S'more Cookie Cups

These are the cookie cups I made for Sarah's birthday. This recipe will make 24 cups.

S'more Cookie Cups

For the cookie cups:

Ingredients
1 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
2 large egg
2 tsp vanilla 
2 2/3 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt (optional) 
1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs (approximately 10 full graham crackers)

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease 24-well muffin tin. In a stand mixer, beat butter and sugars until fluffy. Add baking powder and salt and combine. Add eggs one at a time, combining completely between each addition. Add vanilla and combine. Add flour and graham cracker crumbs and stir until just combined. Scoop 3 tablespoons each into muffin tin. Bake for 13 minutes. Remove from oven and wait about 1 minute then use a jar or container (I used a spice jar) to indent each cup. Cool completely in tin.

For the ganache:

Ingredients
12 oz bag milk chocolate chips
2/3 cup cream

In a liquid 2 cup measuring cup, pour in chocolate chips and cream. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring completely until melted and smooth. Cool the ganache until it's no longer warm (the fridge can help speed this along). Pour a couple of tablespoons of ganache in cooled cups.

After the ganache is poured into the cups and while that cools and sets a little, begin making the marshmallow cream. 

Marshmallow Cream

1/3 cup water

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup corn syrup or honey

3 large egg whites room temperature

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp vanilla

Place water, sugar, and corn syrup in a medium saucepan. Stir to combine.

1. Insert a candy thermometer into the pot and heat over medium-high. Do not stir from this point on as crystals will form.
2. Ensure mixer bowl and whisk are completely grease free.
3. Place egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer.
4. When the sugar syrup reaches about 225°F, start whipping the egg whites to soft peaks. Approx 3-4mins.
5. When the whites are ready, the sugar syrup should be at 240°F. Remove from the heat, turn mixer to medium and very slowly and carefully pour the sugar syrup into the whites in a thin, steady stream.
6. Once all of the syrup is in, set mixer to medium/high and continue whipping. The whites will deflate at first, but they will thicken and fluff up. Continue to whip for 7-8 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and glossy. Add in vanilla and whip until the fluff has cooled.

Carefully remove each cup onto a cookie sheet. Put the fluff in a large piping bag fitted with a large opening tip. Pipe fluff onto each cup. With a kitchen torch, torch each cup to your liking. I torched from one direction, turned the cookie sheet and torched the other sides then repeated this on a third side. We waited until they were completely cooled to eat but I bet they'd be really good freshly toasted too.

Cookie recipe from The April Gal and ganache and marshmallow cream from Liv for Cake.

Asian Chicken Pasta Salad

Salad:
1 box bow tie pasta
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
1 bag fresh spinach
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 to 1 cup cashews or sliced almonds
1/2 cup craisins (optional)

Dressing:
1/2 cup oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 rice vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
3 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1/4 cup sesame seeds

Marinate shredded chicken in dressing at least 2 hours or overnight.
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and cool. Combine with salad ingredients and add chicken and dressing. Mix and enjoy!

Cinnamon Roll Cake

I don't even need to say anything about it, other than.....just make it. I guarantee it'll be gone in an hour, no matter if your home has 1 person or 10.

I stole this from another site, because whatevers on the internet is free game in my world.

Cinnamon Roll Cake

Cake

1 (15.25- ounce) box yellow cake mix

4 eggs

¾ cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup sour cream (not light)

 

Crumb

1 cup light brown sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

 

Icing

2 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons milk

 

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Coat a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
2. In the bowl of your stand mixer combine the cake mix, eggs, oil, vanilla and sour cream. Mix on low for 30 seconds and then raise the speed to medium and mix for 2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
3. Spread the cake batter into your prepared pan. In a medium bowl whisk together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle this evenly on top of your cake.
4. Using a butter knife gently swirl the cinnamon sugar into the cake batter. Don't over-swirl, as you want ribbons of the mixture throughout the cake.
5. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick entered into the center of the cake comes out clean.
6. Cool cake for 15-20 minutes.
7. In a medium bowl whisk together the powdered sugar and milk. Pour this over the slightly warm cake. Allow the icing to set, or eat right away!