S'mores Cupcakes

You want s'more? How can I have some more when I haven't had any yet. OOOHH You mean...

S'MORES!!!!!

If margarita cupcakes didn't scream SUMMER loud enough for ya then how about everyone's favorite by the campfire treat S'mores? That ooey gooey toasty maybe even slightly charred marshmallow over melting chocolate with that crunchy slightly sweet graham cracker that sandwiches it all together. I had been tossing around the idea of trying the s'mores cupcake after having seen several online and in cook books and after seeing the beautiful ones my friend Stephanie had made. This is my version. I took the graham cracker cupcake recipe from Cupcakes Galore and added my own twist. I had a nice chunk of Ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate baked inside for that melty chocolate and my version of the marshmallow frosting. Sprinkled with a little graham cracker cumbs and another chunk of that yummy bittersweet chocolate. These weren't too sweet like the actual S'more can be but just right. I had first attempted the swiss meringue frosting that I had seen on one of my favorite blogs, How to Eat A Cupcake, but I failed miserably. It was my second time trying it. First was for the swiss meringue buttercream for a vanilla and chocolate malted cupcake I made. It flopped. And then for these. I couldn't ever get my meringue to hold those nice stiff peaks. So I basically made what was close to my homemade marshmallow recipe ( yes I make those every year at Christmas time! And they are a million times better than store bought). I got nice stiff peaks and they piped out beautifully. I had these in the fridge and a few days later I decided to try microwaving a few seconds to get the chocolate melty ( yes I took off the foil wrapper - not interested in a microwave lightning show and killing my microwave. I need it for reheating my coffee over and over). It was a great idea. 20 seconds later I was in ooey gooey marshmalloey chocolate heaven. For all of 4 bites. Just like an actual S'more.

Smore's Cupcakes Recipe

from Cupcakes Galore by Gail Wagman

makes 18 cupcakes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 cup finely crushed graham crackers ( about 20 grahams)

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup ( 1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup whole milk

1 cup milk chocolate chips or chocolate pieces

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 deg. Line muffin pan with 18 cupcake papers.

Mix flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt together and set aside

In and electric mixer cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Ad the vanilla. Alternately add the flour mixture and milk and beat until just combined, don't over mix. 

Spoon batter into cupcake pan filling each cup 1/3 full, add in a few of the chocolate chips or chunks ( as much as you want) into the middle and then spoon more batter on top until each cup is about 2/3 full. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until a tester inserted comes out clean, or the cupcake springs back on top when lightly touched. Cool for 5 min in pan, take out of pan and cool completely on wire rack.

Marshmallow Frosting

aka 7 Minute Frosting

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups caster ( extra fine) sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar or 1 tablespoon white corn syrup
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 egg whites
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

Place sugar, cream of tartar or corn syrup, salt, water, and egg whites in the top of a double boiler. Beat with a handheld electric mixer for 1 minute. Place pan over boiling water, being sure that boiling water does not touch the bottom of the top pan. (If this happens, it could cause your frosting to become grainy). Beat constantly on high speed with electric mixer for 7 minutes. Beat in vanilla.