Last weekend, my sister hosted a cookout and I wasn’t sure what I should bring. Dessert always seems like an appropriate solution to that problem, and s’mores always seem appropriate. Always. Due to the lack of an actual fire at my sister’s, bagging up some graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate wasn’t going to cut it. I knew I would need to perform some assembly, and so I made s’mores bars. Then, I had to talk myself out of sending Lane to the cookout without me while I stayed home and shoveled them all into my mouth, pretending I didn’t make them. They’re that good.
Ultimately, I decided I’d share them after all (I can always make more 🙂 ) and I’m glad I did. They were a big hit. Part of what makes them great is that they don’t take a lot of effort. I made a simple graham cracker crust, spread melted chocolate onto it, covered it in marshmallows, and broiled for a few minutes to get the marshmallows toasted. I personally suggest you drop what you’re doing and make these right now, or at least bring them the next time someone throws a potluck.
S’Mores Bars
Ingredients:
- 2 sticks butter, melted, plus more for greasing the pan
- 18 graham crackers
- 1/4 C. sugar
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 3 C. milk chocolate chips
- 3 1/2 C. mini-marshmallows
Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with aluminum foil, leaving about 4 inches of foil hanging over either end of the pan (you’ll use the foil later as “handles” to pull the bars out of the dish).
Grease the aluminum foil with butter, making sure to coat the bottom and sides of the lined dish.
Using a food processor, grind the crackers into a fine meal (18 crackers should make 2 cups of crumbs- you can add more crackers if you don’t have 2 cups of graham cracker crumbs).
Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, salt, and melted butter in a large bowl and stir to combine, until the mixture resembles wet sand.
Set aside a heaping 1/2 C. of the graham cracker mixture to use for topping later.
Press the remaining graham cracker mixture evenly into the bottom of the greased dish.
Bake the crust for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown.
Remove the crust from the oven and allow it to cool completely on a wire rack or dish towel.
Melt the chocolate chips over low heat in a medium saucepan (do not turn the heat up, keep it on low, or use the microwave in 30 second increments).
Spread the melted chocolate over the cooled graham cracker crust.
Sprinkle the marshmallows over the melted chocolate, pressing the marshmallows lightly into the chocolate.
Sprinkle the reserved 1/2 C. of graham cracker mixture over the marshmallows, covering the spaces where chocolate peeks through in between the marshmallows.
Heat the broiler and position a rack 6 inches below the heat source.
Put the s’mores bars under the broiler and broil for about 2 minutes until the marshmallows are golden brown.
Put the bars into the refrigerator for two hours, until the chocolate is hard.
Remove the bars from the dish in one piece using the foil handles and place onto a cutting board. Cut into 24 pieces.
Makes 24 servings.
Source: Anne Thornton
Diana Dishes 