Pink Flamingo Fridays are a neighborhood tradition that everyone looks forward to. For the unititiated, Pink Flamingo Friday is basically a yard party, where neighbors congregate in your driveway and yard, hang out, and the kids run around, playing. Feeding people is optional. We took our turn as Pink Flamingo hosts last week, and I did my usual – make an over the top, probably too messy dessert treat. (Last year it was salted carmel topped brownies, which required me bringing out a roll of paper towels.)
This year, I’ve kind of been cupcake obsessed. I tried making a smore’s cuppy earlier this year with a graham flavored cupcake, chocolate ganache filling and melted a big ol’ marshmallow on the top. They were good, but the graham cupcake part was a little dry for me, and I felt like there should be more chocolate…. So Katelyn and I hit the internet and searched “best cupcakes ever” (it’s what she wanted to search) and came across none other but a very s’more like cupcake on Martha Stewart’s site. Well, Logan had chosen NOT to nap and had gone completely bonkers by the time it was time to make cupcakes, so we did some cheating.
S’mores Cupcakes {the easier way}
Ingredients:
1 box of your favorite chocolate or Devil’s Food cake mix
+ whatever the box calls for (eggs, water & oil)
Crust:
1 1/2 Cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 Cup sugar
1/3 – 1/2 Cup butter, melted
1 handful semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)
Frosting:
4 egg whites
1 Cup sugar
1/4 teaspon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
While you wait, put the cupcake liners into your two cupcake pans.
Combine the sugar, graham cracker crumbs and melted butter in a medium bowl. You are looking for a pebbly, damp sand texture.
Spoon about 1 Tablespoon of the graham mix into each cupcake liner. Use a small glass to pack the mixture down.
Distribute a few chocolate chips into each liner. (or not. I honestly don’t think I would miss them if they weren’t there.)
Bake the crusts for about 5 minutes, or until the egdes are just starting to turn golden brown.
Mix up your cake mix according to package directions….
…and fill each cup 3/4 full with the cake batter. Return the pans to the oven for the lower end baking time indicated on your mix box (if it says 18-20 minutes, you might want to stick with 18. You’ll see why in a few.)
Let the cupcakes cool for 10 mintues in the pan, then place them on a cooling rack to cool the rest of the way.
Time for the frosting! (directions according to Martha)
- Place egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer. Set over a saucepan with simmering water. Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved and whites are warm to the touch, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Transfer bowl to electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat, starting on low speed, gradually increasing to high, until stiff, glossy peaks form, 5 to 7 minutes. Add vanilla, and mix until combined. Use immediately.
Have a gallon size plastic bag ready (or if you are fancy, use a pastry bag and tip and all that.) with a corner cut off to make about a 1/4 to 1/2 inch(ish) opening. Plop all of the marshmallow frosting into the bag, and pipe it on each cupcake. Mine were a big mess, but it made for more peaks to get super toasty in the next step….
Crank up the oven to BROIL/BROIL HIGH if you have it, and put the frosted cakes on a cookie sheet. Don’t crowd them, you may have to do two or three batches. Toast until they are browned to your liking. Alternately, you could use a torch and toast them the more fun way…..
(and yeah, I made pink glittery flamingoes for the tops with my Silhouette! Lesson learned, glitter card stock is thicker than heavy card setting in Silhouette Studio!)
It's life as we know it... 