Sunday, March 21, 2010

S'more Brownies

Growing up I was never much of a camper (still really not, but trying to be). The only thing that could really entice me were the s'mores. Gooey marshmallows toasted and squished in between graham crackers and chocolate. Mmm.....Heavenly..... For Christmas one year I even got a s'mores maker. I could have the gratification of a s'mores and not have to be outside camping! I loved it. I was satisfied with toasting the marshmallows over a candle just to have this simple treat. So when I fell upon a recipe for a s'mores brownie I knew I had to make it.

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I found many recipes, but one from Food Network stood out the most. It had a graham cracker crust, brownie center, and toasted marshmallows on top. Many had everything mixed in together. But one of the best parts of a s'more is biting into each layer of goodness. The only downside to the Food Network recipe was that the brownie portion had really bad reviews. So i just went ahead and used my own brownie recipe. You could probably use just a box too. I also made mine in a muffin pan rather than an 8x8 pan. I honestly think it was much easier to make it this way and they were already individually portioned. I ended up with 15 brownies.

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These brownies were very simple, but so delicious. Especially if you're a s'mores fan. Todd thought they were too sweet, but I personally thought they were just perfect. Just be prepared for some messy crumbs while eating! I went to "try" one and ended up savoring each and every bite of the whole thing. It was hard to stop at just one bite.

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S'more Brownies
Crust from Food Network Kitchens-Brownie from Allrecipes.com

Crust:
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 c. crushed graham cracker crumbs
2 tbsp. sugar
Pinch fine salt

Brownie:
3/4 c. butter, melted
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 1 /2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
3/4 . flour
1/2 c. cocoa
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Topping:
4 c. large marshmallows

  1. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat oven to 325F. Line an 8x8 square baking pan with foil so it hangs over the edges by about 1 inch.
  2. For the crust lightly butter the foil with some of the melted butter. Stir in rest of the butter together with the crumbs, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Press the crumb mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, make the brownie. Cream together melted butter, sugar, vanilla, and eggs. In a separate bowl mix together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Mix dry ingredients with wet ingredients. Mix just until incorporated. You don't want to over mix.
  4. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean, with a few crumbs, about 25-30 minutes.
  5. Remove from the oven and carefully position a rack about 6 inches from the boiler and preheat on low. Layer marshmallows across the top and toast under the broiler until golden. (keep an eye it, it can go quick), about 2 minutes. Cool on a rack, gently remove the brownies from the pan using aluminum flaps. Carefully separate any marshmallow form the foil and fold away. Cut into 12 (2-inch) squares.
For cupcake brownies:

  1. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat oven to 325F. Line muffin pan with liners. Spray with a light coat of pam.
  2. For the crust stir in the butter together with the crumbs, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Fill each liner with 2 tablespoons of mixture. Using the back of a spoon, or the bottom of a small cup, press crust to form to the bottom. Bake until golden brown, about 8 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, make the brownie. Cream together melted butter, sugar, vanilla, and eggs. In a separate bowl mix together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Mix dry ingredients with wet ingredients. Mix just until incorporated. You don't want to over mix.
  4. Pour batter into the prepared pan (about 1 heaping tablespoonful). Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean, with a few crumbs, about 15-18 minutes.
  5. Remove from the oven and carefully position a rack about 6 inches from the boiler and preheat on low. Layer marshmallows across the top of each brownie (use small marshmallows, or cut large in half) and toast under the broiler until golden. (keep an eye it, it can go quick), about 1-2 minutes. Cool on a rack.
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