{The Scout is going to work tomorrow.}

My kitchen smells like girl scout camp.
I have a new favorite cupcake.
Ill name her "Scout"
These sweet things are in memory of my
girl scouting days in Vermont.
(dont laugh, I was a scout for way too long. It was my little secret
that my friends at school didn't know about me. but now the cats out of the bag.)


Here is the scout for any one who wants her...

scout's dark side:

*3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
*1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
*1 1/2 cups sugar
*1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
*3/4 teaspoon baking powder
*3/4 teaspoon salt
*2 large eggs
*3/4 cup warm water
*3/4 cup buttermilk
*3 tablespoons safflower oil
*1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners; set aside. Sift together cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add eggs, warm water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, and mix until smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl to assure batter is well mixed. then....
Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 20 minutes, rotating pan once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.

Scout's sweet side:

*1/2-3/4 lb. (2 or 3 sticks) butter, room temperature
*1 lb. (2 cups) confectioner's sugar
*1/2 tsp. vanilla
*16 oz. of marshmallow cream
(I recommend Jet Puff. I grew up in New Hampshire. That makes me a marshmallow cream expert! Im pretty sure all kids from NH found peanut butter & fluff sandwiches in their lunch boxes 3 out of 5 school days. )

Cream the butter with a hand mixer or stand mixer on high until it's fluffy. Add the confectioner's sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, and beat until fluffy each time. Beat in the vanilla until incorporated. Then pour in the jet puff and mix it up to make creamy. Transfer to pastry bag (or zip lock bag with cut at corner) (or spread, which ever you love best) and pipe onto cupcakes!

crush graham crackers, sprinkle over marshmallow frosting. then, garnish with a piece of Hershey chocolate.

oh the nostalgia...

Now...Eat more then 1 & recall your own camp fires.

I'm sending these little scouts off to work with the husband in the morning.

call it brown nosing if you must...