S'Mores Cookie Bars

Article first published as S'Mores Cookie Bars on Blogcritics.

Chocolate, marshmallows and graham crackers. If you haven't already paired these ingredients together, you should! Growing up, s'mores were a favorite summertime treat we'd enjoy. It wasn't exactly the easiest or neatest thing to eat but it didn't matter. The combination of melted chocolate, warm and gooey marshmallows and a sweet crispy cracker was just so good in any which way you could eat it! Now with summer just around the corner, you can combine these three ingredients with the same great flavor and without the mess. These S'Mores Cookie Bars takes all the things you love about s'mores and makes it portable and easy to enjoy...

I've noticed a lot of s'mores cookies in the blogsphere lately and it got to the point where I couldn't ignore them anymore. I wanted to have my s'more fix in a cookie form but the recipes I kept seeing didn't do it for me. It wasn't until I picked up a magazine and came across a similar recipe that did appeal to me. I did adapt it a bit by using mini marshmallows instead of marshmallow fluff called for in the original recipe. Also, I layered the recipe a bit differently so that it came out just as I wanted. Regardless, these are awesome... *Awesome!*. I got my fix and it couldn't have been better! I loved how the flavors came together and best enjoyed when warm out of the oven. That way, you get all that gooey marshmallow and melted chocolate going on at once. These are just as good cooled and they don't get rock hard either (which I experienced in similar recipes I tried.) If you're looking for a dessert for this Memorial Day weekend, I would highly recommend these!

S'Mores Cookie Bars

recipe adapted from AllYou Magazine (May 2011)

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups mini marshmallow
2 cups bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Thoroughly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar until light, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs until well combined. Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly beat flour mixture into butter mixture.

Reserve 1/4 of the dough and set aside. Press the remaining dough into greased pan until dough is uniform and flat. Top with chocolate chips and sprinkle with marshmallows.  Scatter the reserved dough over in clumps. Don't worry about covering the top; marshmallow and chocolate chips should peek through.

Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Place pan on a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into bars and remove from pan.