S'Mores Cupcakes

Today I woke up early and started these S'mores Cupcakes before work.  I wanted to get the cupcake part finished, so I could whip up the chocolate glaze and the marshmallow meringue after work.  Then I would only have to assemble and package them up to take to the hospital.  The staff on the 5th floor are all so wonderful!  They have been so kind and so attentive to my father-in-law. We so appreciate all the good care he is receiving.  That being said...we will be MOST happy when he is able to come home.  There is positive progress and hopefully he will be sprung soon!

Recipe source: S'mores Cupcakes

Graham Cracker Base 
3 cups graham cracker crumbs 
1/2 cup granulated sugar 

10 tablespoons butter, melted 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Line a cupcake pan with baking cups (24).

In a large bowl, stir together graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter until evenly coated. Place a tablespoon of the mixture in the bottom of each baking cup. Using a glass about the size of the base of the cupcake press down the graham cracker crumbs until they form a solid crust.

Chocolate Cupcakes

1 box devil’s food cake mix

1 cup sour cream

3 eggs

¼ cup milk

½ cup water

½ cup oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

Whisk eggs, sour cream, milk, water, oil, and vanilla together. Add cake mix and stir until well blended. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. I use an ice cream scoop to spoon batter into cupcake liners. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the top bounces back when lightly pressed. 

Chocolate Glaze
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped or use semisweet chips
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon light corn syrup

In a saucepan melt together the chocolate, butter, and corn syrup over medium heat and stir until completely combined. Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 30 minutes until chocolate thickens. Stir occasionally.

Marshmallow Meringue
4 egg whites
1 cup granulated sugar

Mix the egg whites and sugar in a bowl while heating a saucepan on low.  Place the egg mixture into warmed pan, remove from heat and whisk.  You will be putting this on and off the heat until the mixture is warm to the touch and all the sugar is dissolved.  We aren't trying to scramble the eggs here, so be careful with the heat.  This is best done in a double boiler like so: whisk together the egg whites and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved and the egg whites are warm to the touch, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat, transfer to a medium mixing bowl, and beat the egg whites until they form stiff, shiny peaks, about 5-8 minutes.

Assemble
Spread a thick layer of chocolate glaze on top of the cupcake being sure to get it all the way to the edge - yummm! Let set for a few minutes.

Fill a pastry bag or a plastic baggie (just snip off the corner) with the marshmallow meringue and pipe the meringue on top of the cupcake.  Turn the oven onto broil and place the cupcakes on a cookie sheet in the top shelf of the oven. Leave the door open and watch them closely! It will only take a minute (maybe even less) to get a nice toasty marshmallow look, so don't plan on doing anything else while these are under the broiler or you will ruin your cupcakes and that would be very, very sad!  Of course if you are lucky enough to have a kitchen torch then you can just torch the tops until nicely browned. I keep meaning to order one, although I think I might be dangerous!  HA!

I have my eyes on a Banana Cupcake recipe I think I will try to make next!  My mother-in-law brought me some bananas on Easter that got put in the freezer so they wouldn't spoil. I've been looking for things to make with my Easter bananas!