Want S'more? Cupcakes that is!

These S'mores cupcakes really do taste like s'mores! For the frosting I whipped up some homemade Marshmallows (Recipe coming soon!) and spread them on the cupcakes.

S'more Cupcakes

Makes 24

1 "Family Size" box Pillsbury Fudge Brownies

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

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20 graham crackers

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

1/2 sugar

1 bag mini chocolate chips

2 Hershey Bars

Start by preheating you oven to 350 degrees, & line your muffin pans with 24 cupcake wrappers. making the brownie mix according to package instructions, but use 3 eggs instead of 2 for cake-like brownies. Set aside.

For the Grahm Cracker "Crust", combine graham crackers and sugar in food processor, pulse until crackers are crushed into small even crumbs. Slowly add melted butter a little at a time, pulsing after each addition until you get a mixture that's still crumbly, but firm when pressed. Drop a Tablespoon of the crumbs into each cupcake liner & press them down with a small glass. I used a Mini-Tart Shaper from Pampered Chef. On top of that, sprinkle on 1 teaspoon of mini chocolate chips. Pop that into the oven for 5 minutes to firm the crust & start melting the chocolate chips.

Remove the pans from the oven & fill them 3/4 full with the brownie batter. Then, sprinkle another teaspoon of mini chocolate chips & another Tablespoon of the Graham Cracker mixture. Place pans back in the oven & bake for about 20 minutes.

 When they come out they'll look like this! Now you have to decide what you want to do for the frosting.

You can whip up some of Martha Stewart's Marshmallow Frosting.

Or you can spread on a little Marshmallow Fluff & stick a big marshmallow on top like Rebecca from Homemaker's Habitat did.

Or spread on some homemade marshmallow like I did, then stick on a Hershey's piece & Your done!

Happy Baking!

Chocolate Overload Cupcakes & Breast Cancer Awareness

These fabulous looking cupcakes are made with homemade Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache AND Chocolate Mousse Frosting. I've been meaning to share the recipe for my Chocolate Mousse Frosting since I featured it on my Chocolate Candy Bar Surprise Cupcakes. The recipe is super easy!

Ingredients:

1 Cup of Milk

1 box of Chocolate Pudding Mix

1 Container of Cool Whip

All you need to do is Whisk together the milk and pudding mix, and then add the Cool Whip (make sure that the Cool Whip is room temperature). You could also use different flavors of pudding mix if you like.

As you also may know, October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. So bake some Pink cupcakes to show your Support!

Happy Baking!

Cookie Dough Brownies

These are SO good & SO easy to make!

I first saw these on Bakerella's blog. I wanted to make them really bad, but I forgot about the recipe and just recently stumbled onto it again. I'm glad I did because I don't know what the world would be like without these! I love you Betty!

You will need:

1 box Betty Crocker Ultimate Fudge Supreme brownie mix
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
2 eggs

1 pouch Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg


Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease the bottom of a glass 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray, or grease with shortening. Make brownie mix as directed on the box, using oil, water and 2 eggs. Spread the brownie batter in your pan.

Make cookie mix as directed on pouch, using butter and 1 egg. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls evenly onto brownie batterPress the dough down lightly. (You can also just spread the cookie dough on top.)

(You May think ^these^ look burnt, but that's how they should look.)

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out almost clean. Cool on cooling rack 30 minutes.

Once the brownies are cool, pour on the Chocolate Ganache (or you can use regular chocolate frosting) & wait several hours for it to set up. ENJOY!

Chocolate Ganache

12 oz. of chocolate chips (1 bag)

6 Tablespoons butter

3/4 Cup Whipping Cream

Melt the butter in a pan with the Whipping Cream over Medium Heat. Once that starts boiling, stir in the Chocolate Chips until Smooth. Pour it on your brownies!!

These Fabulous Cookie Dough Brownies were baked by the Fabulous Rhiannon of Pink Sugar Desserts

And these were baked by the always fabulous

Bakerella!

Happy Baking!

Chocolate Candy Bar Surprise Cupcakes!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Mousse Frosting and a Candy bar Surprise inside!

This is a Fun and Simple Recipe Idea to use for any occasion!

Start by making your favorite Standard Cupcake Recipe, but don't fill up the Cupcake Liners quite as full as you normally do. Once you fill up your cupcake liners, insert a small bite-size candy bar of your choice (I used 3 Musketeers, but you could use Snickers or Milky Way as well). If you can't find the bite-size candy bars, you can cut the Fun-Size bars in half like I did.

Yummy!

I frosted mine with my Special Chocolate Mousse Frosting! (Recipe coming Soon!)

Happy Cupcaking!

Chocolate Meringue Cookies!

Yummy Melt-in-your-Mouth Chocolate Meringues!

This recipe is from Taste of Homes' Best Loved Cookies & Bars. This is the first time I've made Meringues & I think they turned out great! (I think mine looked better than the Test Kitchen's.)

Ingredients:

3 Egg Whites

1/4 teaspoon Cream of Tarter

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1 Cup Sugar

3 Tablespoons baking Cocoa

3 Tablespoons mini Semisweet Chocolate Chips (optional)
3 Tablespoons finely crushed Walnuts or Almonds (optional)

Place egg whites in a large mixing bowl & let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Beat egg whites on high until foamy. Add salt and cream of tarter until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar one tablespoon at a time until stiff peaks form (about 6 minutes). Beat in cocoa and fold in chocolate chips or nuts if desired.

Cut a hole in the corner of a pastry bag and insert a Large Round or Star Shaped Pastry Tip. Fill the bag with the meringue. Squeeze out hearts or round star shapes about 2 inches apart onto lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 300 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until firm to the touch. Remove meringues and place on wire racks to cool. Store cookies in an airtight container.

Happy Baking!

(For info on Egg White's and their various stages, click HERE)

Bakerella Inspired Cake Truffles

I made Cake truffles using Bakerella's recipe for her Cake Pops.

First, I made a regular box cake in a 9 x 13 inch pan. I let it cool, and then I crumbled it up in a large bowl.

Then, I mixed in 1 16 oz. can of frosting. I couldn't decide which flavor to use, so I did half chocolate and half white.After the frosting is mixed in well, using a small ice-cream scoop, Scoop the Cake mixture into approximately 1 inch size balls, and refridgerate until the balls become firm (about a couple of hours). Once the balls are firm, roll them in your hands to make them smooth. I would recomend storing them in the freezing for another hour or two until you are ready to dip them in Chocolate. If want colored chocolate, you should use Wilton Candy Melts. DO NOT add food coloring to the chocolate inless it does not contain water. Always read the package instructions before melting or adding anything to your chocolate.

I drizzled some chocolate on mine,
but you can always use sprinkles or nuts to garnish your cake truffles.

Bakerella shapes hers into cupcakes. Too Cute!
You can see Bakerella's Official Recipe here, and a video of her making them on The Martha Stewart Show here.

Good Luck!