S'more Cupcakes

My birthday is coming up in a few days, and I was craving a fun and tasty treat.  Time for cupcakes, obviously!  I'd found that a local cupcake place we enjoy had published a recipe of theirs online.  This S'more Cupcake is a favorite of mine, so I was thrilled there was a recipe and that I could give it a try.  And, there was another reason to utilize my kitchen torch.  Awesome.

A fun component to this recipe is the graham cracker bottom/crust with a bit of chocolate melted on top.

After that's baked a bit, you pour in the cupcake batter.  The recipe said it made 24 cupcakes, but it actually made 30 for us!

And then, my favorite part - frosting!

After doing some typical swirls, I tried a more traditional meringue look, and loved it. 

Also provides some good spikes for the torch to...well....torch.

They look like they'd be difficult, but they really were not, at all.  A beautiful and tasty cupcake!

Fiance and friend approved - can't wait to share them with my coworkers!

Chocolate Graham Cracker and Toasted Marshmallow Cupcakes
From Trophy Cupcakes as seen on: Martha Stewart
Makes 2 dozen (ours made 30, actually)

* 2 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
* 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 large eggs
* 1 cup whole milk
* 1/2 cup vegetable oil
* 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
* 1 cup boiling water
* 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (from about 20 squares) - might be helpful to have an extra 1/2 cup for the topping
* 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
* 9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
* Marshmallow Frosting

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 standard muffin tins with cupcake liners; set aside.
2. Sift 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into the bowl of an electric mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix ingredients together on low speed.
3. In a large bowl, mix together eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Add to flour mixture and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl and continue mixing on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add boiling water and stir to combine; set cake batter aside.
4. Place graham cracker crumbs, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and melted butter in a large bowl; stir until well combined.
5. Place 1 tablespoon graham cracker mixture into the bottom of each prepared muffin cup. Use the bottom of a small glass to pack crumbs into the bottom of each cupcake liner. Reserve remaining graham cracker mixture for topping.
6. Place 2 teaspoons chocolate in each muffin cup. Transfer muffin tins to oven and bake until the edges of the graham cracker mixture is golden, about 5 minutes (watch carefully so the chocolate doesn't burn!). Remove from oven and fill each muffin cup three-quarters full with cake batter. Sprinkle each with remaining chocolate and graham cracker mixture. Return to oven and bake, rotating pans halfway through baking, until tops are firm and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer muffin tins to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and let cool completely.
7. Transfer frosting (recipe below) to a large pastry bag fitted with a large plain round or French tip (such as Ateco #867 or Ateco #809). OR, if you're cheap like me, feel free to use a Ziploc bag!  Pipe frosting in a spiral motion on each cupcake, and add little spikes if you like. Transfer cupcakes to a baking sheet. Using a kitchen torch, lightly brown the frosting, taking care not to burn the cupcake liners. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container, up to 2 days.

Marshmallow frosting

Makes enough for 2 dozen cupcakes

* 8 large egg whites
* 2 cups sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
* 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. 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.
2. 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.

Enjoy!

Doughnut Muffins

Lazy weekend mornings just ask for a tasty breakfast food.  And the fiance certainly doesn't mind.  These little gems I've made for years.  Actually, I can't even remember where the recipe came from.  BUT, they've been a hit whenever I've made them.

The reason for the name?  Well, they're not quite muffins.  And they kind of taste like doughnuts.  But they're not fried - yay!  However, they aren't healthy by a long shot.  But, once you try one, you won't care.  I promise.

I did try to make them a teeny bit better this time around.  I substituted applesauce for the melted butter in the muffin.  It did change the texture slightly (made them a bit chewier), but not in an unpleasant way.

I actually have two recipes for this tasty delight.  One uses cake flour, and although I love baking, my tiny kitchen just doesn't have room for lots of specialty flours.  So, I use a recipe that requires regular all-purpose flour.

You can use large and/or small muffin tins.  I like to use both for a variety of sizes.  Good with coffee... tea... water... mimosas.  I don't think it really matters, because they're so tasty.

Doughnut Muffins
Serves 12-24 (depending on size)

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup butter, melted (or applesauce, if you want to be a bit healthier!)

Topping:
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease muffin tins.

Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix egg, milk and butter (or applesauce) in a separate bowl.  Add wet mixture into dry and stir until moistened (don't overbeat or you'll get tough muffins).  The batter is thick, not runny.  Spoon into greased muffin tins, fill about 2/3 full.  Bake mini muffins for 12 minutes and regular muffins for 19 minutes.

Using sharp knife, loosen muffins from tin and flip out onto cooling rack.

Melt butter in one bowl.  Mix together cinnamon and sugar in another bowl.  When muffins are cool enough to touch, roll in butter, then in cinnamon/sugar mixture.  Set on cooling rack and fend off kitchen prowlers.

Enjoy!

Caramelized Onion Veggie Lasagna

First, my apologies on the blog silence!  Work has been (ridiculously) busy, and the boyfriend has now become the fiance (yay!), so there's been little time for fun cooking.  BUT, we do have to eat, after all, so we made this amazing lasagna.

We have made this once before, with a friend, and it was fantastic.  I was bummed that we didn't photograph it for the blog!  Lasagna is a hit in our apartment anyway, but it was nice to try something that wasn't the standard tomato-meat-cheese lasagna.  (Also, we discovered the kitties approved as well - we had to leave for a moment and they were in our plates doing some tasting right away!)

We know I love caramelized onions (need I direct you to the French Onion Soup?)  So that's an automatic win.  But a lasagna with extra veggies, a white sauce, and a spinach-cheese mixture is even better.  We had a bit of produce around the house that needed using up, so I have tweaked the original recipe just a bit to use what we had.  It turned out great.

There are a lot of components to this lasagna, that's for sure.  But it's worth it.  I promise!

Caramelized Onion Veggie Lasagna
(adapted from Eating Well)
8-10 servings

8 ounces lasagna noodles, preferably whole-wheat (or oven-ready, if you're lazy like me!)

Caramelized Onion Filling
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 large sweet onions, thinly sliced (about 10 cups)
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, diced
2 small zucchini, diced
1/2 cup red wine
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Spinach & Cheese Filling
4 cups baby spinach
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups nonfat ricotta cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt

White Sauce & Topping 
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups low-fat milk
1 teaspoon salt
4 ounces crumbled goat cheese (or Gorgonzola, if you like a stronger flavor)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Extra cheese for top 1/2 cup - 1 cup (mozzarella, cheddar, whatever you've got)

If you're using regular lasagna noodles: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook noodles until not quite al dente, about 2 minutes less than the package directions. Drain; return the noodles to the pot and cover with cool water.

To prepare onion filling: Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown and very soft, about 25 minutes. (If they begin to stick, add water 1/4 cup at a time to release them and prevent burning.) Add zucchini and cook for a few minutes.  Then add mushrooms and cook, stirring, until just beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add wine and 1 teaspoon salt and continue cooking until most of the liquid is absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in pepper.

To prepare spinach filling: Place ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.

To prepare white sauce: Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and stir until bubbling, about 30 seconds. Gradually whisk in milk and 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking, until the sauce has the consistency of thick gravy, about 1 minute. Add goat (or Gorgonzola) and gently whisk until it is melted. Stir in 1/4 cup of freshly chopped basil.  Remove from the heat. (The sauce will continue to thicken as it sits.)

To assemble lasagna: Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
Drain the noodles and spread out on a kitchen towel. Spread 1/2 cup white sauce in the prepared pan. Place a layer of noodles over the sauce. Spread half of the spinach filling over the noodles and top with one-third of the onion filling. Evenly spread 1/2 cup white sauce over the onions. Repeat with another layer of noodles, the remaining spinach filling, half the remaining onion filling and half the remaining white sauce. To finish, top with a third layer of noodles, spread the remaining onion filling over the noodles and then spread or dollop the remaining white sauce on top. Sprinkle with additional cheese (your choice of variety) to create a bubbly, yummy top.

Bake until hot and bubbling, about 30 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!