Rocky Road Tart

(marthastewart.com)
This was a fabulous recipe. Perfect for a party as it's big and you can't eat more than a slice (or 2 if you've got a sweet tooth like me). It looks like candy poured into a crust and hardened, but it's actually very creamy and soft, heavenly.
(I used Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Chips, but the better the chocolate the better the flavor)

FOR THE CRUST
8 ounces graham crackers (about 15)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, melted

FOR THE GANACHE AND FILLING
15 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 3/4 cups heavy cream
2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 cups mini marshmallows
1 cup salted almonds with skins, lightly toasted

FOR THE TOPPING
3/4 cups mini marshmallows
1/4 cup salted almonds with skins, lightly toasted and coarsely chopped
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (about 1/3 cup)

Directions
Make crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Process graham crackers, sugar, and salt in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer to a medium bowl, and stir in melted butter. Mix until combined.
Pour mixture into a 10-inch tart pan or springform pan. Press crumbs with your hand or the bottom of a glass to form an even layer on bottom and up sides of pan. Bake until crust just starts to turn golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely on sheet on a wire rack.
Make ganache: Melt 10 ounces bittersweet chocolate in a large heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water; keep warm. Meanwhile, bring cream just to a simmer in a medium saucepan over high heat; remove from heat. Whisk 1/4 cup hot cream into the beaten egg yolks, then whisk the yolk mixture into the remaining cream in saucepan. Whisk cream mixture into the melted chocolate, and set the ganache aside.
Coarsely chop remaining 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, and transfer to a large bowl. Toss in 2 cups mini marshmallows and 1 cup whole toasted almonds. Scatter mixture all over bottom of cooled crust. Reserve 1/2 cup ganache for topping, and pour the rest evenly on top of the filling (do not overfill the crust). Refrigerate tart, uncovered, while you make the topping. Meanwhile, cover reserved ganache with plastic wrap, and set aside at room temperature.
Make topping: Toss together 3/4 cup mini marshmallows, 1/4 cup chopped toasted almonds, and 2 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate; sprinkle over filling. Drizzle reserved 1 cup ganache over tart, and refrigerate 10 minutes more before cutting into slices. Tart can be refrigerated, covered, up to three days.

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

Cookies and Cream Cupcake (makes about 2 dozen):
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large egg whites (room temp)
1 cup Oreos (about 10) lightly crushed

1. Preheat oven to 35o degrees. Insert liners into standard sized cupcake pan
2. Ina large bowl cream together butter and vanilla till fluffy, then slowly add milk (it may look a bit lumpy after you add the milk, it's okay.) Beat 3 min.
3. In a seperate bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Ad the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Mix until integrated. Stir in the sugar. Beat on low speed 30 seconds. Beat 2 more minutes on medium Add the egg whites and beat for 2 minutes on medium. Stir in the crushed cookies.
5. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake 18-20 minutes till tothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Marshmallow Frosting:
2 tablespoons milk
6 tablespoons sugar
1 pkg mini marshmallows
2 tablespoons boiling water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1. In a saucepan over low heat, warm the milk and sugar for 6 minutes
2. In a double boiler heat the marshmallows. When they are very soft add the boiling water. Stir until smooth.
3. Remove from heat. Add the vanilla. With an electric mixer on medium speed beat in the hot sugar. Keep beating until cool.

Note: I have tried a few different recipes for marshmallow frsoting and that are all difficult to use, this one is no exeption. I prefer to leave the frosting to cool to room temperature before using it (otherwise it is too runny to work with). Then just spread it on, don't try to pipe it.

I topped these cupcakes with a whole Oreo cookie. They were pretty messy. I liked them even better after they sat overnight and the Oreo on top softened up.
Here's another idea put an Oreo in the cupcake liner before filling, then put cupcake batter on top and cook as directed. Sorry, no picture. I loaned out my camera. I guess that just means I'll have to make these again!

S'mores Cupcakes

Okay, so these did not turn out exactly as anticipated, but they did turn out really yummy. The main problem I had was with the frosting I'm not sure if my butter was too warm or what but I piped the frosting on top and was planning on topping it with graham cracker crumbs and a piece of choclate, but it didn't hold shape and sort of melted all over the top of the cupcake. So instead I used some leftover ganache to top it.
I used a few diiferent recipes combined to make these, so credit to chockylit and here (this is what I wanted mine to look like :)

Graham Cracker Cupcakes
15 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven
1 cup graham cracker crumbs, from 6 whole graham crackers
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs, from 2-1/2 whole graham crackers
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Combine 1 cup of graham cracker crumbs and melted butter.
2. Scoop a heaping teaspoon into each cupcake paper, pressing down to cover the bottom.
3. Beat butter on high speed until soft, about 30 seconds.
4. Add brown sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
5. Add eggs one at a time, beat for 30 seconds after each.
6. Whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
7. Measure out milk and vanilla together.
8. Add about a fourth of the flour to the butter/sugar mixture and beat to combine.
9. Add about one third the milk/vanilla mixture and beat until combined.
10. Repeat above, alternating flour and milk and ending with the flour mixture.
11. Scoop into cupcake papers three-quarters full.
12. Bake for 20-22 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Chocolate Ganache Filling
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Chop chocolate and transfer into a heat proof bowl.
2. Heat cream until bubbles form around the edge of the pan, pour cream over the chocolate.
3. Let sit for 1 minute then stir until combined.
4. Add vanilla and stir until combined.
5. Let cool to room temperature.

Marshmallow frosting:
1/2 C. butter, room temperature (next time I might try using 1/3 cup)
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
13 oz. tub of marshmallow cream

1. Cream the butter on high until it's light and fluffy.
2. Add the confectioner's sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, and beat until fluffy each time.
3. Beat in the vanilla until incorporated.
4. Add marshmallow cream and mix on low speed 'until creamy (Don't over mix, or you'll knock the air out)

The picture of the inside isn't the best, I was in a hurry, so I cut it before the chocolate had a chance to firm up, but you get the idea, ooey, gooey, messy, yummy.