S'moreful September: S'mores Cookies

Day Two of the S'moreful September brings an easier recipe than yesterday.  I wanted to get the hard one out of the way so you'd think everything else was essentially bliss.

Okay, it's all bliss, but some bliss just comes a little easier, yes?  Of course.

So, today is cookies.  You could probably use your own chocolate chip cookie base and make some tweaks, but here's the recipe I followed...

Ingredients:
1 1/2 C all purpose flour
1 C graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp baking soda
1 dash of salt (optional)
1 dash of cinnamon
1 C butter, softened
3/4 C sugar
3/4 C brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 C mini marshmallows
2 C mini chocolate chips
2 Hershey bars, chopped

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
3. In a larger bowl, beat together butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla until creamy.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Slowly beat in the flour mixture until smooth.
6. Stir in the mini chocolate chips.
7. Drop rounded tablespoons of batter onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
8. Bake for 8 minutes, push in 4 marshmallows and a couple chocolate pieces into each cooke, then return to oven for an additional 3-4 minutes, or until fully cooked.
9. Cool on wire rack.

*makes about 3 dozen amazing cookies*

S'moreful September: S'mores Rice Krispies, revisited

I know this is 20 days a bit late, but August contained one of the coolest "national" holidays ever: National S'mores Day!

Now, of course you ALL know how addicted I am to sweet things in general, but s'mores in particular.  There's something about the combination of flavors that makes me proud to be an American.  Especially the first time I made them with my husband, when he was in his mid-20's.  Being from South Africa, he never was able to experience the rich and gooey goodness known as s'mores.

It was almost like that scene from The Sandlot.  Which I also introduced to Thomas... in his 30's...  sigh.  There's so much to life that he missed out on!  I think if he's going to become an American citizen, it's not just about passing the Constitution test, it's about knowing the culture of why the people our age are the way we are, no?

So, before I go off too far on a tangent, this week I'll be presenting some of my favorite s'mores recipes (so far), including revisiting one that I've done in the past: the S'mores Rice Krispies Treat.

I've now done this recipe three or four more times, and I've made some tweaks, corrections, and improvements, so I'd like to clear the air before moving on to bigger and better (not possible?!) treats!

Ingredients (Krispies Layer):
3 T butter (chopped into smaller pieces)
40 large marshmallows (1 Jet Puffed bag)
5 C Rice Krispies
1 C Golden Grahams
1/2 bag mini chocolate Chips
Non-stick cooking spray

Directions (Krispies Layer):
1. Spray a 9"x13" pan
2. In a large, microwave safe, bowl place the marshmallows and butter pieces.  Microwave for 3 minutes, stirring after 2, until butter and marshmallows are melted.  Stir gently.  In order to prevent the marshmallow from sticking to your spatula, just use some non-stick spray on the spatula.
3. Stir in Rice Krispies and Golden Grahams until combined.  Stir in chocolate chips and immediate press into the prepped pan.  (My assistant likes to use a little parchment paper as a barrier between her hand and the sticky cereal.  This way she can keep pressing it down without making too big of a mess on her hands.)




Ingredients (Fudgy Layer):
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 bag butterscotch chips
about 20-24 graham cracker (square halves)

Directions (Fudgy Layer):
1. Combine both bags of chips in a microwave safe bowl.  Microwave about 2 minutes, stirring every 45 seconds, until melted smooth.
2. Spread fudgy frosting over the Krispes layer.
The more the merrier!
3. Break/cut each full graham cracker into 8 smaller pieces (or each half cracker into 4 pieces).
4. Layout the graham crackers with just a little space in between until the fudgy layer has been completely covered with graham.
5. Chill in fridge until chocolate has set.

Ingredients (Top Layer):
1 bag (or less) of large marshmallows, cut (hamburger style) in half.
1/2 bag of mini chocolate chips
* You'll need one half of a marshmallow for every graham square on the fudgy layer. *

Directions (Top Layer):
1. Cut your treats into squares - you've already set up where to cut by pre-cutting your graham crackers.
2. Remove the treats, and place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
3. Take your cut marshmallows, and place one (sticky/cut side down) on top of each treat.
4. Turn your oven broiler on high and place treats in the oven.
5. Broil until the desired darkness/crispness of your marshmallows
6. Melt the rest of your mini chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl (1-2 minutes, stirring at least twice).
7. Stir until smooth, then lightly drizzle over the tops of your treats.

I know, this still sounds like a lot, but once you get the hang of it, it's quite easy, and you'll learn little tricks that'll keep you sane in make the process simple.  It's really worth it, and I keep getting rave reviews every time.  It's got a little something summery for everyone!
 

S'mores Rice Krispies Treats!

 I don't know what's been up with me lately.  I think it's because summer is FINALLY here.  However, I have been craving s'mores.

Straight off the campfire s'mores.  The problem is that I'm not a fan of camping alone, and my hubs has been traveling a lot for work.  S'mores are few and far between.  So my Pinterest boards have been swelling with alternative recipes for s'mores.  Same great ingredients, just in slightly different formats.

 One recipe that I really wanted to try was from Glorious Treats.  It looked amazing, and I couldn't wait to give it a go.

S'mores Rice Krispies Treats
(bottom layer)

3 Tablespoons butter
4 cups mini marshmallows (or about 40 regular/large marshmallows - 1 Jef Puffed bag)
5 cups Rice Krispies cereal
1 cup Golden Grahams cereal
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
(top layers)
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate
10 full sized graham crackers, broken in half (slightly more or less, depending on the pan you use)
40 large marshmallows (1 more bag)

 Directions
Lightly cover a  9"x13" pan with cooking spray.

In a large microwave safe bowl, place 3 tablespoons of butter (cut into a few pieces), and 1 bag of marshmallows. Microwave about 3 minutes (stirring after 2 minutes) watch the microwave, cooking times may vary. Cook in microwave until butter and marshmallows are melted. Stir gently.
Add rice krispies and golden grahams cereal and stir to combine. (try using a plastic or silicone spatula sprayed with a bit of cooking spray).

Add mini chocolate chips, stir quickly, and immediately pour mixture into prepared 9"x13" pan. Press into pan (with spatula).

Next, melt 12 oz of chocolate chips in the microwave, stirring every 20 seconds until fully melted.  Then, pour the chocolate on top of your rice krispies layer.  Taking a spatula, spread the chocolate out like frosting in an even layer, covering the entire bottom layer of krispies.  This chocolate layer will help hold the graham crackers in place, so work quickly to get into the next step.

While the chocolate is still warm, lay graham cracker squares on top, leaving a tiny bit of space between each cracker.  This space will help you as guidelines as to where to cut, so it only needs to be a knife blade's width.


Now, to help the warm chocolate to cool, helping to set the graham crackers into place, place the entire pan into the refrigerator.  Leave the pan there at least 10 minutes.


For the next step, you'll need a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper, or wax paper (whatever you have on hand).

While killing time, you can also cut your second bag of marshmallows in half.  You'll need four per graham cracker, so make sure to plan accordingly.

When the krispies have cooled, remove them from the fridge and cut between the graham crackers with a sharp knife.  Place the newly cut treats onto your prepared cookie sheet.




Now you'll place your cut marshmallows sticky (or cut) side down onto each graham cracker.

 Place the marshmallows close together, but if you buy the "regular" size of marshmallows, you won't have much of a choice.  They'll pretty much fill the entire graham cracker.

Next you have a choice: if you have a kitchen torch, you can use that to lightly crisp your marshmallows. I wanted more of an "even" crisp, and wasn't so patient, so I kicked my oven broiler on high and placed the pan of treats in there.

 It doesn't take long for your marshmallows to brown.  If you'd like them lighter, take them out sooner, or darker - leave them in longer.  It's your call.  I left them in for about five minutes, but I put the rack halfway down the oven so I could closely monitor them and get them at just a lightly golden color.

Your call, and your timing.

Finally, I didn't think they were really finished, so I melted another 2/3 cup of chocolate chips (more or less, your preference) to drizzle on top.

Fresh out of the oven, and oh so gooey!!

From there, I also cut the treats into fours, so each treat had one marshmallow.  I found them extremely rich, and more fun to pop in a smaller size, but it's your call.  Hopefully this will help your hankering for some s'mores.  I know it certainly helped me!  You can just put these in a zip lock bag, or other air tight container, and they'll still be good for at least two days.  If they had lasted longer, I would let you know, but I'm sure they'd be good for at least three or four days (if they last that long!!).

Taste of Sweetness Saturday: Merry Christmas edition

 I always say I'm not a huge fan of Rachel Ray.  This is essentially true of her as a personality.  When I see her on TV, I quickly move forward, hoping to avoid (also) hearing her voice.  Maybe that's harsh, but there's something about her that rubs me the wrong way.

However?  She still gets my cash because I love flipping through her magazine and her recipes.  You win this time, Ms. Ray, you win this time...

 At work, we were going to host a cookie exchange for the residents.  Yes, we were already 800+ cookies in at that point, but then - what's another 8 dozen??  Since this was for grown-ups, I went with a more labor intensive recipe (so dumb), but luckily it turned out great, and people seemed to really enjoy them.

And so, here's her recipe for Hot Cocoa Cookies.

I started with a metric boatload of the best baking chocolate a chain store could provide, and escalated it from there!

Super simple.  Roll and bake the cookies...

 As soon the cookies come out of the oven, add some broken chocolate bars to the top.

Then, take a half (hamburger style) of a marshmallow and press it down on top until you see the melt-y chocolate ooze out from the bottom.

Yes, your chocolate will ooze.

No, you don't have to be worried.

Yes, you should refrain from dipping your finger in to taste it at this point, but I promise it's worth the wait!

Finally, shave chocolate on top.  I only had a zester, so my shavings were far smaller than I would have liked.

These are best eaten warm and gooey.  Zap in the micro for 10 seconds after storage
before you bite into one.  Totally worth it!