S'mores brownies

So I'm a bit off today. One of my boys was very sick and up a lot during the night. He had a minor surgery yesterday, which went great, but his stomach did not agree with the anesthesia. There is nothing tougher on a mama than having a sick/sad/hurting kid! He is resting now. I should be resting, too, but I have posts to write and treats to make!

Sorry, not much fluff today. Aside from the marshmallows, that is. 

Here is Day #8 of Twelve Days of Christmas Treats!

(Recipe adapted from The Emeals Blog)

Prepare a 19.5-oz. box of brownie mix (family size) in a 9x13 baking dish, according to package directions. 

While the brownies are baking, set the following aside:

8 cinnamon graham crackers, broken into pieces

2 cups miniature marshmallows

Three 1.55-oz. Hershey's bars, broken into pieces

Remove the brownies from the oven and set oven to Broil.

Top the brownies with the graham cracker pieces and the marshmallows. No structure is needed here. Unless you want there to be. 

Once the broiler is ready, return the pan to the oven and broil for no more than 2 minutes, or once the marshmallows just start to brown.

Remove the brownies from the oven and immediately place the chocolate pieces over the top. Allow the chocolate to melt slightly. If they aren't melting enough for your liking, place the pan back in the oven for a minute.

Cut into squares and serve. Store, covered, at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

You can't go wrong with these. They are virtually impossible to mess up! Good luck! Farewell! Till next time (tomorrow)!

Printable recipe: S'mores brownies

S'mores bars

This is the last of my fudge posts. I love Swiss Maid Fudge! I could throw it into just about everything and be a happy girl.

These were great as bars, but they were also delicious as an ice cream topping. More on that in a bit..

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Coat an 8x8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine:

13 graham crackers, broken into pieces

1/3 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

Process until fine crumbs form. 

Add 6 tablespoons of melted butter and process until crumbs become moistened.

Divide the crumbs in half. Press half of the crumbs into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.

Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.

Top with:

Six 1x1/2-inch pieces of turtle fudge, broken into pieces

1 cup miniature marshmallows

Remaining crumbs

1/4 cup miniature marshmallows

Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the marshmallows are lightly browned. 

Let sit at room temperature for 2 hours before serving.

Store, covered, at room temperature. (I made the mistake of putting this in the fridge, and the fudge got too chewy.) Cut into squares, OR....

..crumble over ice cream. Yum!

Printable recipe: S'mores bars

Rolo-stuffed marshmallow brownies

I have started and stopped writing this post about two dozen times, for a thousand different reasons. I won't get into that, but I will tell you that I came up with this brownie recipe during a recent bout of insomnia. I woke up at 3:00 a.m. and started doing my usual stressing/worrying/thinking. I decided to turn my thoughts into something productive, so I started thinking about food! And what better food to ponder than brownies?

I have been loving the "stuffed" treats lately, so (after some pondering) I came up with the idea of brownies stuffed with one of my all-time favorite candies, Rolos. I needed just a little something extra, and roasted marshmallows seemed like the perfect thing to throw on the top.

Most treats that I make end up being shared with my coworkers. These brownies did not get shared with my coworkers. My husband and I ate the ENTIRE batch by ourselves. Every last crumb. I can't even tell you how sinfully delicious they were. 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, combine:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup light brown sugar

Add:

1 egg 

1 tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix well.

Add the flour mixture in two batches just until combined.

Stir in a 12-oz. package of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Spread half of the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish. Top with a layer of (unwrapped) Rolos (12-oz. bag).

Top with the rest of the cookie batter and bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned.

Preheat your broiler. Top the brownies with 1 1/2 cups of miniature marshmallows and place in the oven for 2-3 minutes. Keep a close eye on them, as the marshmallows will brown very quickly! I do like my marshmallows a bit on the crisp side, but you may cook them to your liking. 

Well worth being awake in the middle of the night!

Click here for a printable recipe!

Hot cocoa cookies

I am a teeny bit obsessed with the cookies from the most recent issue of EveryDay with Rachael Ray magazine. This recipe is the second of many cookie recipes on my list to make this holiday season. Sweets are taking over my life! Just ask my coworkers. They get my leftovers, and I think they are starting to resent the way I am forcing them to eat sinful treats. 

I don't think I need to tell you that these were tasty. The photos sort of speak for themselves..

Ooey gooey chocolatey marshmallowy deliciousness. Hot cocoa in a cookie!

In a medium saucepan, melt together:

1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter

12 oz. chopped semisweet chocolate (bars)

Stir frequently over medium heat until smooth. Let cool for 15 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Using an electric mixer, beat together:

1 1/4 cups light brown sugar

3 eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Beat on low speed until smooth, 2 minutes. Mix in the cooled chocolate mixture just until blended. Add the flour mixture in 2 batches, mixing on low speed until just combined. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a tablespoon, scoop the dough and roll between your palms to form 1-inch balls. Arrange about 16 balls 2 inches apart on each cookie sheet, flattening slightly. Bake until the tops of the cookies crack, about 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut 7.5 ounces of semisweet chocolate (bars) into 1-inch squares. Snip 8 marshmallows in half crosswise and stick 1 square of chocolate onto each of the cut sides.

Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and gently press a marshmallow half, chocolate side down, into each cookie. Bake until the marshmallows are just softened, about 4 minutes. Transfer the pans to racks to cool for 5 minutes.

Grate 5 ounces of semisweet chocolate over the hot cookies. Using a spatula, transfer the cookies to the racks and let cool. Repeat the process with the remaining dough, marshmallows and chocolate. Bake each batch on a clean sheet of parchment paper.

Enjoy! More cookies to come!

Click here for a printable recipe!

Crack brownies

Have you ever tried crack? Yeah, me either. After eating these brownies, though, I feel like I would probably be less addicted to crack. I mean, how can that not be the case with brownies, peanuts, marshmallows, Reese's peanut butter cups, chocolate, peanut butter and Rice Krispies all present in a single bite?! This recipe comes from my very good Heather, and I am very grateful that she shared it!

Prepare 1 package of brownie mix according to the package directions. Coat a 9x13 baking dish and bake in the oven, also according to package directions (20-25 minutes).

While the brownies are baking, chop enough Reese's peanut butter cups (I used minis) to make 1 cup. Feed extras to hungry children running by, or pop them into your own mouth.

Add on top of the baked brownies:

1/2 cup salted peanuts

1 cup Reese's peanut butter cups, chopped

2 cups miniature marshmallows

Return to the oven and bake at 350 degrees F for an additional 5 minutes, or until the marshmallows begin to puff and brown and the chocolate begins to melt.

In a medium bowl, combine:

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter

Microwave on high for 1 minute and stir until melted and creamy. 

Add 2 cups of Rice Krispies cereal and stir until completely coated with the chocolate-peanut butter mixture.

Pour mixture evenly over the brownies.

Refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours before serving. 

Cut into squares, and prepare to feel like you might need addiction counseling.

You think I'm kidding!

Printable recipe: Crack brownies