It is rainy and gloomy in Chicago.

When it is rainy and cold I want things that are warm and comforting like Lasagna Soup, Chicken Noodle Soup, Pasta E Fagioli or these toasted  S’mores cupcakes.

Just like a real S’more, these cupcakes are a bit messy when you first bite into them. You will probably end up with marshmallow frosting somewhere on your face or fingers…but isn’t that what a S’more is all about?

When I was a kid growing up in the northwoods of Wisconsin, we would make campfires in the woods behind our house on the weekends. No matter what time of year or weather,  S’mores were always involved (because what is the point of a campfire if you don’t toast marshmallows?).

No matter how careful I tried to be I would always end up with sticky marshmallow on my face…which my hair would inevitably get stuck to. So then I would try to move the hair out of the marshmallow on my face…but I also had marshmallow on my fingers, so my fingers would get stuck to my hair…and the cycle continued all over my body and then onto my clothes. The night would end with me coated in a mixture of  sticky marshmallow covered by grass, dirt, leaves and sticks.

It was awesome.

Lets talk more about these cupcakes now.

I bought a kitchen torch a couple months ago and was really excited to try it out. I knew I wanted to toast something with marshmallow and decided to do a cupcake. I combined a couple recipes I had found on the internet and love the way these cupcakes turned out.

Don’t be intimidated by a kitchen torch! I was at first but once you get used to it you won’t be able to stop toasting things (be careful with the cupcake liners…they catch on fire super easily).

These cupcakes taste great, look fun and would work year round for any event!

You should stock up on these ingredients so you can make cupcakes this weekend. The fall and winter are my favorite times of year to lock myself in my apartment and bake and cook all day!

l

Recipe: S’Mores Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Crumb Crust:

24 Graham cracker squares

4 Tablespoons Butter, Melted

3 Tablespoons Sugar

Cupcakes:

2 1/4 Cups All Purpose Flour

1 1/2 Cups Sugar

3/4 Cup Cocoa Powder (unsweetened)

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1 1/4 Cups Buttermilk

2 Eggs

1/2 Cup Water

1/2 Cup Canola Oil

1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract

Marshmallow Frosting:

6 Egg Whites

1 1/2 Cups Sugar

1/2 Teaspoon Cream Of Tartar

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line 2 muffin tins with paper liners and set aside.

To make the crust, crush graham crackers in a plastic bag with a rolling pin or in a food processor. Add melted butter and sugar, mix well and then spoon about 1 tablespoon into each muffin tin (keep adding to make them equal until you run out of graham crumbs).  Use a cup or round flat utensil to press crust firmly down into liners. Set aside.

For the cupcakes, sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt into a large bowl.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, oil, water and vanilla extract.

Add egg mixture to dry ingredients and mix until incorporated.

Pour batter into cupcake liners, over the graham crust, filling until about 3/4 full.

Place into preheated oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

While the cupcakes bake and cool, you can make the frosting.

For the frosting, place the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar into a large glass or metal bowl.

Create a double boiler by placing the bowl over a pot filled about 1/4 with water. Let the water simmer and whisk the egg mixture continuously until the sugar is melted and the eggs are just warm.

Remove from the heat and pour into the bowl of an electric mixer.

Beat on low in the beginning and gradually increase speed until glossy peaks form, about 6-8 minutes. Add vanilla once peaks begin and continue mixing for about 1 minute.

Once cupcakes are cook, frost with marshmallow topping (use your favorite decorating tips and bags, or fill a plastic baggie and snip the corner off to frost).

Once cupcakes are frosted you can use a kitchen torch to toast the marshmallow!