Difficutly: very easy
Time: 5 Min
Portion: 1 serving
Ingredients:
Makes about 15 cupcakes
INGREDIENTS
For vanilla bean marshmallows* / Makes about 50 mini marshmallows
1/4 oz unflavored gelatin (1 packet of Knox gelatin)
1/6 cup cold water
2/3 cups granulated sugar
2/9 cups light corn syrup
4 tsp water
a pinch of salt
1/3 tablespoon vanilla extract (I used 1 vanilla bean, scraped)
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup powder sugar
*If you don’t want to make your own marshmallows, you could use store bought too, but trust me when I tell you that home made is SO good!
For cupcakes
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temp
1-1/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs, room temp
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoons vanilla
For frosting*
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 jar (7 oz) marshmallow cream
1 cup powder sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
blue food gel
*Marshmallow frosting recipe makes alot. You can freeze the leftovers for another time. Defrost before using.
fruit rollup
lifesavers candy (I used the gummy one so they are elastic to fit the bear easier)
teddy grahams (I used the honey flavor)
cocktail umbrellas
1 cup graham cracker crumbs for sand
Directions:
To make marshmallows—
Line a pan with plastic wrap and lightly oil it. Set aside.
[NOTE: I used my small 7-1/4\”x5-1/4\” glass pyrex dish.]
In the bowl of an electric mixer, sprinkle gelatin over 1/6 cup cold water. Soak for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine sugar, corn syrup and 4 tsp water in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a rapid boil and boil hard for 1 minute.
Pour the boiling syrup into soaked gelatin and turn on the mixer, using the whisk attachment, to high speed. Add a pinch of salt and beat for about 4 minutes. After 4 minutes, add in the vanilla extract beat to incorporate.
Scrape marshmallow into the prepared pan and spread evenly (Lightly greasing your hands and the spatula helps a lot here). Take another piece of lightly oiled plastic wrap and press lightly on top of the marshmallow, creating a seal. Let mixture sit for a few hours, or overnight, until cooled and firmly set.
[NOTES: I let mine set for about 3 hours but I recommend overnight.]
In a shallow dish, combine cornstarch and powder sugar. Remove marshmallow from pan and cut into equal pieces with lightly oiled scissors (the best tool for the job) or a chef’s knife. Dredge each piece of marshmallow in powder sugar mixture.
To make cupcakes—
For graham cracker bottom: Combine 1 cup of graham cracker crumbs and 1/4 cup melted butter. Add about 1 teaspoon++ into the bottom of each cupcake liner. Put in freezer to set about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375F degrees.
For chocolate cupcakes: Beat butter until softened. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until well combined.
Measure the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder into a small sized bowl and whisk to combine. Measure out the milk and vanilla and stir to combine.
Add about a third of the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar and beat to combine. Add about a half of the milk/vanilla and beat to combine. Continue adding, alternating between dry and wet and finishing with the dry.
Scoop batter into cupcake cups about 2/3’s full. Turn oven down to 350 degrees and bake cupcakes for about 20-22 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
While the cupcakes are still warm cut out a cone and insert a mini marshmallow in the center. Replace cone.
[NOTES: If I had a creme brulee torch I would have toasted the marshmallow before replacing the cone back.]
To make frosting—
Beat butter in a medium bowl with mixer on medium speed until creamy. Beat in marshmallow cream. When well blended, beat in powder sugar and vanilla. Increase speed to high and beat for 3-4 minutes until frosting is fluffy.
Reserve 1 tbsp++ white frosting and color the remaining with blue food gel to desired color.
To assemble cupcakes—
Using an offset spatula apply blue frosting to cupcake. Put graham crumbs on 1/2 of the cupcake for sand. Using a toothpick add some white to the blue to resemble waves. Draw outfit on teddy grahams with food safe markers. Put the teddy graham on either a lifesaver “innertube” or a fruit roll up “towel”. Garnish with cocktail umbrella.