Smore’s Cookie Bars

The best smore I have ever had was after finishing my second leg of the Atlanta Ragnar Trail race this year. It was 4 am, I just finished a 5.5 mile loop through the woods after running like 6 miles earlier that day and only eating trail mix and a pasta dinner. Which sounds like plenty of food when I type it out, but for me in that moment it was not.

The last mile of the loop all I could think off was food. Potatoes. Meat. I distinctly remember contemplating which flavor potato chip I would prefer. FACT: I don’t really like potato chips. Basically, ya girl was hungry and desperate.

So I emerged from the woods, passed off my race belt and headed straight for the bonfire and smore’s station. Because they had a smores station at 4am (REI knew what’s up). I snatched up a Hershey Bar, a marshmallow, a graham cracker and a stick. Some poor souls surrounding the campfire were NOT ROASTING SMORES and were also between me and my meal.

Less than delicately, I shoved my way to the fire explaining ” I just really need this marshmallow toasted”. Lit my marshmallow on fire (I like my smores well charred) and waited until it was ready. Then I smashed it between two crackers and some chocolate and wolfed it down in two bites. It was transcendent. Gooey marshmallow, the chocolate bar still solid, molten only by the now carcinogenic marshmallow. Bliss.

So with these cookies I tried to recreate that moment. How does one recreate the perfect bite that was the result of running far more than normal, at a strange hour, in the middle of the woods,  and a bonfire? 

Cookie bars were the only option. I thought about individual cookies, making regular smores in the oven, but really there was no other choice. Cookie bars were my best bet.

Graham Cracker laced cookies crust, topped with milk chocolate bars while still warm, then crowned with marshmallows. A quick broil, and your bars are done. You can eat them while still gooey, as pictured above, or wait until they have cooled the next day. The cookies will be soft and chewy, the chocolate returned to its solid state, and the marshmallow still sticky on top. 4am smore’s bliss achieved.

• Servings: 40 1-inch squares
• Time: 1 Hour
• Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 sticks of butter, softened (1 cup)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4/ cup brown sugar
• 1 package graham crackers (8 crackers)
• 6 chocolate bars ( I used Hershey Bars)
• 40 Jumbo marshmallows

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 375°F.  Put graham crackers in a bag and smash until in about 1/2 inch chunks. Add butter to a stand mixer or large bowl and beat until soft. Add granulated sugar and brown sugar and mix until fluffy. Then add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and graham cracker crumbs.

Spread cookie dough into 13×9 inch pan. Use a greased spatula to even the top. Bake in oven for 20 – 25 minutes. Remove from oven and while still hot place unwrapped chocolate bars across the top of the cookies. Then immediately top chocolate with marshmallows. Broil for one minute or just return to oven to brown marshmallows.

Let cool for a few minutes and then serve. These are also quite tasty completely cool.

 

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Cherry Gin Slushies

A few weeks ago in my inaugural This and That post I mentioned these  gin slushies by Joy the Baker. As soon as I laid eyes on those bright red beauties I knew I had to make them.

What held me back? Well I lacked other gin drinking adults to share with! My parents have come to visit and the opportunity to make a big batch cocktail arose, it was slushie time.

Joy uses fresh raspberries, frozen in her recipe. Poking around my fridge, I saw I had all ingredients minus the raspberries, and had really zero desire to leave my house again. But, there were frozen organic cherries in the freezer. Not remembering why I originally purchased them, they fit the bill.  All was well! Cherries are red, and delicious and probably just fine with gin. So I went for it.

Using Joy’s recipe as my guide, I subbed cherries for raspberries, Fresca for seltzer, and simple syrup for sugar. If you like things a little less sweet you could probably forgo the simple syrup. But I was going for sugar rush slush.

Now I am ruined forever and only want to drink gin in those slushies. Icy and refreshing. Sweet, but not saccharine with a hint of herb from the gin. Heaven. You can omit the gin and up the Fresca to make these kid friendly!

• Servings: 4-6 servings
• Time: 10 minutes
• Difficulty: Easy
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Icy cold, sweet, and a little boozy, these slushies are the perfect treat for adults at a backyard bbq during the dog days of summer.

Inspired by: Joy the Baker

Ingredients

• 1 cup of ice
• 10 ounces frozen cherries
• 1/3 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1 cup Fresca
• 1/2 cup gin (or more soda if making these non-alcoholic)
• 1/4 cup simple syrup (omit if making non-alcoholic version)(also, you could use less, I like them sweet)

Directions

Add ice, frozen cherries, lime juice, soda, gin and simple syrup to blender. Blend until it reaches a nice slushie consistency. Pour and serve. If you only pour one or two at a time, you can add more ice and re-blend what is left in the blender to freshen what it left in the blender before serving.