S'mores Cupcakes (Gluten Free)
From their graham cracker crust bottoms to their toasted Swiss meringue tops, these s’mores cupcakes are a delight to make and eat. And, with the fudgy, chocolatey brownie cupcake in the middle… they’re nothing short of perfection.
Servings 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
For graham cracker crust bottom:
- 1 cup (100 g) crushed gluten free cookies of choice (such as gluten free digestives or rich tea biscuits, or gluten free graham crackers)
- 1/2 stick (56 g) unsalted butter, melted
For brownie cupcakes:
- 7 oz (200 g) dark chocolate, chopped
- 1 1/3 sticks (150 g) unsalted butter
- 1/8 cup (15 g) cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 3 medium eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup + 1/2 tbsp (65 g) plain gluten free flour blend (I've used Doves farm plain gluten free flour blend, which doesn't contain xanthan gum)
- 1/3 cup (32 g) almond flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
- pinch of salt
- 3/8 cup boiling hot water
For Swiss meringue frosting:
- 8 medium egg whites
- 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
Instructions
For graham cracker crust bottom:
- Pre-heat the oven to 355 ºF (180 ºC) and line a 12-hole cupcake/muffin baking tin with cupcake liners.
- In a bowl, mix together the crushed cookie crumbs and melted butter until combined. Divide this mixture between the 12 cupcake liners (about 2 tbsp of mixture per cupcake), and press it down into an even layer.
- Bake at 355 ºF (180 ºC) for 8 - 10 minutes until it's a deep golden brown colour.
- Set aside and allow to cool slightly.
For brownie cupcakes:
- Reduce the oven temperature to 320 ºF (160 ºC).
- In a heat-proof bowl above a pot of simmering water, melt together the chocolate and butter.
- Once melted, remove from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. Then, mix in the cocoa powder and sugar.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each addition.
- Sift together the gluten free flour blend, almond flour, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt, and add them to the wet ingredients. Mix well until combined.
- Add the boiling hot water to the cupcake batter, and whisk well until you get a smooth, glossy batter.
- Divide the batter evenly among the 12 cupcakes (on top of the crushed cookie crust), so that each cupcake liner is about 3/4 full.
- Bake at 320 ºF (160 ºC) for 23 to 25 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. (You don't want the toothpick to come out completely clean, the cupcakes should be a bit fudgy in the middle.)
- Remove the cupcakes from the cupcake tin, and allow to cool on a wire cooling rack.
For Swiss meringue frosting:
- Mix the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in a heat-proof bowl, and set the bowl above a pot of simmering water.
- Heat the meringue mixture with constant stirring until it reaches 150 ºF (65 ºC) and the sugar has melted.
- Remove from heat and transfer the hot meringue mixture into a stand mixer with a whisk attachment (or use a hand mixer with the double beater attachment). Whisk the mixture for 5 - 7 minutes, until it reaches room temperature and forms stiff, glossy peaks. Do not over-whisk as you can lose some of the fluffiness.
Assembling the s'mores cupcakes:
- Transfer the Swiss meringue into a piping bag with a piping nozzle of choice.
- Pipe the Swiss meringue on top of each cupcake (be generous!) and toast it, using a kitchen blowtorch.
- Enjoy!
Storage:
- The s'mores cupcakes keep well in a closed container in a cool dry place for 3 - 4 days.