Cookies are cozy.
The best cookies are alchemy: flour, butter, and sugar combine to magically become a hug, a bit of cheer on a blustery fall evening. A gentle reminder that it’ll be okay, despite what that IRS letter says.
Nothing says cozy like a s’more–that classic combo of chocolate, graham cracker, and molten marshmallow. The smell of a campfire, the primal satisfaction of roasting something on a stick over glowing embers. The inevitable pain of burning the roof of your mouth on aforementioned marshmallowy lava…
These bar cookies are just what the doctor ordered for those chilly autumnal days when a s’more is what you’re craving, but you’re fresh out of campfires. All the delicious fun, with no damage to your hard palate. Whether you invite your brother-in-law who did your taxes last year is up to you.
S’mores Bars Recipe
Yields 25
INGREDIENTS
1 10 oz (approx.) bag of regular or mini marshmallows
1 stick unsalted butter
1 10 oz (approx.) box graham cracker cereal (Golden Grahams)
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
INSTRUCTIONS
(Now, listen: these are NOT difficult cookies to make, but they do require that you are in the moment. Broiling is an inexact science, and one that demands an undistracted eye. Trust me, you don’t want to end up with the fire department in your kitchen while you, chagrined, explain you were playing Wordle and forgot about the smoldering pan in your oven…)
Heat the broiler to high and set the rack in the upper third of the oven.
1. Grease the sides and bottom of a 9” pan, then line the bottom with parchment, leaving the sides long enough that they come up and out of the pan–this will act as a sling and allow you to remove the bars more easily. Set this assembly aside.
2. Separately, generously grease a quarter-or half-sheet pan, then add the marshmallows. Broil until deeply browned and smoking, about 1 minute. (Watch closely, as broilers vary.) Stir to expose untoasted sides and broil once again until browned and just starting to smoke. Remove from the oven, leaving the broiler on.
3. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-high. Stir frequently until the hissing subsides and the butter smells nutty and is browned, 3 to 5 minutes. (Keep watch: browning butter goes south almost as quickly as broiling marshmallows.)
4. Turn off the heat, then add the salt and the marshmallows, being careful not to burn yourself on the hot marshmallow pan; stir vigorously until the marshmallows are melted and combined with the butter.
5. Working quickly, add the cereal and stir to combine.
6. Add the chocolate and again, stir to combine. How homogenized you want your s’mores bars is up to you–if you stir till the chocolate is completely incorporated, you’ll get a uniform bar; stir briefly and you’ll get a more varied bite.
7. Immediately scrape the mixture into the prepared 9” pan and press firmly. Broil until the top is golden and charred in spots, about 1 minute, watching closely.
8. Let cool completely, then cut into 25 squares using a serrated bread knife. Store, covered, at room temperature.
ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
You: I don’t like Golden Grahams.
Me: Don’t make these cookies.
Seriously, you’ll be disappointed if you try using broken-up graham crackers. If you truly can’t abide Golden Grahams, I recommend a bowl of ice cream instead
Recipe and story by Doug Florey, aka Dr. Cookie/ Styling by Anna Calabrese / Photography by Dave Bryce
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