Mississippi Mud Brownie Cupcakes. 'Nuff Said.

I couldn't pass up the chance to participate in my first Cupcake Hero since this month's theme was marshmallows, which since there is usually no dairy in it makes it a treat near and dear to Aidan's heart. In fact, at his request two Christmases ago we even started making homemade marshmallows for the holiday. I love Laurie's blog, Quirky Cupcake, and I've wanted to send something in for the competition for a while now.

It is obvious that I love chocolate, so these cupcakes should come as no surprise. You may remember that I recently posted about some Dark Chocolate Raspberry Spiked Brownies (and the lameness of my kitchen that I don't even have a real sized (8 or 9-inch) square baking dish for some reason). Anywhoo, in that post I also mentioned that I used the other half of the batter for something else - well, this was it!

I made this recipe with six jumbo cupcake cups filled 3/4 full using a 2-inch high liner (if you don't use a liner, just grease the cups and fill them 2/3 full). If you use the full batter for this, then I'm sure you would easily get 12 jumbos out of it, probably more.

I topped these with homemade Marshmallow Creme, Dark Chocolate Ganache and Homemade Praline Crumbles. Get the recipe for the brownie base here.

Make sure you have a nice glass of cold milk handy with these Mississippi Mud Brownie Cupcakes. They are rich, but not too dense and the marshmallow creme and other toppings balance each other out perfectly.

Homemade Marshmallow Creme
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Combine the ingredients with a pinch of salt in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and whisk constantly until thick and hot to the touch. Remove from heat and using either a handheld electric mixer at high speed or standing mixer with whisk attachment until thick and glossy, about 10 minutes. Spread a thick layer onto each cupcake and allow to set for at least 5 minutes before dipping into the warm chocolate ganache.

Dark Chocolate Ganache
4 oz fine-quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
½ cup heavy cream

Finely chop chocolate and place in a heat-proof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until hot, but not boiling. Pour over the chocolate and let it sit for a few minutes to melt the chocolate. Whisk together until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Allow it to cool til it is just slightly warm. Dip the marshmallow creme topped cupcake into the chocolate and invert and sprinkle immediately with the praline crumbles.

Praline Crumbles
(Adapted from Recipe by Gale Gand)
Show: Sweet Dreams
Episode: Cajun Sweets

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cream
1 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup roasted chopped pecans

In a heavy saucepan combine the sugar, brown sugar, and cream and bring to a boil. Cook on medium heat to softball stage (238 degrees F), then add the butter and pecans. Continue cooking until hardball stage (245 degrees F). Spoon large dollops of it onto a silicone mat or parchment lined baking tray. The pralines will spread and crystallize as they cool. After they have cooled enough to touch break them up into small pieces to use as topping. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.