FOOD: S'mores cupcakes

The other day I was just dying to make cupcakes for some reason, but I couldn't decide what I wanted to make. I could have just settled down and made a plain box mix, maybe add a pinch of cinnamon or cayenne to the mixture.

But I really wanted to make something new.

So I went to Tumblr and I asked my followers what I should make. I got two responses... a request for Funfetti and one for bacon bits. I love funfetti (a whole hella lot), but I could do that any day and I was looking for something I've never done before. As for the bacon bits, one day I will attempt to make a maple bacon cupcake, but this time I wasn't feeling it. I wanted something with chocolate!

Then my wonderful roommate suggested S'mores cupcakes! That sounded like just the thing I was looking for.

I usually turn to the internet for recipes, but this time I concocted my own version of a S'mores cupcake.

This cupcake is a chocolate cake, with a graham cracker crust, and marshmallow filling. The top is coated in a chocolate ganache, graham cracker crumbs, toasted meringue, and garnished with a miniature graham cracker.

Wow.

This was a lot of work for me. Being that I didn't really plan ahead, it actually took me two days to make them (one for the cake and one for the decorating.) But I am so proud of the finished result!!! These are some professional looking cupcakes if I do say so myself.

Here's what you need:

For the crust:

• 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (the finer the crumbs, the better)
• 2-3 Tablespoons melted butter
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar

For the cake:

• I used a simple dark chocolate box mix that yielded about 12 cupcakes.
• You may use whatever chocolate cake recipe your little heart desires.
• Keep in mind that the crust, filling, and icings are all modified to about 12-15 cupcakes.
• So don't go picking a recipe that makes 24 unless you want to be doing some math. ;)

For the filling:

• 7 oz. marshmallow fluff
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 Tablespoons hot water

For the ganache:

• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

For the meringue:

• 3 egg whites (Use extra caution when separating your egg whites. The tiniest bit of yolk will ruin the meringue. I suggest dividing each egg one at a time over a second bowl and then transfer to the bowl you want to use.)
• 6 Tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

For the garnish:

• Graham cracker crumbs
• Miniature graham crackers or regular sized graham cracker cut into quarters.

I know it looks like a lot of work, but really each piece of the cupcake only has a few ingredients and all of them are quick to make (except maybe the meringue which requires patience).

Begin by greasing the bottoms and sides of a 12 cup cupcake pan. I feel that when baking cupcakes with crusts, they come out better when you do not use liners. Often times the crust will just stick to the liner and you don't get to eat it.
Mix the graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar together. Add butter and stir until evenly moistened.
Divide evenly into pan (about 1T per cupcake) and press down.

Prepare your cake mix and divide evenly into pan.
Bake according to directions.

Once the cupcakes have cooled, use a paring knife or apple corer to remove the middle of the cakes.

Eat the middles and share with your room mate.

Beat marshmallow fluff, shortening, powdered sugar, and vanilla until well blended.
Add the hot water and stir until smooth.

Spoon marshmallow mixture into piping bag and pipe into hollow cupcakes. Or you could just spoon it into the cupcakes. The mixture did seem runny to me, but after letting the cupcakes sit, it solidified a bit so that when you bite into the cakes, it does not go pouring out everywhere...
So on that note, let the cupcakes sit until they are capable of being turned upside down and you do not have marshmallow creme spilling out.

Place chocolate chips in a tall container, wide enough to fit a cupcake. A liquid measuring cup should do.
Heat heavy cream in small saucepan on low, stirring consistently until small bubbles begin to form.

Pour cream over chocolate chips and stir until smooth.

Dip the top of each cupcake into the chocolate. If needed, you can use a spoon or knife to smooth it out, but it's going to get covered with meringue anyway!

Roll the sides of the ganache in extra graham cracker crumbs. You may serve like this if you want and even top it with a couple small marshmallows in the middle. My roomie is not a fan of marshmallows, so he got his cupcake just like the picture below. They passed the picky-eater taste test. If he wants another cupcake, he has to eat the meringue!

Place egg whites in large metal or glass mixing bowl and beat on medium to high speed until fluffy and soft peaks begin to form (about 3-5 minutes). Use an electric mixture, unless you want your arm to be sore.
Very gradually add the sugar while continuing to whip the eggs.
Add vanilla and beat until smooth and stiff peaks form (about 5-8 minutes).

Once the meringue is fluffy, spoon into piping bag and pipe onto cupcakes.

I used my culinary torch to toast the meringue, but you can pop them under the broiler for a few seconds to brown. DO NOT LOOK AWAY. It happens sooooooo fast!!!

Top with mini graham cracker and enjoy!

FOOD: Rainbow Cupcakes FTW!

So I have a fairly easy, but time consuming, cupcake project for all y'all!
RAINBOW CUPCAKES!!!

I say they are time consuming because these cupcakes are not only rainbow batter, but rainbow icing as well. They are SUPER RAINBOW CUPCAKES!!! And that requires a lot of separating batter and icing and dying everything. I also made these at 2AM and was probably moving slower than I usually do....

Here's what you need:

• White cake mix
• White icing
• Food coloring
• Eighty bajillion mixing bowls (More like 6 - one for each color)

Prepare your cake mix according to directions. I used a box mix to make things simpler.
Separate the mix equally into each of the 6 bowls.
Color each bowl differently to your desired color. I did rainbow colors, but I think it would also look cool to do ombre or something similar.

It's much easier when the bowls are equally sized...

To get a brighter purple, you should use a neon pink instead of red, but I didn't have that on hand so mine came out a dark purple, but still pretty awesome.

Too much blue.

Begin with the color you want on the bottom and pour equally into each prepared cupcake liner.
Continue with the other colors and layer each one on top until you reach the top color. It is easiest if you lightly pour directly in the center of the cupcake so the color is pushed out to the sides.

Bake according to directions and let cool on a baking rack.

You can kind of see a red/orange marble effect.

Now for the icing!

There are two different ways you could create rainbow icing.

1. Separate the icing into multiple containers and color each container to your color preference. Put a spoonful of each color into an icing bag or ziplock baggie with the tip cut off and pipe on in a circular motion.

Courtesy of Google Images.

2. The second technique is the one I used and it works best with an icing bag and a large star or rose tip. Smaller tips work fine, but you get more of an effect with the larger ones. Using gel food coloring "paint long lines on the inside of the bag, make sure they are not too close together. Fill bag with white icing and pipe on in a circular motion.

Courtesy of Google Images.

Enjoy the rainbowy goodness!

FOOD: Muddy Buddy Rice Crispy Treats!

Muddy Buddies or, as I like to call it, Puppy Chow is a delicious peanut butter and chocolate Chex snack.
I just recently found a recipe to turn this yummy treat into Rice Krispies squares!!

They are regular Rice Krispies coated in a delicious peanut butter chocolate marshmallow goo and then coated in powdered sugar. What more could you ask for?!

Here's what you need:

• 5 Tbsp butter
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 6 cups marshmallows
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
• 2 cups powdered sugar

Begin by melting the butter, chocolate chips, and peanut butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, stir frequently to avoid burning the chocolate.
Once combined, reduce heat to low and add the marshmallows. I suggest adding half of them and then when they are mostly melted add the rest until all marshmallows are melted and you have a creamy gooey mess.
Remove from heat.
In a large bowl pour the chocolate over the Rice Krispies and stir lightly to combine.
Grease a 9x13" pan and spoon in the mixture. I say "Spoon" because it's made extra gooey and doesn't pour well. It's SUPER sticky though, so be careful not to use a billion spoons and all ten fingers...

Here's where I started taking pictures.

Chill in fridge for about 20 minutes, they are supposedly easier to cut when cold. I stupidly forgot about them and they were in the fridge overnight...
Cut into bite size pieces. My hand hurt so much cutting them into squares because they were rock solid.

Place in bowl and pour the powdered sugar over the pieces. Mix until all pieces are evenly coated and you have a nice powdered sugar mess all down the front of you...

I used two bowls to help make the mixing easier.
Ours are currently chilling in the refrigerator (because my roommate enjoys EVERYTHING cold...) but imo they are a little too hard to chew cold. They would be just fine not in the fridge...
But no worries, they are still scrumptious!!!