Perfect S’mores Cupcakes – delicious chocolate cupcakes with a graham cracker crust, filled with a light and fluffy marshmallow filling and covered with milk chocolate ganache.
Ingredients
For the bark:
1 1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
5 spoonfuls of sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted melted butter
For the chocolate muffins :
1 cup of sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons of Hershey’s cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of milk – room temperature
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1/2 cup of boiling water
For marshmallow filling:
2 egg whites
1/2 cup of sugar
1/4 teaspoon of cream of tarter.
1 teaspoon of vanilla
For the milk chocolate ganache:
1 cup of heavy whipped cream
10 oz. milk chocolate – finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon of vegetable oil
Instructions
To make the crust:
Place the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 F, line the muffin tins with 16 muffin liners and set aside.
In a small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter and mix well with a fork.
Press about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the mixture into the bottom of each muffin top and bake for 6 minutes, then set aside to cool.
To make the muffins:
In a large bowl combine cocoa, sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Add the oil, milk, egg and vanilla. Beat for 2 minutes with an electric hand mixer at medium speed, then add boiling water and beat to combine (the dough will be fine). Divide the dough evenly among the muffin toppings on the crust (it should be 3/4 full)
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes. Let cool in the pan, then using a sharp knife or a muffin scoop, hollow out the centers of each muffin (cut off the top of each center and save it for later to put back in the filling).
To make the marshmallow filling
In a heatproof bowl, over a pot of boiling water, beat the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar, until the sugar dissolves (be careful, the water should not touch the bottom of the bowl). Continue beating over the simmering water until the egg mixture is warm to the touch, then remove from the heat and continue beating with the mixer until peaks still form. At the end add the vanilla and mix well.
Transfer the filling to a round-ended tube bag or use a plastic bag and cut off the corner and fill the muffins. Replace the top from the center of the cupcakes.
To make the ganache:
On a low heat in a small pan melt the chopped milk chocolate with 1/2 tbsp of vegetable oil, stirring until completely smooth. Remove from heat and add cold heavy whipped cream, stirring well until evenly combined. With a spoon, spread the ganache over the pastries. If the ganache is going to drain, place it briefly in the refrigerator to settle before covering the cupcakes.
Store in the refrigerator.