Mashmallow Coconut Cupcakes

Ingredients for the Cupcakes:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups Sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 4 eggs
• 2 egg whites
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
• 1 cup toasted coconut

Ingredients for the Meringue Frosting:

• 4 egg whites
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• Pinch salt

Directions for the Cupcakes:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line standard muffin tins with 24 paper liners.
2. In a mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
3. Add butter to dry ingredients, mixing until butter disperses evenly and mixture resembles cornmeal.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, milk, vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds. Slowly add to dry ingredients, mixing until well blended.
5. Spoon batter into paper liners. Bake 12-15 minutes or until top of cupcakes spring back when touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in tins 5 minutes; remove from tins and cool completely on a wire rack.
6. When cupcakes have cooled, fill a pastry bag with meringue frosting.
7. With an inverted pastry tip or apple corer, cut a hole out of the middle of each cupcake from the top.
8. Fill holes and frost cupcakes with meringue frosting.
9. With a kitchen torch, toast frosting until lightly browned; sprinkle with toasted coconut.

Directions for the Meringue Frosting:

1. In a medium, heat-proof bowl, mix together all ingredients. Over a pot of boiling water, whisk mixture until it appears foamy and reaches 165°F on a candy thermometer. Transfer to a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and beat until cool.

Makes 24 cupcakes