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.

No Churn Vanilla Ice Cream

 

Sometimes summer can be torture. No, I’m not referring to the stifling heat and humidity. I’m talking about all of the wonderful recipes for homemade ice cream to be found in magazines and cookbooks, or floating around on the internet, and me without an ice cream maker.

Then one magical afternoon, I watched a rerun of a Nigella Lawson cooking show. There she was, in full view, making bitter orange ice cream without a churn! It looked so easy and sounded so delicious. I was intrigued.

Nigella's website lists a number of no-churn ice cream recipes. Most call for heavy cream, confectioner’s sugar, and a flavoring of some kind.  One of her recipes called for sweetened condensed milk instead of sugar. All of the recipes instructed readers to put the ingredients into a mixing bowl and then whip until soft peaks form.

No egg yolks. No cooking. No churn. Simple!

I decided I wanted to try a basic vanilla no-churn ice cream. Once I had it mastered, it would just be a matter of adding different ingredients to change up the flavors. So I went to the internet and found many recipes, but these all called for whipping the cream separately to stiff peaks and then folding it into the flavored sweetened condensed milk.

First, I tried the recipe Nigella's way. Epic fail! The mixture never whipped. My guess is my cream-to-sweetened condensed milk ratio wasn't correct. Whatever the reason, the mixture just stayed a loose liquid. (I’m curious to try the recipes with confectioner’s sugar to see if they work better.)

So I went to the whip-the-cream-separately method.

Major success!

The ice cream was amazing and tasted like my Mom’s homemade version she makes in an ice cream churn. It was so rich and creamy you would swear there were eggs in the mixture. Plus, the ice cream scooped smoothly out of the container with no ice crystals.

Perfect!

I did discover the longer this ice cream is in the freezer, the less smooth it becomes. However, I think that may be because I froze it in a larger container than necessary, leaving the ice cream exposed to more air than in a smaller container. Anyway, it still tasted wonderful.

The Picky Eater and I devoured the first bowls, while I called Mom to tell her of my discovery.

Now I plan to spend the summer trying different flavor variations. I think chocolate has to come next.

Something to look forward to as the season steams onward.

No Churn Vanilla Ice Cream

Yield: 4

Author: Linda Ditch

A way to enjoy homemade ice cream when you don't own an ice cream machine.

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer), whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to over mix. The cream can change quickly from fluffy to butter. Once stiff peaks are reached, set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and salt. With a large spatula, gently fold in the whipped cream until combined.
3. Pour the mixture into an air-tight freezer container (or a loaf pan, which you will cover with plastic wrap.)
4. Place in the freezer and allow it to harden for at least 6 hours before serving.
5. Enjoy!

Rustic Peach Tart

Peaches have arrived in Topeka’s farmer's markets, and I've found a lovely way to enjoy them…other than the obvious one of consuming the luscious, sweet fruit while the juice runs through your fingertips This rustic Peach Tart is simple to make and highlights the flavor of ripe summer peaches.

The recipe is adapted from one I found in Home Made Summer by Yvette Van Boven. If you haven’t seen this cookbook yet, run out and grab a copy before summer’s bounty passes by. The book is full of wonderful recipes that celebrate the simple deliciousness of the fruits and vegetables available this time of year.

The best part of this recipe is the ease of preparation. There’s no peeling the peaches, and the crust comes together in minutes thanks to the food processor (and is one of the best crusts I've ever eaten.)

I also like the simplicity of the filling, which is just peaches, sugar, and salt. That’s it. The peaches are allowed to shine without any extra enhancements. Plus, depending on the sweetness of the fruit, not a lot of sugar is necessary.

Don’t have peaches? Any summer fruit will do in this tart recipe.

A simple, flavorful summer dessert. Perfect!

***Hey, thanks for reading! If you've enjoyed my posts or tried one of my recipes, you can support my writing efforts through Buy Me a Coffee...or tea...or flavored fizzy water. Your donation will be greatly appreciated, especially now as I deal with a chronic autoimmune disease that flared back up again. The button is located on the right-hand side of this page or you can follow the link here. If you can't donate, that's okay, too. Either way, thank you so much for reading my stuff!  

Snap Crackle Crunch Ice Cream

It's hot here in Topeka. As I type this, the little Weather Channel icon on my computer tells me it’s 104 outside. The grass is dry and crunching underfoot and many farmers are facing the real possibility of crop failure from too much heat and not enough rain. And I know there are a lot of you around the country that are feeling our pain with your own hot-weather battle.

As I was looking through Mamaw’s box of farmhouse recipes for one to share with you, I was thinking of something cool. And nothing gets much cooler than ice cream! Mamaw got this recipe from Velma Drake, the mother of my Great-Aunt Mabel, on November 15, 1961. (I always called her Grandma Drake, even though she wasn’t my grandmother.) The recipe’s name was simply “Dessert.” I decided to call it Snap Crackle Crunch Ice Cream because of the feel and sound that the topping/crust makes with its toasted Rice Krispies, pecans, and coconut.

There was just one trick with this recipe. The ingredients listed a 1/2 gallon of ice cream, which was the common measurement for an ice cream container back in 1961. However, that’s not so in 2012. Most are now 1/2 quart less. I used Blue Bell Natural Vanilla Bean Ice Cream not only because it tastes great, but also because, as it says on the container, it still comes in a 1/2 gallon size. (And no, they didn’t pay me to say that. I just like it!)

I enjoyed this dessert with its creamy center and crunchy top and bottom. Next time I may try a different ice cream flavor, such as cinnamon, cherry, blueberry, chocolate…Oh, for the record, The Picky Eater tasted this dish and gave it the thumbs up! Yipee!

Yield: 16

Author: Linda Ditch

Snap Crackle Crunch Ice Cream

A delicious ice cream dessert with its creamy center and crunchy top and bottom.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups Rice Krispies
• 1 cup pecans
• 1 cup coconut
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 gallon (2 quarts) ice cream

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Take the ice cream from the freezer to soften.
2. Place the first four ingredients in a 9- by 13-inch baking dish and place in the oven for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven and stir in the brown sugar. Let sit for 10 minutes to cool a bit.
3. Take out half of the mixture and set it aside. Spread the remaining mixture over the bottom of the baking dish. Spread the ice cream over the mixture, and then sprinkle the remaining half of the mixture over the ice cream. Cover and put into the freezer until firm.
4. To cut, dip a knife into very hot water, and then wipe off with a towel before cutting to make the job easier.