Banana Buttercream Frosting

This is take two of those yummy banana pudding cupcakes. I just made a few dozen for a friend and she requested that I use buttercream frosting instead. It turned out great and I’ll never make them another way! It’s light and fluffy and the banana flavor isn’t too strong, but complements the rest of the cupcake perfectly. And of course I started dreaming of the other ways I can use it next, like paired with a chocolate cupcake or maybe a banana split cupcake!

Banana Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:
3/4 cup vegetable shortening
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp banana extract
6 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
3 Tbsp milk

Yield: Plenty to frost 2 dozen cupcakes

Directions:
Cream the shortening and butter with an electric mixer until fully combined. Add the vanilla and banana extract and mix together. Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Mix at medium speed until combined and scrape the sides of the bowl along the way. Add the milk and continue to mix at medium speed until fluffy. Use immediately or keep refrigerated in an air tight container up to two weeks, re-whipping before using.

Source: A Beckster Original

Banana Pudding Cupcakes

Not gonna lie, these are some of the best cupcakes I’ve ever eaten. I baked these for someone who loves banana pudding and was so happy with the result. It’s a simple yellow cake with banana pudding in the center, a light whipped banana frosting, plus a vanilla wafer on the bottom and sprinkled on top.

Granted, I kinda messed up the frosting (didn’t have the fluff that I was going for) but it still tasted great. Semi-homemade desserts are so nice when you’re strapped for time but these are impressive and perfect for any banana pudding fan!

Banana Pudding Cupcakes

Ingredients:
For the cake:
Box of vanilla wafers
Yellow cake mix, plus eggs, oil, water needed

For the filling:
Small box of instant banana pudding
1 3/4 cups milk

For the frosting:
Small box of instant banana pudding
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup milk
8 oz tub of Cool Whip, thawed

Yield: 2 dozen cupcakes

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 24 muffin cups with liners and set aside.

Place a vanilla wafer in the bottom of each cupcake liner. Prepare cupcake batter as called for on box instructions and fill liners 2/3 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Place on baking racks to cool.

While cupcakes cool, prepare frosting. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, powdered sugar, and pudding mix. Gently fold in the Cool Whip until fully combined. Refrigerate for about an hour, or until ready to use.

To prepare the filling, whisk together the cold milk and banana pudding mix until thick, about 2 minutes. Once cupcakes are cool, core or cut a circle from the middle and fill with pudding.

In a large Ziploc bag, crush 2 dozen vanilla wafers. Spread or pipe on the frosting and sprinkle with crushed vanilla wafers. Store cupcakes in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

Source: Slightly adapted from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen

Home from Rome

Hello everyone! Sorry for my absence lately – since getting home from our trip to Italy, life has been busy! We had an amazing time, and besides the beautiful religious aspects of the trip, the next best part was the delicious food! (is that a surprise?) We ate plenty of pizza, pasta, and of course, gelato! I could write for weeks about all that we did, and feel free to ask me about it, but here are some photo highlights to give you a taste of what we saw and ate.

(left to right: Nutella focaccia. Sweet shop in Assisi. Cannoli. Prosciutto, mozzarella, and arugula sandwich. Latte and a Nutella croissant. Salami and mozzarella sandwich. Sausage and mushroom pizza. Bakery with HUGE meringues. Fresh focaccia bread from the brick oven.)

(left to right: St. Peter’s Basilica. The Colosseum. St. John Lateran. The Pantheon. Pope Francis! The Spanish Steps. St. Paul Outside the Walls. Trevi fountain. St. Mary Major.)

(left to right: Mezze maniche con chianti, speck e zucchini. Risotto radicchio e speck. Pasta cacio e pepe. Fregnacce con broccoli, speck e pecorino. Fusilli panna, funghi e salsiccia. Pasta carbonara. Pasta bolognese. Risotto ai funghi porcini. Gnocchi alla sorrentina.)

(left to right: In Assisi: St. Francis Basilica. St. Clare Basilica. St. Mary of the Angels. In Pisa: The leaning tower (built as the bell tower for the cathedral!) The beautiful cathedral. The baptistry outside of the cathedral. In Florence and Siena: The cathedral in Florence. The gorgeous dome in the cathedral. The cathedral in Siena.)

(left to right: Strawberry and pistachio gelato. Banana and chocolate combo. Chocolate hazelnut. Dark chocolate. Chocolate rum from San Crispino. Mint chocolate. Kit Kat gelato. Coconut and chocolate combo. Tiramisu gelato – my favorite!)

While we had a great time and would love to visit again, it’s good to be back in Texas and cooking in my own kitchen. Stay tuned for some tasty things coming your way!

Mardi Gras King Cake

I’ve always wanted to attempt making a homemade King Cake for Mardi Gras, and this year, per my husband’s request and my sheer determination, I decided to go for it! I didn’t have a recipe to start, but then I saw that The Catholic Foodie has shared his tried and true recipe with the world. Any new recipe is a little intimidating, but with a little time and attention, this is literally a piece of cake!

This starts as a pretty normal bread recipe, but the hints of lemon and nutmeg really make it something special. I decided to add some pecans and cinnamon to the cream cheese filling to add a little more texture and flavor. As for the icing, you can either make colored icings instead of sprinkles, but just FYI – colored sugars are SO easy to make in whatever color you’re needing. Just put some granulated sugar in a ziploc bag, add a little gel food coloring, and smoosh it together for a while till it’s all incorporated. Voila – cheap and simple colored sugar – fit for a King Cake!

I hope yall had a fun Mardi Gras and are having a blessed Lenten season!

Mardi Gras King Cake

Ingredients:
2 packets of active dry yeast (4 1/2 tsp)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 sticks of butter, melted
1 cup warm milk (about 110 F)
5 large egg yolks, room temperature
4 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt
1 tsp nutmeg (freshly grated if possible!)
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tsp vegetable or olive oil
1 lb cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup chopped pecans
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 plastic king cake baby
5 Tbsp milk, room temperature
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Purple, green, and yellow food coloring or colored sugar

Yield: 1 large cake (about 15-20 servings)

Directions:
For the dough: Combine the yeast and the granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. If you don’t have a stand mixer, don’t worry, you can do the same thing by hand in a large mixing bowl. Add melted butter and warm milk and beat for one minute at medium-low speed. With the mixer still running, add the egg yolks and beat for another minute. Add the flour, salt, nutmeg, and lemon zest and beat until everything is incorporated. Increase the speed to high and beat until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and forms a ball (or starts to climb up the dough hook). As with any dough, you may have to add water (a tablespoon at a time) or more flour to get the right results. Remove the dough from the bowl and, using your hands, form it into a smooth ball. Using vegetable or regular olive oil, lightly oil a large mixing bowl. Place the dough in the bowl, rolling it around to coat it on all sides with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draft-free place for about 2 hours. You want the dough to double in size.

For the filling: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, pecans, cinnamon, and 1/2 cup of confectioner’s sugar. Blend using a fork or an electric mixer on low speed. Set aside.

After the dough has doubled in size: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Using your hands or a rolling pin, roll it out into a rectangle about 30 inches long and 6 inches wide. Take the cream cheese filling and spread it out lengthwise over the bottom half of the dough. Flip the top half of the dough over the filling and seal the edges with your fingers, pinching the dough together. Shape the dough into a cylinder and place it on a lined baking sheet seam side down. Shape it into a ring and pinch the ends together, doing your best so that there’s no visible seam. Cover the ring with plastic wrap (or a clean kitchen towel) and set aside in a warm, draft-free place. Let the dough rise until doubled in size (about 45 minutes). Preheat oven to 350 F. Once the cake has doubled in size, remove the plastic wrap or towel and brush the surface of the cake with 2 Tbsp of milk. Place cake in oven and bake 25 to 30 minutes, until it is golden brown. Remove from the oven and carefully place the cake on a wire rack so that it can cool completely. When it is completely cooled, insert the plastic baby from the bottom of the cake.

For the icing: In a mixing bowl, combine 3 cups of confectioner’s sugar, 3 Tbsp of milk and 3 Tbsp of lemon juice. Stir well with a fork or whisk. Once the cake is completely cooled, spread the icing over the cake with a spoon. Sprinkle colored sugars alternately in purple, green, and yellow. Or instead of using colored sugars, before icing, divide the icing into three small bowls and color them with purple, green, and yellow food coloring. Ice the cake, alternating the icing colors. Slice, serve, and enjoy!

Source: Slightly adapted from The Catholic Foodie

Cinnamon Sugar Cake Donuts

I was recently gifted a donut pan and couldn’t wait to break it in! For my first go around, I figured I’d use the basic Wilton recipe that came with the pan. But instead of rolling the donuts in butter and cinnamon sugar, I just sprinkled some on before baking them to add a little extra flavor and crunch. (plus why add more calories when you get the same taste?)

These donuts were so delicious, especially when fresh out of the oven. They’re really easy to toss together and would make a nice homemade breakfast when you have friends or family over. I can’t wait to try different varieties and maybe get a mini donut pan too!

Cinnamon Sugar Cake Donuts

Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp butter, melted
Cinnamon Sugar for topping

Yield: 1 dozen donuts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray donut pan with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Add the buttermilk, eggs, and butter. Beat until just combined. Spoon batter into the donut pan, until about 2/3 full. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the top of each donut.

Bake for 7-9 minutes or until the tops of the donuts spring back when touched. Let cool in pan for 4-5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to completely cool.

Source: Slightly adapted from Wilton

Whipped Cookies and Cream Frosting

Sometimes you have those days where you can only halfway homemake something. You know what I mean – you commit to making something and want to make it impressive but truly don’t have the extra time or energy to devote. Well friends, there’s nothing wrong with that! Sometimes a box mix is your best friend and is easy to doctor up to create something amazing.

For these cupcakes, I used a basic Devil’s Food box mix but wanted to add a tasty homemade frosting that would set it off. I remembered this frosting recipe and knew it’d be the perfect thing to top these cupcakes. And who doesn’t love the flavor of cookies and cream?

This frosting is so light and fluffy and when you add the cookie crumbs, it tastes just like an Oreo cloud of goodness. Then top it with a cookie piece and you have yourself some lovely and delicious cupcakes that are sure to impress!

Whipped Cookies & Cream Frosting

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups plus 2 Tbsp whipping cream
3 Tbsp powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
6 Tbsp Oreo cookie crumbs
24 Oreo cookie halves

Yield: Enough for 2 dozen cupcakes

Directions: 
In the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until the whipped cream holds stiff peaks. Gently fold in the cookie crumbs with a spatula.

Scoop the mixture into a pastry bag and pipe frosting decoratively on top of the cupcakes after they’ve cooled completely. Garnish with cookie halves or pieces.

Source: Annie’s Eats

Chocolate Cheesecake

I made this decadent dessert for Thanksgiving…how is that already almost a month ago?? And Christmas is in a week? Holy moly. Life needs to slow down a bit!

My friend Jenny Lynn gave me a Junior’s Cheesecake cookbook. Remember the cheesecake showdown last summer? Yep, that was with her! She convinced me that Junior’s is the best New York style cheesecake around and this cookbook has become a proven keeper.

My task had been to bring a chocolate dessert and wow, was this a good choice! With a chocolate shortbread crust, rich creamy filling, and a pretty drizzle on top, this cheesecake is super impressive. The recipe might look long and intimidating but it’s not too hard to make if you have the time and plan ahead. Maybe bring it to an upcoming Christmas shindig and knock the socks of your family and friends!

PS: Congrats to Shannon, winner of the Trader Joe’s giveaway!

Chocolate Cheesecake

Ingredients:
For the chocolate shortbread crust:
1 cup and 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temp
1/3 cup sugar
1 extra large egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, melted

For the cheesecake:
10 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
4 packages of cream cheese, at room temp (8 oz packs, regular cream cheese only)
1 2/3 cups sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
2 extra large eggs
3/4 cup heavy or whipping cream

For the chocolate drizzle:
4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, melted

Yield: One 9 inch cheesecake (8-12 slices)

Directions:
For the crust:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and generously butter the bottom and sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Wrap the outside with aluminum foil, covering the bottom and extending all the way up the sides.

Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl and set aside. In a medium bowl, beat the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer on high until creamy. Blend in the egg yolk and vanilla, then the melted chocolate. Reduce the speed to low and mix in the flour mixture just until it disappears and a dough forms.

Push the dough over the bottom of the pan with a spatula. Flour your hands, then smooth out the dough evenly to the edge of the pan with your fingertips, working in a circular motion. Do not press up the sides.

Bake the crust until it’s set and forms a light brown crust on top, about 15 minutes. (do not over bake!) Leave the crust in the pan and place on a wire rack to cool.

For the cheesecake:
Keep the oven at 350 degrees F. Melt the chocolate and set aside to cool. Put one package of cream cheese, 1/3 cup of sugar, and the cornstarch in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl several times. Blend in the remaining cream cheese, one package at a time, scraping down the bowl after each one. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat in the remaining 1 1/3 cups sugar, then the vanilla. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Beat in the melted chocolate, then the cream, just until completely blended. Don’t over mix! Gently spoon the batter on top of the crust.

Place the cake in a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes about 1 inch up the sides of the pan. (make sure you still have the foil on the bottom of the pan!) Bake until the edges look baked and the top of the cake appears set, about 1 1/4 hours. Remove the cake from the water bath, transfer to a wire rack, and let cool for 2 hours. (just walk away – don’t move it) Leave the cake in the pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until completely cold, preferably overnight or at least 4 hours. Transfer to the freezer for 1 hour.

Once cooled, release and remove the sides of the springform pan, leaving the cake on the bottom of the pan. Place on a cake plate and decorate however you like, or leave it plain and simple!

For the optional chocolate drizzle, put the melted chocolate in a piping bag with a small round tip. Pipe a web in a zig zag movement on top of the cheesecake.

Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve. Slice it with a sharp straight-edge knife, not a serrated one. Cover any leftover cake and refrigerate or freeze up to 1 month.

Source: Junior’s Cheesecake Cookbook

Diva Cookies

I’ve named these sassy cookies “Diva Cookies” because well, just look at them! Sparkly hot pink bottoms with a zebra striped top. Total diva!

These cookies have made an appearance at two special events – my lovely friend’s bachelorette party and a coworker’s baby shower that had a pink/zebra theme. Even though they look super snazzy, these treats are so easy to make. It’s basically a peanut butter blossom cookie rolled in colored sugar and topped with a Hershey’s Hug, rather than a Kiss.

I started thinking of all the fun color and flavor combos that could be used with this style of cookie. Like right now, with Hershey’s dark chocolate mint, milk chocolate cherry cordial, and candy cane kisses. So be prepared, this diva cookie might come back again in other festive forms!

Diva Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup shortening
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
Pink food coloring
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup colored sugar for decoration
2 (9 ounce) bags Hershey’s Hugs, unwrapped

Yield: About 80 cookies

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat.

In a large bowl, cream together shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating until fully incorporated. Mix in milk, vanilla, and a few drops of food coloring. (either liquid or gel coloring)

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to the peanut butter mixture until well blended. Add more food coloring as needed, if you want a brighter color.

Shape tablespoonfuls of dough into balls, and roll in the colored sugar. Place cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven, and immediately press a Hershey’s Hug into each cookie. Allow to cool completely; the kiss will harden as it cools. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Source: Cookie recipe slightly adapted from My Baking Addiction

Mocha Scones + Giveaway

It’s fun when you’re inspired to make something, all because of one cool ingredient you acquire. So last month, Jason and I took a trip to Virginia since Jason was running the Marine Corps Marathon, plus we got to visit some family and have a little getaway. And praise God, we survived Hurricane Sandy with no damage and flew home without delay.

Now, while we lived in Northern VA a few years ago, one store I fell in love with was Trader Joe’s. So you can imagine I was stoked to stop in at the nearest location during our trip and grab a few treats to take home. Granted, they’ve recently built a few TJ’s in north Texas, but it’s still a bit of a drive from my home in the country.

Unfortunately, I was limited to things that could go in my carry on luggage. (darn, no cookie butter!) So I got a few tasty things like chocolate covered sunflower seeds and one of my new loves, a cinnamon sugar grinder. They also had a sugar, chocolate, and coffee bean grinder. Be still my heart! I had to buy it. My mind started thinking of all the delicious things this could be used with. Which (finally) leads me to this recipe – mocha scones.

I’m a big fan of scones so the first thing I wanted to make was a chocolate and coffee infused scone with some of this magical mixture sprinkled on top. I wanted to create a scone with the same rich flavor of a mocha, my go-to drink at coffee shops. Ladies and gentlemen, these scones are amazing. Don’t get me wrong, they’d be good by themselves, but grinding some of that sugar/coffee/chocolate on top adds another dimension.

So while at Trader Joe’s, I had you lovely blog readers in mind and picked up a spare to share. Plus, this is my 200th blog post (holy cow!) so I thought I’d make it extra special. To win this sweet little treat, you can:

1. (Mandatory Entry) Leave a comment on this blog post. It can be about anything, preferably telling me what you’d like to sprinkle the yummy sugar/chocolate/coffee on.
2. ”Like” Beckster’s Laboratory on Facebook and leave a separate comment saying you’ve done so. (current followers can too!)
3. Subscribe to Beckster’s Laboratory and leave a separate comment saying you’ve done so. (current subscribers can too!)

You can enter the giveaway until midnight (central time) on December 10, 2012. I’ll pick a winner via a random number generator. Good luck!

Now on to the fabulous recipe…

Mocha Scones

Ingredients:
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 tsp instant coffee (or instant espresso)
1/3 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup chocolate chips
A sprinkle of sugar, chocolate, and coffee bean mixture

Yield: 8 scones

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, whisk together the cream, egg, and vanilla. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, salt, and instant coffee. Stir to combine. Add the butter and mix into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs. (use a pastry blender or I just used the paddle attachment on my stand mixer) Mix in the chocolate chips and add the wet ingredients. Mix everything together until the dough comes together. If too dry, add a little more cream and if too wet, add a little more flour. (dough should be a little sticky)

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead a few times. Shape it into a circle (about 7-8 inches) and cut it into eight wedges. (I like to use a pizza cutter) Brush off any excess flour and place either on a lined baking sheet or in a scone pan. Grind some of the sugar/chocolate/coffee bean mixture onto the tops of the dough. (optional)

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges are firm and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in/on the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Serve while warm or store in a container for a few days, reheating as desired.

Source: Adapted from Joy of Baking

S’more Cupcakes

I have to be honest – these cupcakes are one of the most amazing things I’ve ever made. They weren’t terribly hard, they just take some time and patience. You have the three classic flavors layered together – the graham cracker crust, the chocolate cupcake, and the marshmallow frosting. It makes for an impressive (and delicious) bite when you dig in. Also, if you’re in a crunch, you can absolutely use a boxed cake mix instead. No one will know…or care, to be honest!

I was way excited to use my handy kitchen torch – oh how I’ve missed you! But a word to the wise, be careful when toasting the frosting – if you get too close to the cupcake paper, you’ll have some little flames to extinguish. You don’t have to toast the frosting, but if possible, please do.

By the way, am I the only one who can’t eat anything s’more related without thinking of the classic scene from The Sandlot? Here’s some nostalgia for you. You’re welcome. And “you’re killing me, Smalls!”

S’more Cupcakes

Ingredients:
For the graham cracker crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
5 1/3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

For the cake:
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp hot water
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks plus 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 2/3 cups sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup sour cream

For the frosting:
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Yield: 2 dozen cupcakes

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. In a small mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter; mix well with a fork. Drop about 1 Tablespoon of the graham cracker mixture in the bottom of each cupcake liner and press down to line the bottom. (Note: The bottom of a small cup or bottle works well here.) Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, and maintain the oven temperature.

In a small bowl, combine the cocoa powder and hot water and whisk until smooth. In another medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, and whisk to blend. Combine the butter and sugar in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is smooth and the butter is completely melted. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium-low speed until the mixture is cool, about 4-5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Blend in the vanilla and then the cocoa mixture until smooth. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions alternating with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients and mixing each addition just until incorporated.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared liners, filling each about ¾-full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Let cool in the pan about 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, combine the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in a bowl set over a pan of a few inches of simmering water. (Note: I use my clean, dry mixer bowl right off the bat to avoid dirtying two bowls.) Heat the mixture, whisking frequently, until it reaches 160° F with an instant-read thermometer. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk starting at low speed and gradually increasing to medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form. Mix in the vanilla until combined. Transfer the frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip. Brown with a kitchen torch and garnish with chocolate and graham cracker pieces if wanted.

Source: Annie’s Eats