S’mores Chocolate Chip Cookies

As the summer winds down and the weather gets cooler (HA!), fire pits start to sound a little more bearable than the did a few weeks ago.

Unfortunately, it’s still freakin’ hot here (in the 90s-100s), so I’d rather bake s’more than make them on a burning hot fire on a burning hot day.

Plus, who would pick a regular s’more over a cookie s’more?!

I used my standard chocolate chip recipe and added marshmallows and graham crackers, and this is what happened…

S’mores Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks, 8 ounces) unsalted butter, very soft
1 cup (7 1/2 ounces) packed brown sugar
3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 cups (11 5/8 ounces) All-Purpose Flour

1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 1/2 cups (9 ounces) chocolate chips
2 1/2 cups (5 1/4 ounces) mini marshmallows

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place the very soft butter in a medium-large mixing bowl. Add the sugars, salt, vanilla, and stir well.
3. Add the egg and stir until well blended.
4. Add the baking soda and flour, mixing until blended.
5. Stir in the chips, graham cracker crumbs, and marshmallows.
6. Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough onto light-colored baking sheets.
7. Flatten into disks, using gentle pressure from your fingers.
8. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, until the bottoms and edges are lightly browned; the tops shouldn’t brown, they should still be slightly gooey.
9. Remove the cookies from the oven, let them rest on the pan for 5 minutes, then slide them onto a rack to cool completely.

Don’t forget to enter my giveaway!

Salted Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats

Rice Krispie treats remind me of school.

When I was little, my elementary school was right around the corner from my house.  My neighbor and I would walk home from school every day and eat an after school snack.  7 out of 10 times Rice Krispie Treats would be involved.

Now, as an “adult” (according to society at least), Rice Krispies are a comforting snack for me because of my childhood memories.  Thanks to Deb, I can make Salted Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats and feel like I’m playing my adult role… since brown butter is sophisticated and all. And only adults add salt to stuff because they we like to have high cholesterol and hypertension.

If you’re still a kid at heart, these still taste de-freakin’-licious!  I like the hint of salt blended with the sweetness of the marshmallows and you can even taste the nuttiness of the brown butter.  Perfect snack for kids and adults!

What was your after school snack?

Salted Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats
Smitten Kitchen 
Makes 16 2-inch squares or 32 1- x 2-inch small bars

Ingredients:
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 10-ounce bag marshmallows
Heaping 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal (about half a 12-ounce box)

Directions:

1. Butter (or coat with non-stick spray) an 8-inch square cake pan with 2-inch sides.
2. In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. It will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from the bottom as you do. Don’t take your eyes off the pot as while you may be impatient for it to start browning, the period between the time the butter begins to take on color and the point where it burns is often less than a minute.
3. As soon as the butter takes on a nutty color, turn the heat off and stir in the marshmallows. The residual heat from the melted butter should be enough to melt them, but if it is not, turn it back on low until the marshmallows are smooth.
4. Remove the pot from the stove and stir in the salt and cereal together. Quickly spread into prepared pan. I liked to use a piece of waxed or parchment paper that I’ve sprayed with oil to press it firmly and evenly into the edges and corners, though a silicon spatula works almost as well.
5. Let cool, cut into squares.

P.S. Check out Karly. She’s featured in a book! How cool is that?

Mississippi Mud Brownies

I live for reactions.

I love to do things sometimes just to see what people will say or how they will respond.  It’s such a good feeling to make someone happy.

Random acts of kindness are so fulfilling.  I used to love May Day.  Every May Day when I was in elementary school, we would make a craft at school and when I got home, I would make a couple more and go put them on people’s doors in my neighborhood.  (Aren’t you supposed to do that on May Day or did I just make that up?)  I remember feeling so good after I did that because I could just imagine how excited they would be when they opened their door and found my silly craft.

In high school, in one of my classes, we had a Pay it Forward segment and at the end of it, one of my friends brought a bunch of Pay it Forward bracelets to class and we were told to do something nice for someone and give them the bracelet so they could do the same.  I remember paying it forward and just how good it felt.

I like to bake for people and make homemade cards (like for my dad’s birthday, which I will post about later… Happy Birthday, Dad!!) because I like for them to know that I spent time on them because I care about them.  I like making Kellen homemade gifts because it’s the way I express my feelings for him.  (Like for Valentine’s Day, which I will also post about later. but I can’t show you that until it’s over because it’s a surprise… and I hate ruined surprises!!) 

Even little things like holding the door open for people or helping someone carry something is so rewarding.  That feeling is not one that can be replicated with anything else.  It’s the reason I do all of those things I told you about.

Make these brownies for someone today, I guarantee the reaction you get will be a good one!  I made them for one of my classes and they all loved them (or at least that’s what they said.)

Mississippi Mud Brownies
Rebekahs Family Food and Fun

I was out of marshmallows, so I used marshmallow creme.

Ingredients 

2 sticks (1 cup) butter

1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa

1-1/2 c. granulated sugar

4 eggs

2 t. vanilla

1-1/2 c. flour

1/4 t. salt

1 c. chopped pecans (optional – I think they would be fabulous, but my family would revolt)

2 cups marshmallow creme (enough to cover the top)

Frosting:

1 stick (1/2 c.) butter

1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa, sifted

2-3/4 c. powdered sugar

1/3 c. milk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°.

Grease a 13 x 9″ pan.

In a large saucepan, melt butter.  Remove from heat and sift in cocoa, stirring until smooth.  Add sugar and stir well.  Add eggs and vanilla, mix to combine, then add flour and salt, stirring just until incorporated.   

Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Don’t overbake.  Don’t underbake though, either, my center pieces came out a little too gooey.

Immediately upon removing from oven, top with marshmallow creme.  Return to oven for 2-3 minutes, or until marshmallow creme is soft and melty.  Do NOT brown!!  That will make them chewy and tough and difficult to cut.

When marshmallows are soft, remove from oven and make frosting.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter.  Add cocoa and then powdered sugar and milk.  Stir until smooth and creamy.  Add more milk a teaspoon at a time if necessary for consistency.

Drizzle frosting over marshmallow layer and smooth to cover completely. 

Allow to cool before cutting.

Mississippi Mud Brownies

I live for reactions.

I love to do things sometimes just to see what people will say or how they will respond.  It’s such a good feeling to make someone happy.

Random acts of kindness are so fulfilling.  I used to love May Day.  Every May Day when I was in elementary school, we would make a craft at school and when I got home, I would make a couple more and go put them on people’s doors in my neighborhood.  (Aren’t you supposed to do that on May Day or did I just make that up?)  I remember feeling so good after I did that because I could just imagine how excited they would be when they opened their door and found my silly craft.

In high school, in one of my classes, we had a Pay it Forward segment and at the end of it, one of my friends brought a bunch of Pay it Forward bracelets to class and we were told to do something nice for someone and give them the bracelet so they could do the same.  I remember paying it forward and just how good it felt.

I like to bake for people and make homemade cards (like for my dad’s birthday, which I will post about later… Happy Birthday, Dad!!) because I like for them to know that I spent time on them because I care about them.  I like making Kellen homemade gifts because it’s the way I express my feelings for him.  (Like for Valentine’s Day, which I will also post about later. but I can’t show you that until it’s over because it’s a surprise… and I hate ruined surprises!!) 

Even little things like holding the door open for people or helping someone carry something is so rewarding.  That feeling is not one that can be replicated with anything else.  It’s the reason I do all of those things I told you about.

Make these brownies for someone today, I guarantee the reaction you get will be a good one!  I made them for one of my classes and they all loved them (or at least that’s what they said.)

Mississippi Mud Brownies
Rebekahs Family Food and Fun

I was out of marshmallows, so I used marshmallow creme.

Ingredients 

2 sticks (1 cup) butter

1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa

1-1/2 c. granulated sugar

4 eggs

2 t. vanilla

1-1/2 c. flour

1/4 t. salt

1 c. chopped pecans (optional – I think they would be fabulous, but my family would revolt)

2 cups marshmallow creme (enough to cover the top)

Frosting:

1 stick (1/2 c.) butter

1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa, sifted

2-3/4 c. powdered sugar

1/3 c. milk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°.

Grease a 13 x 9″ pan.

In a large saucepan, melt butter.  Remove from heat and sift in cocoa, stirring until smooth.  Add sugar and stir well.  Add eggs and vanilla, mix to combine, then add flour and salt, stirring just until incorporated.   

Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Don’t overbake.  Don’t underbake though, either, my center pieces came out a little too gooey.

Immediately upon removing from oven, top with marshmallow creme.  Return to oven for 2-3 minutes, or until marshmallow creme is soft and melty.  Do NOT brown!!  That will make them chewy and tough and difficult to cut.

When marshmallows are soft, remove from oven and make frosting.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter.  Add cocoa and then powdered sugar and milk.  Stir until smooth and creamy.  Add more milk a teaspoon at a time if necessary for consistency.

Drizzle frosting over marshmallow layer and smooth to cover completely. 

Allow to cool before cutting.

Disappearing Marshmallow Brownies

 These are magic.

And with Harry Potter coming up in 5 days, they’re also are appropriate.

I kinda like Harry Potter, a lot.

It’s not an obsession though, I checked. 

“Have you automatically judged a person based on whether or not they like the Harry Potter books?” Ha. Of course not! That’s rude.

“Do you compare all other books you read to Harry Potter?”  Umm.. noo…

“Do you applaud anything that gets children to read in an age when not many do and were often ostracized for being ‘geeky;’?”  Well, yes, duh… “Do you think Harry Potter is the bridge between that gap?” I might…

“Are you watching Harry Potter while you write this?”…

…Okay, well, if anything, it’s a HEALTHY obsession.  About as healthy as these brownies… which are very healthy…since the marshmallows disappear when you bake them.

P.S. If you don’t like Harry Potter, sorry… you’ll like the brownies, though.  I promise.
P.P.S. My boss is really, really cool and lets me sell yummy goodies at our store on Saturdays now, so I sold these, and they were goooonnne by the end of the day.  They’re delicious.

 Mix the melted butter and butterscotch chips.

 Mix the sugar, eggs, and vanilla.

 Put them together.

 Add in the dry stuff.

 Fold in the good stuff…

 …Until it looks like this.

 Put it in a greased 9×13 in pan.

 Let them cool, cut them, and eat them.

Disappearing Marshmallow Brownies
AllRecipes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup butterscotch chips
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups miniature marshmallows
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9×13 inch pan.
2. Using a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butterscotch chips and butter together in the microwave, stirring occasionally until smooth. Set aside to cool.
3. In a large bowl, stir together the brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Mix in the melted butterscotch chips, then the flour, baking powder, and salt until smooth. Stir in the marshmallows and chocolate chips last. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan.
4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in preheated oven. Cool, and cut into squares.

Disappearing Marshmallow Brownies

 These are magic.

And with Harry Potter coming up in 5 days, they’re also are appropriate.

I kinda like Harry Potter, a lot.

It’s not an obsession though, I checked. 

“Have you automatically judged a person based on whether or not they like the Harry Potter books?” Ha. Of course not! That’s rude.

“Do you compare all other books you read to Harry Potter?”  Umm.. noo…

“Do you applaud anything that gets children to read in an age when not many do and were often ostracized for being ‘geeky;’?”  Well, yes, duh… “Do you think Harry Potter is the bridge between that gap?” I might…

“Are you watching Harry Potter while you write this?”…

…Okay, well, if anything, it’s a HEALTHY obsession.  About as healthy as these brownies… which are very healthy…since the marshmallows disappear when you bake them.

P.S. If you don’t like Harry Potter, sorry… you’ll like the brownies, though.  I promise.
P.P.S. My boss is really, really cool and lets me sell yummy goodies at our store on Saturdays now, so I sold these, and they were goooonnne by the end of the day.  They’re delicious.

 Mix the melted butter and butterscotch chips.

 Mix the sugar, eggs, and vanilla.

 Put them together.

 Add in the dry stuff.

 Fold in the good stuff…

 …Until it looks like this.

 Put it in a greased 9×13 in pan.

 Let them cool, cut them, and eat them.

Disappearing Marshmallow Brownies
AllRecipes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup butterscotch chips
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups miniature marshmallows
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9×13 inch pan.
2. Using a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butterscotch chips and butter together in the microwave, stirring occasionally until smooth. Set aside to cool.
3. In a large bowl, stir together the brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Mix in the melted butterscotch chips, then the flour, baking powder, and salt until smooth. Stir in the marshmallows and chocolate chips last. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan.
4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in preheated oven. Cool, and cut into squares.