S’mores Cupcakes
When I was a teenager, summer meant the beach. If I was lucky, I’d arrive in time for one of the great big beach-bonfire fiestas staged frequently by my friends, complete with roasted weenies, just a touch of beer (I swear!), and my total favorite—bonfire s’mores. Sadly, times have changed. Only a few Texas beach communities allow bonfires, so I came up with a s’more cupcake that puts me into a beach party mood no matter where I happen to be. The only fire necessary to bring their marsh mallow topping to the pitch-perfect golden brown of a genuine s’more is the skinny blue flame that shoots from my portable kitchen torch. These cupcakes are sure to bring smiles to just about any kid who shows up for a casual party, whether it takes place in the kitchen, at the shore, or on a beachfront deck. Now that my daughter is a seasoned college student, I make the cupcakes in advance, and whip up the marshmallow topping just before party time. I provide disposable plastic pastry bags fitted with open star tips so Fran and her friends can decorate the cupcakes themselves. Then it’s time for me to pass the torch—the kitchen torch, that is. Now that I think of it, it’s not the only torch I’m passing.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 12 Texas-size or 18 standard cupcakes
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Base
Chocolate Cupcakes
Marshmallow Topping
Preparation
Step 1
TO MAKE THE GRAHAM CRACKER BASE: In a bowl, stir together the crumbs, the 1 cup melted butter, and the 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
Step 2
TO MAKE THE CUPCAKES: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line Texas or standard-size cupcake tins with paper cupcake liners. For the crust, press the graham cracker base into the bottom of each well: about 3 tablespoons for a Texas-size cupcake; about 2 tablespoons for a standard-size.
Step 3
Melt the 1 cup butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the cocoa and whisk until smooth. Add the coffee and whisk until smooth. Add the 2 cups sugar, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla to the warm cocoa mixture. Whisk until smooth. Add the flour, baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and whisk until incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Step 4
Evenly divide the batter to fill each cup almost to the top of the muffin papers. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the cupcakes feel firm when lightly pressed in their center, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and invert onto wire cooling racks. Cool for at least 30 minutes before decorating.
Step 5
TO MAKE THE MARSHMALLOW TOPPING: Set a large, perfectly clean metal bowl over a pot filled with 2 inches of lightly simmering water. Add the egg whites and the 1 1/2 cups sugar and heat, whisking constantly, until the sugar melts and there are no visible sugar grains in the meringue. (Rub a little bit of meringue between your fingers to make sure all the sugar has melted.) Remove the meringue from the heat and beat it with an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on high speed until the meringue is stiff and shiny, about 5 minutes.
Step 6
TO ASSEMBLE TO CUPCAKES: Spoon the marshmallow topping into a pastry bag fitted with an open star tip. Pipe the topping onto each cupcake in a circular motion, starting at the outside edge of the cupcake and working toward the center. I like to pipe it on generously so that it comes to a peak in the center that is 2 to 2 1/2 inches high. Or pile the topping on top of the cupcakes. Style it with your fingers by plucking at it to tease it into jagged spikes, or shape it with a spoon. Using a kitchen torch, brown the marshmallow by moving the flame slowly around the topping (avoiding the cupcake papers) until it is evenly golden brown. Alternatively, you can brown the topping under a broiler: Set the cupcakes on a baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven and broil until the meringue topping turns golden brown, about 1 minute. Watch the cupcakes closely, as they can go from browned to burnt in seconds. Serve the same day you make them.
do it early
Step 7
The cupcakes can be made in advance, but not frosted, and frozen for up to 2 weeks. Defrost them completely before finishing with the marshmallow topping. With topping, they will keep for about 2 days uncovered in the refrigerator.
