S’mores Brownie Cupcakes
This is not news to anyone; it’s been a vey cold start to 2018! That’s been depressing to my dogs who want to walk, but mostly we’ve been happy to watch the birds clustered around the birdfeeders, do a little reading, attempt post holiday cleanup, catch up with friends, and cook warming meals of soup, chili, and hearty casseroles. Of course, it means constant fires in the fireplace when we are home and I guess that inspired my son and his friends to inquire about making s’mores in the fireplace. Well, umm, no.
The thought of trying to clean melted chocolate and marshmallows out of the rugs and furniture does not jive with any New Year’s resolution I can put my finger on. But then the guilt sets in. It is a cute idea, so seasonal and quaint to say nothing of delicious. I love the concept just not the execution. So here’s the solution – S’mores Brownies in cupcake form. There are tons of recipes for s’mores cupcakes, but let’s just be honest – a cupcake is not a s’more. It has too much cake and misses that graham cracker snap to say nothing of that little corner of the Hershey bar that didn’t quite melt. To get it right you need a graham cracker crust, a dense bit of chocolate and some gooey marshmallow on top. To protect your sanity and your rugs, you need cupcake paper liners surrounding the whole thing. There you have it – S’mores Brownie Cupcakes. These are delicious and just about perfect. In fact last night I asked my son’s friend, Logan, if they were as good as s’mores and he said – “No! These are way better!” And he is a s’mores fan!
Here’s what to do. Start with a brownie mix to make this easy. Get a good one and add an extra egg for a little puff. I made my own graham cracker crumbs in the food processor, but you can buy them or just put graham crackers in a baggie and smash them up. Probably the best part was a piece of Hershey’s Symphony bar stuck in the middle before baking. Yum! A jar of marshmallow cream (we used to call it fluff) and the oven broiler took care of the icing. This is the perfect winter dessert/treat/surprise. I know everyone loved them last night and there isn’t a bite leftover for an afternoon snack. Light a fire in your fireplace, or at least some candles, and bake a batch of S’mores Brownie Cupcakes. You’ll love these and so will anyone you like enough to share one with! Enjoy!
S’mores Brownie Cupcakes
Ingredients
15 graham crackers or 1½ cups crumbs (save 2 graham crackers for decorating)
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 brownie mix – make according to directions adding one extra egg
1 Hershey’s Symphony bar (You’ll only use half – eat the rest or save for another batch)
7 oz jar Marshmallow Cream
1 chocolate bar for decorating
Cupcake liners for baking
2¼ cups flour
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Line a muffin tin with 12 liners.
Mix graham cracker crumbs with butter a press a heaping tablespoon in each muffin cup.
Top with prepared brownie batter (I had a little leftover and baked it in a small pan for a late night treat)
Break 1/2 of the Symphony bar into pieces and press about an inch into each cupcake.
Bake cupcakes for 18 -20 minutes until firm to the touch.
Cool for 15 minutes.
Preheat broiler (or use that torch for broiling you’ve never know what to do with).
Top each cupcake with a heaping spoon of Marshmallow Cream.
Broil for just a minute – watching to make sure they don’t burn – they should just barely brown on top.
Cool slightly and decorate with a piece of graham cracker and a piece of chocolate.
