S'more cupcakes :)

As a break from revision me and my friend made these cupcakes :) They are Chocolate sponge, Italian Meringue, Chocolate and Crushed digestives... Very Tasty :D

The recipe is from Hummingbird Bakery:
My Mix made 24, but it's supposed to make 12-16 cupcakes

For the sponge:
30g Milk chocolate,finely grated

5 Digestive biscuits, crushed

80g Margarine

280g Caster Sugar

200g Self raising Flour

40g Cocoa Powder

2 Large Free Range Eggs

250ml Milk

For the Meringue:
200g Caster Sugar

4 Egg whites
100g Chocolate, cut into pieces or 

small chocolate sweets eg. Chocolate buttons

To Make the Sponge

1. Preheat the oven to 170C and line two muffin tins with cases.

2. Using a hand-held electric whisk or freestanding electric mixer with paddle attachment, beat together the butter, sugar, flour and cocoa on a low speed until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.

3. Mix in the Eggs and milk gradually until they are both incorporated and the mix is smooth, fill the muffin cases 3/4 full with the mix.
4. Sprinkle the top of each cupcake with the 2/3 of the crushed digestives and all the grated chocolate.
5. Bake for 18-20 minutes until they spring back when lightly pressed.
6. Once baked remove from the oven and leave to cool completely.

To Make The Meringue Topping:

1. Put the sugar into a heavy based saucepan with 150ml of cold water and bring to the boil, do NOT stir the sugar. Meanwhile, using a hand held electric whisk or freestanding mixer, whisk the eggs whites until foamy (Not stiff).

2. Once the sugar has boiled for about 10 minutes and has reached the soft ball stage (see below), pour into the egg whites and then whisk with the electric whisk for a further 5 minutes (Do not whisk whilst adding the sugar syrup).

3.The bottom of the bowl should feel slightly warm, and the meringue should be quite thick and glossy.

4. With a pallet knife or piping bag spread/pipe the mix onto the cupcakes.

5. Using a blowtorch lightly caramelize the meringue (alternately place under the grill for a few minutes), decorate each cupcake with the remaining crushed digestive and pieces of chocolate.

Enjoy!

The soft ball stage is when you take a drop a little of the sugar syrup into cold water it should form a soft ball, or you can use a sugar thermometer to 240F or where it is marked 'Soft Ball'.