Recipe: S’more cupcakes

S’more cupcakes

Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Servings: Makes 20 cupcakes

Note: Graham flour, the coarsely ground whole-wheat flour traditionally used in graham crackers, is available at Whole Foods. You can use semisweet chocolate chips or a coarsely chopped 70% chocolate of your choice.

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Cupcakes

1 1/4 cup graham flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup light brown sugar

3/4 cup honey

1 tablespoon vanilla

6 eggs

3 cups chocolate chips or pieces

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line standard-sized muffin trays — two trays unless you have a very large one — with paper muffin liners. Sift the graham and all-purpose flours, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and allspice into a large bowl and set aside

2. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the softened butter, sugar and honey on high speed until creamy and light, about 3 minutes. Turn the speed down and add the vanilla and the eggs, one at a time, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl.

3. With the mixer turned to low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing only until combined. Add the chocolate and mix just until combined.

4. Spoon the batter into the lined muffin pan cups, about one-third cup each. Bake until the tops are dark golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean, 20 to 24 minutes. Cool the cupcakes on a rack while you make the frosting.

Marshmallow frosting and assembly

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons water, divided

1 1/2 (¼-ounce) envelopes unflavored gelatin

4 1/2 teaspoons light corn syrup

1 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cooled cupcakes

1. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, pour three-fourths cup of water and sprinkle the gelatin over the top to soften while you make the syrup.

2. In a small heavy-bottom saucepan with a candy thermometer placed over the side of the pan, bring the remaining one-quarter cup plus 2 tablespoons water, the corn syrup and the sugar to a boil. Boil until the sugar registers 235 on the thermometer. Remove from heat.

3. With the mixer at low speed, whisk the gelatin and water and pour the hot syrup slowly into the side of the mixing bowl (watch that the syrup does not touch the whisk, or it will splatter against the side of the bowl). As soon as the syrup has all been added, whisk at low speed until the mixture is frothy, then gradually increase the speed. As the marshmallow mixture gains volume, it will thicken and you’ll be able to increase the speed to its highest speed. Mix at high speed until the marshmallow topping is very fluffy and has increased in volume by two-thirds, about 10 minutes.

4. While the frosting is mixing, fit a piping bag with a large decorator’s tip. As soon as the frosting is ready, spoon it into the piping bag and pipe it out onto the cupcakes. Don’t wait too long to do this, as the marshmallow will harden up a bit.

5. After all the frosting has been piped out onto the cupcakes, toast the marshmallow frosting with a blow torch, moving around the sides of the frosting and being careful not to burn the sugar. The frosting should be golden brown, with white near the base. (Don’t get too close to the paper cupcake liners.) The cupcakes are best warm, as is the frosting, but these hold for up to a day, frosted and toasted.

Each cupcake: 425 calories; 5 grams protein; 64 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 19 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 80 mg cholesterol; 51 grams sugar; 136 mg sodium.