S’mores Cupcakes

The marshmallow frosting puts these cupcakes over the top. Feel free to garnish however you’d like with chocolate and graham crackers to make them scream “s’mores!” —Erin Rachwal, Hartland, WI

Prep: 30 min. • Bake: 20 min. + cooling • Makes: 2 dozen

cup water

³₄ ³₄ cup buttermilk 2 large eggs, room temperature 3 Tbsp. canola oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract 1¹ ₂ cups all-purpose flour 1¹ ₂ cups sugar ³₄ cup baking cocoa

1¹ ₂ tsp. baking soda ³₄ tsp. salt

³₄ tsp. baking powder FROSTING 1¹ ₂ cups butter, softened

2 cups confectioners’ sugar ¹ ₂ tsp. vanilla extract 2 jars (7 oz. each)

marshmallow creme 2 Tbsp. graham cracker crumbs 2 milk chocolate candy bars (1.55 oz. each)

Optional: Toasted marshmallows and graham cracker pieces

1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a bowl, beat water, buttermilk, eggs, oil and vanilla until well blended. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, salt and baking powder; gradually beat into buttermilk mixture until blended.

2. Fill paper-lined muffin cups half full. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 16-20 minutes. Cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

3. For frosting, in a bowl, beat butter until fluffy; beat in confectioners’ sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add marshmallow creme; beat until light and fluffy. Spread or pipe over the cupcakes. Sprinkle with the cracker crumbs. Break each candy bar into 12 pieces; garnish the cupcakes. If desired, top with marshmallows and graham cracker pieces.

1 CUPCAKE 330 cal., 15g fat (8g sat. fat), 47mg chol., 298mg sod., 43g carb. (35g sugars, 1g fiber), 3g pro.

“No need to toast the ’mallows in advance! Show up to your soiree with the cupcakes simply iced. Then plunk on the rest of the s’mores goodies as the fire is roaring.”

—ANNAMARIE HIGLEY, ASSOCIATE EDITOR