I Want S’more Muffins

Halloween. Jayden at the counter, handing out candy, wearing regular clothes, being twelve. The boy who isn't trick-or-treating stood behind the counter at Sarah's Table and gave candy to children in costumes and the giving was: the growing. The transition from receiving to giving. The child becoming the person on the other side of the counter. My side. The giving side. Jayden is: crossing over. Not arrived. Crossing.

Elijah as the sun: MAGNIFICENT. Lorraine outdid herself. The costume was a circular frame of foam and orange fabric with rays extending in every direction, painted in gradients from pale yellow to deep orange. Elijah couldn't fit through doorways. He didn't care. He was THE SUN. He illuminated the neighborhood. Children pointed. Adults laughed. One woman said: "That is the most committed costume I've ever seen." Committed. The word for Elijah's relationship with orange. Committed. Unconditional. Permanent.

Chloe as Frida Kahlo: the unibrow drawn in eyeliner, flowers in her hair, a shawl over her Sarah's Table t-shirt. She documented the entire evening — trick-or-treating with Elijah, Jayden at the counter, the black cornbread, the costumes of every child who came through the door. Forty-seven photos. The best one: Jayden handing a Snickers bar to a tiny Iron Man, Jayden's face serious and kind, the face of a boy who is learning that giving candy to a stranger's child is: a form of staying. A form of showing up. A form of being the man who is present when it matters. The photo is: the difference between twelve and ten. The photo is: growth.

The restaurant sold: 67 black cornbread portions, 44 regular. The black cornbread has officially outsold the regular during Halloween week. The darkness wins one week per year. The rest of the year: the regular cornbread, the golden cornbread, the Earline cornbread prevails. The balance is: correct. Amen.

Sixty-seven portions of black cornbread and a boy learning to give candy to strangers’ children — that’s a Halloween that deserves something sweet to close it out. When the last costumed kid left and Jayden finally stepped out from behind the counter, I needed something I could put together fast that still felt like the holiday: smoky, warm, a little indulgent, the kind of thing you make because the night earned it. These s’more muffins have become our after-closing ritual on Halloween — graham cracker crunch, pockets of melted chocolate, marshmallow going golden on top — the campfire version of everything that made the evening feel like it mattered.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 22 min | Total Time: 37 min | Servings: 12 muffins

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 6 full crackers, finely crushed)
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
1 cup mini marshmallows, divided
2 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs, for topping

Instructions

Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease well with butter. Set aside.
Mix dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
Mix wet ingredients. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, sour cream, melted butter, and vanilla extract until smooth.
Combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until just combined — do not overmix. A few streaks of flour are fine. Fold in 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of the mini marshmallows.
Fill the tin. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Top each muffin with the remaining chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, and a pinch of graham cracker crumbs.
Bake. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until the tops are set and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin (avoiding a marshmallow) comes out with just a few moist crumbs. The marshmallows on top will be golden and puffed.
Cool and serve. Let muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm for maximum chocolate pull, or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Nutrition (per serving)

I Want S’more Muffins — The Sweet That Holds Its Own on Halloween Night