Cookies and Cream Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting, 11/4

Before the holidays start and Cupcake Wednesdays become holiday-themed, I wanted to try a new, fun cupcake recipe. I used the Cookies and Cream recipe from the Julie Hasson book, mainly because her recipes tend to make 16-18 cupcakes (although they say 12), whereas Crazy About Cupcakes makes upwards of 24. This was a fun recipe to mix because I got to take some aggression out on the poor sandwich cookies that needed to be crushed. There were two variations--vanilla sandwich cookies and chocolate sandwich cookies--to satisfy everyone's likes and dislikes, plus the cookies were on sale :) They were a little drier than other recipes, but if you got a bite of some of the frosting from the cookies, it was a good bite! The vanilla frosting was a good compliment to both cupcake flavors, and I added a bit of the cookie to the top (after a day the cookie became a little soggy--not a problem for me because I like them that way, but just a warning). And aside from the cookie piece, they kept well until the next day, when one of the counselors (and the principal), who had been at a bullying conference, returned to have Cupcake Thursday. I would recommend these again, maybe for a birthday party, and topped with vanilla ice cream! YUM:)