mini s'mores cupcakes
mini chocolate cupcakes with graham cracker crust and marshmallow frosting
baked in August 2015
yield: about 70 mini cupcakes
prep time: 30 minutes
cook time: 15 minutes
difficulty level: medium
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1 and 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 5 and 1/3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 8 ounces Hershey's chocolate, finely chopped
Cupcakes
- 2 cups + 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
Frosting
- 8 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 70 Hershey's chocolate squares
Directions
For the cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line mini cupcake pan.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Mix well with a fork.
- Drop about 1 teaspoon of the graham cracker mixture in the bottom of each cupcake liner and press down to line the bottom.
- Sprinkle a small amount of the chopped chocolate on top of the graham cracker crusts.
- Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, and maintain the oven temperature.
- To make the cupcake batter, sift together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on low speed just to combine.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, milk, vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Whisk together.
- Add to the dry ingredients and mix on low speed for 30 seconds.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- Add the boiling water and stir just to combine (batter will be thin).
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners, filling each about 3/4 of the way full.
- Return the pans to the oven and bake about 10-12 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, rotating the pans halfway through baking.
- Allow to cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, then remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the frosting:
- Combine the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in the top of a double boiler.
- Heat the mixture, whisking frequently, until it reaches 160°F with an instant-read thermometer.
- Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk starting at low speed and gradually increasing to medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form.
- Mix in the vanilla until combined.
- Frost cooled cupcakes as desired. Brown with a kitchen torch and garnish with chocolate square.
Nutrition
- Total calories: 7,644
- Calories per cupcake: 109
