{ S'more Cupcakes }

Newsflash:

It's fall. 

Fall around here includes a whole lotta bonfires and weenie roasts.

You know what goes hand in hand with weenie roasts?

S'mores. Of course.

Fall is my favorite season. It's sadly short, but for a while we are treated to firey bright trees in shades of yellow, orange, red, and brown against a backdrop of a bright blue sky dotted with puffy white clouds. I know Ohio isn't the atypical amazing fall color state. Those are the New England states. However, if it's been a reasonably wet summer, come fall we are treated to gorgeousness.

And the sunsets... well, the sunsets are just amazing.

I love the pumpkin picking

And the carving.

Please note this is the Bean's prize winner from our Youth Group carving contest.

It's a little concerning, no?

And Thanksgiving. Man oh man, I love Thanksgiving.

Last year's Thanksgiving table. Decorated and sat by the Bean.

Basically, you see, I do love this little thing called Fall & all that comes with it.

Including, of course, S'mores!

S'more cupcakes are kinda like a portable s'more, you see.

Chocolate cake, drizzled with a chocolate glaze, topped with a marshmallow buttercream, and sprinkled with graham cracker crumbs and Hershey Bar bits.

Interested?

Let's do this thing!

Start with some chocolate cuppies. You can use a box, or this is a great recipe!

S'mores Cupcakes

Cupcakes:

24 Chocolate Cupcakes, baked and cooled

2 Graham Crackers

2 Tablespoons Sugar

1-2 Hershey bars

Chocolate Glaze:

4 Tablespoons of Butter

3 Tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa

1/2 Cup Confectioners Sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla

2-3 Tablespoons HOT water

Marshmallow Buttercream*:

 2 Sticks (1 cup) of Butter (softened)

2 Cups Powdered Sugar

2-3 Tablespoons Heavy Cream or Milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1- 7 oz container of Marshmallow Fluff

 1/4 teaspoon of salt

First, lets cut up some Hershey Bars

Ideally, you'll have 2 bars of Hershey & be able to sprinkle a bit more on the top than I did.

SOMEONE, must have been a sneaker and eaten my other. SOMEONE who is nearly 6 foot tall, 

red-headed, and nicknamed Bean....

Chop the Hershey Bars up into little squares & sit aside.

Add 2 graham crackers and 2 Tablespoons of sugar in a zippered baggie.

Then crush, making sure not all is powder fine. You'll want larger pieces as well.

Sit this aside too.

Now, make your chocolate glaze.

Melt the butter in the microwave, then add the 3 Tablespoons of cocoa. Mix well, add in your 1/2 cup of Powdered Sugar & 2 Tablespoons of Hot Water & 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Whisk until glossy. If too thick, add the 3rd Tablespoon of Hot Water.

Drizzle over cupcakes. You can also dip your cupcake into the glaze, twisting a little as your take it out to get rid of excess chocolate.

Please ignore the fact that I'm glazing the very edge of the cupcake. It's hard to drizzle  

and take photos at the same time.

Let the glaze set up while you make your Marshmallow Buttercream.

In a mixer, add the 2 Sticks of Butter. Beat for about a minute. Then add the 2 cups of powdered sugar in a little at a time. Next, beat in your Vanilla & Marshmallow Cream. Now add your milk/heavy cream 1 Tablespoon at a time. If thin enough, stop there. If not, add more.

This is not a firm buttercream, keep that in mind. It's a softset & kind of a little sticky.

Top each cupcake with a nice sided dollop of the frosting. You don't need to cover the whole cupcake. 

After that, sprinkle with the graham cracker mix & add on a few piece of Hershey Bar for each.

Donzo!

A tasty alternative to real s'mores, no bonfire necessary.

Happy Fall, y'all!

Tina

*My Marshmallow Buttercream is adapted from this Vanilla Buttercream Recipe