S'mores: who doesn't love that dynamic trio of ingredients that evokes nostalgic thoughts of campfires, gooey melted chocolate, and marshmallow fluff stuck to your mouth?!
My heart rate elevated when I discovered that Deb Perelman, of the wildly popular food blog, smitten kitchen, had created a cupcake recipe using these iconic flavors. I whipped up a batch for my daughter-in-law, Tiffany's recent birthday. This recipe is spot on, from the graham cracker batter, to the milk chocolate ganache filling, and finally, the pièce de résistance of homemade marshmallow frosting, toasted with a kitchen torch. However, let this be a fair warning: this is a multi-bowl recipe, but well worth the effort for a special occasion. I have made only a few minor changes to the original recipe from smittenkitchen.com.
When I baked these cupcakes today to document the steps in the recipe, I made an important discovery. You know how certain confections are sensitive to humidity? Well, this marshmallow frosting falls in this category. And I do mean "falls". Humidity was not even on my radar as I whipped the homemade marshmallow mixture to white, stiff peaks. I had the back door open to enjoy the warm air, which was pregnant with rain. I even took the cupcakes outdoors on the deck, to photograph the frosting and brûlée-ing in wonderful, natural light. It took me a few minutes to figure out why the frosting fell flat; humidity can be a baker's arch enemy. When you make these babies, wait for a sunny day and stay indoors.
S'more Cupcakes - makes one dozen
Cupcake Batter:
1 c. flour
1 c. graham cracker crumbs (finely process 1 packet or about 8 crackers in a food processor, to a fine powder; remove any large pieces and measure to one cup)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. butter, softened
1/3 c. white sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 c. buttermilk
Filling:
6 oz. milk or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped small or in chips
1/2 c. heavy cream
pinch of salt
Frosting:
2 extra large egg whites
2/3 c. white sugar
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Make the cupcakes. In a bowl, combine the flour, graham crumbs, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In a larger bowl, cream together the butter and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time. Add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk alternately, starting and ending with the dry.
Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners. Divide the batter between the dozen, filling each 3/4 full. Bake at convection bake 330 for 18 minutes, or regular bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Remove muffins to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
Meanwhile, prepare the ganache filling. Place the chocolate and salt in a bowl. Heat the heavy cream over medium heat to just below a simmer. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let set for one minute. With a spoon, vigorously stir the mixture to melt all the chocolate. If you still have a few lumps left, heat for several seconds in the microwave on 50% power. Let this mixture set for a hour to firm up. If you are in a hurry, set in the frig but check and stir the ganache every ten minutes.
With a mellon baller, remove a center round of cake from each cupcake. Carefully spoon the ganache into the centers.
Prepare the frosting. Combine the egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in a heatproof bowl; whisk together. Place this bowl over a pot with one inch simmering water, on medium heat. Whisk and stir the mixture continuously for about 3 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved and the whites are warm. Remove the bowl from the water and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for one minute. Increase the speed to high and beat for 5-7 minutes, until stiff, glossy peaks form. Beat in the vanilla.
Frost the cupcakes by dropping a large spoonful of marshmallow frosting on each cupcake. Use the back of the spoon to make lots of ripples in the frosting. Lightly toast the marshmallow topping with a kitchen torch. Store in an air-tight container.
