No longer need to wait for campfire for your s’mores! Make these Mini S’mores Cups at home today and enjoy them comfortably at your couch!
When I was a kid, one of the things I looked forward to the most was going to BBQ. Hong Kong style BBQ is not done on a grill at a front yard. We have to go to a public park with BBQ area. The BBQ pits are made from rocks and concrete and are surrounded with benches (see picture below). My dad and some uncles would start the fire and my mom would get the food ready. Everyone is responsible for his/her own food, except for young children. First, we put marinated meat, fish, sausage, or fish balls on a fork-like skewer. Then you sat down on the rock bench and cook the food slowly over the charcoal. Great food and great way to spend time with families and friends. One of my favorites is the marshmallow!
Slide a marshmallow onto a skewer, place it over the fire and watch it slowly getting puffed and turning golden brown. If you are not carefully, the marshmallow can melt and fall, get burnt or catch on fire. That toasty melty marshmallow was heavenly. And I have no clue that is a even better way to eat toasted marshmallow until I came to the US. S’MORES!
Ever since then, s’mores pop tarts, s’mores cereal, s’mores chocolate, s’mores ice cream, I have them all and love them! But s’mores isn’t something you can easily have. You need a charcoal grill or you may not want to eat the whole giant s’mores in one occasion. So, how about turn them into mini desserts that you can make at home and enjoy at any time!
To start, make a basic graham cracker crust, just like you would for cheesecake. Then pat the crumbs down to a mini muffin tin. Instead of using a simple piece of chocolate as filling, I did a quick chocolate ganache. Ganache is softer and easier to bite into compare to a big piece of chocolate. It was very easy to make too. Just warm heavy cream with chocolate chips and instant coffee. Scoop them into the graham cracker cups. Top with half a marshmallow and toast them in a broiler. Garnish with a small piece of chocolate. There, you have your favorite childhood dessert at your own home! Absolutely delicious! Remember to grab a bowl or plate as these s’mores can get a little messy!
Mini S’mores Cups
Ingredients
- 6 marshmallows (cut into halves crosswise)
- Chocolate pieces (cut into ½-inch pieces)
Crust:
- 8 graham crackers
- 3½ tablespoons sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted, ½ stick)
Chocolate Ganache:
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1/8 teaspoon instant coffee powder
- 4½ ounces good semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F (180˚C).
- In a food processor, add the graham crackers and process until fine. You can also crush the crackers in a Ziploc bag with a rolling pin. Transfer the crumbs to a medium bowl. Add sugar and mix to combine. Add the melted butter and mix well. Scoop enough crumbs to fill each mini muffin tin. Press the mixture firmly onto the bottom of the tins with the help of the back of a tablespoon measuring spoon. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a cooling rack.
- Meanwhile, work on the ganache. Set a medium heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Make sure the water is not touching the bottom of the bowl. Add heavy cream, instant coffee powder and chocolate chips into the bowl. Stir until the chocolate is melted. Remove from heat and stir for a few more times. Scoop enough ganache to fill the graham cracker cups about ¾ full.
- Change the oven setting to broiler. Move the rack if needed (see tip 2 below).
- Place half a marshmallow on top of each ganache cups. Transfer to the broiler and bake for 5 – 20 seconds or until the marshmallow is golden brown. DO NOT walk away. Marshmallow can get burnt in a matter of seconds.
- Once they are out of the oven. Immediately place the chocolate pieces on top of the marshmallow and press down slightly. Let the cups cool in the pan for at least 1½ hour. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the cups and carefully remove them. Place them on mini cupcake liners. Serve at room temperature or microwave them for 4 seconds.
Notes
- If your oven doesn’t have broiler function, you can toast the marshmallows with a kitchen blowtorch or warm them in a 450˚F oven for a few minutes or until the outer crust of the marshmallow is slightly dried and puff.
- The heating element of some broilers is located at the top of the oven and some are located at the bottom of the oven. If yours is at the top of the oven, you will have to move your oven rack about 5 inches below the heating element.
- If your marshmallows are burnt, remove them carefully and do another round.
- The cups are easier to remove from muffin pan when cooled.
- For storage, keep the s’mores cups in an airtight container for up to 2 days at room temperature or 7 days in the fridge.
Kunal Pahuja- Handmade Chocolates says
I have just printed the recipe and added what I need to a grocery list! My kids are going to love them!
Lokness says
Hope you guys like the s’mores cups as much as I do! Enjoy! 🙂