopped cookies, and pipe onto the cooled cupcakes.
- Turn the frosted cupcakes upside-down into the melted chocolate, allowing the excess to drip away before inverting and allowing to harden.
- Top with half a Peanut Butter Tagalong/Patty, for garnish.
Tagalongs are basically one of my favorite things in the entire world. Tagalong cupcakes? Oh yes..that sounds absolutely heavenly :)!
Hooray! Aren’t Tagalongs just the best? It’s a good thing you can only get them a couple months out of the year. Otherwise it could be dangerous! Thanks so much for reading, Annie, and for the sweet comment 🙂
Holy cow! These look incredible, I’m so glad I left them on your doorstep….(thinking of other things to leave on your doorstep)…and thanks so much for the shoutout for my blog. You’re the sweetest!
Thank you Kellie for making them possible! You can drop goodies on my doorstep any old time 😉
Too bad the boring web stuff is almost always the most stressful. Glad the transfer was successful! And I’d say these were doubly successful – peanut butter and tagalong in a CUPCAKE?? Yes puhlease! Pinning the heck out of these beauties!
Thank you so much for pinning Mary Frances! Yes you are right the web stuff is such a pain. I wish I could just bake and take photos and talk with you guys all the time and do nothing else, lol! Hope you had a great weekend hon!
Wow those look amazing!! Wish I could reach through the screen and grab one…so much chocolate and peanut butter mmm 🙂
Thanks June! I just couldn’t get enough of these cupcakes! So glad you enjoyed and thank you for the sweet comment 🙂
not sure what a tagalong is but these cupcakes look amazing! look at the fine crumb of that cake.. it is so hard to find a good vanilla cake these days, i gotta try your recipe
Definitely give it a try and definitely get your hands on some tagalongs too- they are outrageous! Thanks Connie!
Let’s just say that I’m going to be hunting down some Girl Scout Cookie booths this weekend in order to make these cupcakes. 😀
Haha! That’s great Erin- I hope you enjoy! Thanks so much for reading 😀
These look so amazingly decadent! Tagalongs are one of my faves… you can’t beat the chocolate and peanut butter combination. Pinning! 🙂
I totally agree Medha! Thank you so much for pinning, dear!
Wow, these peanut butter frosting is divine! I have the feeling I’ll finish a dozen if I can reach them! Not a great idea of looking at them before going to bed, now I will fall asleep hungry…
Pinning!
Haha sorry to do that to you Maggie! But thanks for the pin 😉
These cupcakes are magical. Simply magical! I love girl scout cookies and you just took it up a notch.
Aw, thank you so much Jocelyn!
Pretty sure everything could be forgiven with one of these gorgeous cupcakes 🙂 These look like my everything because chocolate + PB are my soul mates!!!
How could they not be??? They are just a match made in heaven, right? Thanks Amy! xoxo
I somehow missed cookie ordering season in my town this year (what?!), but I’m going to have to dive into my friends’ stashes and make these cupcakes. They look amazing!
I’m sure your friends won’t mind, as long as you share! Thanks so much for reading Amanda, and for the sweet comment 🙂
Swoooooning over here! These cupcakes are gorgeous!!
Thank you so much Julianne! xoxo
I am thinking of doing the same with my Samoas once they come in!! Cannot wait for them now. What a great idea and cute cupcakes Allie!! If only I was a peanut butter fan…wait I live with one so these will happen for him one day!!
Haha Mr. J would love these! And I can’t wait to see your Samoa creation! Thank you Zainab!
I’m swooning in an instant Allie! This look INCREDIBLE! My kind of cupcakes. When I visited the USA a couple of weeks ago and got to buy my very first box of cookies from a real girl scout! I chose Thin Mints but now I wish I got a box of Tagalong’s too! YUM!
adkjfi839dkdk98!!!! <– insert a bunch of expletives because daaaaaaamn these cupcakes are blowing my mind! And I swear a lot when I get really passionate and overly excited about things. You brilliant evil woman – why must you tempt us with photos and descriptions of these amazing, delicious, peanut buttery, chocolatey bombs of goodness? Love love love!
Thank you so much Nancy! You are just the sweetest ever <3
I am speechless. These are the most amazing cupcakes I have ever seen!! Tagalongs are my second favorite girl scout cookie (samoas are #1) and they are my husband’s absolute favorite! Then the cupcake and that chocolate?! I can’t handle it! Pinning a thousand times.
You are too sweet Cate! Thank you so much 🙂
Wow! For a start those Tagalong cookies sound worth tracking down, but that’s such a great idea to start a cupcake off with a cookie in the bottom. I’m thinking you could do that with different kinds of chocolate-covered cookies. Love the look of the smooth cream on the top, as well. How on earth do you stop yourself from scoffing too many of all your wonderful baked things, Allie? I would have a very hard time indeed!
Oh it is so hard! I do it way more than I should, and then I feel so guilty! These cupcakes were especially tempting. Thank you so much for the sweet comment Helen!
My mom would love these! Once again, awesome photos!
Thanks Nicole! 😀
These cupcakes look too cute Allie! Love tagalongs and I’m sure these taste fantastic ! Pinned to try them some day 🙂
Thank you so much Mira! I hope you do get a chance to try the recipe- we really loved it! Thanks so much for pinning dear 🙂
YOu’re definitely right about one thing! I am swooning. These look amazing Allie! I love your works of art. 🙂
Happy Wednesday friend!
Happy Wednesday Melanie! Thank you so much my friend! 🙂