S’mores Cupcakes

Being that it’s Diversity & Inclusion week at work one of the events that we organized was a Cultural Pot Luck. I have to say, I love pot lucks – it’s really up there with my passion for buffets. Not sure what it is but walking into a room with tables and tables lined with foods to pick and nosh from just makes me so happy! I’d almost say it makes me giddy. Yes, I’m that girl.

The idea of the pot luck is for everyone to bring a dish that represents their cultural origin and it was a great way to get everyone talking to each other and food truly is the ultimate ice-breaker! I only needed to think back to my childhood days and for some reason the first thing that came to mind was my grade 7 camping trip to Anvil Island in Vancouver. I remember we had a night telling ghost stories with our camp counsellors and huddled together making s’mores. S’mores – truly goes to show that the best things in life are the simple ones!

S’mores Cupcakes (adapted from iambaker.net)
Recipe makes 3 dozen cupcakes

Ingredients:

Chocolate Cupcake:

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cups good unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 100 grams of unsalted butter (melted)
• 2 large eggs (room temperature)
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup instant coffee
• 1 cup dark chocolate, chopped

Cookie Crust (because it is so difficult to find graham crackers in Hong Kong!!)

• 1 1/2 cup crushed vanilla/honey cookies (use graham crackers if you want the original flavour!)
• 70 grams unsalted butter (melted)
• 36 large marshmallows (just get the large bags since you will be munching them while you make these!)

Instructions:

1. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl and mix until combined.
2. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla.
3. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry including the coffee.
4. Fold in finely chopped chocolate.
5. Prepare cookie crust. Add melted butter to cookies and combine until moistened. Spread about 1 tablespoon of crumbs into bottom of cupcake liner. Press down flat (I used a metal spoon).
6. Pour the batter  into the prepared cupcake pans (fill just 3/4 full) and bake for 18-20 minutes at 180 degree C i.e. 350 degrees F. Use toothpick test to make sure it’s well cooked.
7. Transfer onto cooling rack.
8. Line the marshmallows on a parchment lined cookie sheet and place in the over for 1 -2 minutes, or until the marshmallows start to puff up and turn brown – don’t walk away, keep your eyes on them!
9. Remove from oven and  slide a spatula under the marshmallow and set on cupcake. Press gently to flatten.
10. Obvs best served warm on the spot but I covered these bad boys with tin foil at room temperature overnight and brought them to work the next day and they still looked and tasted amazing!

Enjoy!

Disney’s Frozen Olaf Cake!

To be honest, I never really knew how to interact with kids until my nieces came along, namely my first – Megan (aka Meg Pie). On a random side note, I’ve recently been told by a line manager that he felt he couldn’t trust a candidate because she kept on saying “to be honest” whereby my manager then points to me and said SHE SAYS IT ALL THE TIME!! For those of you that don’t know, I’m in the recruitment business and combined with my Psych background, I’m always keeping my ears open on these little things that makes people jump to conclusions. Yes, you shouldn’t but we really all do!

RIGHT, that was totally my ADHD moment kicking in so back to CAKE. It’s Meg Pie’s 5th birthday and this year she has requested for an Olaf cake. She’s into a blue phase (after the pink phase, of course) so this fits in just right.

This is my first attempt at making a 2 tier cake and I was told (by the cake supplies store lady) that since the cake is relatively small (9” and 6”) that I can simply buttercream the layers, drape it with fondant, stack em’ and call it a day.

So, since working in Hong Kong doesn’t come equip with short hours and long with trying to fit in my yoga and body combat sessions (yes, need to burn off the cake!) and getting together with friends (yes, happy hours are my thang), I went for a simple vanilla cake, easy buttercream frosting and store-bought white fondant (using food colouring) for the decorations. My inspiration for Olaf came here.

It went perfectly along with the rest of the Halloween-themed party – enjoy!