Lavender Pumpkin S’mores Cupcakes

​Yield: 12-15 cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 18 graham cracker sheets
• 2 Tablesoons AKL Culinary Lavender
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 box yellow cake mix (dry mix, not including the other ingredients)
• 15 ounce can pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
• approximately 3/4 cup marshmallow cream
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips OR chocolate baking melts
• 1.5 ounces of heavy cream OR 1/2 cup Cool Whip
• approximately 15 large marshmallows
• optional: more graham cracker crumbs for topping

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
2. Using a coffee grinder, grind the 2T Culinary Lavender to later mix into the batter of the cupcakes before baking. In a food processor, crush the graham crackers. Add the butter and continue to blend until mixed well.
3. Press heaping tablespoons of the graham cracker crust mixture into each of the lined cups of the prepared muffin tin.
4. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the pumpkin and the cake mix (it may seem too dry at first, but keep mixing and a batter will come together). Scoop 1/4 cup of batter into each cup over the graham cracker crust.
5. Bake for 20-22 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool completely before proceeding to remaining steps.
6. Make the ganache: in a medium-sized mixing bowl, heat the whipping cream or Cool Whip by microwaving for 1 minute. Stir the chocolate into the warm liquid; the chocolate should melt a little from contact with the warm bowl and cream. Return to the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir until chocolate is melted and smooth.
7. Let cool until it reaches a nearly spreadable consistency (it won't take long). Meanwhile, scoop out a small hole from the top of the cupcakes. Use a large zip top back to pipe the marshmallow cream into each hole.
8. Spoon and spread the ganache over the tops of the cupcakes, covering the marshmallow cream completely. Optional: sprinkle more graham cracker crumbs over the chocolate ganache.
9. Place 12-15 large marshmallows on a lined and lightly greased baking sheet. Broil the marshmallows until golden brown (this won't take more than a minute, so don't go far!).
10. Immediately place a toasted marshmallow on top of each cupcake.