No Campfire Required

Smore's are the quintessential summer dessert. Images of campfires and flaming marshmallows come to mind... and then that yummy flavor of crispy and sweet graham crackers with gooey warm chocolate and crunchy/fluffy marshmallows... it's pretty delicious. So, when my mom emailed me this recipe, I got quite excited: Smore's... no campfire required!

Individual Smore's Cups and Bars

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 cup butter or margarine, melted

16 snack size Hershey bars

4 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, stir together cookie mix and crumbs. Stir in melted butter until soft dough forms. Place cupcake liners in muffin tin. Press the dough into the bottom of each slot (should be 1/8 or ¼ inch thick). Take the rest of the dough and press into the bottom of an ungreased 8x8” pan.

Bake muffin tin for 10-15 minutes and the 8x8” pan 18-20 minutes or until set. Break the hershey’s bars in half and immediately put one in each of the cupcake liners. Once the 8x8” pan is out of the oven, do the same. Let stand 3 to 5 minutes or until chocolate begins to melt. (You can stick them back in the oven for 1-2 minutes if it isn’t melting)

Set oven control to broil. Sprinkle marshmallows over melted chocolate. Broil with top 4 to 5 inches from heat 20 to 30 seconds or until marshmallows are toasted. (Watch closely; marshmallows will brown quickly.) Cool 10 minutes. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Serve warm. Store any remaining bars/cups tightly covered.

Mise en Place

You can take out your frustration on the
graham crackers by pounding them
into oblivion...

After you add the butter to the dry mixture

Press the dough into the bottom of the cupcake liners

Press the dough into the baking pan

All baked!

Add the chocolate...

Nice and melty!

Do the same with the large pan

Add the marshmallows!

Ta-dah! :)

So, there you have it! The most yummy of smore's... and you don't have to be outside in the woods to eat them! Now, as a VERY IMPORTANT side note, do NOT stop watching them when they're under the broiler. I repeat: DO NOT take your eyes off of them. Why? This, my friends, is why:

Is it the surface of the moon? Nope. It's a lovely lava field of flame-broiled mini marshmallows. Don't do this. You'll be sad. Remember: only YOU can prevent marshmallow fires. :)
 
~ Mari

Blais-in' Through The ATL

Photo from johnmariani.com

My mom is in town this week (yay!) and we went to Atlanta yesterday for some high-calibur shopping and eating. We also happen to be huge Top Chef fans - especially Top Chef All Stars. So, we went to the only logical place to go - Richard Blais's (he won TCAS) Flip Burger Boutique in Buckhead. We were EXCITED.

How cool is the inside of this burger place? Very modern and very spotless. Awesome.

Our meal



Candycane Beet Salad ($4)



The Local: local organic grass-fed beef, tomme cheese, lettuce, yellow tomato,
red onion, coca cola ketchup, picked peach & pecans
($14)

Nutella + Burnt Marshmallow Liquid Nitrogen Shake ($6)

The meal was incredible - hands down the best burger either of us had ever eaten. What a flavor combo! Pickled peaches? Coca cola ketchup? The man has an imagination. Also, that beet salad was to die for! And who would ever put a beet salad with arugula on a burger menu. Richard Blais would. I might start salivating if I start talking about the milkshake. Holy moley it was fantastic! It was unlike any milkshake I've ever had in my life - rich, creamy, chocolatey - and the best part? There was no air in it like most milk shakes. It was solid deliciousness. And the topping of burnt marshmallows? Perfection.

It made my mouth glad. :) So, if you're in the neighborhood, go. And if you're not, figure out a way to get there.

~ Mari