you fail -- a sad smore cupcake story (with a sticky happy ending)

For the Cupcakes:
2 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (from about 20 squares)
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the meantime, line 2 muffin tins with cupcake liners and set aside. Sift 2 cups and 2 tablespoons sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into the bowl of an electric mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix ingredients together on low speed. In a large bowl, mix together eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Add to flour mixture and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl and continue mixing on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add boiling water and stir to combine (* I forgot this step, but the batter still tasted delicious and was probably denser than it should have been); set cake batter aside.

Place graham cracker crumbs, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and melted butter in a large bowl; stir until well combined.


Place 1 tablespoon graham cracker mixture into the bottom of each prepared muffin cup. Use the bottom of a small glass to pack crumbs into the bottom of each cupcake liner. Reserve remaining graham cracker mixture for topping. Place 2 teaspoons chocolate in each muffin cup. Transfer muffin tins to oven and bake until the edges of the graham cracker mixture is golden, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and fill each muffin cup three-quarters full with cake batter. Sprinkle each with remaining chocolate and graham cracker mixture. Return to oven and bake, rotating pans halfway through baking, until tops are firm and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer muffin tins to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and let cool completely.


For the Frosting:
8 large egg whites
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions
Place egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer. Set over a saucepan with simmering water. Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved and whites are warm to the touch, 3 to 4 minutes.

Transfer bowl to electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat, starting on low speed, gradually increasing to high, until stiff, glossy peaks form, 5 to 7 minutes. Add vanilla, and mix until combined. Use immediately.

Transfer frosting to a large pastry bag fitted with a large plain round or French tip (such as Ateco #867 or Ateco #809). Pipe frosting in a spiral motion on each cupcake. Transfer cupcakes to a baking sheet. Using a kitchen torch, lightly brown the frosting, taking care not to burn the cupcake liners. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container, up to 2 days.
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And here is where the failure begins... well I'm so mad at myself for being so dumb.  Instead of bittersweet chocolate, I mixed bittersweet and unsweetened chocolates together because that's what I had on hand.  Who doesn't like a spontaneous cook?  (MISTAKE!!!)  For anyone who doesn't know, unsweetened chocolate tastes like ass.  It's a universal truth -- according to me anyway.  Not smart. 

I also filled the muffin tins way too high.  I probably hit above the 3/4 mark.  That was my bad.  So the already icky tasting cupcakes looked like doo doo muffins from hell.

The chocolate is what ultimately ruined the cupcakes.  They were inedible.  I tried one and almost gagged.  No, "marshmallow" topping, no matter how toasty and pretty would not salvage these babies.

As wasteful as I feel, I threw them away.  I had no other choice.  I didn't want to poison myself or my family.  No, no.

After feeling depressed for maybe 30 minutes, I decided to go ahead and make my meringue and do cookies!!!   Woot woot!

Meringue Cookies

4 egg whites
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 cup granulated sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 225 degrees F (110 degrees C). Line 2 cookie sheets with foil.


In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar to soft peaks. Gradually add sugar, continuing to beat until whites form stiff peaks. Drop by spoonfuls 1 inch apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Sprinkle crushed peppermint candy over the cookies.

Bake for 1 1/2 hours (I would actually go for 2 hours -- my spoonfuls were more like heaping spoonfuls, so I had pretty large cookies) in preheated oven. Meringues should be completely dry on the inside. Do not allow them to brown. Turn off oven. Keep oven door ajar, and let meringues sit in the oven until completely cool. Loosen from foil with metal spatula. Store loosely covered in cool dry place for up to 2 months.

A screaming success, I'd say.  They were a little sticky since I only did the suggested 1.5 hours.  They were kind of like real marshmallows.  Very sweet and very yummy.