Marshamallow Lover Cupcakes

I have a problem. It's more than just an obsession, it's an infatuation...with marshmallows. It's the craziest thing because marshmallow is pure sugar and I believe it's one of the great inventions ever. I do not exaggerate. There are times I go to the grocery store to buy a munchie and leave with a bag of mini marshmallows in hand. Marshmallows are multifunctional....at least in my life. I can make Rice Krispie treats, dip em in practically anything, stuff em in a peanut butter sandwich, or eat em on their own. Oh, I did forget one more way to eat marshmallows...in a cupcake! This cupcake is a ode to my one and only love, the marshmallow!

http://www.countryliving.com/cooking/about-food/spring-centerpiece-0406#slide-1

My crush...no one knows except for you!

Marshmallow lover cupcake is a yellow cupcake with marshmallow fluff filling, topped with chocolate malt frosting and a chocolate covered marshmallow. This cupcake is great from scratch (cupcakes, marshmallows, frosting, etc.) but it is also a great assembly cupcake. What do I mean by this? While I love baking things from scratch, sometimes we need a dessert but not enough time. This is a great cupcake to make that is, like how Sandra Lee says, semi-homemade. In this instance, I used boxed cake mix, store bought frosting, marshmallow fluff, and chocolate covered marshmallow. All I had to do was to bake and assemble the cupcakes. Sounds like a piece of marshmallow, right?

Caramel Crunch Bar

Having one of the those sweet tooth and don't know what to do about it? Give these caramel crunch bars a try, for they are sure to satisfy the "sweet" tooth in you. This baking concoction is a essentially a shortbread like cookie crust with espresso, brown sugar, and cinnamon to create a caramel flavored base. It is topped with chocolate and toffee bits. The yummy toffee bits enhance the caramel flavor of the cookie and makes this cookie unique and delicious. Do not be deceived by its name for there is no actual caramel in the recipe, just a caramel flavor.

As you can tell, I have been having a cookie bar fad as of late but they are simple and easy, especially if you're making them for an event. Recently, I have been making things for work colleagues and friends and because I have a busy schedule, cookie bars are great go-to recipes. Also, there are so many variations of the cookie bar that no one recipe will seem repetitive.

One thing I loved about the recipe was adding the chocolate layer because the recipe calls for doing so after the cookie has baked in the oven. I simply topped the cookie with the chocolate chips, put the cookie back in the oven for 2 minutes, and took it out again to spread the melted chocolate with an offset spatula. It was super easy and no fuss whatsoever! However, if I had to make one adjustment, I would use dark chocolate chips as opposed to semisweet because the cookie is already sweet so the semisweet chocolate added another layer of sweetness. It was too much sweetness for me but if you do not mind an extra sweetness, feel free to use semisweet or milk chocolate. 

I really love this recipe! These caramel crunch bars are tasty, delicious, and found a home in my recipe book!