S'mores Cupcakes

With sunny days and barbecues just around the corner, marshmallow and chocolate was on my mind.  

Crunchy, buttery graham crust (which I admittedly ate by the spoonful right out of the bowl...) was layered underneath moist chocolate cake with pockets of melted chocolate.  And of course, crowning the top, the star of the show, marshmallow!  I got to use the torch, always a plus.  Fire throwing!

They were so cute!  Even Shelby, who forever despises chocolate, appreciated these.  The chocolate is rich, but not bitter-dark.  Sweetly reminiscent of the Hershey bars commonly used in s'mores, but better.

And the torch, oh my, that thing is a beast.  Six inches of blue flame, I felt like a super-hero, fire butterfly or something... yeah

It makes the decoration a snap, just pipe on the marshmallow, run the flame over it, and boom, you're done.  Easy, but impressive to those who don't know...

So, now you make them.  And send me pictures.  All that. 

For the graham crust:

1 sleeve graham crackers

1/4 - 1/2 cup melted butter

1/4 cup sugar

pinch salt

So, this is a guessing game, you gotta taste it to make it how you like it.  Some don't like super lots of butter, some do.  I do.  I used 1/2 cup.  You can use less, or even more!

Smash the grahams.  I do this in a big ziploc bag with a rolling pin.  Just put them in the bag, and roll over it until they are crushed.  

Mix with sugar and pinch of salt, and stir in butter until it is how you like it.  I like mine to hold together when compressed.  But since it is going on the bottom of cake, it doesn't really have to.  

OK, so now you have the crust mixture, press it into the bottom of your cupcake liners.  I made minis, you can obviously do as you like.  Minis are cute though, and I found that the graham bottom keeps them super moist.  My crust was 1/4 inch thick about. 

Set aside filled tins while you make cake batter.

For the batter:

1 3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 eggs

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp cream + enough hot water to make 1 cup

1 cup bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips

Oven at 350 degrees. Two regular sized muffin tins, lined or greased and floured. 

Beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy (two minutes? three?). 

While it is beating - sift flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. 

Back to the mixer, add in the eggs one at a time, beating after each until it is well mixed. Beat in the vanilla extract until just incorporated. 

Mix in half the flour mixture on medium speed. Then mix in the hot water/cream. Then the remaining flour mixture. Let it sit until slightly cooled. 

Meanwhile pulse the chocolate chips until chopped. When the batter has cooled slightly, stir in the chocolate. 

Put batter in muffin tins on top of graham crust, about a 1/4 cup in each for regular size, a tablespoon or so for minis. You know, just 3/4 of the way full or so.

Bake until toothpick comes out clean, but a few crumbs are ok. ((if they look done but the tester comes out completely gooey, you might have stuck it through a melted chocolate morsel, so try again)) Mine took about 10 minutes(minis) but all ovens are slightly different.

For the marshmallow:

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup light corn syrup

2 tbsp water

pinch salt

1 egg white, room temperature

pinch cream of tartar

a bit of vanilla extract

Heat sugar, salt, corn syrup, and water in a saucepan until 240 degrees.  

Meanwhile, beat egg white and cream of tartar in a mixer, beat until soft peaks. 

Now, when your syrup in heated to 240, turn mixer to low and drizzle in a tiny bit of syrup.  When incorporated drizzle in the rest of the syrup in a slow stream.  Increase speed to medium or high, whip until marshmallow is stiff and shiny.  Add in vanilla and beat a little more.  

Now once your cupcakes are done you must LET THEM COOL.  Otherwise the marshmallow you pipe on with melt and run and it will be a mess.  

Once cooled, pipe on the marshmallow and quickly torch.  

Yay!  Done!  

Black Tea Marshmallows with Dark Chocolate and Toasted Almonds

Fluffy black tea marshmallows dipped in a rich dark chocolate and rolled in freshly toasted almonds.

For the marshmallows:

3/4 ounce gelatin

1 cup water

3 english breakfast tea bags

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

pinch of salt

powdered sugar for coating

Brew very strong tea from the water and tea bags.  Place in refrigerator to chill down.  Once chilled, mix 1/2 cup tea with gelatin in the bowl of your mixer(fit mixer with whisk).  Let sit.

In a sauce pan stir together sugar, remaining tea, corn syrup, and a pinch of salt.  Stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.  Once dissolved, let boil without stirring until it is 238 to 240 degrees.  I use a candy thermometer, but mine is shifty, so I test it is ready by dropping a bit in a bowl of ice water, if it is pliable when not hot anymore it should be about right.  

((note: the color is from the tea, not sugar browning))

Turn mixer with gelatin on low speed, pour hot sugar in slowly, it helps slow it down if it runs down the side of the mixer bowl.  Turn mixer to high and whip for about ten minutes, maybe a little more.  Meanwhile, oil a glass dish for them to set it.  My dish was about ten by eight.  I like them to be small, so an eight inch square could work for larger marshmallows.  

Marshmallow is done whipping when it is thick and fluffy.  Pour into oiled dish and smooth top with an oiled spatula.  It will be very sticky!

Let sit for two to three hours.  It is done setting when the top isn't sticky anymore and you can pull it away from the sides of the dish.  

Now you cut them.  Cover your surface with powdered sugar, and take the marshmallows out of the dish.  This could take a little prying, but shouldn't be too hard.  Cut them with an oiled knife into whatever shape, I made squares.  Roll them in powdered sugar, and shake off the excess.  Done!

Marshmallows are good on their own, or in hot drinks, or even roasted over a fire!

Assembly:

dark chocolate, about 8 oz

almonds, about 2 cups, toasted and chopped

Melt dark chocolate in a double boiler,  then dip marshmallows in one by one letting excess chocolate drip off.  I used a skewer.  After you dip each one, roll it in the almonds and set aside to dry. 

These make great gifts! 

Or desserts for a party!