Popcorn Crazy

I can't think.

I'm having such a hard time writing this post.

Do any of you ever feel that way?

I don't know what it is.

This recipe is so simple, but OH SO GOOD.

I'm having just as hard of a time trying to stay out of it.

It's a good thing that I'm going to work tomorrow because if I wasn't and had to sit in this house with this popcorn I'm sure I'd gain another 50 lbs.

And with an impending doctors appointment next week I can't afford to gain any more.

Do you remember back a few weeks ago I showed you this (man that stuff was good!)

Today as I was sitting here, basically waisting time, being productive, while the baby was sleeping, I had an idea.

Why not try one of the other flavors. Heck, why not make it two!

I'm kind of crazy like that.

Then I decided I'd try one at a time.

The first one up...

Do you see this???

I mean FO REAL!

Popcorn, chocolate marshmallow coating, graham cracker crumbs!

H E A V E N!!!

I am totally in love with this crap stuff!

It has totally blown my diet I'm sure, but I don't even care, it's so worth it!

Dear hubby even liked it. And he's really not a big popcorn person. Who wouldn't love this though. I'm totally patting myself on the back for this, and I don't care one bit!

I just hope that all of you will try this. It is so good and so simple.

So go. Now.

Get up from your computer, and if you don't have all of the ingredients, go now and buy them.

Make this.

And share it with the world!
Oh yeah, but first, stop by Sweet & Simple Sunday and link up!

S'more Please!

So a few weeks ago I did a guest blog post over at Something Swanky and made these cupcakes and I thought it was about time to share there here too!

S'More Cupcakes

It's finally starting to warm up here in this part of the country, and although we've had a very mild winter, it's about time to start with the campfires. In fact, we had our first one a couple of weekends ago. I love campfires. The smell of the smoke, the way food tastes cooked over the fire, and the dancing flames that could very easily put me to sleep (and trust me, they have). And what's better than a fresh, ooey, gooey S'mores over the fire, how about these that you make in your kitchen. No need to wait for warm weather, or deal with mosquitos!!

In all the time that I've been cooking and baking I've always been envious of those individuals who have those amazing little kitchen torches that are used for creme brulee and other wonderful desserts, and then I realized, why can't I use my hubby's hand held Bernz-o-matic from the garage to do the same exact thing!

I decided this was my chance.

I felt a little intimidated at first, after all, I didn't want to destroy my entire home by the undaunting desire to use a torch on a cupcake! Now, if you don't have a torch to do this, you can achieve the same "toasted" effect by using your broiler in the oven, just be careful!

Okay, so enough about my torch experience, on to the cupcakes!

S'Mores Cupcakes

FOR THE GRAHAM CUPS
9 sheets graham crackers (I acutally used about 1 1/2 cups already crushed graham cracker crumbs)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly spray a muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

Either crush the graham crackers by hand, until they are like rough sand, or process in a food processor for several pulses. Add the sugar and mix to combine. Add the butter and mix until thoroughly combined and resembling wet sand. Press firmly into the cups of the muffin pan, being sure to push it up the sides of the cups. Bake until golden and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely before filling.

FOR THE CUPCAKES
1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2/3 cup sour cream

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, or the bowl of a standing mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until just combined. Stir in the vanilla.
Sprinkle 1/3 of the flour mixture into the mixing bowl and mix until just combined. Add half of the sour cream, mixing until just combined. Repeat, alternating the remaining flour in 2 more additions with the remaining sour cream in one more addition (ending on flour).

Place 2 scant tablespoons of batter into each prepared muffin cup. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the tops of the cupcakes spring back lightly when touched.

Transfer to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Beatiful Chocolate Graham Cracker Cupcakes fresh from the oven!

Graham Cracker Cups baked to a light golden brown

Toasted Marshmallow Frosting

3 egg whites, room temperature
1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine sugar, egg whites, and cream of tartar in a medium bowl set over a pot filled with a couple of inches of barely simmering water. Whisk the mixture frequently to prevent the egg whites from cooking. Continue whisking until the mixture reaches 160 degrees. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk the mixture on high until it is shiny and stiff peaks form, then stir in vanilla extract.

Once cupcakes have cooled completly, pipe or spoon some of the Toasted Marshmallow Frosting onto the top of each cupcake. Here's where my ultimate kitchen tool came into play. "Toast" the cupcakes either by using a hand-held torch or using your broiler. I then topped each cupcake with a chocolate covered marshmallow topper made by dipping two mini marshmallows in Wilton dark chocolate candy melts.

Aaahh, the beautiful Bernz-O-Matic!

 These cupcakes are the perfect mix of graham cracker, chocolate, and marshmallow!

Who knew that this was even possible!!

I must say it again, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE be CAREFUL if you decide to use a torch on these.

I'd love to hear about your experiences making these, but ER stories make me a little queesy!

Have a great week!!

Peace. Love. Cupcakes.

Kim

Check out where I'm partying this week!!

Peppermint Mocha Kahlua Marshmallows, Take 1

Okay, so as all of  you know, I've changed the format of this blog a little. I've gone from trying to stritcly show off my cupcake and cake pop creations, to sharing all of the great recipes I come across that I just can't wait to share with the world. This was supposed to be one of those recipes. I happened across this recipe when I was looking at blogs that were listed with foodieblogroll.com. I thought to myself, what a great reason to go buy that beatiful brown bottle of Kahlua I've been swooning over since before Christmas. Let's just say this recipe didn't turn out the way I was expecting it to. This just goes to show that even when you follow the directions with all of the right ingredients, if the tilt of the earth is not quite right, marshmallows won't set up. Okay, okay, so I can't blame it on the tilt of the earth, wasn't it just Nationa Blame It On Someone Else Day?

The above picture is about the best picture I got out of this entire process. I should have known from the beginning that this wasn't going to work. First off, here's the recipe I used, I got it here.

Peppermint Mocha Kahlua Marshmallows – yield one 9×9 tray
3 packages unflavored gelatin (I did not have packages of gelatin, I had a bulk bag, I found online that that each package contains about 2 teaspoons of gelatin)
1/2 c Peppermint Mocha Kahlua
2/3 c light corn syrup
1/4 c water
2 c granulated sugar
1/4 c cornstarch
1/4 c icing sugar
1 tbs espresso powder (optional)

In the bowl of a standing mixer pour in Peppermint Mocha Kahlua.  Sprinkle gelatin on top.  Set aside.
Line a 9×9 baking pan with plastic wrap and spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Spray a spatula with non-stick spray and set with your pan.

In a medium size sauce pan add corn syrup, granulated sugar and water.  Turn to medium heat and whisk until the sugar is dissolved.  Try not to let any of the sugar mixture splash up the sides of the pan.  Stop stirring and clip on your candy thermometer.  Heat mixture without stirring until it reaches 240 F.
Once it hits 240 F (soft ball stage) remove from heat and pour directly over the Peppermint Mocha Kahlua.  It’s gonna bubble and steam.  Attach the whisk attachment to your standing mixer and start mixing.  Start on low and increase to high so it won’t splash everywhere.  Mix on high for 10 minutes or until your peaks get stiff. Do not scrap down the bowl.

Using your prepared spatula pour mixture into your prepared pan.  The stuff is STICKY and stringy so be prepared.  Once in the pan let sit for 4 hours or overnight until set.

Once set flip onto a cutting board and using a greased pizza cutter cut marshmallows into what ever size you like.  In a large ziplock bag add confectioners sugar, corn starch and espresso powder.  Shake the marshmallows in the mixture to prevent them from sticking together.

Now, let's jump back to the part where it says to use your candy thermometer, yep, first mistake. I could not find my candy thermometer anywhere! But I thought, 240 degrees is 240 degrees right? Why do I have to use a candy thermometer, I have a thermometer we use for our turkey deep fryer, that should work! Apparently not! As soon as I put it in the boiling pot of sugar, it immediatly went to 240. I've worked with candy long enough to know it doesn't set to soft ball stage the instant it boils so I knew I needed to let it boil a little longer. And I remember seeing something somewhere about dropping some of the mixture into water to see what stage it was at, well tried that too. Who knows what stage mine was it, certainly not set enough for marshmallows, I found that out a little too late in the process though.

After I mixed the syrup into the gelatin and Kahlua and whisked it to high heaven it still wouldn't peak, even after 15 minutes. I just had this sick feeling in my stomach that this wasn't working, and no, I didn't sample too much of the Kahlua! I kept on going, I poured the mixture into my prepared pan and with a slight glimmer of hope I let them sit. Afterall, in the original recipe she says that they'll be sticky and mine were totally sticky!

It says to let the mixture sit for 4 hours or overnight (now in my world, my overnight is a little longer than 4 hours) but I couldn't wait so 4 hours came and went, it was time to sample these delectible delights and dunk them in some hot chocolate.

Here's what they ended up like!

Yeah, from what I remember, marshmallows aren't supposed to run, unless they're oozing out from between two graham crackers. Now you see why this is titled Take 1. This whole process didn't turn out the way I had hoped, the good thing is, now I know, and I still have some Kahlua left so Round 2 will be coming soon!