It’s the second to last day of May! On Monday there will be no more cupcakes – but today there are S’mores cupcakes.
S’mores Cupcakes
While my baking skills might be on the improve, I doubt the same can be said about my blogging skills. A post a day for a month has taken it’s toll, and it’s been a hard month’s lawyering as well, which means that my verbal creativity is at a bit of a low.
S’mores Cupcakes
I’ve got a bit of a thing for s’mores, and this isn’t the first s’mores-esque recipe I’ve made – last year I did S’mores Cookie Bars. They are good, but S’mores Cupcakes are just infinitely more elegant. They have a real graham cracker base, gooey chocolate pudding cake in the middle and are topped with marshmallowy swiss meringue, toasted to perfection. And they were the perfect excuse for me to go out and get myself an industrial strength blow torch. Sorry cute pinky – you just don’t have enough power!
The answer is More Power
Swiss meringue is great because the egg white is actually “cooked” by the time you have made the meringue – meaning no raw eggy problems. It’s also completely creamy and wonderful. Admittedly it is a bit of a pain in the rear to have to whisk egg whites over a saucepan of simmering water, there is a bit of steam usually from the edge of the pan, and there is a high possibility of becoming (in the words of Winnie-the-Pooh) Hot and Bothered, but it doesn’t take long for the egg whites to reach the required temperature of 55 degrees Celsius, and then if you have a stand mixer, you can just turn it on and let nature take its course for a bit!
S’mores Cupcakes
These S’mores Cupcakes are just the cutest most delicious little things. I hope you like them!
S’mores Cupcakes
Makes 12 skinny cupcakes or 8 regular cupcakes. I used an IKEA cupcake pan to make these. The pan has tall skinny holes, perfect for these S’mores Cupcakes.
Graham Cracker Base
65g graham crackers (or digestive biscuits), crushed to a fine crumb
35g butter, melted
Line a 12 hole IKEA cupcake pan (or line 8 holes of a regular muffin pan) with cupcake cases, spray with non-stick spray.
Combine the crumbs and butter together and stir until the crumbs are all coated and are clumping together. Drop a tablespoonful into the bottom of each cupcake case, and gently press down with the back of a spoon. Chill while you make the chocolate pudding cake mixture.
Graham cracker crumbs
Chocolate Pudding Cake
ingredients
105g good quality dark chocolate
6 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
3 eggs, beaten
3 tbsp flour, sifted
mixing
Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases, and bake at 175 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes (if using an IKEA – style muffin pan) or 20 minutes (if using a regular muffin pan). Cool in the tin.
Baked chocolate pudding cakes
When the cupcakes are nearly cold, make the Swiss Meringue.
Swiss Meringue
ingredients
50g sugar
40g (1 large) egg white
pinch vanilla powder
mixing
Place the egg white and caster sugar in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Whisk the mixture over the heat using a wire whisk until the mixture reaches 55°C. The mixture will foam slightly during the heating phase but will not take on the appearance of beaten egg whites. When the mixture reaches 55°, transfer the mixture to a bowl, add the vanilla powder and chocolate essence (if using) and beat the mixture on high speed until it has cooled to room temperature. During this time, a marshmallowy meringue will form.
Carefully peel the cupcake cases away from the cold cupcakes and discard the cases.
Ready for meringue
Load the meringue into a disposable plastic piping bag fitted with a 7mm nozzle. Pipe a single peak of meringue onto each cupcake. Line the cupcakes up, and, using a blowtorch, toast the meringue.
Toasting the S’mores Cupcakes
S’mores Cupcakes
Enjoy!xxx
