S'mores Cookie Cups

My husband had something like this called a "s'muffin" out in L.A. several years ago and has talked about it wistfully ever since. Today's his birthday, so I thought I'd finally try to recreate this now legendary dessert that I've only known by way of his description. I knew that with s'mores ingredients - graham crackers, marshmallow, chocolate - I couldn't really go wrong. And yes, this is still a blog about introducing new foods to your kids, but sometimes you just need a fun dessert, right? 

I've seen lots of wonderful recipes for s'mores cupcakes, and while I like that idea in theory, I still want graham cracker crunch, not cake. So this recipe is more of a cookie-gone-wild than a cupcake. A thick graham cracker crust is baked in a mini-muffin tin, filled with chocolate, and topped with toasted marshmallow. And they're really really good.

Printable Version Here!

S'mores Cookie Cups

makes 22-24 cookie cups

2 c. graham cracker crumbs*

1/2 c. butter, melted

3 tablespoons sugar

splash of milk

22-24 unwrapped dark Hershey's kisses or about 2/3 c. chocolate chips

1/3 c. cold water

1 envelope of unflavored gelatin

1/4 c. water

1 c. sugar

1 vanilla bean, inside scraped out, optional

*I used whole graham crackers and rolled over them using a rolling pin in a sealed bag. 

Stir together graham cracker crumbs, butter, and sugar. Add milk a little at a time until the crumbs stick together just slightly. You don't want a wet dough, so don't add much more than a couple of tablespoons of milk. I didn't give a measurement because this will vary based on the brand of graham crackers and even the weather that you're experiencing. The mixture will be crumbly but just moldable. 

Scoop the crumbly graham cracker mixture into an ungreased mini muffin tin and pack each s'more down with your fingers, making a little indentation in the middle. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Immediately fill with chocolate (about 8-10 per s'more if you use chips). 

While the s'mores are cooling, make the marshmallow icing. You definitely want to use your stand mixer for this, unless you just enjoy standing over a bowl for 15 minutes. Fit the mixer with a balloon whisk. 

Pour 1/3 c. cold water into the bowl of your mixer and sprinkle the gelatin over top. In a small saucepan, bring 1/4 c. water and sugar to a boil. When the sugar begins to dissolve, bring out your candy thermometer and cook, stirring often, until you reach soft ball stage, about 235 degrees. Very carefully pour the hot sugar water into the gelatin and whisk over low for 1 minute until the mixture cools a little. Increase speed to high - mix for 10 minutes, then check on it. You want a firm marshmallow-y mixture, not runny icing. Peaks should keep their shape in the finished product, which took me just shy of 15 minutes. When you're almost finished mixing, add the vanilla bean caviar, whisk a bit more and remove the bowl from the mixer. 

You can certainly spoon dollops of icing onto the s'mores and call it a day, but I love piping icing, so I'm going to tell you how to do that, if you choose. 

Get a piping bag or ziploc, push a tip into the corner without stretching the bag, and snip the top of the corner. Put the bag, tip down, into a tall glass and turn the edges of the bag inside out over the glass - it'll make it much easier to fill. Spoon the fluffy marshmallow icing into the bag and pipe in a concentric circular motion over the s'mores - ie: make a big circle and fill it with smaller, gradually rising circles. 

If you have a kitchen torch, now's the time to get it out. Toast the sides of the marshmallow. Top with chocolate chips and/or graham cracker bits, if desired. 

Note: make sure to pipe the icing on as soon as the s'mores are cool. The icing will "set" after a few hours and become firm and marshmallow-y (and impossible to spread). 

Bon Appétit!

Update: Here's where I buy my vanilla beans. There much less expensive than the grocery store and much more reasonably priced: Premium Madagascar Vanilla beans 1/4 lb by JR Mushrooms

Like this recipe? Check out Perfect Chewy Pumpkin Spice Cookies, Two Ways