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