s'more cake please.

What's your favorite s'mores-related memory?

Growing up, I made s'mores over a stove flame...no fire pits or camping for me. But this was just as well, as I could make as few or as many as I wanted, with less trouble, yet still got the perfect char on my marshmallow. And honestly, I made some s'mores in the microwave too. I liked watching it expand like a little balloon, and then deflate once the microwave stopped. [Being easily entertained was a necessity growing up in my house.]

Now that I'm grown, I still love me some s'mores. And from time to time, I find myself hanging out with friends, roasting some marshmallows over a real fire pit. But last year, when I was unemployed, I baked. And not always for anyone in particular. There were recipes I wanted to try, and didn't really think about who would consume whatever it was that came out of my oven. One particular recipe that I tried was for s'mores cupcakes. I figured I could find someone who would eat them.

I slightly adapted this recipe and loved it. And I wasn't the only one. The hubs happened to invite some of his co-workers over the next afternoon. At first they thought the cupcakes were decor. They were delightfully surprised when I told them it was their dessert. They proclaimed their super-satisfaction with a "this is soooooo good!" And then my nephew came over for dinner. He loved the cupcakes so much, I sent a few home with him. He was grateful...and I'm pretty sure he didn't share one bite with his sister.

So a couple weeks ago was said nephew's birthday. And he was also about to embark on a new journey, going to school near my parents. Starting a new chapter in his life by moving across the country, with the hopes of nothing but good things. And I wish him nothing but great things.

To celebrate, I baked a cake. Remembering how much he loved the s'mores cupcakes, I made a s'mores cake. And though it's not the prettiest of cakes, that fact is easily overlooked.

S'mores Cake (or cupcakes)

(slightly adapted from What's Cookin', Chicago?)

For graham cracker crust

1/2 c fine graham cracker crumbs (about 3 graham sheets)
graham crackers, crumbled (about 4 graham sheets)
1/2 c brown sugar, loosely packed

6 tbs unsalted butter, melted

Directions: Prepare one 8-inch cake pan: line bottom with parchment paper, grease and flour sides. (I did not line my pan, and therefore ruined it by taking a butter knife to it in order to get the cake out.) Prepare second 8-inch cake pan as usual for cake batter. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix ingredients in a small bowl, until all crumbs are coated in butter. Press into bottom of cake pan lined with parchment. Bake for about 7 minutes. It will look gooey, but will harden upon cooling. Prepare cake batter as crust bakes and cools.

For graham cracker cake

1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c fine graham cracker crumbs (about 13 graham sheets)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 c milk
1 c milk chocolate chips

Directions: Sift together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, and salt. Cream butter and sugar together, until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time. Mix until incorporated. Add vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and milk, mixing well after each addition. Gently mix in chocolate chips using a spatula or wooden spoon.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour half of the batter on top of the cooled graham cracker crust. Pour the other half in prepared cake pan. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

For chocolate ganache

8 oz bittersweet chocolate

1/2 c heavy cream

Directions: Place chocolate in medium, heat-proof bowl.  On the stove, heat heavy cream to a slight simmer, about 6 minutes. Stir occasionally. Pour cream over chocolate. Let sit room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Stir until cream and chocolate are well blended. Cool in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Ganache should be smooth and easily spreadable.

I may or may not have doubled the ganache for this cake...a little more chocolate can't hurt, right?

For marshmallow cream cheese frosting

16 oz cream cheese, softened

16 oz marshmallow fluff

3/4 c powdered sugar

Directions: Cream together cream cheese and fluff until well blended. Add powdered sugar. Mix until incorporated.

The original recipe calls for a Swiss meringue marshmallow frosting, which I made the first time I made these as cupcakes. I loved it, but I prefer tasty and simple...and the cream cheese frosting is a little easier for me to make :P 

For garnish
12 graham cracker rectangles
12 chocolate squares

To assemble
Cake layer with graham cracker crust will be your bottom layer. Pour half of your chocolate ganache on top of cake. Fend off your niece who's trying to lick the bowl. Then smooth out the ganache. But no need to be perfect. Pour half of marshmallow frosting on top of ganache. Spread out, but again, no need to be perfect.

Carefully place next cake layer on top of frosting. Repeat ganache and frosting. I let some frosting 'drip' down the sides of the cake. Like I said, it's not "pretty", but it's delicious and messy, just like a s'more in its original form.

I garnished with graham crackers and chocolate squares, placed to mark each piece of cake -- 12 slices here. You can definitely do thinner slices, but I actually used a gigantic Hershey's bar for my chocolate squares, and even cut in half, they were still pretty big, so I just stuck with 12 pieces.

My nephew was super-excited about his cake. The whole family enjoyed it -- though I must suggest to have a pitcher of water nearby, as this cake is pretty decadent!

Such a great way to celebrate life and its adventures!! :)


And if you're still wondering where that quote is from... "You're killing me Smalls!!" hehehe 

baking without my camera.

I love reading blogs that have recipes or tips with visual explanations. As an educator, I should know that visual aids are more appealing and help with understanding while reading. So as I'm new to writing my own blog, you would think that I would include several pictures within each post. Well...I would...if I could remember the darned thing.

Oftentimes, I'm that person who brings my camera along to most every occasion. But for one reason or another, I don't take pictures. I left my camera in my purse, which is in the hall closet with my coat. I completely forget that I brought my camera cuz I'm too busy chit-chatting or what-have-you. OR I don't want to be the only weirdo that's taking pictures. That last one...I've got no explanation except that I've got quirks too. What are yours?

So when the hubs bought his brother's old camera, I was super-excited. I'm not one of those people who know all about fancy camera equipment, but this is one fancy camera...especially for the likes of me. And now, I take a *ton* of pictures of family and friends food. I should probably read the manual and maybe take a beginner photography class or something (then maybe I'd have better pictures). But for now, I just have to remember to have it around when I'm in the kitchen. It's definitely not a habit to take pictures while I'm baking. 

During my week off, I managed to use three new recipes in my kitchen -- none of which I have documentation for. To make matters worse, I didn't even snap the finish products, as I either gave them away or entertained our several visitors during the week. Okay, I lied. I kept two for myself. But I ran out of filling, so I just used Nutella. :) Pardon my camera phone picture.

Chocolate Malt Sandwich Cookies

slightly adapted from smells like home who adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

For the cookies:

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 cup plain malted milk powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 large egg

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup plain yogurt

3 tablespoons hot water

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, sift flour, cocoa powder, malted milk powder, baking soda, and salt. In a mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugar on medium until fluffy. Add in egg, vanilla, yogurt, and hot water. Mix on low. Slowly incorporate flour mixture.

Place tablespoon-sized balls of dough about 3 1/2 inches apart (they will spread out) on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. They should be flat and firm (but not hard). Cool on parchment on wire racks. Note: This makes about 36 cookies (or 18 sandwiches). I made half of my batch with teaspoon-sized dough balls so I would have more sandwiches.

For the filling:

10 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 cup plain malted milk powder

3 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream and milk (equal parts)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions: Melt chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring. Let cool. In a mixing bowl, cream together malted milk powder and cream cheese until smooth. Gradually mix in cream/milk mixture, chocolate mixture, and vanilla. Refrigerate, covered, about 30 minutes. Beat on high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Note from 'Smells Like Home' (so glad she said this!): After chilling, the filling will be very thick and dark but as soon as you start to beat it, the color will begin to lighten and the filling will become very fluffy.

To assemble the cookies, pair up cookies that are of similar sizes. Scoop about a tablespoon of the filling onto the bottom of one cookie. Sandwich with another cookie until the filling pushes to the edges of the cookies. Repeat with remaining pairs of cookies. Martha says that the cookies can be kept at room temperature between layers of parchment in airtight containers for up to 3 days. This will not be a problem.

I made a small sample so I could taste test, and I tried it in-between some sandwiching. I thought it was okay. But then, I tried one the next day, and it was soooooo much better! And like I said, I ran out of filling at the end, so either I tasted too much of it put too much filling on some cookies, or I need to make 1 1/2 times the filling to put more. The latter seems more logical. Though I'm not complaining about the Nutella. 

I brought these to friends of ours who just had a baby. They loved them (and the Irishman cupcakes too!). My sister-in-law and the kids loved them as well. The next day I found out that the kids ate them for breakfast that morning. Nothing like a breakfast of champions! hehehe...

Sorry for the lack of pictures! You won't mind anyway after you make these cookies. They're that good. Even without the filling. Cuz you'll wanna eat the filling with a spoon...just like you do with your Nutella. I won't judge.