S’more Truffle Cups: (Kopie)

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A jazzed-up version of your favorite classic campfire treat, perfect for parties—especially outdoor events!
Ingredients:
For the Graham Cracker Crust:
1 ½ cups freshly crushed graham cracker crumbs
5 tbsp. superfine sugar
5 tbsp. light brown sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
5 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
Crisco Vegetable Shortening (to coat the pan)

For the Marshmallow Meringue Topping:
1-17oz jar of Marshmallow Fluff
3 tbsp. of egg whites (I buy them by the carton and measure out)
1/8 tsp. salt
¼ cup superfine sugar
1 tsp. cream of tartar

For the Chocolate Ganache Filling:
2 King-sized milk chocolate Hershey bars (you can use Special Dark, if you prefer)
1-2 tbsp. heavy whipping cream

Directions:
Preheat oven to 340 degrees.
Crush your Graham Crackers into a fine dust (I use my trusty Magic Bullet for this!), and pour into a mixing bowl.
Add in the sugars and salt; stir to combine.
Add in the melted butter and stir until the mixture is coated and crumbly.
Coat each cup of your favorite mini muffin/mini cupcake pan with the Crisco Shortening (just enough to prevent sticking). I get good and sticky and use my fingers!
Scoop 1 tbsp. of the graham cracker crust mixture into each cup and form into a cup shape with your fingers.
Once filled, place the pan in the oven and pre-bake until crust turns a deep golden brown and starts to harden, about 10-15 minutes (depending on oven temperatures—all vary, so watch them!)
Create a double boiler by bringing 1 cup of water to a simmer in a saucepan and placing a glass bowl over the top.
Break up your Hershey bars into pieces and begin to melt in the double boiler, stirring constantly.
Once chocolate has almost completely melted, stir in your heavy cream to keep it rich and glossy.
Remove from heat and let sit for 1-2min.
Place 1 tbsp. of the chocolate ganache into each of the graham cracker crusts. You may use a regular spoon, or place into a piping bag and pipe it into the cups.
In your stand mixer (or you may use a large bowl with a hand mixer), beat egg whites, salt and cream of tartar on medium speed until foamy and starting to thicken.
Slowly add in sugar as mixture begins to thicken, and bump up your speed to high until stiff peaks form (they will stand up on their own when you swirl the beaters around in the meringue).
Slowly scoop the jar of Marshmallow Fluff into the center of the meringue and fold in gently. The Fluff will be thick and sticky at first, but it will slowly combine with the meringue. Be careful not to forcefully stir, just slowly combine the two.
Once combined, scoop marshmallow meringue into a piping bag with the piping tip of your choice (I prefer a small star tip).
Pipe the marshmallow meringue mixture onto each s’more cup.
Place the finished cups back in to the 340 degree oven and watch very closely as the meringue tops start to brown. There is no exact time for this, so you just have to keep a close eye to brown and not burn the tops.
Once they’re firm and browned, remove them from the oven. Let them cool for a bit on a wire wrack, and then carefully remove each cup by running the tip of a small knife around the edges and popping them out.
Indulge!

Lemon Shortbread Minis with White Chocolate and Lemon Sugar
Buttery shortbread dipped in rich white chocolate and zesty lemon sugar!
Ingredients:
2 bars of GOOD white chocolate (I prefer Lindt—just don’t use white chocolate chips or candy melts)
Zest of two lemons
2 tbsp. sugar
¾ pound of unsalted butter, softened
1 cup of sugar
1 tbsp. vanilla extract or almond extract
¼ tsp. salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Fit your stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or you may use a hand mixer.
Cream the butter and sugar together until combined.
Add in your extract (I prefer almond).
In a separate bowl, sift your flour and salt together, then combine with the creamed butter mixture on low speed, until dough just starts to form.
Dust a counter top or cutting board surface with flour and dump the dough out, shaping it into a round, flat shape. Wrap in plastic wrap and keep in refrigerator for 30-40min to chill.
Once chilled, roll the dough out to about ½-inch thickness and use any shape of cookie-cutter to cut.
Place cookies on an UNGREASED cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes, watching for the edges to begin browning.
Allow the cookies to cool on racks at room temperature.
In a small bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest to create the lemon sugar; set aside.
Create a double boiler by bringing 1 cup of water to a simmer in a saucepan and placing a glass bowl over the top.
Break up the white chocolate and place into the bowl to slowly melt, stirring constantly.
Dip or drizzle each cookie with white chocolate, in the design of your choice.
As soon as a cookie is dipped, sprinkle it with your lemon sugar to garnish
Enjoy!