Bonfire S'more Cupcakes

Still relaxing up north...

Enjoying some s'mores by the bonfire.

Or how about your s'more on a bonfire on a cupcake!

Listening to stories about my terrible 80's hair.

And savoring every deep belly laugh that

comes out of my sweetie, Sophia Rose.

Good times....good times.

Bonfire Cupcakes

(Betty Crocker Best Desserts 2011)

(For printable recipe click here!)

Ingredients for 24 cupcakes:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 ¹/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

¹/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup water, hot

²/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa

³/4 cup shortening

1 ¹/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

20 individually wrapped red cinnamon hard candy disks (from 7-oz bag), unwrapped

20 individually wrapped yellow butterscotch hard candy disks (from 7-oz bag), unwrapped

60 pretzel sticks, broken in half

48 miniature marshmallows, toasted, if desired

24 toothpicks

7 ounces marshmallow creme

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

¹/8 teaspoon lemon-yellow gel food color

Cupcakes:

Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.

In medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder; set aside. In small bowl, mix hot water and cocoa until dissolved; set aside.

In large bowl, beat shortening with electric mixer on medium speed 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, about 1⁄4 cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping bowl occasionally. Beat 2 minutes longer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
On low speed, alternately add flour mixture, about 1⁄3 of mixture at a time, and cocoa mixture, about 1⁄2 at a time, beating just until blended.

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each about 2⁄3 full.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pans; place on cooling racks to cool.

Icing:

Line 15 × 10 × 1-inch pan with foil; spray foil with cooking spray. Place unwrapped cinnamon and butterscotch candies in freezer plastic bag; with hammer or meat mallet, finely crush candies. Pour crushed candies into foil lined pan; spread in thin layer. Bake at 350°F 6 to 8 minutes or until completely melted. Cool completely before handling.

Remove lid and foil seal from jar of marshmallow creme. Microwave uncovered on High 15 to 20 seconds to soften. In large bowl, beat marshmallow creme and butter with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until smooth. Tint frosting with yellow food color. Frost cupcakes.

On each cupcake, arrange 5 pretzel pieces to look like logs of campfire. Break cooled sheets of melted candies into pointed shards. Insert candy pieces in tops of cupcakes around pretzels to look like flames.

Place 2 marshmallows on one end of each toothpick. Insert other end of toothpick into each cupcake.

SO SO SO CUTE!!!

Linking up to several great parties that can be found HERE including these:

Lark's Country Heart