S'more Cupcakes

Tomorrow night, we're going to a birthday party for my brother's fiancee, Marie. I was asked to make the birthday dessert, so today, I went on the search for yet another new recipe.

I was browsing someone's blog when I saw mention of marshmallow frosting. My brain went right from marshmallows to s'mores. So I thought--that's it! There has to be a s'mores cupcake.

I immediately began searching for recipes and came across many different versions with different combinations of cupcakes, frostings, and garnish. I never did find something that completely suited what I was looking for, so I took different components from various places and came up with my own s'mores cupcake.

I started off with a graham cracker cupcake recipe. I decided to use a milk chocolate frosting filling to fulfill the chocolate portion of my s'mores cupcake, and then used a marshmallow buttercream on top.

This was my first time filling cupcakes, so I didn't quite know what I was doing. Next time, I need to squeeze a bit more frosting inside, but it's not bad for my first try.

I wouldn't say that the finished cupcake tastes exactly like biting into a s'more. But it's a pretty good likeness, and they have a tasty flavor. The cupcake definitely tastes like graham cracker. I just wish the marshmallow buttercream tasted a bit more like marshmallow... perhaps there is a way to use real marshmallows instead of Fluff? I'll have to explore that idea more next time.

I sprinkled extra graham cracker crumbs on top of the frosting, then finished off each cupcake with a Hershey's milk chocolate square. Delightful!

Graham Cracker Cupcakes
(Source: Vanilla Garlic)

Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup flour
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/8 tsp. salt

Directions:
1. Beat the butter for about 30 seconds until well creamed. Add the sugar and mix for 3 minutes using a paddle attachment until light and fluffy.

2. Add the eggs, one at a time, being sure to beat for 30 seconds for each egg.

3. Place graham crackers in a food processor or in a plastic bag and beat the crud out of them until they've been ground into small crumbs and powder. (I used a whole "sleeve" of graham crackers, so I left them in their original packaging and crushed them in there. I had a bit of extra, but I used most of the excess to sprinkle on top of the cupcakes when they were finished.)

4. Sift together the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda and powder, and salt. Add about 1/4 of the mixture to the butter mixture, then add some of the milk. Continue to add the ingredients in a dry-wet-dry method, ending with the dry. Continue to mix until just combined.

5. Scoop into cupcake papers and bake for 15-18 minutes in a 350 degree oven or until a toothpick comes out clean. (These cupcakes don't rise much, so go ahead and fill the liners up most of the way.)

Makes 12-14 cupcakes. (I got 16.)

Once the cupcakes were cool, I filled a piping bag with milk chocolate frosting. Using a fairly large tip (it's a star tip, so it has the sharp ridges on top), I stuck the tip down into the top of the cupcake and gave the bag a good squeeze while I pulled it up and out of the cupcake.

Milk Chocolate Frosting
(Source: RecipeZaar.com)

Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, room temperature
- 1/8 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp. whipping cream (more if needed) -- I substituted milk

Directions:
1. Place softened butter into a mixing bowl.

2. Add in the cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and whipping cream. Start beating with an electric mixer. Add in more whipping cream as needed to create desired texture.

3. Beat until mixture is smooth and creamy.


Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting
(Source: Hello, Cupcake!)

Ingredients:
- 1 container (16 oz.) Marshmallow Fluff
- 3 sticks unsalted butter, softened and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar, plus additional sugar, if necessary

Directions:
1. Spoon the Marshmallow Fluff into a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low.

2. Gradually add the butter pieces, beating well after each addition, until smooth.

3. Add the vanilla extract and the confectioner's sugar. Scrape the bowl well to incorporate. Add more confectioner's sugar, if necessary, to adjust the texture.