Baked Smores

We love Smores--by the fire, playing my guitar singing with my family...nothing better. Well, maybe this: Picture it....in my living room, with all of our friends, a nice big ice cold glass of milk and our favorite board game and these amazing Baked Smores! YUM! Ok...pretty easy and a lot of fun to make. Of course I found this on Pinterest..see the source link below. The ingredients are as follows:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 king-sized milk chocolate bars (e.g. Hershey’s)

1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (not melted marshmallows)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.

I wanted to share a secret for impatient bakers. If you are like me, sometimes you want to bake and you don't want to wait for the butter to soften. You just want to bake NOW! I get it, because later an emergency may arise, you may be having to mend a costume for your superhero or iron Mr. Incredible's uniform...so many possibilities. However, again, if you are like me, you've tried to "soften" that butter in the microwave only to find a dish full of melted butter. Or maybe, you've placed it on your oven, waited for it to soften then went to pick it up and it was mush..so you do what any good baker would do...you place it back into your refrigerator until it hardens again...oh wait...you come back and it is rock solid. OH I've been there. OK...so here is my secret..come a little closer...If you slice the butter and place it in your bowl..it will soften in no time at all!!

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined.

Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan.

If you know me...I weighed my dough on my scale to be sure it was even..you don't have to be that...obsessive. ;)

Place chocolate bars over dough. 2 king-sized Hershey’s bars should fit perfectly side by side, but break the chocolate (if necessary) to get it to fit in a single layer no more than 1/4 inch thick.

This is my favorite part. I think because with an 8X8 pan...these king size Hershey Bars fit absolutely perfectly! It just felt rewarding. I'm crazy I know.

Spread chocolate with marshmallow creme or fluff.

Caution: Some may get on your fingers..you know when you go to clear off the spatula. I recommend saving the spoon for when you are done and licking it clean. OH my goodness, I love fluff. Visions of fluff and peanut butter sandwiches dancing in my head. I digress....

Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff.

This is the trickiest part of the recipe. Once you place that dough onto the fluff...there is no taking it off. It is a one shot deal. So I rolled the dough in a gallon size bag into an 8X8 square. Then I cut the plastic bag around the edges...used a manila folder and placed the dough that sat on the bag onto the folder..gently lifted it and flipped it onto the fluff. Perfection! Slam..right down evenly and a perfect fit. I only sweat it for a second.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Look at those delicious baked Smores....still really warm. The top picture was taken the next day..when it was fully cooled. I'm not sure why you are still reading this....have you preheated your oven yet?...you know you want to try these. Hey, thanks for stopping by the Kitchen!

Source: Pinterest linked to this blog

Chocolate Pretzel Buttons

I really don't need to type any words for this recipe. However, I'm particularly fond of words...so here we go!

Valentine's Day. I use to think it was just for couples...until I had children. Clearly it is more my opportunity to show my children how much I love them. (My husband too, but it is just so much more fun doing sweet little things for my superheros!) So the ingredients...you can see in the above picture!

• Chocolate Kisses and/or Hugs
• Pretzels...I used the snaps, but I think the original buttons were done with circle pretzels.
• Festive M&Ms...thinking you could totally do this at Christmas time too with red and green M&Ms.

 I have issues with kid germs. Yes, even my superheros. So when they are in the kitchen with me I'm totally picky about washing hands..over and over again. Or I can be less picky when they are preparing their own food and they will be the one's eating it!

 So knowing I was going to have my three plus two additional children doing their own buttons..I labeled the parchment paper with their initials. Each child prepared a row of candies for themselves...each child touched only their row. Call me crazy..but I don't know where those fingers have been.

Here are the other two children in my charge during the week as their Mom & Dad entrust me with their care after school. My goal is to do something sweet once a week before Valentine's Day. We made a row for older sister, Mom and Dad too...so when they got home there were hugs and kisses in the refrigerator for them.

 Once the you've covered your cookie sheet with parchment or aluminum foil, laid your pretzels down and placed your chocolate kisses in the center of each on. Place them in a 350 degree preheated oven for 2 minutes.

Note that the hugs must have a bit more fat or something in them because they melt a little faster..so depending upon your oven..you just want them to be soft enough to place that M&M on top. This is precisely why I decided to let each child do their own row of buttons...because they couldn't help themselves...they would place an M&M and then a little chocolate would get on their fingers and...yes, they would lick their fingers and place the next M&M. Using a straw to hold the M&M steady on the kiss would make it a little less messy (and a little more sanitary). :) Place in the refrigerator for a few minutes so they can set..or eat them all warm and messy...it tastes good no matter what! You can't go wrong with salt and sweet!

One thing I forgot to do was make sure my Ms were not face up (which isn't bad if you are making them all for...Mom or Mike or Mary.) You get the idea! Hope you enjoyed!! Have fun with this - they're delicious and addictive!

Source: Pinterest linked to this blog.

Sticky Bun Breakfast Ring

Pinterest has changed my life. I promise I'm not addicted to it. I spend just a little bit of time on it almost every night (I only fell asleep once at my computer). It started with my desire to spruce up our breakfast time. I homeschool, so cereal just begins to look really boring after you actually watch your children eat it every single day. I don't think I ever had time to sit and eat breakfast with my children when they were in school...too busy getting everything ready to get everyone out on time.

So, I found Pinterest, it is a virtual bulletin board where you pin your favorite things or things you want to try. You are linked to websites and blogs about food and whatever and it is absolutely wonderful. I've made tons of things. Here is the recipe for this one.

Source: Found on Pinterest and linked to this blog.

Here is the easiest recipe ever:

• 2 small tubes refrigerator buttermilk biscuits OR 1 tube Pillsbury Grands buttermilk biscuits
• 3 Tbsp. butter melted
• 1/2 C. pancake syrup
• 1/3 C. packed brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 C. chopped pecans, opt.
• 1/4 C. chopped almonds, opt.

Spray a fluted pan with non-stick spray. Combine the melted butter and syrup in a small bowl and set aside. In another bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts (if desired).

 

Half of my children are not so nuts about nuts..so I just sprinkled nuts on half of the bottom of my pan.

Place about half of the syrup mixture in the bottom of the pan. Then sprinkle half of the brown sugar mixture on top.

Lay the biscuits on the bottom of the pan, overlapping edges (closely together) to form a ring. (I just used the 2 small tubes of buttermilk biscuits...it was perfect!

 

Top with remaining syrup and sugar mixtures.

Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool for 1 minute in the pan, then invert onto a serving platter and enjoy!

Caution: I have 3 boys (ages 8 & 10)..who polished off the entire ring in one sitting...and NO I didn't even get one.