Hey, Smalls, You Wanna S’more?

Three ingredients never fail to taste like summer:

grahams, mallows and tons of chocolate.

By playing with this classic combination, I’ve managed to whip up another treat that is definitely a crowd pleaser. The ingredients can either be store-bought or homemade, depending on personal preference. To make things simple, I chose to go with a box of Devil’s Food cake mix and this recipe for the chocolate frosting. You’ll want to make a double batch. These bad boys will be the star of your next summer BBQ.

~18 cupcakes

1 box of chocolate cake mix

3 eggs

1/2 c. vegetable oil

1 c. water

lots of mini mallows

10 crushed graham crackers

foil cupcake liners

Make cupcakes according to box directions, and let cool completely before frosting.

Once cupcakes are room temperature, put a small dallop of frosting on each cupcake. The less frosting you use, the less of the mess you’ll make in the end. You only want to use enough to hold the marshmallows in place.

Transfer all the frosted cupcakes into a large cake pan. Place 4-6 mini mallows in the center of each frosted cupcake, making sure to press them into the frosting. Sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs over the top of every cupcake. Add as much or as little as you prefer. Turn your broiler on to low, and place the cupcakes on a rack in the middle of your oven. Do not place them on the top rack.

Keep the oven door slightly ajar and your eyes glued to the cupcakes. The marshmallows will begin to turn golden brown. This will only take 1-2 minutes. The broiler will also cause the chocolate frosting to melt.

Remove the cupcakes from the oven, and set on a wire rack to cool. If some of the mallows drifted from the center of the cupcakes, simply push them back to the middle. Eventually the chocolate will set, helping to keep the marshmallows in place.

Half of the fun in eating these treats is making a mess–real s’mores are messy and gooey. Serve these cupcakes with lots of napkins and tons of milk.