S'mores Bars

 

I was so busy earlier this week that I missed National S’mores Day on August 10th. Well, better late than never, right? With the extreme heat and humidity we’re dealing with right now, sitting by a fire to toast marshmallows doesn’t sound appealing. Last year, I came across this recipe for S’mores Bars in an issue of Cook’s Country magazine. It looked delicious and seemed easy to make, so I tore it out and added it to my “recipes to try” pile—then promptly forgot about it.

A few weeks ago, cookbook author David Lebovitz inspired me with his blog post about going through folders filled with recipes he’d saved to try at a future date and never did. Thank goodness it compelled me to go through my stack because I discovered the S’mores Bars recipe again and was motivated to give it a go.

They were delicious. This recipe creates everything you want in a s’more without the flames. These bars have marshmallow cream to make them even gooier. The only downside was the crust seemed to be a bit thick, so next time I’ll cut back on how much I use. The upside is the bars tasted just as good the next day. And the next. This storage-ability makes them perfect for a make-ahead dessert, say for an upcoming Labor Day gathering or a football tailgate.

Happy National S’mores Day...better late than never!

Yield: Makes 16 bars

Author: Linda Ditch

S’mores Bars

No campfire required! This tasty treat, adapted from one found in the June/July 2020 issue of Cook’s Country magazine, gives the dessert a summertime feel no matter what the calendar says.

Ingredients

• 7 whole graham cracker sheets, broken into pieces
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 6 (1.55-ounce) Hershey’s Milk Chocolate bars
• 1 (7-ounce) container of marshmallow crème (Fluff)
• 1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil, smoothing it into the sides and corners, and leaving some hanging over the edge of the pan. Spray generously with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a food processor, finely grind up the graham cracker pieces. Add the flour, brown sugar, and salt and pulse until combined. Add the chilled butter pieces and pulse until the mixture looks like damp sand. (20 to 25 pulses) Pour the crumb mixture into the prepared baking pan and press into a firm, even layer across the bottom. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes, or until the crust is brown around the edges. Cool completely before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.
3. Once the crust is cool, cover it with 5 of the chocolate bars. You will need to break them into pieces to fit into an even layer, with some leftover. Chop the remaining chocolate into small pieces and set them aside.
4. Using an offset spatula sprayed with non-stick spray, spread the marshmallow cream over the top of the chocolate. Sprinkle the mini marshmallows evenly over the top. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the marshmallows are golden brown.
5. Remove the pan from the oven onto a cooling rack, and then sprinkle the chopped chocolate over the top. Allow the bars to cool for at least 4 hours before cutting.
6. To serve, lift the bars out of the pan with the foil and set onto a cutting board. Carefully peel back the fool from the marshmallows, using a knife if needed. Spray your knife with non-stick spray, and then cut the bars into 16 pieces. Keep leftovers in an air-tight container for up to 2 days.

Family Recipe File Crazy Chocolate Cake

(Update March 25, 2020: Who knew when I posted this in 2011 we would be going through a pandemic 9 years later! What's great about this recipe? You don't need eggs or milk, which can be hard to find right now! And we all need chocolate, right?)

This has to be the easiest chocolate cake to make—ever! As I was looking through my Mamaw’s recipe box to find another recipe to share with you, I came across this Crazy Chocolate Cake recipe. I remember making it growing up, so my mom must have the recipe too, though I don’t know if Mamaw gave the recipe to Mom or vice versa. This is one of the few times Mamaw didn't write where she got the recipe on the card.

What is great about this cake is you mix it together in the same pan in which you bake it. No mixer. No bowl. Just the baking dish and a fork. And no eggs or milk, either! The vinegar in the mix helps the cake rise. From what I’ve read, this recipe (and many others similar to it) was developed during the Great Depression as a cost-effective way to make a chocolate cake without expensive ingredients.

The cake is tasty without frosting—moist, rich and chocolaty. I just dust it with powdered sugar. But feel free to top it with your favorite frosting. Enjoy!

Author: Linda Ditch

Crazy Chocolate Cake

A Great Depression-era cake made without eggs and milk, mixed and baked in one pan.

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar
• 1/2 cup cooking oil
• 1 1/2 cups water

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift the dry ingredients into a 12 x 7 1/2 x 2-inch baking pan.
2. Mix together and make 3 indentations in the dry ingredients. Into one hole, put vanilla, into another put vinegar, and into third put cooking oil. Pour water over all and mix batter well with a fork.
3. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the center springs back to the touch. After cooling, dust the top with powdered sugar. (optional.)

Mamaw’s Chocolate Meringue Pie

Inspired by my last post, I asked the blog’s Facebook followers to tell me about their favorite pies. Many of them not only said a flavor but also told a family story to go with it. It seems that pie inspires a lot of memories.

For the Spring 2016 issue of Topeka Magazine, I wrote about Easter on my maternal grandparents’ farm. I also included Mamaw’s Chocolate Meringue Pie recipe. This is what I wrote:

“Mamaw’s country dinners were always delicious, but what everyone most anticipated was the dessert. Her chocolate meringue pie made an appearance at every holiday meal. It was mandatory. The meal wasn’t officially a celebration until the pie made it to the table.

Each of the pie's components was made from scratch. The crust was brown and flaky, the chocolate filling rich and creamy, and the meringue topping light, fluffy, and golden brown. Mamaw never used a mixer to make the meringue. Instead, she put the egg whites into her deep-blue, depression glass bowl, and whisked them until light and airy with a flat metal whisk full of holes. Everyone knew the rapid ting, ting sound of metal against glass meant she was making meringue

(That's Mamaw holding me a long, long, long time ago.)

I remember Mamaw's pies being perfect, but admit that my memory may be clouded by my love and admiration. My pies never seem to turn out as perfect as hers. Still, I make them and remember her kitchen and the holiday in muted color images.”

Mamaw’s Chocolate Meringue Pie

Serves 6 to 8 people

1 9-inch pie shell, baked until golden brown

For the meringue:

3 large egg whites, room temperature

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

6 tablespoons sugar

For the filling:

3/4 cup sugar

5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups whole milk

3 large egg yolks, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

In a large bowl, place the egg whites and the cream of tartar. Turn the mixer on to medium-high and beat until the egg whites form soft peaks. Continue beating while slowing adding the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat until the egg whites are glossy and form stiff peaks. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, place the sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk together. Slowly whisk in the milk. Place the pan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and starts to bubble. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir about 1 cup of the hot mixture into the egg yolks, and then pour the egg yolk mixture into the saucepan with the remaining filling. Return to the heat and bring to just a boil. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Pour the hot filling into the prepared pie crust. Spoon the meringue over the hot filling, making sure to spread it out so it adheres to the edge of the crust. Create swirls with the back of a spoon.

Place the pie in the oven and bake until the meringue is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool on a rack for at least two hours before serving.