Cooking with Nana – Smore Bars
by Teresa Bell Kindred
I admit it. I am a chocoholic. It’s my favorite comfort food.
When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I’m feeling sad, I simply remember my favorite things (come on, sing along with me) and then I don’t feel….sooooo bad! Yep, chocolate is definitely one of my favorites.
Just the other day I found a recipe that sounded good and I thought I’d make it for my seventeen-year-old twin boys (okay, for me too). Yesterday I went to the grocery and got the ingredients but after I turned the oven on I realized I’d gotten the wrong kind of chocolate (can there be a wrong kind of chocolate?) and I was out of something else I needed. So I put the recipe on hold and today I went back to the store, got what I needed and tonight I started again. But, guess what? I still hadn’t gotten everything I needed. Once again I went back to the store. After three trips I finally had everything. It isn’t the easiest recipe I ever tried because there are three layers and by the time I finished and took it out of the oven the twins were getting ready for bed.
“You cannot go to bed yet!” I yelled upstairs. “I’ve been to the grocery store three times. I’ve worked for two hours on this stuff and you are going to eat it before you go to bed. Further more if you don’t like it I want you to lie and say you do! ”
They came downstairs grinning. I had cut myself a small piece (okay a large piece) and I handed them the knife. They each carved out a chunk (literally) and I was rewarded with big smiles.
“Is this white stuff on top mayonnaise?” asked one son.
“It’s marshmallow crème,” I answered.
“I thought it tasted too good for mayonnaise,” he said as he finished it off and went back for more.
If you would like to satisfy your chocolate cravings with a dish that is guaranteed to bring smiles to your children’s faces and put pounds on your hips (everything comes with a price) then the recipe follows. Let me know if you like it and join me in a big yee-haw for chocolate!
Smore Bars
The recipe says it makes 24 bars but as you can see my two seventeen year olds ate almost half a pan.
Also says prep time is 25 minutes…not if you go to the store three times in two days it isn’t!
Crust:
(I shop at a discount grocery and buy off brands to save money. I promise it didn’t make a bit of difference in the taste. These were awesome.)
14 whole graham cracker boards, crushed
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Brownie:
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 sticks butter
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
Topping:
1 jar (7.5 ounces) marshmallow cream
2 tablespoons milk
1 cup Hershey’s mini chocolate kisses
1 cup chopped pecans
Crust: Combine cracker crumbs, sugar, salt and butter in a bowl until evenly moistened. Transfer to a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan: press evenly into bottom, refrigerate one hour.
Brownie: Combine chocolate and butter in a glass bowl. Heat in microwave on HIGH until chocolate and butter are melted, about one minute. Stir mixture until smooth.
Beat eggs and sugar in a large bowl until blended. While beating, gradually add chocolate mixture to egg mixture beat until smooth.
Stir in flour and salt. Add vanilla. Pour evenly over crust. Bake at 350 degrees until the smell drives you crazy and your dog sits in front of the oven and salivates (or 30 minutes).
Topping: While brownie is baking, whisk marshmallow cream and milk in a small bowl until well blended and smooth. Remove brownie from oven and cover with marshmallow topping. Spread evenly until completely covered.
Sprinkle mini Kisses and nuts (if so desired, and I desire nuts on mine) evenly over mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for 3 more minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Good luck on letting it cool. My boys ate it warm with a big glass of cold milk (uh, and so did I).
More on the Smores!
They were so popular at my house that we made them again today.
This is my assistant, Chef Abby. She cracked the eggs (and I fished out the shells). She stirred the chocolate (a big blob went in the floor but the dog cleaned it up for me). And she put the chocolate kisses on top of the marshmallow crème. Best of all, she helped me eat them. They sure are good!
Grab your grandchild and let them cook with nana. It’s messy but fun!
Reprinted with permission from http://www.nanahood.com
