Chocolate Chip Pistachio Cupcakes

My sweet hubs has developed a sweet tooth! He never used to have cravings for sweets.  When we were a young couple I was working full time and didn't cook or bake all that much.  About once a month I would make brownies, and that was a real treat!  

Come to think of it, we really didn't eat at home all that much back then. I was working the 2nd shift at the police department, and Don was going to fire school during the day.  He used to meet me for dinner - we would often meet at the Pizza Hut for a quick bite on my dinner break.

  

It wasn't until Madison was born that we started eating at home.  

Madison started helping me in the kitchen at a very young age. She took to it right away - it doesn't seem like all that long ago she was standing on a chair flipping pancakes! So it was no surprise when she started baking and creating original recipes. Madison really knows how to make a yummy cupcake, and don't get me started on her pies!! 

 Being the good dad he is, Don happily tasted all of her creations!  This MUST be how he developed a taste (addiction) for sweets! The past couple days the cupboards have been bare and each night I hear "What do we have sweet to eat?"  I got tired of hearing it, so today I made some cupcakes for him. I'm sure they pale in comparison to Madison's Oreo Cupcakes, but beggars can't be choosers!

I did this despite the fact that I am trying to cut out the carbs to lose some pounds!  That is LOVE!  I think he appreciated the effort though, he snatched up a cupcake as soon as they came out of the oven! 

Chocolate Chip Pistachio Cupcakes

Cupcake

1 box Yellow Cake Mix

3 whole Eggs

1/2 cup Oil

3/4 cup Buttermilk

3/4 cup Sour Cream

1 Vanilla Bean split and scraped (or 1 teaspoon vanilla)

1/2 cup Mini Chocolate Chips

1/2 cup Pistachios, shelled and chopped

Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners (makes 20-24 cupcakes). Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl combine eggs, oil, buttermilk, sour cream, and seeds from vanilla bean. Mix well. Add cake mix and mix until just combined. Gently mix in mini chocolate chips and chopped pistachios. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 15-17 minutes until the tops bounce back when lightly pressed. Cool completely.

Icing

4 ozs Cream Cheese

1 stick of Butter (1/2 cup)

1 vanilla bean, split and scraped for the seeds (or 1 teaspoon vanilla)

1 cup Confectioner's Sugar

In mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and butter about 2 minutes, until light and airy. Add vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add sugar about 1/3 cup at a time and mix well. Ice cupcakes and decorate with chopped pistachios.