Extra Curricular Activities - Tarboush Cupcakes

This post is dedicated to our dear Lebanese friends who grew up eating Gandour Tarboush (Rass al 3abed), bet your Teta (grandma) never made these before!

Jad recently brought a box home and I thought to myself...hmm, you're going in a cupcake my little friend. 

For those of you not familiar with the Tarboush, oh let me tell you, you're missing out.  Basically it's a little wafter cookie topped with a mound of marshmallow cream and then dipped in chocolate.  They are sticky, messy, and delish.  Very similar to Mallomars in the US, but better.  The tarboush is a seasonal candy and only produced in the winter so I feel there is a bit of hype that comes along with them.  This recipe is extremely easy and you can really use any cupcake recipe that's your favorite.  If you're in the US, I think you could also use the Mallomars, but you may not get the same kind of 'lift' these have, only because the Tarboush has about twice the amount of marshmallow cream.  I was going to frost them, but once I say how poofie-woofie they were I thought otherwise.  They are pretty just the way they are.   Let me know how yours turn out.

Tarboush Cupcakes

Ingredients:

2 cups water

1 cup cocoa powder

1 cup unsalted butter, cold

2 1/2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 3/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

12 Tarboush candies, unwrapped

In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil, turn off heat and whisk in the cocoa until smooth. Let cool to room temperature.  Place the rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees F.

Line 2 muffin tins with cupcake liners.  Place one Tarboush in each muffin hole, flat wafer side down.  Don't worry if the top of the Tarboush is cracked and marshmallow is oozing out.  This will only make it look better once it's cooked.

In the bowl of a standing mixer with the paddle attachment, add the cold butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Beat on slow to combine and raise to medium-high speed for 8 to 10 minutes until the butter is almost completely incorporated into the mixture.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and the cocoa liquid in 2 additions of each, stopping to scrape the bowl occasionally, mixing just until combined.

Carefully spoon batter on top of each Tarboush until the muffin tin is two-thirds of the way full.

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes until the cake springs back when gently pressed.  They will really poof up in the oven and you will start to worry you did something wrong.  Don't, it's normal.  Once they cool the marshmallow will shrink back down.

Enjoy (sahtain!)